NanoVax Therapeutics, a cancer immunotherapy startup company supported by the UMass Amherst Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), was named Judges’ Choice Best Startup at the 19th annual Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation (MALSI) Day, on July 23, earning top honors among emerging life sciences ventures from across Massachusetts.

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NanoVax Therapeutics is developing cancer vaccines inspired by the immune-stimulating properties of pathogens. The company’s proprietary lipid nanoparticle platform is designed to deliver combinations of immune activators and tumor antigens that stimulate powerful tumor-specific T cell responses creating a promising new approach to treating cancer.

Founded from the laboratory of Prabhani Atukorale, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UMass Amherst and UMass Chan Medical School, NanoVax is advancing toward first-in-human studies with support from translational research funding. The company’s mission is to develop potentially curative, immune-based treatments for patients with limited treatment options. 

“We are very excited about the potential of this cancer vaccine,” said Atukorale, a co-founder of NanoVax Therapeutics. “Moving breakthrough discoveries from the laboratory to the clinic requires resources that are often difficult to access. IALS has provided critical funding, infrastructure, and mentorship that helped bridge the gap, and accelerate our progress. We are deeply grateful for the support that has enabled us to advance this work.”

This year’s MALSI Day brought together emerging life sciences ventures from 10 academic institutions. Seven startups from UMass Amherst participated, presenting their technologies before a sold-out audience of more than 350 scientific leaders, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, investors and industry experts.

Representing NanoVax on stage was Griffin Kane, co-founder and chief executive officer. Kane is also a postdoctoral research associate in the Atukorale Laboratory and previously received an IALS Translational Graduate Student Assistantship while pursuing his doctoral studies.

“Winning Judge’s Choice Best Startup at MALSI is a tremendous honor for NanoVax Therapeutics and a testament to the power of translational research,” Kane said. “This recognition validates both our technology and the pathway that helped bring it from the research laboratory towards commercialization.”

Peter Reinhart, founding director of IALS, said the award reflects the promise of NanoVax’s technology, the power of collaboration between UMass Amherst and UMass Chan Medical School, and the strength of the innovation ecosystem on both campuses.

“This recognition is a superb achievement for NanoVax Therapeutics and for UMass Amherst,” Reinhart said. “Nanovax exemplifies how collaborative research, entrepreneurial support and translational seed funding can accelerate discoveries towards real-world impact.  We are proud to continue supporting the company as it advances innovative technologies with the potential to improve treatment options for patients with cancer and infectious diseases.”

MALSI Day is one of the commonwealth’s largest gatherings of life sciences investors, large companies, ecosystem stakeholders, startups and emerging ventures. The 2026 event was sponsored by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), in partnership with BioLabs, LabCentral, MassVentures, MassBio and The Engine.