We are delighted to announce that Rockfish Bio, an associated member of the Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, has won the BOKU “Start-up” Award for research in the field of Healthy Aging. Rockfish convinced the jury with novel senolytic drug candidates that selectively eliminate aging, dysfunctional cells (senescent cells) without harming healthy ones. These senescent cells are considered contributors to age-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. The BOKU Start-up Award recognizes projects that have successfully transformed innovative research ideas into business ventures.
Assoc. Prof. Johannes Grillari, professor at BOKU, director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology and co-founder of Rockfish, expressed his delight at the recognition: “Innovative research in Austria requires stable framework conditions that enable start-ups to make the leap from lab to market. Otherwise, industries with high potential for our economy risk moving abroad.” Rockfish demonstrates how promising biotech companies can emerge from Austrian basic research – provided that stable conditions for research exist.
Dr. Ingo Lämmermann added: “Funding research pays off economically for the location. Technology transfer must therefore be established as a strategic goal of sustainable site policy. Rockfish serves as an example of how to bridge the gap between basic research and start-up innovation.”
About Rockfish
- Founding team: Dr. Ingo Lämmermann, Assoc. Prof. Johannes Grillari, Otto Kanzler, and Thomas Streimelweger
- Founding partners: BOKU, Medical University of Vienna, and Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology
- Focus: Senolytics, aging research – “healthy aging”
- Goal: Developing effective therapies against age-related diseases
- Awards: Sallinger Fund Award 2025, Top 3 in the “Spin-offs” category at the Phoenix Award 2025
- Awarded: September 11, 2025 – BOKU Start-up Award ceremony