On November 1, 2022, the finals of the 11th China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (Guangdong Region) and the 10th "Pearl River Angel Cup" Science and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (hereinafter referred to as the "Competition") were successfully held in Huangpu District, Guangzhou. Guided by the Torch High-tech Industry Development Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology, hosted by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and organized by the Guangdong Provincial Productivity Promotion Center, Guangdong Science and Technology Finance Promotion Association, and Guangzhou Science and Technology Finance Group Co., Ltd., with collaboration from various municipal science and technology bureaus and other government departments in Guangdong Province, this competition is the regional contest of the China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in Guangdong Province, and is one of the largest and most popular innovation and entrepreneurship competitions in the province.
According to the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, a total of 5,574 companies registered for this competition, a 20% increase from last year. Among them, 4,212 companies passed the preliminary review, 397 companies entered the semi-finals of their respective industry sectors, and ultimately, 100 companies advanced to the grand finals. This competition has two categories: the Startup group and the Growth group. The preliminary and semi-final rounds were conducted based on the industry sectors of the participating companies, while the final round was not industry-specific. The competition adopted a "7+5" live presentation format, where the participating companies present for 7 minutes followed by self- 5 minutes of Q&A with the judges. The competition evaluated the projects based on five aspects: technology and products, business model and implementation plans, industry and market, team, and financial analysis.
RECORNA Bio participated in the competition with the project "Disease Treatment Based on RNA Editing Technology." After fierce competition in the preliminary and semi-final rounds, the company successfully advanced to the finals and achieved the 6th place in the Startup Group category, winning the second prize in this competition. The "Disease Treatment Based on RNA Editing Technology" project is an independent entrepreneurship project led by Professor Zhang Rui, the founder of RECORNA Bio, and his research team. They utilized the MIMIC RNA editing system based on the irCLASH technology for innovative drug development. Currently, RECORNA Bio has independently developed the proprietary MIMIC RNA editing system, which uses the endogenous adenosine deaminase (ADAR, an enzyme that catalyzes A-to-I RNA editing in the body) for precise and efficient RNA editing, with an efficiency of over 95%, placing RECORNA at the global leading level.
This year's China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition marked RECORNA Bio's first participation. Right from the start, they have won second prize in both the municipal and provincial rounds, which recognizes and supports RECORNA Bio's innovation and entrepreneurship capabilities. This will encourage RECORNA Bio to continue striving in the path of innovation and entrepreneurship, actively contributing to the building of China's innovation power in science and technology.
