Thiruvananthapuram: The national award for the best start-up company in the Biotech/ Pharma sector for the year 2009 was recently received by a Technopark-Technology Business Incubation (T-TBI) incubated company - Catalyz Scientific Technologies.

Both the Indian Science and Technology Park's (STEPS) and Business Incubator's Association (ISBA) together instituted this award.

The award was received by Biju Jacob, Founder and CEO of Catalyz from the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan in the presence of Mervin Alexander, CEO, Technopark, and K.C.C. Nair, CFO, Technopark at the fourth International Conference on Business Incubation held in New Delhi recently.

Developing effective, yet affordable diagnostic systems for infectious and chronic diseases is the forte of Catalyz.

Making it easy for laymen in confirming or ruling out certain diseases, according to Dr. Biju Jacob, the system developed by the company needs no technical knowledge or any device to interpret the result.

"Our diagnostic kits which cost less than Rs.100 address health care issues like several infections and outbreak of viral diseases. India being a tropical country needs speedy and specific diagnosis in confirmation of diseases to control potential epidemics," he said.

The first stem cell therapy initiative across Kerala last year was launched by Catalyz, which has also established a pan India network of Stem Cell Therapy units.

Dr. Jacob holds a PhD in Molecular Diagnostics from the Indian Holistic Medical Academy and has been selected for Post Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Stanford for further research on diagnostics and therapeutics.

Mr. Mervin Alexander, while congratulating Catalyz on the occasion said that, "It is a moment of pride for Techopark with it's incubating company winning such a laurel."

Technopark, last year, also won the recognition for the best Technology business incubation park.

"This award has added another feather on our the cap with the Technopark at Trivandrum receiving national award for innovation and entrepreneurship for the first time," said Mr. Nair, who also heads Technopark-TBI.