Two spin-offs from the University of Barcelona, chosen among the Catalan start-ups with the most future
The spin-offs of the University of Barcelona (UB), Oniria Therapeutics and NIMBLE Diagnostics, have been selected among the ten Catalan start-ups with the most future. This has been determined by a jury of experts from the world of entrepreneurship, biotechnology and industry, who have chosen for L’Econòmic – the economics publication of El Punt Avui – the recently created companies that have more growth potential.
The jury has analyzed the business projects that meet the characteristics to be successful in the coming years. The selection made aims to make known the different companies that will accelerate their dimension soon. The group of experts assessed the company’s activity, innovation, the profiles of the people who lead the projects, the initial financing and the successive investment rounds. In recent years, firms such as Wallapop, Glovo, Holaluz, Mosaic Biomedicals, etc. were selected.
In the case of the UB spin-off, NIMBLE Diagnostics, it was created in 2022 and is dedicated to the development of the first medical device to monitor stents implanted non-invasively in people with heart problems. In November of last year, it won the Best Start-up Deep Tech 2023 award for its innovative medical device. NIMBLE Diagnostics is also a spin-off of the Germans Trias i Pujol Institute and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.
Oniria Therapeutics was born in 2021 as a spin-off from the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA). The company is focused on the development of targeted therapies to eliminate tumor cells persistent to conventional treatments and responsible for the progression of patients to deadly stages of cancer.
The UB, key agent in the creation and promotion of spin-offs
The University of Barcelona has played a prominent role in the creation and promotion of spin-offs, contributing significantly to the transfer of knowledge and technology from the academic world to the business environment. This commitment is reflected in the creation of almost thirty spin-off companies that emerge from the research and innovation projects developed within the university.
The UB provides spin-offs with the necessary tools to grow and consolidate in the market. These spin-off companies not only generate high-skilled jobs, but also introduce disruptive innovations in sectors such as biotechnology, health sciences, ICT and food. In this way, the UB is positioned as a key agent in the dynamism of the business fabric and the promotion of the global competitiveness of the territory.