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Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences

Nano Hybrids wins Amsterdam Science & Innovation Award 2023

23 November 2023

Spin-off company Nano Hybrids of the Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS) has won an Amsterdam Science & Innovation Award 2023 in the category Environment & Climate. During the finals held 21 November at NEMO Science Museum, co-founder Olivier Lugier, postdoctoral researcher at HIMS, beat his fellow contestants with a convincing pitch of the eco-friendly Nano Hybrids approach to nanoparticle production.
The founders of Nano Hybrids celebrating the price: Stefania Grecea (lead of the Functional Materials research group) and Olivier Lugier (former postdoc researcher). Photo: AMSIA.

Olivier’s live pitch convinced the jury by the measure of innovativeness, societal benefit, applicability, feasibility and entrepreneurial process. It earned Nano Hybrids the award as well as € 10,000 to take its innovation to the next level.

Nano Hybrids is a nanotechnology start-up that develops hybrid core-shell nanoparticles to address the critical challenges of high-impact technological fields like biomedicine, sustainable energy, and catalysis.  The problem is that such nanomaterials are often difficult and polluting to produce. With Nano Hybrids, Lugier and his co-founder Stefania Grecea have developed a more sustainable technology that makes the process of synthesising nanoparticles much more environmentally friendly.

Jury chairman Ruben Brave (tech entrepreneur and investor) praised the quality of the entries and the live pitches: "In all of them, there was a strong focus on the added value for society. The commercial awareness of the participants also stood out, as a product ultimately has to be brought to market.

The AmSIA is an initiative of Innovation Exchange Amsterdam (IXA) - the knowledge transfer office of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, the University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit and Amsterdam UMC. AmSIA challenges young scientists to develop innovative research-based ideas into applications. The ultimate goal is to have an impact and contribute to solving societal issues.

See also