CLS Inspire QuickFire Challenge for BIPOC Communities

As part of the California Life Sciences’ (CLS) Racial & Social Equity (RSE) Initiative, there is an increased focus to address the healthcare disparities that impact these communities by advancing potential solutions designed to drive better health outcomes and to provide equitable access to care.

To that end, the members of California Life Sciences (CLS), with support from Johnson & Johnson Innovation and AbbVie, are proud to launch the CLS Inspire QuickFire Challenge for BIPOC Communities, a follow-up challenge to last year’s CLS Inspire QuickFire Challenge for Diverse Innovators. California-based innovators are invited to submit potential solutions for BIPOC communities which have been historically marginalized.

The innovator(s) with the best potential solution will receive grant funding from a total pool of $150,000, one year of complimentary California Life Sciences membership to allow awardees visibility through CLS events and programs and access to new and existing collaboration partners and one awardee will be invited to participate in the 2023 Spring FAST Program, receiving commercialization advising from a tailored group of industry veterans.

What we’re looking for

California-based innovators will be invited to submit potentially ground-breaking solutions for patient communities which have been historically marginalized, with particular interest in the following areas:

  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Biotechnology
  • Non-Human/Synthetic Biopharmaceutical
  • Med Tech/Med Device
  • Digital

Criteria

Potential solutions will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers and judges on their ability to meet the following criteria:

  • Potential measurable impact to improve health equity for BIPOC communities in California
  • Uniqueness of the idea
  • Feasibility of the idea
  • Thoroughness of approach
  • Identification of key resources and a plan to further the idea
To apply, click here.  Application deadline August 5.

Congratulations to the 2021 Awardees

Glyphic Biotechnologies, Nutrible, and MabSwitch, Inc have been selected as the awardees in CLS Inspire QuickFire Challenge for BIPOC Communities. To help advance their research, the three awardees will receive $50,000 each in grant funding from California Life Sciences’ (CLS) Racial and Social Equity Initiative.

Glyphic Biotechnologies

Glyphic Biotechnologies is a biotechnology startup that is developing a single-molecule protein sequencing platform that aims to increase binding affinity and improve consistency to help create personalized, precision cancer vaccines for patients of all backgrounds.

MabSwitch, Inc

MabSwitch, Inc is a biotechnology company that aims to develop regulatable next generation immunotherapies based on a proprietary universal allosteric switch module for antibodies (UNASMA) technology platform to address diseases of significant unmet medical need.

Nutrible

Nutrible is a virtual registered dietitian platform that seeks to be a one-stop-shop in the fight against food deserts by providing nutrition education and delivering healthy food directly to patients who need it most.

Sponsored By

abbvie

This program is part of the California Life Sciences’ Racial and Social Equity Initiative, a unified effort to do more for the historically excluded Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC) populations in California. #WeCommitToChange.