30-09-2016
Nano4Global, co-founded in 2015 by Alexandra Fernandes e Pedro Viana Baptista, Principal researchers at UCIBIO, FCT-NOVA, was one of the 66 Portuguese start-ups selected to represent Portugal at the Web Summit. The Road 2 web Summit competition received 237 applications by portuguese start-ups, and 170 were accepted to present their project to distinguished investors panels. Filipe Assoreira, co-founder and executive director of Nano4, presented the innovative nanodiagnostic solutions of Nano4 Global.
Web Summit, a big global event in the area of entrepreneurship and technology, took place in Lisbon’s Beato Creative Hub, on the 21st September. The Road 2 Web Summit promotes and supports projects that stand out in Portugal for their innovative potential and ensures them facilitated access to the event and the chance to join the entrepreneurial environment.
Nano4 Global aims to provide solutions for one step molecular identification of DNA/RNA at point-of-care. Molecular nanodiagnostics of diseases, such as tuberculosis, zika or cancer, in a rapid, reliable and inexpensive way. Research in nanodiagnostics by Pedro Viana Baptista, is the key for the development of the next generation of molecular nanodiagnostics applied to life sciences. “The portable system is based on gold nanoparticles solutions that change color upon recognition of a DNA sequence that identifies a specific disease", explains Pedro Viana Baptista.
The previous success in spinning off a human molecular diagnostics SME by Alexandra Fernandes was key to Nano4 Global development. “The potential for such technology is tremendous, considering that there is a current need for about 9 Million tuberculosis (TB) tests/year and until 2020 the forecast is a demand for up to 70 Million Zika screenings”, explains Filipe Assoreira whose BioPharma experience steers the market approach for Nano4.
