Drug Development Project from Oslo Won the Pitch Competition at The Forge

Pitch winner and the jury. From left: Nicolaj Højer Nielsen (Investor), Benedikte Stavik (winner), Mohammed Amarzguioui (Inven2), Morten Egeberg (SPARK). Joachim Paasche (Aleap/Veksthuset) was also in the jury. Photo: Anne-Marie Korseberg Stokke.
16. September 2025
After six intensive months of development, mentoring, and investor preparation, Norway’s first national biotechnology accelerator program, The Forge, concluded with an exciting pitch competition. Here, participants were given the opportunity to present their research-based innovations before an expert panel – and in the end, the project RESQF7 from the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital took home the victory, along with a prize of NOK 25,000 donated by Inven2, in addition to advisory support from Aleap.
The winning project, with researchers Benedikte Stavik and Giacomo Roman as participants in the program, is developing a cell-based therapy for a rare bleeding disorder. The jury highlighted the significant medical need the solution addresses, the uniqueness of the approach, and its potential to be expanded to other related diseases as key factors behind the win.
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Participants in The Forge 2025. Photo: Anne-Marie Korseberg Stokke.

The Forge is a six-month accelerator program designed to prepare research-based innovations and early-stage companies for investors. The program is run by the health incubator Aleap and Digital Life Norway (DNL).

“The Forge was an experiment. We made a bet that by bringing together the most exciting biotechnology teams from around Norway, and providing the best in national and international training, we could more rapidly accelerate ideas towards commercialisation. Thanks to the hard work of the organisers and (more importantly) the teams, the bet paid off spectacularly, and we look forward to seeing what’s next for the teams and The Forge”, says Andrew Boyce, Senior Innovation Advisor in DLN.

Inven2 is a partner in the program, contributing both expertise to the jury’s work and the prize money for the pitch competition.

– “We see that The Forge provides essential tools and networks to research-based startups seeking to enter the market. Inven2 finds it highly valuable to help promote and support the most promising innovations, and we hope that more of our projects will benefit from this type of initiative,” says Mohammed Amarzguioui, Vice President Project Management at Inven2.

 

Facts The Forge:

  • Number of participating teams: 12 (22 participants)
  • Duration: Six months
  • Organizers: Aleap and Digital Life Norway
  • Funding: The Innovation Roadmap Project, managed by dScience, UiO

 

Photo: Anne-Marie Korseberg Stokke.

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