Iranian biotech entrepreneur nominated for German start-up award

Iranian biochemist Ghazaleh Madani has been nominated for the German Start-up Award as 'newcomer of the year' for her work with cancer research.

Madani, 29, is one of three finalists for the category, as announced by the German Start-up Association, and from over 400 applications, a 27-member jury nominated 24 individuals including the young Iranian.

According to a report by German newspaper Tagesspiegel, Madani completed her medical studies at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences before leaving Iran in 2020 Iran due to the political situation in the country without providing further details.

She studied biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Potsdam and received her master's degree in 2023.

Tagesspiegel's report quoted Madani as saying that she dedicated herself to cancer research because she herself had lost several family members to the disease.

Her start-up, CanChip, specializes in developing 3D tumor models for cancer research.

Award finalists represent a wide range of industries, including medical technology, AI, sustainability, and engineering. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place next month on May 22.