DALLAS – October 24, 2024 – Pegasus Park is hosting the upcoming Golden Ticket Pitch Competition, offered by the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) BrightEdge in collaboration with AbbVie and Research Bridge Partners. The event offers early-stage oncology companies the chance to compete for lab and office space at BioLabs Pegasus Park, a $25,000 cash prize, and invaluable guidance from industry professionals. BrightEdge, the innovation and impact investment arm of ACS, is dedicated to investing in innovative for-profit, early-stage companies focused on developing cutting-edge, therapeutics, diagnostics, devices and technologies to combat cancer.
Oncology companies seeking seed-stage through Series A funding are invited to apply to the Golden Ticket Pitch Competition. Applicants must attend in person the pitch competition on March 11, 2025, and commit to residing at BioLabs Pegasus Park for one year. The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the competition.
“We’re excited to provide an early-stage oncology company the opportunity to truly move the needle to advance their efforts and meet their goals,” said Alice Pomponio, vice president of innovation and impact investing and managing director of BrightEdge. “Supporting companies at early stages is a strategic tool in the fight to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. By engaging companies at critical development stages we can accelerate progress and deepen their downstream impact.”
To apply, companies must submit a pitch deck and complete an online application which can be found here. Event partners ACS, AbbVie, and Research Bridge Partners will review submissions and select four to five finalists for the in-person, closed-door pitch competition. Finalists will present a pitch to a panel of judges from the partner companies, followed by a Q&A session, after which the judges will select a winner.
Applications for the competition are due January 23, 2025. On February 21, 2025, the finalists will be notified of their invitation to participate in the live pitch competition which will be held on March 11, 2025, at Pegasus Park, located at 3000 Pegasus Park Dr., Dallas, TX 75247.
As part of the award package, each sponsor will offer tailored support to the competition’s winner. ACS BrightEdge will provide access to its team of scientific and industry advisors, along with the online learning platform of the ACS BrightEdge Texas Accelerator. AbbVie’s sponsorship of the event includes the opportunity for the winner to receive guidance from the biopharmaceutical company’s team of oncology experts. Research Bridge Partners, which cultivates novel biomedical startup companies based on the breakthroughs of preeminent innovators at mid-continent research universities, will offer coaching to the winning company.
Additionally, depending on the winner’s needs, there are potential opportunities for further partnership and support from Research Bridge Partners for commercialization efforts beyond research and development. The finalists may also have the chance to access additional lab space, depending on the need of the company and space availability at BioLabs Pegasus Park.
For more information about the ACS BrightEdge Golden Ticket Pitch Competition and applications, please visit https://www.biolabs.io/
About Pegasus Park
Pegasus Park is a 26-acre, mixed-use office campus consisting of more than 885,000 square feet of office and amenities space across multiple buildings. The development includes an 18-story office tower, BioLabs, a state-of-the-art incubator laboratory and office facility for startup life sciences companies, Bridge Labs, a purpose-built institutional quality non-incubator life sciences building with laboratory and office space, and nonprofit and social impact shared spaces. The campus also offers vibrant entertainment and dining venues. The campus catalyzes a more robust life science ecosystem in North Texas and strengthens the local nonprofit sector through a dedicated social impact hub occupying five floors of the office tower. Strategically located in the heart of the rapidly expanding Innovation District, between the Dallas Design Center and the Southwestern Medical District in Dallas, Pegasus Park is a premier hub of innovation.
About BioLabs
BioLabs is the definitive growth partner for science-based entrepreneurs; empowering entrepreneurs to accelerate their science, grow their business and have a lasting impact on the world. The BioLabs difference is in their sector-defining ecosystem: delivering best-in-class lab space, essential business services, a powerful network of innovators and guides who offer “been-there” insight, and site teams with unparalleled experience guiding founders through the complexities of growing a biotech company. BioLabs’ centers are in key innovation hubs across North America and Europe. Follow BioLabs on Twitter (@BioLabs) and on Facebook and LinkedIn.
About AbbVie
AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagr
About Research Bridge Partners
Research Bridge Partners cultivates novel biomedical startup companies based on the breakthroughs of preeminent innovators at mid-continent research universities—creating high quality investment opportunities that are sourced from geographies with thinner commercialization resources. We work with preeminent academic researchers nationwide to develop IP, regulatory, business development and product strategies, while establishing effective corporate structures to create portfolio-ready opportunities for downstream investors. Just like their best peers on either coast, mid-continent innovators can now co-found scientific startups that contribute to society’s greater good and create economic value, in addition to enhancing the resources of their labs and the opportunities for their colleagues.
