Award for outstanding entrepreneurs who establish revolutionary technologies in the life sciences sector.

Dr. Jonathan Talbot Wins the 2026 Strüngmann Award

Dr. Jonathan Talbot has been awarded the 2026 Strüngmann Award, which carries a prize of EUR 100,000, selected from a strong field of finalists that included Dr. Stefano Portolano and Prof. Dr. med. Wieland Sommer.

The jury particularly recognized his ability to identify scientific potential at an early stage and leverage it with strategic foresight to build biotech companies.

Starting in 2027, the Strüngmann Award will expand to accept nominations from across Europe.

Munich, Germany, September 15, 2026

Biotech entrepreneur Dr. Jonathan Talbot was named the winner of the 2026 Strüngmann Award at today’s official awards ceremony. Established in honor of Drs. Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann, this award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who translate scientific and technological innovations into successful products and companies through a willingness to take risks and the ability to deliver results.

“Dr. Jonathan Talbot demonstrates exceptional business acumen: He recognizes scientific potential and, with conviction and discipline, translates it into new opportunities for therapeutic development. In doing so, he combines a deep scientific understanding with clear strategy and consistent execution,” said Drs. Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann.

The two added: “On behalf of the Award Committee and this year’s jury, we congratulate Dr. Jonathan Talbot on this recognition. At the same time, we would like to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of the two other finalists, Dr. Stefano Portolano and Prof. Dr. Wieland Sommer. The three finalists represent distinct approaches to building and growing companies and showcase the breadth and innovative strength of the life sciences industry in the DACH region.”

“For me, being a biotech founder means seizing scientific opportunities, continuously reassessing them, and consistently translating them into viable business models. The Strüngmann Award is a great recognition of this approach and, at the same time, of the people with whom I have had the privilege of building companies and pursuing a shared ambition: developing innovative therapies for diseases with high unmet medical needs,” said this year’s Strüngmann Award winner, Dr. Jonathan Talbot.

Winner Impresses with Intuition for Scientific Potential and Strategic Company Building

Dr. Jonathan Talbot has built several life sciences startups and guided them from inception through clinical development. He recognized new potential in a drug candidate for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, the development of which had previously been discontinued, and subsequently founded Mosanna Therapeutics. Together with his team, he reassessed scientific findings, developed a targeted drug delivery approach, and brought the program back into clinical development. Under his leadership, Mosanna secured more than USD 80 million through several financing rounds.

Today, Dr. Jonathan Talbot leads Melodia Therapeutics, a biotech company developing innovative oral therapies for severe, neutrophil-driven inflammatory diseases. The company is currently developing a next-generation DPP1 inhibitor in preclinical development.

Selection from a Distinguished Group of Nominees

For the 2026 Strüngmann Award, a broad network of experts once again nominated outstanding entrepreneurs from the DACH region. Through a careful, multi-stage selection process, three finalists were selected: Dr. Stefano Portolano (Azafaros), Prof. Dr. med. Wieland Sommer (Jacobian), and Dr. Jonathan Talbot (Mosanna Therapeutics / Melodia Therapeutics). The three finalists then presented their companies and entrepreneurial journeys to a jury of established business leaders and biotechnology investors. Their achievements range from developing therapies for rare and ultra-rare diseases and scaling digital technologies in healthcare internationally, to reassessing and further advancing a previously discontinued therapeutic approach. Being selected as one of the three finalists is in itself a distinct recognition of their achievements.

The Next Step: Europe

Starting in 2027, the Strüngmann Award will expand its reach to Europe. The aim going forward is to recognize outstanding scientific and entrepreneurial achievements in and beyond the DACH region.

“Over the past three years, the Strüngmann Award has established itself within the life sciences community in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland,” said Wolfgang Essler, Managing Director of ATHOS KG. “Scientific innovation and entrepreneurship thrive on international exchange and do not stop at national borders. Broadening the award’s reach to include all of Europe is therefore the logical next step for us. We look forward to receiving nominations from across Europe in the coming years.”

To learn more about the award, visit the website www.struengmannaward.de/en.

About the Strüngmann Award

The award was initiated in 2024 to honor outstanding entrepreneurs in the life sciences industry across the DACH region who turn scientific ideas into successful products through a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial excellence. The goal is to acknowledge their achievements with this prestigious and financially attractive award and to set an example for future generations.

The prize pays tribute to Drs. Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann, who are among the most recognized entrepreneurs, visionaries, and investors in the life sciences sector. With the founding and development of Hexal, the brothers achieved extraordinary success and subsequently continued this legacy as entrepreneurially minded investors. Through the ATHOS Family Office they have been committed for more than 20 years to advancing medical innovation and building transformative, forward-thinking companies.

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Finalists for the 2026 Strüngmann Award Announced: Award Recognizes Entrepreneurial Excellence and Significant Innovation Potential in Life Sciences

For the third consecutive year, the Strüngmann Award will be presented to outstanding life sciences entrepreneurs from the DACH region.

The 2026 finalists are: Dr. Stefano Portolano (Azafaros), Prof. Dr. med. Wieland Sommer (Jacobian), and Dr. Jonathan Talbot (Mosanna Therapeutics, Melodia Therapeutics).

The winner of the award, which comes with a prize of EUR 100,000, will be announced at the ceremony on September 15, 2026.

Munich, Germany, June 25, 2026

The Strüngmann Award 2026 enters its decisive phase today with the announcement of this year's finalists. In honor of the visionary investors and namesakes Drs. Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann, the award, now in its third year, recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who establish revolutionary technologies in life sciences. The distinguished finalists develop scientific innovations turning them into successful products that significantly improve patients' lives.

The award focuses on successful executives in the dynamic life sciences industry across the DACH region. They will serve as role models, inspiring the next generation of founders to continue to advance innovative ideas.

"This year's impressive finalists demonstrate the breadth of forward-thinking developments in our industry, from technologies that are already transforming clinical practice today to promising new therapeutic approaches. They embody the scientific excellence, creativity, and pioneering entrepreneurial spirit that define the DACH life sciences sector. The progress achieved by their companies shows what is possible when innovative approaches are driven forward with courage and strong execution," said Drs. Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann.

The following entrepreneurs have been nominated as finalists for 2026:

Dr. Stefano Portolano – Azafaros

Dr. Stefano Portolano is CEO of the biotech company Azafaros and a successful life sciences executive with more than 20 years of international experience spanning academia and the pharmaceutical industry. He is a recognized expert in developing and commercializing therapies for rare and ultra-rare diseases. His medical speciality is diabetology and metabolic diseases.

Azafaros, headquartered in Basel (Switzerland) and Leiden (Netherlands), is a biotechnology company focused on rare, inherited metabolic disorders. Azafaros' lead program is nizubaglustat, a novel compound with a unique dual mechanism of action. It is being developed as a therapy for inherited lysosomal storage disorders, a group of previously untreatable rare neurometabolic diseases that primarily affect children and are associated with progressive neurodegeneration. Since joining Azafaros early on, Stefano has leveraged his experience in building international life sciences organizations focused on rare diseases. He has played a key role in advancing nizubaglustat from a scientifically grounded academic research program through preclinical testing and into late-stage clinical development. Following positive Phase II results for nizubaglustat, he and his team launched a Phase III development program in 2025 comprising two pivotal studies.

With a successful EUR 132 million Series B financing round in 2025, the Company secured one of the most significant private biotech financings in Europe, laying a strong foundation to further develop its lead candidate and expand its pipeline.

Prof. Dr. med. Wieland Sommer – Jacobian

Radiologist Prof. Dr. Wieland Sommer combines an impressive entrepreneurial track record with a strong academic background. He is the founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Jacobian (formerly Smart Reporting). The Munich-based HealthTech company has fundamentally transformed radiological reporting: moving away from fragmented standalone solutions towards an integrated, automated platform that combines data-driven, guideline-based reporting; speech recognition; standardized clinical reports and established radiological workflows. Jacobian thus addresses some of the most pressing challenges in radiology: rising examination volumes, growing cost pressure, and currently the often insufficient integration of artificial intelligence and digital solutions into clinical workflows.

Jacobian already processes more than 80 million radiological reports annually, making it one of the world's largest providers in this field. The Company is the market leader in Australia and ranks second in the U.S. and Canada. A key step in the Company's international expansion came in 2025 with the acquisition, led by Wieland, of the industry-leading Fluency for Imaging platform from Solventum (formerly 3M) by Smart Reporting, which significantly expanded the Company's presence in the North American market and its technological foundations.

Wieland's entrepreneurial career has been defined by establishing and scaling companies that digitize high-leverage processes in the healthcare sector. As the founder of Smart Reporting and, prior to that, Planerio, he has built two leading HealthTech companies. Under Wieland's leadership, Smart Reporting secured major partnerships with companies such as Siemens Healthineers and GE Healthcare. In 2021, he successfully sold Planerio, a company specializing in workforce management in the healthcare sector, to Vitruvian Partners.

Dr. Jonathan Talbot – Mosanna Therapeutics / Melodia Therapeutics

Dr. Jonathan Talbot is an experienced biotech CEO with deep expertise in corporate strategy, clinical development, and business development. He has strategically built several life sciences startups and guided them from inception into clinical development.

At Mosanna Therapeutics, Jonathan, as co-founder and CEO, drove the development of MOS-118, a novel intranasal therapy for obstructive sleep apnea – a frequently underestimated condition that, if left untreated, significantly increases the risk of serious complications. The founding team recognized the potential of a small-molecule drug program developed by Sanofi, secured in-licensing rights, and built a dedicated company to take it into the clinic. Under Jonathan's leadership, Mosanna raised more than $80 million over several financing rounds and advanced MOS-118 to Phase I clinical trials.

Today, Jonathan leads Melodia Therapeutics, a Basel-based biotechnology company developing innovative oral therapies for severe neutrophil-driven inflammatory diseases. The preclinical lead candidate, MLD-151, is a next-generation DPP1 inhibitor with a potentially improved efficacy and safety profile compared to earlier compounds.

Award ceremony on September 15, 2026

In the next stage of the selection process, the finalists will present their ideas to a jury of experts comprising outstanding entrepreneurs and experienced biotechnology investors. This pitch will determine which candidate impresses the experts most. The winner will be announced on September 15, 2026, during the award ceremony and will receive a cash prize of EUR 100,000.

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Strüngmann Award Honors Araris Biotech Founding Team as 2025 Winner

The expert jury selected Dragan Grabulovski, Ph.D., Philipp Spycher, Ph.D., and Isabella Attinger-Toller, Ph.D. of Araris Biotech, from a group of outstanding life science entrepreneurs.

The founding team is developing a breakthrough technology to establish a new generation of targeted cancer therapies.

Committee representatives presented the award and the EUR 100,000 cash prize on Thursday, July 3, 2025

Munich, Germany, July 04, 2025

The Strüngmann Award selection committee today announced that Dragan Grabulovski, Ph.D., Philipp Spycher, Ph.D., and Isabella Attinger-Toller, Ph.D., the founders of Araris Biotech, have been honored as this year’s winners. The award aims to support outstanding entrepreneurial and scientific achievements, as well as ground-breaking ideas in the life sciences industry. Araris Biotech’s founding team distinguished itself not only by developing of a novel technology in the antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) field, but also by successfully validating this innovation through partnerships and a preclinical exit. This new drug class has the potential to significantly advance the development of targeted cancer therapies, thereby delivering added value for people living with cancer worldwide.

“On behalf of the award committee and this year’s expert jury panel, we would like to congratulate Isabella Attinger-Toller, Dragan Grabulovski and Philipp Spycher. Together with the expert jury, we selected the founders of Araris Biotech as winners based on their combined leadership, entrepreneurial expertise and scientific excellence. Following the successful acquisition of Araris by Taiho Pharmaceuticals, we believe this award further recognizes the founding team’s continued growth and positive trajectory ahead. This trio has impressively demonstrated how a new idea, a clear focus on translation and entrepreneurial boldness can come together to launch a new generation of targeted cancer therapies,” said Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D., in a joint statement. “It was a special privilege for us to engage with such a diverse, forward-looking group of start-ups from the DACH region. Learning more about the finalists and their impressive achievements made the final decision anything but easy.”

The group of finalists selected in May comprised three companies: Araris Biotech, NovaGo Therapeutics and TOLREMO therapeutics, whose founders exemplify the entrepreneurial potential and scientific diversity that characterize the life sciences sector in the DACH region. They include an impressive variety of disciplines — spanning targeted cancer therapies, regenerative neuroscience and cancer drug resistance. Following the presentation of their entrepreneurial and scientific achievements to an expert jury, Dragan Grabulovski, Ph.D., Philipp Spycher, Ph.D., and Isabella Attinger-Toller, Ph.D., were announced today as the winning team and will receive a joint cash prize of EUR 100,000.

"We feel very honored to have our vision and achievements recognized by the Strüngmann Award. As the founding team, we have always believed in the potential of our new technology and the value it may hold for patients. This award, in addition to the acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceuticals, is a validation of our commitment, shared journey and the hard work that has enabled our success story," said Dragan Grabulovski, Ph.D., CEO of Araris Biotech, on behalf of the founding team.

The Araris Biotech founders, the experienced biotech entrepreneur Dragan Grabulovski, Ph.D., (CEO), the visionary scientist Philipp Spycher, Ph.D., (CSO) and the outstanding translational scientist Isabella Attinger-Toller, Ph.D., (CTO), can look back on one of the most successful Swiss biotech startups to be established in recent years. Spun out of the Paul Scherrer Institute (part of ETH domain) in 2019, the team developed a novel ADC linker-payload technology (AraLinQ™) that enables one-step payload attachment to off-the-shelf antibodies, without the need for prior antibody engineering. This innovative approach not only opens new possibilities in oncology, but also has potential for applications in other therapeutic areas.

In only a few years, the Araris team raised over CHF 40 million, formed a strategic partnership with Chugai (Roche) and Johnson & Johnson, and achieved a landmark acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceutical in March 2025 for up to USD $1.14 billion. Through these achievements, the three winners exemplify the potential within the DACH region to successfully translate scientific excellence into global innovation.

About Araris Biotech AG

Araris Biotech is a leading biotech company pioneering the future of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and redefining the entire paradigm of targeted cancer therapy and beyond. Araris’ vision is a world without chemotherapy and its proprietary conjugation and groundbreaking multi-payload technology represents a quantum leap forward in ADC design, enabling the transformation of any antibody into an ADC with the goal of better safety and efficacy. By enabling the attachment of multiple, synergistic cancer-fighting payloads to a single antibody in an efficient one-step process, Araris is creating a new generation of smart missiles that deliver the potency of combination chemotherapy in a targeted fashion in order to tackle the persistent challenges of cancer resistance. Araris is a wholly owned subsidiary of Taiho Pharmaceutical following its acquisition in March 2025. For more information about our science and pipeline, please visit https://www.ararisbiotech.com/.

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Strüngmann Award Committee Announces 2025 Finalists Recognizing Outstanding Life Science Entrepreneurs in the DACH Region

The selected finalists have demonstrated entrepreneurial execution and translational potential for a range of scientific approaches.

The winner(s) will be officially announced on July 3, 2025, and will receive an EUR 100,000 cash prize.

Munich, Germany, May 27, 2025

The Strüngmann Award selection committee today announced this year’s award finalists. The three companies and their founders highlight the exceptional and internationally successful leaders emerging from the DACH region’s thriving life science ecosystem. Now in its second year, the award aims to recognize founders who are not only advancing breakthrough science, but who have also demonstrated the drive and resilience required to translate innovation into therapeutic impact.

The award was established to honor its namesakes, Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D. As the founders of Hexal they achieved extraordinary entrepreneurial success, subsequently they expanded on these achievements in their roles as visionary investors. The award celebrates the next generation of leaders advancing a great idea into reality.

“We are convinced of the exceptionally talented leaders in the DACH life science ecosystem and are committed to recognizing and promoting both innovative ideas and execution through this award. This year’s finalists underscore the depth of scientific and entrepreneurial excellence in the DACH region. They represent a remarkable diversity of scientific fields: from targeted cancer therapies to regenerative neuroscience and drug resistance. It’s inspiring to see how different paths can lead to meaningful innovation that improves patients’ lives,” said Andreas und Thomas Strüngmann.

The following visionary entrepreneurs have been selected by the award committee for their innovative mindset and talent for execution in translating biomedical research into therapeutic approaches:

Dragan Grabulovski | Philipp Spycher | Isabella Attinger-Toller – Araris Biotech

The founding team of Araris Biotech, Dragan Grabulovski, Ph.D., CEO, Philipp Spycher, Ph.D., CSO, and Isabella Attinger-Toller, Ph.D., CTO, has built one of Switzerland’s most successful biotech ventures in recent years. Spun out of the Paul Scherrer Institute (part of ETH domain), the team developed a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) linker-payload technology (AraLinQTM) that enables one-step payload attachment to off-the-shelf antibodies, without the need of prior antibody engineering. Their collaborative leadership and scientific excellence led Araris to raise over CHF 40 million, form a strategic partnership with Chugai (Roche) and Johnson & Johnson, and achieve a landmark acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceutical in March 2025 for up to USD 1.14 billion.

Araris Biotech is advancing a new class of ADCs aiming to redefine the entire paradigm of targeted cancer therapy and beyond.

Martin E. Schwab | Stefan Moese – NovaGo Therapeutics

Prof. Martin E. Schwab, Ph.D., CSO and co-founder of NovaGo Therapeutics, is a world-renowned neuroscientist whose pioneering work on nerve growth inhibition fundamentally changed the field of neuroregeneration. He discovered the protein Nogo-A, a key blocker of nerve repair in the central nervous system and translated this breakthrough into the development of regenerative antibody therapies. Building on decades of research at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, he founded NovaGo in 2015 to advance clinical candidates for patients with spinal cord injury and related indications.

Since joining as CEO in 2023, Stefan Moese, Ph.D., has brought deep expertise in biologics and translational drug development. Together, he and Martin E. Schwab are driving the company’s efforts to translate cutting-edge science into regenerative therapies, where the first candidate has entered clinical trials in acute spinal cord injured patients in 2024.

NovaGo Therapeutics is a Swiss biotech company developing antibody-based therapies to promote nerve and blood vessel regeneration, with a lead program targeting acute spinal cord injury.

Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual – TOLREMO therapeutics

Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual, Ph.D., founder and CEO of TOLREMO therapeutics, has built a company that is redefining the way drug resistance is approached in the treatment of cancer. Drawing from her academic research at ETH Zurich, she uncovered that resistance is often driven by transcriptional changes — sometimes long before oncogenic mutations arise. This insight led to the development of a proprietary screening platform which resulted in the identification of CBP/p300 as an epigenetic master regulator of non-oncogene resistance. Under Stefanie’s leadership, the company has raised over CHF 34 million and advanced its lead program TT125-802, a novel, highly selective CBP/p300 inhibitor, into the clinic. In this ongoing clinical trial, TT125-802 has shown a best-in-class safety profile and unprecedented monotherapy activity in solid tumors.

TOLREMO therapeutics is pioneering a comprehensive new approach to tackle cancer drug resistance by blocking transcriptional resistance pathways that operate parallel to the primary oncogene signaling axis. This represents a differentiated strategy to address a major challenge in cancer treatment, with significant therapeutic potential both as a monotherapy as well as in combination with targeted therapies.

As a next step in the selection process, an expert jury consisting of leading entrepreneurial personalities and biotechnology investors will select the winner(s). The winner will be officially announced on July 3, 2025, and will receive a EUR 100,000 cash prize.

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Andreas & Thomas Strüngmann Award Honors HAYA Therapeutics Co-founders as Inaugural Winners.

The award jury selected Samir Ounzain, PhD and Daniel Blessing, PhD, the two co-founders of HAYA Therapeutics, as the winners from an outstanding finalist group of life science entrepreneurs.

Representatives from the award committee presented the award and the €100,000 cash prize at the Festival of the Future at the Deutsches Museum in Munich last Friday, June 28, 2024

Munich, Germany, July 1, 2024

The committee of the newly established Andreas & Thomas Strüngmann Award today announced that Samir Ounzain and Daniel Blessing, the two co-founders of HAYA Therapeutics, are the inaugural winners of the Andreas & Thomas Strüngmann Award. Established to support and recognize entrepreneurial vision in the life science arena, the award recognizes the co-founder’s progress in building a company developing a RNA therapeutic approach targeting long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in multiple disease areas, in advance of the start of a HAYA’s first-in-human clinical study in non obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

“Together with the award committee and this year’s jury, we congratulate Samir and Daniel and hope that this award provides an additional validation as HAYA’s begins the next stage of development as a company. They have proven their ability to translate their findings from the lab into a differentiated cell-state-modifying platform that has significant potential to provide novel, disease-modifying therapeutics for the heart and a range of other disease areas,” Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann said in a joint statement. “Throughout our selection process, it has been a tremendous privilege to view the outstanding companies nominated from across the DACH region and, in particular, get to know the finalists whose successes made the final decision a difficult one to make.”

The company teams shortlisted in May represent established and emerging biotech entrepreneurs in the DACH area who made significant achievements over the past years. These entrepreneurs turned unique scientific approaches into companies focused on bringing solutions to patients through modalities ranging from cell and RNA therapies to ADCs. Following the nomination, a group of finalist innovators had the opportunity to present their companies and their respective scientific approaches to an expert jury of leading personalities from the DACH life sciences sector, who then selected the winners announced last Friday, June 28 at the Festival of the Future at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. As part of the award, Samir Ounzain and Daniel Blessing received a cash prize of €100,000, which they will share.

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Newly Launched Andreas & Thomas Strüngmann Award Recognizing Outstanding DACH Life Science Entrepreneurs Announces 2024 Finalists.

The selected finalists are a group of outstanding entrepreneurs in the field of biomedical research.

The award was established this year to honor Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D., for their inspiring entre­ preneurial achievements and visionary invest­ ments in the life science industry.

The winner will be officially announced at the Festival of the Future ceremony at the Deutsches Museum in Munich on June 28, 2024, and will receive a €100,000 cash prize.

Munich, Germany, May 27, 2024

The committee of the newly initiated Andreas & Thomas Strüngmann Award today announced the finalist selection for the inaugural 2024 award. It is the first of its kind in the DACH region and aims to recognize impressive entrepreneurial talents and achievements in the life science arena.

In the spirit of its namesakes, it recognizes the next generation of leaders advancing a great idea into reality. This mission is reflected in the name of the award, which is a tribute to brothers Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D., who achieved extraordinary entrepreneurial success as the founders of Hexal and made a significant impact on the life science industry with their visionary investments, including BioNTech.

"We are honored by the creation of the Award and impressed by the fina­ lists, their visionary entrepreneurship and achievements that translate revolutionary ideas into reality. In addition, they highlight that the DACH life science ecosystem is thriving and represents an internationally recognized hub for excellence and creativity.” said Andreas und Thomas Strüngmann.

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