LOS ANGELES — The Roddenberry Foundation today announced the six awardees of its biennial $1.5 million Prize to support audacious early-stage science and technology ventures that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Founded by Rod and Heidi Roddenberry, The Roddenberry Foundation supports innovative thinking, original ideas, and extraordinary people who will change the world. Conservation X Labs’ Thylacine Biosciences was awarded $100,000 for developing the NABIT, a technology platform that enables non-scientists to perform a rapid genetic test with little technical training.

Since 2016, the biennial Roddenberry Prize has been awarded to ventures that hold the promise for a more equitable and prosperous world in which everyone – regardless of background – can thrive. The 2023 Grand Prize ($1mil) has been awarded to Elypta for their trail-blazing development of the first metabolism-based test for early cancer detection, and the remaining $400,000 was split between Andes Ag, Vesta, Avalo, and Alga Biosciences.

Prize candidates were selected from an incredibly competitive process featuring ventures nominated by over 300 venture capitalists, impact investors, and foundations in 18 countries.

"In our pursuit of universal thriving, we want everyone to live healthy, sustainable, and fulfilling lives," said Heidi Roddenberry, chair of the Foundation's board. "Our 2022 Prize awardees are showing us humanity's creative potential to make a difference; to envision and then work toward a world of abundance for all."

SOURCE The Roddenberry Foundation