Local Innovators Named Finalists for Cade Prize

ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ Several Alachua County innovators are among the finalists for the 16th Annual Cade Prize for Inventivity, one of the region’s premier competitions recognizing groundbreaking ideas.

Judges selected 15 finalists nationwide from a pool of 100 applicants representing 16 states, including entrepreneurs, researchers, and technology transfer organizations. Competitors are advancing in five categories: Environmental, Healthcare, Technology, Sports, and Wildcard.

Finalists will gather Oct. 14 at the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville for the awards ceremony. The event will feature an expo-style showcase of projects, networking with attendees, and a final round of live judging. Winners in each category will receive $10,000, and five finalists will present pitches on stage for a chance at the $50,000 grand prize, the Student Choice Award, and professional consulting services.

Alachua County innovators are strongly represented in the Healthcare and Technology categories. NanoNeurosciences of Alachua was named a finalist for NanoGlaucoOut, a peptide-based nanomedicine platform designed to treat conditions such as glaucoma, epilepsy, and depression. The technology focuses on long-lasting, nonsurgical treatments that support cell survival and energy function.

CasNx of Gainesville advanced for its CRISPR technology that edits donor organs to reduce viruses and immune rejection, with the goal of providing safer and longer-lasting transplants.

Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Florida, and Adam Grippin, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Texas were recognized for research aimed at improving cancer immunotherapy through methods that enhance treatment response.

Immunogenik of Gainesville earned a spot in the Technology category for 8R-70CAR, a CD70-targeted CAR T cell therapy designed for aggressive, treatment-resistant cancers, including glioblastoma and pediatric high-grade gliomas.

The Cade Prize, named after Dr. James Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade, is a national competition celebrating creativity and innovation. Each year, it highlights early-stage inventions with the potential for significant societal impact.

This year’s competition is supported by sponsors including the Community Foundation of North Central Florida, the Florida High Tech Corridor, Gatorade, the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, OneSixOne Ventures, NVision Strategies, and Hyatt Place Downtown, among others.

The Oct. 14 awards ceremony will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cade Museum. Tickets are available at cadeprize.org.

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