Showcasing excellence and innovation at the 2024 Bionow Awards
Published on 07/03/2025
The 2024 Bionow Awards dinner marked an exceptional evening of recognition and celebration, as 342 distinguished guests gathered at the Concorde Conference Centre on 6th March to honour those who have demonstrated outstanding ingenuity and dedication.
The Award Winners
This year, the judges were very impressed by the volume and quality of applications across all categories. With strong competition in every area, we extend our congratulations to all the shortlisted companies for their remarkable achievements.
We are pleased to announce the winners in each category:
Exploiting a reverse vaccinology strategy, the Bionow Start-Up Award recipient, ReNewVax’s genomic, rational discovery approach produces products that offer protection beyond existing traditional vaccines, opening up access and delivering a step change in global health security.
The Bionow Project of the Year Award, recognising those that have taken a major step forward in the area of research by demonstrating an innovative and novel approach, went to The University of Manchester’s Saraco Industries and University of Manchester KTP for a collaborative project marking a breakthrough in sustainable healthcare products by introducing the first biodegradable, plastic-free, clinical disinfection wipe to the market, developed through cutting-edge collaboration.
Identifying high quality innovative products which have impacted significantly upon a problem within the life science or healthcare sectors, the Bionow Product of the Year Award winner was CSL Seqirus with their zoonotic vaccine to protect occupationally-exposed workers or other vulnerable (‘at-risk’) populations from a spill over event or future pandemic caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The Bionow Technical Service Award recipient, Pd-m International, provides services to the life sciences industry who want to achieve sustainability and increase profitability through tailored innovation services including free information and advice, fee for service consultancy, carbon reduction plans, carbon literacy workshops, product carbon foot printing and “Innovate to Zero” workshops for specific programmes of support.
Recognising the provision of innovative business support products and services, the Bionow Business Support Award went to Medicines Discovery Catapult, a national life sciences service dedicated to turning drug discovery into commercial successes, working with entrepreneurial scientists to make every move count with its approach to drug discovery driving game-changing breakthroughs and improving patients’ lives.
Celebrating an exceptional individual within the first five years of their life science career and having demonstrated significant contribution to their current role, the Bionow Rising Star Award recipient, Daniel Todd, Founder, CEO and CTO of InvenireX, invented groundbreaking new detection technology, built three prototypes himself with no formal training, raised over £500k in VC funding, established a team of four, and launched four commercial pilots with the likes of CPI and QuantuMDx with revenue generating over £50k, all inside of 18 months and whilst still a PhD student!
The brand-new Bionow Rising Star: One to Watch Award, created to celebrate those at the very beginning of their careers, was launched at this year’s ceremony. The winner, AstraZeneca’s Christina Dumitriu Jackson, a third-year Laboratory Scientist apprentice whilst studying for a BSc in Chemical Science at the Manchester Metropolitan University, has shown leadership in green chemistry and lab automation, significantly advancing sustainability, efficiency, and innovation within AstraZeneca's Peptide Discovery Platform.
The Bionow Social Impact Award recognises activities aimed at creating significant, positive societal changes by addressing a pressing and defined challenge. The winner, Health Equity North, brings together health and life sciences experts from across the North of England’s leading universities and NHS trusts who share a common goal – to end health inequity through research, policy impact and public health improvement. They have published eight research reports and recommend a wide range of targeted, evidence-based solutions to local and national policymakers.
The recipient of the Bionow Partnership & Collaboration Award, iiCON: Infection Innovation Consortium, allows academic, industry and NHS partners to co-create multiple research platforms that can be used by industry to bring their infection therapeutic products to market more effectively and efficiently. They have developed a global network of companies, from multi-nationals to SMEs working collaboratively to generate a massive portfolio of new products, with 36 of these already being deployed and saving lives.
The Bionow Internationalisation Award, for organisations trading their products, services, and expertise overseas, went to FibroFind. With its patented human fibrosis bioassays, FirboFind offers a critical pre-clinical service platform that gauges the effectiveness of anti-fibrotic medicines. With a reputation as the 'gold standard' in fibrosis evaluation, their services are exported to over 160 companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries across various countries, demonstrating their extensive international reach and impact.
The Bionow Business Growth Award winner, Reacta Healthcare, has achieved substantial progress over the past two years. Turnover more than doubled in 2024 compared to each of the previous two years, with Reacta delivering a £2.7m improvement in EBITDA in the last year alone. Employee numbers have also grown 60% in the last two years to 64.
Demonstrating a significant capital raise, the Bionow Investment Deal of the Year Award recipient, Seda Pharmaceutical Development Services, secured £5.5 million Capital Growth funding from Santander to develop a state-of-the-art GMP manufacturing facility. This transformative investment enables seamless end-to-end pharmaceutical development services, accelerates clinical trials, supports global biotech clients, and drives economic growth by creating 100 high-skilled jobs and boosting UK exports in life sciences.
The penultimate award of the evening, the Bionow Outstanding Contribution Award, honours an exceptional individual who has made a remarkable impact on the sector over the course of their career. This year’s recipient was Sam Whitehouse, CEO of LightOx, developing oral cancer therapies and attracting numerous rounds of investment into the company. Sam has a long and successful career building life science companies in the Northeast and making a very active contribution to the ecosystem.
Beyond business, Sam is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence, and an Export Champion for the UK Department of International Trade. His leadership as Chair of the Northeast LEP Business Board, board member of Medilink and influential Bionow member highlights dedication to regional growth and innovation.
The final accolade of the night, the Bionow Company of the Year Award, represents a leading, globally formidable company which has demonstrated significant progress year on year whilst also demonstrating notable progress during the past 12 months. This honour went to Pharmaron, whose biologics site in Liverpool has supported development of 12 products within the sector, launched a new service line for the development and manufacture of microbial proteins as therapeutics and vaccines. They have also led the bid and secured the award for an Innovate UK grant to advance the manufacturing of gene therapies, advanced their sustainability goals and advanced the construction of a new building that will expand their development laboratory space and commercial manufacturing footprint.
Commenting on an evening of remarkable achievements, Geoff Davison, CEO of Bionow, said: “It was fantastic to be back at the Concorde Conference Centre this year for what turned out to be an incredible evening. The atmosphere was electric, the lineup of nominees was outstanding, and the level of talent on display was truly inspiring. Science is all about pushing boundaries and shaping the future, so it was especially exciting to introduce a brand-new ‘One to Watch’ award category to recognize those at the very start of their career journey. The competition was fierce, and picking the winners was no easy task! Huge congratulations to all the nominees whose work is a testament to the innovation and excellence happening across the life sciences industry right now.”
The 2024 Bionow Awards is supported by Appleyard Lees and Bruntwood SciTech.
The full list of winners are:
Bionow Start-Up Award sponsored by RSM UK
ReNewVax
Bionow Project of the Year Award sponsored by Waters Corporation
The University of Manchester: Saraco Industries and The University of Manchester KTP
Bionow Product of the Year Award sponsored by Health Innovation North West Coast | Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber | Health Innovation Manchester
CSL Seqirus: Zoonotic vaccine for highly pathogenic avian influenza
Bionow Technical Service Award sponsored by QIAGEN
Pd-m International: Achieving sustainability in life sciences though sustainable technical innovation services
Bionow Business Support Award sponsored by ITS
Medicines Discovery Catapult: A national life sciences service
Bionow Rising Star Award sponsored by CSL Seqirus
Daniel Todd, Founder, CEO and CTO of InvenireX
Bionow Rising Star: One to Watch Award
Christina Dumitriu Jackson, Laboratory Scientist apprentice at AstraZeneca
Bionow Social Impact Award sponsored by Dawsongroup
Health Equity North
Bionow Partnership & Collaboration Award sponsored by Mills & Reeve
iiCON: Infection Innovation Consortium
Bionow Internationalisation Award sponsored by BioPartner UK
FibroFind
Bionow Business Growth Award sponsored by SRG
Reacta Healthcare
Bionow Investment Deal of the Year Award sponsored by Bouygues Energies and Services
Seda Pharmaceutical Development Services: Seda-Santander Partnership - Transforming Pharma Innovation through GMP Investment
Bionow Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by Sci-Tech Daresbury | Science and Technology Facilities Council
Sam Whitehouse, CEO of LightOx
Bionow Company of the Year Award sponsored by Squire Patton Boggs
Pharmaron
The Award Winners
This year, the judges were very impressed by the volume and quality of applications across all categories. With strong competition in every area, we extend our congratulations to all the shortlisted companies for their remarkable achievements.
We are pleased to announce the winners in each category:
Exploiting a reverse vaccinology strategy, the Bionow Start-Up Award recipient, ReNewVax’s genomic, rational discovery approach produces products that offer protection beyond existing traditional vaccines, opening up access and delivering a step change in global health security.
The Bionow Project of the Year Award, recognising those that have taken a major step forward in the area of research by demonstrating an innovative and novel approach, went to The University of Manchester’s Saraco Industries and University of Manchester KTP for a collaborative project marking a breakthrough in sustainable healthcare products by introducing the first biodegradable, plastic-free, clinical disinfection wipe to the market, developed through cutting-edge collaboration.
Identifying high quality innovative products which have impacted significantly upon a problem within the life science or healthcare sectors, the Bionow Product of the Year Award winner was CSL Seqirus with their zoonotic vaccine to protect occupationally-exposed workers or other vulnerable (‘at-risk’) populations from a spill over event or future pandemic caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The Bionow Technical Service Award recipient, Pd-m International, provides services to the life sciences industry who want to achieve sustainability and increase profitability through tailored innovation services including free information and advice, fee for service consultancy, carbon reduction plans, carbon literacy workshops, product carbon foot printing and “Innovate to Zero” workshops for specific programmes of support.
Recognising the provision of innovative business support products and services, the Bionow Business Support Award went to Medicines Discovery Catapult, a national life sciences service dedicated to turning drug discovery into commercial successes, working with entrepreneurial scientists to make every move count with its approach to drug discovery driving game-changing breakthroughs and improving patients’ lives.
Celebrating an exceptional individual within the first five years of their life science career and having demonstrated significant contribution to their current role, the Bionow Rising Star Award recipient, Daniel Todd, Founder, CEO and CTO of InvenireX, invented groundbreaking new detection technology, built three prototypes himself with no formal training, raised over £500k in VC funding, established a team of four, and launched four commercial pilots with the likes of CPI and QuantuMDx with revenue generating over £50k, all inside of 18 months and whilst still a PhD student!
The brand-new Bionow Rising Star: One to Watch Award, created to celebrate those at the very beginning of their careers, was launched at this year’s ceremony. The winner, AstraZeneca’s Christina Dumitriu Jackson, a third-year Laboratory Scientist apprentice whilst studying for a BSc in Chemical Science at the Manchester Metropolitan University, has shown leadership in green chemistry and lab automation, significantly advancing sustainability, efficiency, and innovation within AstraZeneca's Peptide Discovery Platform.
The Bionow Social Impact Award recognises activities aimed at creating significant, positive societal changes by addressing a pressing and defined challenge. The winner, Health Equity North, brings together health and life sciences experts from across the North of England’s leading universities and NHS trusts who share a common goal – to end health inequity through research, policy impact and public health improvement. They have published eight research reports and recommend a wide range of targeted, evidence-based solutions to local and national policymakers.
The recipient of the Bionow Partnership & Collaboration Award, iiCON: Infection Innovation Consortium, allows academic, industry and NHS partners to co-create multiple research platforms that can be used by industry to bring their infection therapeutic products to market more effectively and efficiently. They have developed a global network of companies, from multi-nationals to SMEs working collaboratively to generate a massive portfolio of new products, with 36 of these already being deployed and saving lives.
The Bionow Internationalisation Award, for organisations trading their products, services, and expertise overseas, went to FibroFind. With its patented human fibrosis bioassays, FirboFind offers a critical pre-clinical service platform that gauges the effectiveness of anti-fibrotic medicines. With a reputation as the 'gold standard' in fibrosis evaluation, their services are exported to over 160 companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries across various countries, demonstrating their extensive international reach and impact.
The Bionow Business Growth Award winner, Reacta Healthcare, has achieved substantial progress over the past two years. Turnover more than doubled in 2024 compared to each of the previous two years, with Reacta delivering a £2.7m improvement in EBITDA in the last year alone. Employee numbers have also grown 60% in the last two years to 64.
Demonstrating a significant capital raise, the Bionow Investment Deal of the Year Award recipient, Seda Pharmaceutical Development Services, secured £5.5 million Capital Growth funding from Santander to develop a state-of-the-art GMP manufacturing facility. This transformative investment enables seamless end-to-end pharmaceutical development services, accelerates clinical trials, supports global biotech clients, and drives economic growth by creating 100 high-skilled jobs and boosting UK exports in life sciences.
The penultimate award of the evening, the Bionow Outstanding Contribution Award, honours an exceptional individual who has made a remarkable impact on the sector over the course of their career. This year’s recipient was Sam Whitehouse, CEO of LightOx, developing oral cancer therapies and attracting numerous rounds of investment into the company. Sam has a long and successful career building life science companies in the Northeast and making a very active contribution to the ecosystem.
Beyond business, Sam is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence, and an Export Champion for the UK Department of International Trade. His leadership as Chair of the Northeast LEP Business Board, board member of Medilink and influential Bionow member highlights dedication to regional growth and innovation.
The final accolade of the night, the Bionow Company of the Year Award, represents a leading, globally formidable company which has demonstrated significant progress year on year whilst also demonstrating notable progress during the past 12 months. This honour went to Pharmaron, whose biologics site in Liverpool has supported development of 12 products within the sector, launched a new service line for the development and manufacture of microbial proteins as therapeutics and vaccines. They have also led the bid and secured the award for an Innovate UK grant to advance the manufacturing of gene therapies, advanced their sustainability goals and advanced the construction of a new building that will expand their development laboratory space and commercial manufacturing footprint.
Commenting on an evening of remarkable achievements, Geoff Davison, CEO of Bionow, said: “It was fantastic to be back at the Concorde Conference Centre this year for what turned out to be an incredible evening. The atmosphere was electric, the lineup of nominees was outstanding, and the level of talent on display was truly inspiring. Science is all about pushing boundaries and shaping the future, so it was especially exciting to introduce a brand-new ‘One to Watch’ award category to recognize those at the very start of their career journey. The competition was fierce, and picking the winners was no easy task! Huge congratulations to all the nominees whose work is a testament to the innovation and excellence happening across the life sciences industry right now.”
The 2024 Bionow Awards is supported by Appleyard Lees and Bruntwood SciTech.
The full list of winners are:
Bionow Start-Up Award sponsored by RSM UK
ReNewVax
Bionow Project of the Year Award sponsored by Waters Corporation
The University of Manchester: Saraco Industries and The University of Manchester KTP
Bionow Product of the Year Award sponsored by Health Innovation North West Coast | Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber | Health Innovation Manchester
CSL Seqirus: Zoonotic vaccine for highly pathogenic avian influenza
Bionow Technical Service Award sponsored by QIAGEN
Pd-m International: Achieving sustainability in life sciences though sustainable technical innovation services
Bionow Business Support Award sponsored by ITS
Medicines Discovery Catapult: A national life sciences service
Bionow Rising Star Award sponsored by CSL Seqirus
Daniel Todd, Founder, CEO and CTO of InvenireX
Bionow Rising Star: One to Watch Award
Christina Dumitriu Jackson, Laboratory Scientist apprentice at AstraZeneca
Bionow Social Impact Award sponsored by Dawsongroup
Health Equity North
Bionow Partnership & Collaboration Award sponsored by Mills & Reeve
iiCON: Infection Innovation Consortium
Bionow Internationalisation Award sponsored by BioPartner UK
FibroFind
Bionow Business Growth Award sponsored by SRG
Reacta Healthcare
Bionow Investment Deal of the Year Award sponsored by Bouygues Energies and Services
Seda Pharmaceutical Development Services: Seda-Santander Partnership - Transforming Pharma Innovation through GMP Investment
Bionow Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by Sci-Tech Daresbury | Science and Technology Facilities Council
Sam Whitehouse, CEO of LightOx
Bionow Company of the Year Award sponsored by Squire Patton Boggs
Pharmaron
