Vienna, Austria (23 March 2026) – SLAS, the Society of Laboratory Automation and Screening, has introduced the 12 companies selected for the Innovation Ave NEW program at SLAS Europe 2026 Conference and Exhibition, taking place 19-21 May in Vienna, Austria. Innovation Ave NEW is the Society’s established program for startups, designed to support emerging companies in the life sciences discovery and technology sectors, and connect them with the international scientific community.
Innovation Ave NEW provides a unique platform for participants to showcase their new company, product or service within a specially designated area on the exhibition floor, where they can directly engage with purchasing influencers and decision-makers from more than 40 countries. SLAS covers the cost of exhibition fees, travel and lodging (for one representative) and provides access to business consulting and mentorship, and exclusive promotional opportunities. Selected companies are also invited to submit a scientific manuscript to SLAS Discovery or SLAS Technology, SLAS’s peer-reviewed and Gold open-access journals, published by Elsevier.
Applicants are reviewed by the Innovation Ave NEW panel based on technical merit and commercial feasibility, with criteria, inclusive of, but not limited to compelling science and technology, start-up status, strength of management team, clarity of vision and market opportunity, and impact on the field of laboratory automation and technology. Each successful company also has the opportunity to submit for the SLAS Ignite Award. The winner will be announced at the conference and will receive €5,000.
The Innovation Ave NEW companies exhibiting at SLAS Europe 2026 are:
“There was such a buzz on Innovation Ave NEW and a constant flux of prospective customers, executives, researchers coming by to talk shop and see what was new. Many strong connections were made that are going to transform our business and marketing strategy in the HTS space,” said Colin Cook, Co-Founder and CTO, XDemics, SLAS2026 International Conference and Exhibition Innovation AveNEW participant and Ignite Award winner. “Winning the Ignite Award was an incredible honor and validation of the mission XDemics has been on to provide limitless cell culture to power breakthrough science and medicine. The judges gave us very actionable feedback on go-to-market strategy that we are implementing.”
“SLAS has always prioritized providing life sciences technology start-ups with the invaluable market access, user feedback and business counsel to grow and scale their business. Supporting innovative companies with these critical tools and services is a key part of the SLAS mission, to catalyze multidisciplinary innovation across the sector,” commented Vicki Loise, Chief Executive Officer of SLAS. “We’re honored to welcome a new cohort of Innovation Ave NEW startup companies shaping the future of life sciences discovery and technology to our European conference and exhibition in Vienna.”
Sign-up for registration alerts for SLAS2027 in San Diego and information on critical dates for Innovation Ave NEW applications, here: https://fs12.formsite.com/pUvHVQ/j9xsaaj9to/index .