Road to Potsdam: Fanny Giannou Wins Female Founders Contest BW Semi-Finals!

By Alithea Bio Team | July 15, 2026
The energy was electric, the room was packed, and the innovation on display was nothing short of inspiring.
We are proud to announce that our very own Co-Founder, Fanny Giannou, has won the Baden-Württemberg Jury Prize at the Female Founders Contest Semi-Finals in Konstanz! 🏆


Representing Alithea Bio at “the farm” (Farm Gründung & Innovation), Fanny pitched our core mission to the jury and audience: leveraging AI-driven immunopeptidomics to revolutionize personalized cancer immunotherapy and target discovery.
Redefining Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy
The Female Founders Contest, initiated and organized by the Business Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. (BACB), highlights the most forward-thinking, female-led startups driving change across Germany.


During her pitch, Fanny demonstrated how Alithea Bio is bridging the gap between deep mass spectrometry data and clinical translation. By transforming complex immunopeptidomics datasets into actionable insights, we are helping oncology researchers identify novel, highly precise tumor antigens. This key breakthrough minimizes off-target risks, paving the way for safer, more effective personalized cancer immunotherapy solutions.

The jury’s decision to award Alithea Bio the top prize is a massive validation of our technology, our commercial momentum, and the critical clinical need for better target discovery platforms.

Stronger Together: Celebrating a Unique Cohort
While we are thrilled to bring the trophy back to the office, the true highlight of the evening was the spirit of sisterhood and collaboration. The southwest startup ecosystem is incredibly strong, and we want to extend our deepest respect to our fellow semi-finalists who shared the stage:

• Dr. Larissa Niemeyer (eatappie) – Providing vital digital support for young people navigating eating disorders.
• Tamara Krauss (SaveSpace) – A smart storage platform rethinking urban spaces.
• Anna Herrmann (FlareOn Biotech) – Developing patented, groundbreaking tumor detection directly in the OR (and winner of the Audience Award!).

In a beautiful testament to female empowerment, the jury was so blown away by the quality of all four pitches that travel and accommodation to the finals in Potsdam are being sponsored for the entire semi-finalist cohort. Rather than competing in isolation, we are heading to the finals as a team, proving that strong women lift each other up. 💛 (Special thanks to Antje Freyth from UFG e.V. for making this possible!)


Next Stop: The Grand Finale in Potsdam 🚀
With the semi-final win under our belt, the countdown to the Grand Finale on September 10, 2026, in Potsdam officially begins! Fanny will join regional winners from across Germany to pitch on the national stage.
As we prepare our final pitch, our focus remains on scaling our platform to support clinical pipelines developing next-generation personalized cancer immunotherapy treatments globally.

🙏 With Deep Gratitude
This milestone belongs to our whole team and the incredible network supporting us. We want to say a heartfelt thank you to:
The Jury: Julia Zimmermann, Guido Sondern, Antje Freyth, Claire Siegert, and Dr. Hauke Hansen for their trust in our vision.
The Hosts & Organizers: EVERSION Technologies, the city of Stadt Konstanz (including Head of Economic Development Melanie Eckhard), moderator Timon Sutter, and the phenomenal team at the farm.
Our Supporters: Everyone who cheered us on in the crowd and online!
We are heading to Potsdam with one goal in mind: to bring home the grand prize. Stay tuned as we prepare for the big stage!


🔗 Next Steps for Your Research
Internal Link: Read about our recent EIT Health Catapult Semifinalist announcement to see how Alithea Bio is gaining momentum across Europe.
External Link: Learn more about the grand finale event hosted by the Business Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. (BACB).
Get in Touch: Want to learn how our award-winning platform is accelerating oncology research? Explore our technology
or contact our immunopeptidomics specialists directly.