Illumina Ventures announced the two winners of the inaugural competition designed to recognise high-potential start-ups.

UCD’s Nax Bioscience and TCD’s Imragen were today (16 June) awarded the top spot at the inaugural Irish Genomics Business Plan Competition, which is an initiative established to identify and support high-potential genomics-focused start-ups and research ventures in Ireland’s life sciences ecosystem.

Illumina Ventures, which announced the winners, is an independently managed venture capital firm that is focused on genomics and precision health investing and aims to strengthen the genomics innovation landscape in Ireland. 

Nax Bioscience is a deep-tech life science start-up that focuses primarily on improving the efficiency of next generation sequencing. By developing an innovative nucleic acid extraction technology, Nax aims to ensure higher input quality that delivers more reliable, cost-effective sequencing results.

Leading the Nax Bioscience team are, Dr Jaythoon Hassan, of the National Virus Reference Laboratory at UCD, professor Michael Gilchrist from the UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Edward Simons, a commercial lead. The multi-disciplinary project is supported by the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund and is preparing for spin-out in early 2027.

Imragen, which is a new commercial venture being spun out of the Campbell lab at TCD’s Smurfit Institute of Genetics, is developing a range of methodologies to restore the integrity of the blood-brain and blood-retina barriers. The technology will seek to treat a range of neurological and ophthalmological conditions. 

Following a competitive review process of submitted entries from across Ireland, Nax Bioscience and Imragen were selected as the two winners in recognition of their innovative genomics-driven technologies and strong commercial potential. 

For winning, both start-ups will receive a comprehensive support package that includes access to Illumina sequencing consumables and technical expertise, strategic mentorship from Illumina Ventures, intellectual property guidance, legal support and access to Ireland’s genomics data science ecosystem.

Commenting on the win, Nick Naclerio, a founding partner at Illumina Ventures, said, “Ireland has become an increasingly important centre for genomics innovation, supported by exceptional scientific talent, a strong entrepreneurial culture, and a collaborative ecosystem.

“We were highly impressed by the quality of applications received and we are excited to support Nax Bioscience and Imragen as they advance technologies with the potential to make a meaningful impact on healthcare and the life sciences.”

Mark Robinson, the vice-president and general manager, for the UK, Ireland, and Northern Europe, at Illumina, added, “Through this competition, we wanted to help accelerate the next generation of genomics-enabled companies in Ireland. The winning teams demonstrated compelling scientific innovation alongside a clear vision for translation and commercialisation.”

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