“Driving Innovation in Breast Cancer”, new startup challenge centers on breast cancer innovation

Three national organizations have teamed up to help bring breast cancer technologies to market. October 1, 2013, Avon Foundation for Women, in partnership with the National Cancer Institute and the Center for Advancing Innovation, kicked off a nationwide start-up challenge. They are searching for teams interested in starting a new venture based on one of the nation’s most promising breast cancer technologies. Avon Foundation’s Executive Director Marc Hurlbert said in a news release that the competition is “designed to accelerate and increase the volume of breast cancer inventions in development.”

Teams will write plans around ten identified breast cancer innovations - including therapeutics, diagnostics, and prognostics, among other innovations. Teams can include students (engineering, medical, computer science, etc.), entrepreneurs, legal professionals, business professionals, researchers, and more. More than a dozen nationally renowned experts will review all submissions and name the challenge finalists, who will receive $5,000 and then present a comprehensive business plan. Winners will be announced in June 2014. The challenge will fund $250,000 in grants to winning teams.

The challenge began Oct. 1. Submissions will be accepted through January 2014. Click here to learn more.