Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms or C-CAMP has launched the third edition of National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC) in New Delhi on 1^st August. NBEC is India’s largest and most prestigious national platform to attract and showcase some of THE most exciting and diverse deep science and deep technology based business ideas in the life sciences domain.

The competition organized by C-CAMP as part of BREC – The BIRAC Regional Entrepreneurship Centre, established at C-CAMP in partnership with BIRAC is entering its third year in 2019. In three years, NBEC has emerged as the one-of-its-kind opportunity for startups with gamechanging business ideas from across the country to leave their mark at a national and international level.

At the launch ceremony, Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, and Dr Manish Diwan, Head, SPED, BIRAC formally unveiled the poster in the presence of several eminent dignitaries of national and international stature.

Announcing the competition open for 2019 Dr. Swarup lauded this tremendous platform that NBEC has been providing to cutting-edge biotech ideas from all across our country; ideas that are as widely dispersed across India as NBEC 2017 & 2018 have witnessed; and ideas that can potentially address the many challenges our country faces in healthcare, agriculture, food, nutrition, and environment domains.

“The scale at which the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India is growing is phenomenal as proved by NBEC. But now the challenge is to keep up the pace. Startups have an appetite for risk but they often lack in direction. Mentorship by key industry leaders such as provided by NBEC is crucial in commercialisation” she said urging for a robust and institutionalised mentorship network accessible for all entrepreneurs.

The National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition 2019 will give away a total 3Cr INR in cash prizes and investment opportunities. Besides, winners will also get access to mentorship by key industry leaders, seed funding and business acceleration networks.

NBEC prizes are being sponsored by WIN Foundation, Ankur Seeds, Applied Materials India, Biocon, GE Healthcare, HealthVenture, USA, Mahyco, Novozymes, and Mr. Venkatadri Bobba. Investment partners are WIN Foundation, HealthVenture and Social Alpha; mentoring partners are Biocon, Kotak Private Equity, Mahyco and Novozymes; cloud partner is Amazon Web Services (AWS); CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad is the associate partner and CII, the apex industry association partner.

Organized by BREC, a joint Entrepreneurship Centre of BIRAC and BREC http://www.nationalbioentrepreneurship.in/events/nbec2019 NBEC today has become synonymous with pathbreaking and revolutionary business ideas in the life sciences that represent every corner of the country. The third edition of the competition follows a highly successful first and second conducted in 2017 & 2018 which have together attracted 3500+ applications from across 32 states/UTs spanning all biotech subdomains. It has awarded prizes worth a total INR 3Cr in cash prizes and investment opportunities. But the biggest plus of the competition in both 2017 and 2018 has been in creating a strong and vibrant cohort of entrepreneurs in the country who have gone on to attract investors and VCs, win competitions and challenges on a global scale, and garner media attention both nationally and globally. Not to mention the never-before visibility and validation that the platform provides to startups hitherto working in niche areas and niche markets.

Dr Manish Diwan, Head, SPED, BIRAC, speaking at the launch event said, “Platforms such as NBEC and BREC and their pan-India reach are novel in that they bring opportunities right next door to startups; irrespective of where they are from. That is their real success.”

Thanking all guests at the launch including Dr. Swarup and Dr.Diwan, C-CAMP CEO and Director Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed, “C-CAMP has been amplifying bio entrepreneurship across India through the wonderful platform of National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition as well as other BREC programs. Going forward we will need to handhold not just the winners but all participants of NBEC till they successfully commercialise.”

About NBEC – NBEC 2019 campaign will reach out to aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups and established companies across India. NBEC will consist of three rounds spread over four months starting from August 1, 2019:

• Round 1 - online application form followed by administrative due diligence and online review
• Round 2 - business pitch to regional Jury across 5 cities
• Round 3 - residential boot camp and mentoring over 2 days followed by business pitch to Grand Jury

Applications are to be submitted at https://www.nationalbioentrepreneurship.in/events/nbec2019