CYTO 2024 Technology Showcase Application

CYTO 2024 conference is the prime event for single-cell analysis and cytometry. CYTO Technology Showcase is one of its highlights.

CYTO Technology Showcase offers a platform for early-stage companies and entrepreneurial scientists to present their business plan or concept. Over 700 audience members, including scientists, key opinion leaders, business executives, and investors, attend the Technology Showcase each year. Presentations at the Technology Showcase have resulted in investment, company acquisitions, sales, and other successes.

To qualify, you need to be an early-stage business with annual revenues of less than $10M or a scientist offering a business concept. The presented product or service must relate to quantitative single cell, particle or molecular analysis.

There are four ways in which Technology Showcase can raise the profile of your business or innovative idea:

A video of every qualifying entry will be posted publicly online between Mar 3 and Mar 17, 2024 in the run up to the CYTO 2024 conference. Promotion of videos will be supported by ISAC (International Society for Advancement of Cytometry).
Semi-finalists will be selected by qualified judges. Their videos will be posted online and promoted once again between Mar 24 and Apr 7, 2024.
Three finalists will be selected to present live and by online streaming to registered CYTO Conference delegates on May 4, 2024.
A winner will be chosen by qualified judges and awarded a non-dilutive $2500 (USD) cash and in-kind prizes. Runner-ups will qualify for in-kind prizes.

Use this form to submit your application and a recorded video presentation to enter the Technology Showcase at CYTO 2024. Deadline is Feb 4, 2024 23:59 EST.

Filling in this form will take 0.5-1 hour. You can save the form before submission to allow editing over a longer period of time. When you submit the form, you will receive an email with instructions on how to upload a video presentation showcasing your technology and a business plan. The video must not exceed 5 minutes.

Important note: The eligibility criteria for CYTO 2024 Technology Showcase are changing. Companies that presented twice at any of the live (in-person or virtual) CYTO Technology Showcases during any of the past five CYTO conferences (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 or 2019) will not be considered as potential finalists for the CYTO 2024 Technology Showcase. Companies that presented only once at any of the live CYTO Technology Showcases in the past five CYTO conferences (2019-2023) will be considered for selection as the CYTO 2024 Technology Showcase finalists if they meet the eligibility criteria. However, they will lose the chance to become finalists at the future CYTO Technology Showcases until at least 5 years have passed since the first of the two (or more) live presentations at the CYTO Technology Showcases. The remaining CYTO Technology Showcase semi-finalists, who have had their videos shown and promoted prior to the conferences on the Innovators4Cells Youtube channel, are encouraged to apply again for a chance to become CYTO 2024 Technology Showcase finalists. Companies that have presented live twice at the CYTO Technology Showcase in any of the past five years can still apply and have their videos promoted on the Innovators4Cells Youtube channel as semi-finalists prior to the conference if they meet the qualifying criteria.

Choose one of the following options based on your past participation at CYTO Technology Showcases:

You or the company you are representing presented TWICE or more at the live (in-person or virtual) CYTO Technology Showcases between the years 2019 and 2023.You or the company you are representing presented ONCE at the live (in-person or virtual) CYTO Technology Showcases between the years 2019 and 2023.You or the company you are representing has been selected as a CYTO Technology Showcase semi-finalist between 2020 and 2023 with the presentation video being shown on the Youtube Innovators4Cells channel prior to the conference but has NOT presented live at any CYTO Technology Showcase between 2019 and 2023.You or the company you are representing has not participated in any CYTO Technology Showcase events between 2019 and 2023.

Your submission will not be considered for live presentation at CYTO 2024 because you already presented twice in the last five years. You may still apply, but you can only become a semi-finalist if your application matches the eligibility criteria. This means your video will only be shown and promoted on the Innovator4Cells prior to the conference.

Are you eligible to apply? Companies with annual revenues of over $10M (USD) and established companies do not qualify. Choose one of the following:*

Academic entrepreneur looking to start a businessLLC or INC with annual revenues less than $5MLLC or INC with annual revenues more than $5M and less than $10MOther. Explain your commercial position in the text box below

Your application may be disqualified if your company is deemed too established and beyond the scope of the CYTO Technology Showcase eligibility criteria. ISAC may seek clarification prior to making decision about the eligibility of your application.

Presentation Title*

E-mail*

example@example.com

Phone Number*

Area CodePhone Number

Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry

Website

Full Name*

First NameLast Name

Full Name of the Main Presenter if Different from the Above

First NameLast Name

Information on the product or service offering

DO NOT DISCLOSE ANY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION in this form

No answer should exceed 80 words

Short Description of the Product or Service*

0/80

What problems / unmet customer needs / market gaps do you want to address?*

0/80

How is your product different, better than existing alternatives and competitors?*

0/80

What is the identified challenge and business opportunity? What will be the resulting impact on the practice of science and medicine?*

0/80

Has proof of the concept been achieved?*

YesNoOther

Has a commercial prototype been developed?*

YesNoOther

Has a patent been submitted?

YesNoOther

How do you plan to take your idea to market?*

0/80

Your key team members’ experience and achievements.*

0/80

Your “ASK” today, what are you looking for to help you advance your business?*

0/80

Do you want your name to be mentioned on ISAC website as an applicant in case you are not selected as a finalist? (By submitting this form you agree that videos of qualifying applicants will be made available to the public for two weeks in March 2024)

YesNo

Please confirm that you will be available to participate in the Technology Showcase session in the afternoon (EDT) of May 4, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland if selected as a finalist. Physical presence would be preferable, but a video link option will be available.

YesNo

Video upload

Please prepare a video of up to 5 minutes in length as part of this application.

Once you submit this form, an email explaining how to upload the video will be sent to your email address.

While there are no strict presentation format requirements, except the 5 minute time limit, you may consider several topics that matter:

How does your technology differ from available alternatives / existing solutions?
What impact will your innovation have on the practice of cytometry?
What is your IP position and the freedom to operate?
How you plan to take your idea to market?
Do you have a team capable of bringing the innovative ideas to market?
What are the anticipated next steps and where you need help?
Videos should not resemble commercial advertisements and the appearance of such may result in disqualification.

The videos will be judged based on the following criteria:

Innovation and scientific feasibility.
- Does your concept/product apply solid science in a novel and creative way?
The market opportunities and potential impact of your technology.
- Is there an unmet need in cytometry that is likely to be addressed with your technology.
- Is the impact and scale of your solution likely to result in significant revenue and shift in the market?
Concept/Business model and its likelihood of success in the marketplace.
- How realistic is your product development plan?
- Is your business model appropriate to the product development stage?
Value to the cytometry community.
- Does your concept/product represent a high-risk, high-reward approach to a difficult problem in cytometry?

Videos longer than 5 minutes will result in removal of the application from consideration. Videos can be in MPG, AVI, or MOV format.

Videos meeting qualifying criteria will be publicly available online for two weeks in March 2024 with accompanying promotion by ISAC. Finalists will be shortlisted by qualified judges from the submissions. The finalists' videos will be made publicly available and promoted once more during two weeks at the end of March 2024 and beginning of April 2024. The finalists will be invited to present live at CYTO 2024 on May 4, 2024 to compete for a non-dilutive cash prize of $2500 (USD) and numerous in-kind prizes.

By submitting this form you agree to have your video pitch shown publicly online in March 2024.

Once you submit this form, an email explaining how to upload the video will be sent to your email address.

Technology Showcase is organized by CYTO Innovation

CYTO Innovation program supports innovators in ISAC (International Society for Advancement of Cytometry) who contemplate conversion of their creative ideas into high-impact commercial products and helps new entrepreneurs leverage inflection points to drive their success.

CYTO Innovation offers:

An environment for an open exchange of information, cross-fertilization of ideas, and stimulation of creative thinking to create commercial products with new capabilities for quantitative single cell/particle analysis.
Programming during the year expands the knowledge base of entrepreneurs developing resources to facilitate quantitative analysis of single cells/particles. These offerings change yearly and currently include, but are not limited to:
- Innovation Stories series – where successful entrepreneurs offer tips to succeed.
- Panel discussions among experts of current global markets for resources to facilitate quantitative analysis of single cells/particles.
Access to a diverse global community of members comprising: cytometry practitioners; biomedical scientists using cytometric technologies to solve specific problems; engineers and physical scientists developing future generations of cytometric technologies; data scientists working on cutting-edge algorithms to analyze and facilitate interpretation of complex multi-parametric data; clinicians; and a powerful network of entrepreneurs, executives, and business professionals.
A unique platform during the annual CYTO meeting, the Technology Showcase, to share innovative resources being developed and innovation in relevant industry sectors not only with ISAC members but also with VCs and potential acquirers.

Our underlying goal is to continue increasing the value of membership in ISAC (International Society for Advancement of Cytometry). ISAC’s CYTO Innovation Committee organizes activities and events for innovative professionals working in academia and industry, particularly younger physical scientists and engineers, enticing their direct interactions with biologists and clinicians/patients who become beneficiaries of innovations in quantitative analysis of cells/particles.