MedTech Grand Prix KOBE2022 Preliminary Report: Grand Prize Won by CellROT

MEDTEC Grand Prix KOBE2022 was held on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at the Convention Hall of Kobe University's Center for Integrated Research and Innovation, and the Grand Prize and Company Prize winning teams were selected.

Starting with the 2020 season, the Tech Planter will evolve its concept to "Deep Issue & Deep Tech Explorer," which will use "Deep Tech," a collection of science and technology, to solve unsolved "Deep Issue" problems. Tech Explorer," which is a collection of science and technology to solve "Deep Issues" through "Deep Tech.

In addition, this year we have added "ability to expand overseas" to the existing four criteria of "novelty, feasibility, potential to change the world, and passion" as a new criterion for judging. The intent is to encourage early-stage companies to look globally, and to accelerate new development through collaboration with the 1126 Alumni teams (as of September 1, 2022) and other overseas tech planters sponsored by RIVANES.

On the day of the event, the 12 MedTech Grand Prix finalist teams, selected from among 349 teams that applied to Tech Planter 2022, gave passionate presentations on their ideas for implementing solutions to global issues using technologies in drug discovery, regenerative medicine, diagnostics and testing, healthcare, and food.

And the winner of the prestigious Grand Prize was CellROT.

Dr. Masato Suzuki of CellROT (University of Hyogo) gave a presentation titled "Label-Free Electrical Characterization System for Cell Rotation. When cells are exposed to a rotating electric field, they become polarized and rotate due to the interaction between the polarized charge and the rotating electric field. The speed of rotation depends on the cell's electrical properties (cell membrane capacitance and cytoplasmic conductivity), and the type and state of the cell can be evaluated only by measuring the rotation speed. Dr. Suzuki shared his vision of using this technology to contribute to the field of cell therapy by developing a device that can separate and collect single cells of interest in a label-free manner. The judges were unanimous in awarding the prize to this unique Japanese technology for "rotating cells" for its potential application not only to cell evaluation but also to antibodies and test drugs, as well as its contribution to "realizing human health.

Members of CellROT, the Grand Prize winner, and the entire jury

 

List of Company Awards and Grand Prizes

Team Name	Theme name	winning (a prize)
FerroptoCure Inc.	Ferotosis Drug Discovery	Kobe Medical Industry Development Award
Tokyo Nucleic Acid Synthesis Co.	Platform technology to create nucleic acid drugs in a short period of time
TheraVest Japan K.K.	Development of Cancer Immunotherapy Using CAR Transgenic NK Cells	Sysmex Award
Hedgehog MedTech Inc.	Development of an application for headache treatment using cognitive-behavioral therapy	Dai-ichi Life Holdings Award Taisho FRC Award
Orchard Bio Co.	hAP cells as a new regenerative medicine product
Sothys Technologies, Inc.	Can be done at home! Ultra-sensitive test kits for infectious diseases and dementia	CPCC Award Roth Prize
Epitope Science, Inc.	Creation of functional antibodies suitable for development of antibody drugs	Real Tech Fund Award
Enyu Pharma Co.	Navigating the "delivery" of drugs through the use of glycans.	Chiome Bioscience Award
Jokone Corporation.	Development of a device for effective pelvic floor muscle training	Eisai Award
Cancer on a chip	A New World of Cancer Drug Discovery Using Three-Dimensional Human Cancer Cell Models	Mitsui Chemicals Award
CellROT	Label-free electrical characterization device that can be identified by cell rotation	Grand Prize
Gifu Milk	Quantification and quality standardization of exosomes across species	Kirin Group Award

 

Results of public voting (votes by non-jury partner participants and finalist teams)

1st place	Tokyo Nucleic Acid Synthesis Co.
2nd place	CellROT
3rd place	Epitope Science, Inc. Cancer on a chip

 

Demo Day Implementation Overview

• Grand Prix name: Medtec Grand Prix KOBE2022
• Place: Convention Hall, Center for Integrated Research, Kobe University
  (7-1-48 Minatojima Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan)
• Date: Saturday, October 8, 2022, 13:00-19:10
• Participation: Held on a closed, pre-registration basis
  (Entry teams, partners, Superfactory Group Professional Supporters)
• Website:https://techplanter.com/medtech/2022/
• Related Grand Prix:Medtec Grand Prix KOBE2023