Cologne and Singapore based biotech start-up AyoxxA was announced one of the five winners of the Innovation & Enterprise Awards. The Awards were organized by NUS Enterprise and The National University of Singapore Society and given out at the InnovFest 2014 Celebration Dinner in April 2014. The Promising NUS Start-up Award recognizes innovation-based ventures within the NUS community that have the potential to make global impact. The winners each received a trophy and S$100,000 (60,000 EUR) in prize money.

The technology behind AyoxxA began in 2008 when Associate Professor Dieter Trau, from the NUS Department of Biomedical Engineering, became one of the first recipients of the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) Proof of Concept funding scheme, for his project on bead based microarray for bio-molecular diagnostics. He and his team then won a second grant from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research (SMART) Innovation Centre and spun off AyoxxA. This has since developed its NUS licensed technology into a platform for multiplexed protein analysis. The AyoxxA biochip can simultaneously and cost-effectively analyze proteins from very small biological samples (eg. blood or saliva). The 25-person team is headed by CEO, Dr Andreas Schmidt, with Prof Trau as the CSO, while also maintaining his appointment at NUS.

In 2012, AyoxxA closed its Series A financing round at S$5.2 million, and have secured commitment for their Series B, which will be announced next month. AyoxxA is incubated by NUS Enterprise.

“Bringing a product from lab to market is not an easy task, especially within the biomedical sector, where product development is typically lengthy and expensive. Winning the Promising NUS Start-up Award is a strong validation to the team that we are on the right track, and have the potential to revolutionize applications in biomedical research, pharmacological screening and diagnostics,” explained Dr. Andreas Schmidt, CEO AyoxxA.

The I&E Awards are annual awards, organized by NUS Enterprise and NUSS, and supported by the National Research Foundation’s University Innovation Fund. They aim to recognize individuals and companies within the NUS community, who have achieved significant accomplishments or contributed towards entrepreneurship and innovation.

About AyoxxA
AyoxxA, an international biotech company based in Cologne, Germany, and Singapore, has developed a proprietary technology platform for multiplexed protein analysis. Core to this cutting-edge technology are “In-situ Encoded Bead-based Arrays” (IEBA) which allow simultaneous, precise and cost effective protein analysis in very small sample volumes.
These novel biochips allow users to combine high throughput screening and multiplexed assay formats at the same time and thus have the potential to revolutionize applications in biomedical research, pharmacological screening, and diagnostics.

AyoxxA was founded as a spin-off of the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2010, and is supported by NUS Enterprise. The company received multiple grants in Singapore from the National Research Foundation (NRF), the SMART Innovation Centre (Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology), and SPRING's Technology Enterprise Commercialisation Scheme (TECS). Current investors include Wellington Partners Venture Capital, NRW.Bank, HTGF - High-Tech-Gründerfonds, KfW Bankengruppe and private investors Rainer Christine and Dr. Gregor Siebenkotten, both formerly executive board members and co-founders of amaxa biosystems. AyoxxA established corporate headquarters in Cologne in Spring 2012, in addition to its operations in Singapore.

About NUS Enterprise
NUS Enterprise is a University-level cluster that provides an enterprise dimension to NUS teaching and research involving the University’s students, staff and alumni. The functions of the Enterprise Cluster complement the academic cluster of the University to nurture talents with an entrepreneurial and global mindset. NUS Enterprise promotes the spirit of innovation and enterprise through Experiential Education, Industry Engagement & Partnerships and Entrepreneurship Support. The NUS Industry Liaison Office is a division of NUS Enterprise, and this manages and protects the University’s intellectual property and promotes collaboration between NUS and industry. For more information, visit www.nus.edu.sg/enterprise

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Chan Yiu Lin (Ms)
Greener Grass Communications (For NUS Enterprise)
Email: yiulin@greenergrass.com.sg
Mobile: (65) 9765-5897

Contacts:
E-Mail:info@ayoxxa.com
www.ayoxxa.com

AyoxxA Living Health Technologies Pte. Ltd
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Block E3A, #07-02, 7 Engineering Drive 1
117576 Singapore

AyoxxA Biosystems GmbH
BioCampus Cologne
Nattermannallee 1
50829 Köln, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 221 222529-0

Kontakt:
E-Mail:info@ayoxxa.com
www.ayoxxa.com

AyoxxA Living Health Technologies Pte. Ltd
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Block E3A, #07-02, 7 Engineering Drive 1
117576 Singapore

AyoxxA Biosystems GmbH
BioCampus Cologne
Nattermannallee 1
50829 Köln, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 221 222529-0