Please submit your Idea to Implementation proposal by December 15th, 2025.
Before you can make a submission, you will be prompted to log in or set up an account with Oxford Abstracts.
What is the Implementation Award?
The Implementation Awards will be given to accelerate development of seed stage innovations and to provide the impetus for venture and industry partners to invest in these new technologies. Our goal is to lower the barrier to successful commercial implementation and align incentives to better prioritize prevention in these spaces. A subset of submissions will be invited to the in-person 'Shark Tank'-style pitch session. This session will be held at the end of the RISE UP for Breast Cancer Conference on February 19th, 2026. The selected pitches will be presented to an esteemed panel of judges, including investors, FDA leaders, scientists, advocates, and community leaders. This panel will judge ideas for feasibility and potential for prevention and adoption. Winners will be asked to come back in subsequent years to present their progress. All finalists will prepare their idea as a poster proposal to be presented at the meeting as well.
Eligibility and Rules: Competition is open to anyone with an innovative idea for addressing breast cancer prevention across a woman’s life span. Entries will be accepted from US and global participants. Investigators can be involved in more than one proposal. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply. Seed stage companies are highly encouraged to apply.
Benefits to winners
- Opportunity to work with UCSF and other physician clinical partners in the RISE UP ecosystem to pilot ventures within academic clinical practices
- Dedicated office hours with pitch competition judges for feedback, market insight, networking, and other business building support
- Access to learning sessions and events hosted by UCSF
- Opportunity to meet clinicians, investors, investigators, scientists attending the RiseUP conference who could all be potential partners, collaborators, or buyers
- AWS credits or others that Asya may be able to offer through Stripe
- More to come!
Submission Details:
Initial 3-Question Screen: – Your idea must clearly answer YES to these three questions to apply for an Implementation award:
- Does it directly address breast cancer risk assessment, prevention, or early diagnosis?
- Are you addressing a women’s health condition that may have a secondary benefit for reducing breast cancer risk OR optimizing for a new biomarker or risk assessment tool to accelerate progress in prevention?
- Do you have pilot or preliminary data? Proof of concept? Business plan? If YES, please submit for the implementation award. If NO, please submit for a SPARK award.
You have two options:
- Submit a two page executive summary OR
- Submit a pitch deck
Both should address:
- What is your core value proposition and the problem it addresses?
- Please characterize your differentiation and/or competitive advantage?
- How does this idea accelerate the breast cancer prevention landscape?
- How does your solution demonstrate readiness for real-world adoption, with evidence of market potential, scalability, and a sustainable path to commercial viability?
- Who are the key team members and what expertise do they bring to this effort?
- What is your long-term strategy for real-world implementation and sustainability?
Judging Criteria
The following criteria will be used to judge your venture:
- Problem & Solution: Define the problem, need or pain point. What solution does your idea provide? How is your solution innovative i.e. technology, business model, IP etc.? Describe your value proposition. Does your solution have the potential for a significant impact on society?
- Target Market: Identify and quantify (size & spend) your addressable market for your product and service. Highlight growth and trends.
- Transformative Potential and Impact on Breast Cancer Prevention: Does the solution address unmet needs by integrating prevention into existing women’s health tools, repurposing or innovating methods to reduce disparities, and demonstrating systemic, lasting improvements in both breast cancer risk and overall well-being?
- Technical Merit & Feasibility: Is the technology or methodology innovative, sound, and scalable? Are risks, limitations, and mitigation strategies clearly identified with a feasible plan for execution and sustainability?
- Commercial Viability and Sustainability: Does the solution present a compelling go-to-market strategy, demonstrate strong product–market fit, and outline a credible financial plan (including fundraising and long-term growth strategy) to ensure it can scale and sustain impact in breast cancer prevention? Are there competitive offerings?
- Team: Can the founder, key team members, and advisors operate and scale a successful business? Highlight industry knowledge, skill-set, leadership, relationships, key successes & failures.
Community Engagement: Has the venture meaningfully engaged its target community? Are partnerships, feedback loops, or co-design practices evident in shaping the solution?
Please submit your Idea to Implementation proposal by December 15th, 2025.
Before you can make a submission, you will be prompted to log in or set up an account with Oxford Abstracts.