Jul 29

Jul 29 Building the Next Generation of Biofounders at iGEM Startups Summer School

This July, the iGEM Startups Summer School launched for the 2024 iGEM teams, welcoming over 120 iGEM teams with more than 210 participants joining the summer school worldwide.

Over the course of two productive days, participants delved into a series of workshops, lectures, and hands-on sessions designed to foster the skills essential to fill up their entrepreneurship part in iGEM project and race for the Best Entrepreneurship Prize yet to give them a better idea of what they can do with their project post-iGEM competition.

The weekend was filled with valuable learning experiences, as shared by the enthusiastic feedback from participants. Many highlighted the diverse range of sessions as particularly beneficial for them.

Day 1 Highlights

Foundations of Entrepreneurship and Business Planning

Special thanks to Nancy Burgess Christen for her insightful presentation on iGEM judging criteria and insights. A heartfelt thanks also goes to Esther Kim for delivering an enlightening workshop on business planning.

The event kicked off with a focus on the Best Entrepreneurship Prize, dissecting the typical criteria judges use to evaluate the entrepreneurship aspects of iGEM projects and the importance of market demand and product-market fit with Nancy Burgess Christen, Director of Judging at the iGEM Competition, who brought over a decade of experience and provided invaluable insights into the judging process, both from the perspectives of a judge and a manager of judges.
The day continued with a business plan workshop led by Esther Kim, Director of The Knowledge Society. She provided a foundational overview of business planning, including key considerations before drafting a plan, importance of market research and essential tools to help the students to navigate their business plan.

Day 2 Highlights

Real-World Applications and Pitching Strategies

Special thanks to Maya Zhang and Lucía Arely Jiménez Hernández for sharing their valuable insights and experiences on entrepreneurial projects, and building a startup after the competition. A heartfelt thanks to Ali Farzanehfar for delivering an engaging workshop on pitching.

The following day featured a panel discussion with Maya Zhang, CFO of MagGenix (iGEM Startups portfolio, Startup Showcase Grand Prize Winner in 2023) and Lucía Arely Jiménez Hernández, iGEM Tec Chihuahua 2023 and winner of the Best Entrepreneurship Prize 2023. They shared diverse perspectives on clinching the Best Entrepreneurship Prize during the competition and applying these principles in real-world entrepreneurial scenarios post-competition. The discussion was moderated by Neha Suresh from the iGEM Startups Venture Foundry team and co-founder of Utero Diagnostics.
The iGEM Startups team also prepared case studies to guide participants on how to effectively respond to questions in the judging handbook regarding the entrepreneurship prize.
The session concluded with a pitching workshop by Ali Farzanehfar, Founder Associate at Wilbe, providing an interactive pitching workshop for teams to practice presenting their iGEM project ideas into compelling one-liner pitches.

Beyond The Best Entrepreneurship Prize

Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset to iGEM Team

The iGEM Startups Summer School is more than just an educational initiative; it's a launchpad for future biofounders and a core part of our pre-accelerator program.

Our mission goes beyond helping them getting the Best Entrepreneurship Prize—we strive to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in iGEM participants from the outset. This approach not only prepares them to excel in the competition but also helps them to uncover, develop the commercial potential of their projects and setting the stage for future biotechnological innovations

To unlock the next stage in their post-competition journey, iGEM Startups offers a unique opportunity through the Venture Creation Labs. This four-week virtual program is designed to empower synthetic biology enthusiasts, especially iGEMers, to delve into the world of entrepreneurship.