Biotechnology projects that can change our future:
These three life science start-ups convinced the jury of the 12th BioRiver Boost!
The winners are JWP GmbH (1st place), OncoDegrade (2nd place) and ColdEx (3rd place).
- 1st place: JWP GmbH (Jülich)
JWP GmbH is developing so-called “in-bone micropharmacies”, which are set to fundamentally change orthopaedic surgery. This technology enables healing in just one treatment step. The platform combines modern active ingredient technologies to fight infections and diseases directly on the bone and at the same time accelerate bone healing. The natural bone structure is preserved in the process. In addition, the active ingredients used can be individually adapted – both to medical requirements and to the mechanical stress on the bone.
“The BioRiver Boost offers young life science companies an exceptionally strong platform to make clinically relevant innovations visible. Being awarded first place by a top-class jury of experts is an important confirmation of our innovative strength and our vision to rethink complex orthopaedic therapies systemically. To the best of our knowledge, JWP is developing the world’s first platform for in-bone micro-pharmacies with the aim of developing multi-stage interventions into single-stage therapies,” says Dr. Wa’el Al Rawashdeh CEO JWP GmbH.
- 2nd Place: OncoDegrade (Bonn)
OncoDegrade is developing a new generation of anti-cancer agents. These are special, bivalent small molecules that can specifically degrade certain proteins in the body. Their new mode of action enables very efficient and precise protein degradation. This should reduce undesirable side effects, off-target effects on other proteins and toxicity – while at the same time improving therapeutic efficacy.
The underlying chemical platform has a modular structure and is easily scalable so that it can be quickly extended to other important therapeutic target proteins.
Dr. Lorenzo Cianni: “I am very pleased that OncoDegrade has achieved second place. During the competition, we presented how our technology can enable new, safer and more cost-effective treatment of cancer. We were particularly proud to hear the judges describe it as “sexy” – a fun and energetic compliment for the whole team! Thanks for the great feedback and suggestions.
Although I had the honor of pitching, this achievement is truly the result of a joint effort at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn, and I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the staff who are driving this project forward with such speed, rigor and enthusiasm.”
- 3rd Place: ColdEx (Bonn)
Coldex is an innovative molecular shield that provides broad and early-acting protection against respiratory viruses. It is administered as an easy-to-use, non-invasive nasal spray. The active ingredient activates the body’s natural antiviral defense mechanism directly in the nasal mucosa – exactly where viruses typically penetrate first.
This enables the immune system to quickly recognize and fight viral infections. Coldex thus offers effective, rapid and long-lasting protection against severe respiratory virus infections.
Dr. Christine Wübben (ColdEx): “Membership of BioRiver Boost eV is extremely valuable for me, as it opens up a long-term network of industry partners, investors and founders. Together with the tailored coaching, this gives my team and I the opportunity to sharpen our strategy and profile and to position Coldex early on in such a way that a strong scientific foundation becomes a sustainably growing company. We are delighted to have this opportunity and are looking forward to an exciting 2026.”
The winners of this year’s BioRiver Boost! 20245From left to right: Dr. Christine Wübben (ColdEx), Dr. Wa’el Al Rawashdeh (JWP GmbH), Dr. Lorenzo Cianni (OncoDegrade)
Photo: Bernd Lauter/berndlauter.com
“We saw eight visionary start-ups and project ideas that impressively showed us how much future potential there is in our life science ecosystem. All the participants, the jury and all the great partners and sponsors made this event a great success once again. And it is always a great pleasure and honor to be part of it. Such events are crucial to foster exchange and accelerate innovation – and BioRiver is committed to driving biotechnology forward with full energy!”, said Dr. Bettina Möckel, Vice President of Corporate Development at QIAGEN and Chairwoman of the Board of BioRiver e.V.
The winning teams will receive individually tailored coaching from experienced entrepreneurs to help them refine their business strategies and strengthen their entrepreneurial skills. In addition, they receive marketing support from experts and are offered membership of BioRiver e.V., which gives them long-term access to an extensive network of professionals and companies from the life sciences sector. This combination of coaching, marketing and networking creates valuable opportunities for the winning teams to develop and grow.
The award ceremony took place on December 11, 2025 at BioCampus Cologne and LONZA Cologne. The eight finalists took the opportunity to present their companies to a jury of experts in the form of pitch presentations followed by a Q&A session and in-depth discussion. As in previous years, this year’s jury was made up of high-ranking executives from global life science companies such as BAYER CropScience, BAYER Pharma, Johnson&Johnson, LONZA, Miltenyi Biotec, QIAGEN, UCB and financiers such as High-Tech Gründerfonds and NRW.Bank. The jury was very impressed by the quality of the presentations and emphasized the high standard of the numerous applications when announcing the winners.
About the Start-up Competition BioRiver Boost!
Every year since 2014, young companies that develop market-changing and/or innovative technologies or services for the biotechnology or life science sector can apply for the BioRiver Boost! Startup competition. Organized by BioRiver and made possible by the commitment of association members, partners and life science companies, BioRiver Boost! is a competition that has been established for 10 years and accepts applications without regional restrictions, thus attracting start-ups from all over Europe.
In a two-stage process, a jury first selects eight finalists from all the applications, who then give short presentations and answer questions from the jury on the day of the awards ceremony. The finalists are selected based on specific criteria, such as customer benefit and degree of innovation of the technology as well as the experience of the team and the quality of the business plan. After the so-called pitch sessions in front of the jury and the audience, the jury decides on the best three start-ups or start-up projects in a secret ballot. After the competition, all finalists are invited to become part of the extensive BioRiver network and benefit from the expertise of the association and its members. The program of the final event also includes reverse pitches by investors and corporations, as well as a designated networking session. Another highlight is the participation of former winners and finalists and the motivational talk by a former winning project. This year by Dr. Barbara Maertens from Cube Biotech, who won the BioRiver BOOST 10 years ago.
The BioRiver Boost! is supported by numerous sponsors: The event was hosted by BioCampus Cologne and LONZA Cologne. Platinum sponsors included QIAGEN, KölnBusiness Wirtschaftsförderungs-GmbH and the City of Düsseldorf. Gold sponsors were Johnson & Johnson and ambidex IP.
Impressions of the BioRiver BOOST 2025
Photos: Bernd Lauter/berndlauter.com
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