2024 Award Winners
The projects or startups that have been awarded the Attractive Innovation Project award by UU Innovation are regularly presented here.
Lea Cares
Lea Cares is commercialising an innovative technology that enables the release of the minerals silicon and calcium locally, resulting in increased collagen growth that can contribute to stronger hair, skin and nails. The company's first product is a nail oil, which was launched in 2023. More cosmetic products are in development and the company also sees opportunities for more application areas. Earlier this year, Lea Cares received a patent for its bioactive mineral technology in Europe and has received seed investment through Linnéa Capital and attracted angel capital.
The inventors of the technology, and founders of Lea Cares, are Viktoria Engqvist, Master of Science in Pharmacy, and Håkan Engqvist, Professor of Applied Materials Science at Uppsala University.
Håkan Engqvist and Viktoria Engqvist are the founders of Lea Cares AB.
Phenaros Pharmaceuticals
Jordi Carreras Puigvert and Ola Spjuth, from the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, have devised a screening method for potential drugs. By integrating artificial intelligence with phenomics, which involves large-scale morphological profiling, and automation, this approach can furnish crucial insights into the promise of new drug candidates from an early stage. Consequently, it holds the promise of accelerating the identification and advancement of genuinely promising drug candidates for pharmaceutical companies, thereby saving valuable time and resources.
The research team has established Phenaros Pharmaceuticals AB, which secured its initial investment through Connect Uppsala's network and also achieved its first sale. With the objective of expediting and ensuring the safety of drug development, the team is actively exploring the most viable routes to market.
Ola Spjuth and Jordi Carreras Puigvert have established Phenaros Pharmaceuticals AB to commercialise their promising screening method for potential drugs.