BioTools Innovator Announces the 2026 Grand Prize and Best Video Winners at the Annual Capstone Event

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 15, 2026--

BioTools Innovator, the only accelerator focused on life science tools, today announced the 2026 BioTools Innovator Grand Prize Winner in San Diego, Calif., during its annual Capstone Event. eGlint was awarded the $250,000 Grand Prize, selected in real-time by a live audience of industry leaders following pitches from the five finalists. The other finalists, Caravel Bio, QuantumCyte, and Pando Bioscience, each received $10,000.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261015873980/en/

eGlint’s ProteoMix™ delivers rapid, multiplex protein testing on existing qPCR instruments—no new hardware required. Initially targeting cytokine monitoring for cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing, ProteoMix accelerates critical decisions. Powered by our ProteoNex™ platform, it enables an expanding assay menu and future point-of-care and at-home diagnostics.

“We are incredibly honored to be named the 2026 BioTools Innovator Grand Prize Winner, especially given the exceptional caliber of the other finalists and the remarkable companies across this year’s cohort,” said Robert Georgantas, CEO of eGLINT. “The BioTools Innovator program has been an extraordinary experience for eGlint. The mentorship, collaboration with our peers, and access to BTI’s extensive network and resources have been transformative, helping us accelerate our first product launch and sharpen our commercialization strategy. We are deeply grateful for the support, guidance, and opportunities this program has provided, and we are proud to be part of the BioTools Innovator family.”

“Congratulations to eGlint Proteomics on winning this year’s Grand Prize,” said Ayelet Marom,PhD, Managing Director of BioTools Innovator. “eGlint is addressing a critical opportunity in life science tools: making sophisticated protein analysis faster, more accessible, and easier to integrate into existing research workflows. Its platform delivers quantitative, multiplexed protein measurements in just 10 minutes using standard qPCR instruments. We are proud to support eGlint and the entire 2026 BioTools Innovator cohort: exceptional founders developing practical, scalable innovations that address real industry needs. Through tailored mentorship, industry connections, and commercialization support, we help bring promising life science tools closer to market and advance their potential to improve human health.”

The 2026 Best Video Award, recognizing cohort companies' excellence in effectively and creatively communicating their value proposition in a short video format, was also presented during the Capstone Event. As voted by live audience vote, EXIT071 won the title of Best Company Video and earned the $10,000 cash prize.

“As scientists, we’re used to spending our days in the lab, not in front of a camera!” said Yuliya Shakalisava, PhD, Founder and CEO, EXIT071. “Creating this video was a wonderful opportunity to show the people and passion behind EXIT071, and to have some fun along the way. We’re thrilled to receive this award and grateful to BioTools Innovator for encouraging us to think creatively about how we communicate our science.”

BioTools Innovator evaluated the pitches of 84 candidates out of more than 540 applicants from 50 countries and 36 U.S. states. 30 companies were then selected to participate in the 2026 BioTools Innovator Accelerator, which highlights best-in-class life science startups worldwide. The complete list of the BioTools Innovator 2026 cohort companies can be found here.

The annual Capstone Event was attended by senior executives, investors, and top decision-makers in the life science tools industry. The event was supported by Tosoh USA, Medmarc, First Citizens Innovation Banking, and Greenberg Traurig. The event featured keynote presentations and panel discussions on the Startup Stage, highlighting the 2026 cohort and culminating in the Best Video and Grand Prize competitions. During the Grand Prize Finals competition, each finalist presented their company’s value proposition and answered questions from a panel of industry experts. After the pitches, the audience voted in real-time to select the winner.

The event also highlighted BioTools Innovator’s partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) through the Vanguard Accelerator.* Ten companies from the 2026 cohort that were selected to participate in the Vanguard program were featured in the Startup Stage pitches. In addition, five companies that had participated in the Vanguard Non-Dilutive Funding Program were featured in a dedicated panel discussion.

Funding for BioTools Innovator is provided by the Frederick Gardner Cottrell Foundation of Research Corporation Technologies (RCT). Additional support is provided by BroadOak Capital Partners, Ecolab, Nissan Chemical America Corporation, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

*This project has been supported in whole or in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under agreement number 75A50124C00034.

About BioTools Innovator

Based in Los Angeles, BioTools Innovator was established to advance cutting-edge research and improve human health by accelerating the growth of a broad spectrum of life science tools and diagnostics. BioTools Innovator matches industry leaders with innovative early-stage and emerging growth biotechnology-focused companies for mentorship and support.

BioTools Innovator is powered by MedTech Innovator (MTI), the world’s largest accelerator of medical technology companies and the premier nonprofit startup accelerator in the medical technology industry. To date, MTI alumni have collectively brought over 500 products to market and raised $12+ billion in follow-on funding. For more information about BioTools Innovator, visit the website and follow the organization on LinkedIn.

eGlint, grand prize winner of BioTools Innovator 2026

ADEN, Yemen (AP) — At least six explosions struck Thursday near the palace used by Yemen's internationally recognized government in the port city of Aden, witnesses said. An official said at least two people were killed, and Iran-backed Houthi rebels based in northern Yemen quickly claimed responsibility.

It was a rare attack on the palace area, as fighting has escalated between the rebels and a Saudi-led coalition in the latest front in the Iran war. The explosions caused panic among residents, who fled the area.

At least two people were killed and six wounded, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. The government said the Houthis attacked with missiles and drones, the Aden-based SABA news agency reported.

A security official said at least two explosions were on top of the hill near the Maashiq palace, and two others were near the security gate.

Many of Yemen's government leaders are living in exile, and those in Aden were safe, a government official said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The Houthis said they attacked a military operations headquarters with the “Saudi enemy," part of their strategy of attacking Saudi targets that has included a series of attacks on airports and oil infrastructure inside the kingdom.

The escalation has complicated efforts to end the wider Iran war and further rattled global markets as Saudi Arabia, one of the world's top oil exporters, faces repeated attacks. Regional aviation is affected, too, as the rebels have warned airlines about their use of Saudi airspace for attacks. Thousands of flights across the kingdom have been disrupted.

Earlier Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it intercepted a cruise missile over the province of Medina. Flightradar 24, a tracking platform, said dozens of flights were cancelled or delayed at Jeddah airport.

The coalition statement did not assign blame for the attack. The Houthis’ military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, denied the rebels carried it out. The group previously pledged not to attack airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia also said it destroyed a drone over the country's Eastern province, a major oil-producing region, and intercepted a drone in Khamis Mushait, near a major military air base.

Inside Yemen, the fighting has revived a devastating civil war after four years of relative calm. One focus of alarm is the Houthi-besieged city of Taiz.

Residents of Yemen’s third-largest city are running short of basic necessities. Where goods can be found, prices have soared. Gas stations sit empty or out of service. The World Food Program said it can no longer reach more than 600,000 people in Taiz who depend on aid.

Fathiyya Mohamed al-Mugahed said she had gone looking for flour, cooking gas and fuel but found none.

“The Houthis have surrounded us from all sides,” she said. “Projectiles are all we have received from them.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Taiz has seen some of the “highest casualty burdens” in the country.

A supporter of Yemen's Houthi rebels carries his rifle during a rally in support of the group in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

FILE - A boat motors under Al-Maashiq Presidential Palace, at top, in Aden, Yemen, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo, File)

Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki speaks during a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Baraa Anwer)

People crowd at a minibus station used by displaced to leave the city, in Taiz, Yemen, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Marzouq Al Jabri)