Exploring the Challenges from the Entrepreneurial Journeys of Ana Sofia Ribeiro from OncoMets and Fernando Antunes from Delox

On March 5th, HiTech 2025 participants had the opportunity to hear the stories of two former HiSeedTech program participants - Ana Sofia Ribeiro from OncoMets (watch the pitch here) and Fernando Antunes from Delox. The webinar provided valuable insights into the early stages of Ana Sofia's entrepreneurial journey and the development of Delox by Fernando Antunes and his team. This was the second webinar HiTech participants had the chance to attend.

About the guests:

• Ana Sofia Ribeiro:
  Ana Sofia Ribeiro is a dynamic breast cancer researcher with a mission to uncover new biomarkers and therapies for metastatic breast cancer. Her entrepreneurial spirit has been recognized through the Hologic Research Grant (2023) and two innovation prizes (BIP Acceleration 2023, LPCC Innovation 2021), underscoring her dedication to advancing cancer metastasis research. In 2024, she participated in HiTech/S3E Start with the OncoMets team. OncoMets is an innovative metastatic oncology in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tool for predicting the risk and site of metastases in cancer patients.

• Fernando Antunes:
  Fernando Antunes is a Full Professor at FCUL – Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, with research interests in (1) biodecontamination, (2) the application of microcalorimetry to biomedical research, particularly immunotherapy, and (3) the social and economic valorization of knowledge. Since 2016, he has co-founded Delox, a spin-off that develops automatic bio-decontamination systems. Delox participated in CoHiTec (formerly HiTech) in 2016, and Fernando is also a member of the Observatory SME Expert Group at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

About the webinar:

The "Success Stories: Navigating from Lab to Market" webinar showcased how Ana Sofia Ribeiro and Fernando Antunes navigated their entrepreneurial journeys, the challenges they faced, their motivations for starting, and the importance of HiSeedTech programs in shaping their paths. Both speakers emphasized the critical role the HiTech methodology played in their journeys, equipping them with the tools, mentorship, and business guidance needed to navigate the complexities of commercialization.

Through HiTech, both speakers refined their value propositions, gained a deeper understanding of market needs, and connected with key stakeholders. Their experiences serve as inspiration for current HiTech participants, reinforcing the program's impact in fostering research-based entrepreneurship. As participants embark on their own journeys, these success stories offer both motivation and guidance for turning deep tech research into market-ready solutions.

Ana Sofia, who is still in the early stages of OncoMets, shared how participating in the program last year helped her and her team in the development of the project. She also managed the expectations of current participants by explaining what they should expect as they progress within the program. Meanwhile, Fernando, who completed the program nine years ago, shared his experience of transforming his research into a start-up. Recently, Delox was selected as the only Portuguese startup for the prestigious EIC Accelerator, a program by the European Innovation Council, awarded to just 42 companies out of more than a thousand applicants. This recognition highlights the impact and potential of Delox in the field of bio-decontamination systems.

The testimonials shared by Ana Sofia and Fernando were truly inspiring, shedding light on both the challenges and triumphs of their entrepreneurial journeys. We are confident that the insights they provided have left a lasting impact on our audience and will serve as a valuable source of motivation for aspiring entrepreneurs within our community.

We would like to thank Ana Sofia and Fernando for their time, expertise, and the enthusiasm they brought to our webinar. We look forward to future opportunities to collaborate with them.

This exclusive webinar for HiTech participants highlights one of the many valuable benefits of the program, offering teams firsthand insights from successful entrepreneurs. Stay tuned for more updates on this edition of HiTech.

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