On April 8th, 2026, at the Cité Mame in Tours, the grand prize of the Deeptech Factory was awarded. This is part of a “pitch” contest (concise and impactful presentation intended to convince an audience) organized annually by the regional council within the framework of the “Centre-Val de Loire Incubation Network.” The goal is to highlight the most innovative projects in the region, with selection stages organized in each department.
Preventing the virus from attacking grafts
The prize was awarded to the company SpyDiag, which is developing a project based on scientific discoveries in the field of renal grafts. The aim is to quickly diagnose a specific virus and treat it to prevent it from attacking the grafts. The diagnostic technologies and antibodies used stem from the work of Antoine Touzé, a professor at the University of Tours, and Étienne Brochot, a professor at the University of Picardie. The SpyDiag team also includes Bertrand de Castelnau, Pauline Gaboriaud, Isabelle Bourguin, and Édouard Séche.
SpyDiag has won a golden ticket for its visibility, as the winner will have the opportunity to take the stage on June 17th at the prestigious VivaTech event in Paris (Europe’s largest tech event) and make a presentation directly at the official stand of the Centre Region.
The “Deeptech Factory” event is organized and coordinated by the “Da Vinci Labs,” under the patronage of the state (Regional Academic Delegation for Research and Innovation) and the Centre Region, with the support of Tours Metropole, the Loire Valley Innov’ University Innovation Pole, Mame, Bpifrance, Adoc Talent Management, and Dev’Up (as part of the “Innovation Meetings” cycle).
SpyDiag is a company resulting from the collaboration between the ISP research unit, Infectious Diseases and Public Health (UMR 1282, University of Tours and INRAE), and the AGIR research unit at the University of Picardie-CHU Amiens-Picardie (UR UPJV 4294). Website: www.spydiag.com.
