ISSP UL’s spin-off, Cellbox Labs, was recently recognized at the annual Riga’s Best Entrepreneurs 2023 awards. The prestigious event, now in its third year, celebrated the most successful entrepreneurs in the capital city. Awards were presented to outstanding companies in six key sectors: start-ups, global business services, information and communication technologies, real estate, biomedicine, and high-value manufacturing.
Here are the winners in each category:
- Riga’s Startup of the Year: Aerones
- Riga’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the Global Business Services Sector: SEB Latvija
- Riga’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the Information and Communication Technologies Sector: Accenture
- Riga’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the Real Estate Sector: Bonava Latvija
- Riga’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the Biomedicine Sector: Cellbox Labs
- Riga’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the High-added Value Manufacturing Sector: SAF Tehnika
The founders of Cellbox Labs, Gatis Mozolevskis and Roberts Rimša, are leading researchers at the Micro and Nanodevices Laboratory of the ISSP UL, along with Artūrs Ābols, a scientist at the Biomedical Research and Study Center. Cellbox Labs specializes in developing "organs-on-a-chip" technology, miniature organ replicas for testing biological processes and drugs outside the human body. The technology incorporates semiconductor processes similar to those used in phones, where chips are essential components.
Vilnis Ķirsis, the Mayor of Riga, praised the award-winning companies as role models and a source of inspiration for the residents of Riga. He highlighted their ambition, skills, and contributions to the city’s growth, emphasizing Riga’s appeal for innovation and secure investments.
The award recipients were chosen by the Riga Investors Advisory Council based on criteria set by industry associations such as Latvia’s Startup Association Startin.lv, Latvia’s Global Business Service Centers Association ABLS Latvia, Latvia’s Information and Communication Technologies Association (LIKTA), Alliance of Real Estate Developers (NĪAA), Latvian Association of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry (LAKIFA), and Latvian Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry Association (LETERA).
