IGNITE
Sign Up For IGNITE 2026-2027!
Please click here to sign up for this year’s IGNITE Program.
About
The IGNITE program is OBT’s flagship accelerator, designed to transition research from the lab to the commercial space. Student teams are empowered to formulate, develop, and pitch their biotech innovations.
OBT provides all teams with entrepreneurship development opportunities, including seminars, masterclasses, and networking events. These aim to teach participants about fundraising, venture capital, intellectual property, ideation, business development, and start-up leadership.
Why should you take part?
Gain Essential Skills
Acquire crucial knowledge in commercial, financial, regulatory, and legal aspects of biotech through expert-led workshops and talks, preparing you to navigate the complexities of launching a biotech start-up.
Receive Expert Mentorship
Benefit from personalized guidance by industry professionals and access to valuable resources, including non-dilutive funding, lab space, and legal support, to help turn your research into a viable commercial product.
Expand Your Network
Connect with industry professionals, peers, and potential collaborators during the program and on Demo Day, enhancing your opportunities for future support and partnerships.
Our 2024-2025 Winners
WINNER – Shared Genes: Connecting lives through shared genes, transforming DNA into meaningful human connections.
Since winning, Shared Genes has evolved into Juno and was selected for Y Combinator’s Spring 2026 cohort. The company has since scaled its AI health assistant for people living with chronic illness, reaching 50,000 users and 2 million conversations within its first few months.
RUNNER UP – Albion: AI drug design, accelerating breakthrough therapies with intelligent designs.
Our 2023-2024 Winner
Omnitide Therapeutics: Peptide-based chemokine network neutralizing inhibitors to combat inflammatory diseases.
Since winning, Omnitide Therapeutics has been named a finalist in the Royal Society of Chemistry Emerging Tech Competition and secured a $200k investment from BlueYard Capital as a finalist in the Nucleate Activator Cohort.
Acknowledgements
A heartfelt thank you to our esteemed panel of judges for their invaluable expertise and guidance: Claire Shingler from BioEscalator, Katharina Ramshorn from Oxford Science Enterprises, Nenad Svrzikapa from Orfonyx Bio, and Peter Crane from Caeruleus Genomics.
We would also like to thank our sponsors—BioEscalator, Oxford Science Enterprises, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Eppendorf—whose generous support made this program possible.
