NeoSplice Therapeutics Wins $20,000 BioSpark First Prize at Sold-Out Fifth Annual BioDiscovery Summit
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (Sept. 18, 2026) –NeoSplice Therapeutics won the top prize of $20,000 in the BioSpark pitch competition on Thursday at the fifth annual BioDiscovery Summit. The sold-out life sciences gathering, co-hosted by CvilleBioHub and Cooley, drew together founders, investors, innovators, students and regional leaders to the Irving Theater.
NeoSplice Therapeutics is developing cancer-specific splice variants and proteoforms as drug targets, resolved with long-read sequencing, single-cell isoform profiling, and proteogenomic mass spectrometry. 3D OrthoBiologic Solutions (3DOS) received $10,000 for their work on customized, 3D-printed bone grafts that help surgeons repair and regenerate bone lost to cancer, disease, or trauma and Oridivus, developing locally delivered therapeutic matrices for oral and maxillofacial wound healing, was awarded one year of access to the BioAccelerator.
The BioSpark Pitch Event gives early-stage life sciences founders a chance to put their companies in front of investors, industry leaders and experienced company builders, often well before they are ready for a traditional institutional financing. This year’s competitors included: 3D OrthoBiologic Solutions (3DOS), AVIL Therapeutics, Claradele Pharmaceuticals, NeoSplice Therapeutics, Oridivus, Sensible, SonoFx and Visurraga Enterprises (Fibreye).
“BioSpark gives early-stage companies a chance to tell their story to the people who can help them move forward,” said Nikki Hastings, Ph.D., president and co-founder of CvilleBioHub. “The prize money matters, but the people in the room matter just as much. We’ve seen introductions made here lead to investors, advisors, customers and relationships that continue long after the event.”
Previous year’s competitors offer a preview of where this cohort may go. Avant Genomics, which pitched at BioSpark in 2025, has since raised about $3.5 million and is scaling manufacturing of its automated liquid biopsy sample preparation platform from 12,000 units a year to 500,000.
U.S. Senator Mark Warner opened the afternoon program with commentary about how Virginia is investing to meet the moment for life sciences and becoming a preferred destination for growing companies. Caitlin Frazer, executive director of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, delivered the keynote conversation on the intersection of biotechnology and national security. Other panel sessions covered the progress from initial investment, to post pitch realities and the translation of innovation to sustainable momentum.
The day closed with a reception marking the organization’s tenth anniversary. “Ten years ago this was a handful of people comparing notes over coffee,” Hastings said. “On Thursday it was a sold-out theater, a United States senator, and eight companies competing to build the next decade of this industry here. That is the whole story of CvilleBioHub in one day.”
About CvilleBioHub
CvilleBioHub accelerates the growth of the bioscience ecosystem in Central Virginia by connecting industry, supporting startups, convening leaders, and advancing regional competitiveness. With the Commonwealth BioAccelerator supporting early-stage companies and more than 75 companies and organizations across the region, CvilleBioHub champions innovation, talent development, and commercialization.