The Horizon Prize

How can technology help people with rare diseases get the right care faster and more accurately?

Since 2021, Horizon Therapeutics and MIT Solve have worked together to find and fund technology-enabled solutions that use data to help rare disease patients get the right care faster and more accurately.  

In 2021, Congenica and ThinkGenetic, Inc. were selected as winners of the inaugural Horizon Prize. Congenica uses software to analyze next-generation sequencing data to provide a free-of-charge diagnostic solution for people from disadvantaged groups affected by rare conditions. ThinkGenetic uses genetic counselor curated algorithms to search health records to identify at-risk rare disease patients and educate them and their physicians on the condition and how to get tested, diagnosed, and treated. 

In 2022 at the Concordia Annual Summit in NYC, Horizon and MIT Solve selected EB Research Partnership’s Patient-Driven Data Platform for Rare Disease as the Horizon Prize winner, furthering their work to streamline the process of discovering cures for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a devastating and life-threatening genetic disorder that affects children from birth. The Horizon Prize will enable EB Research to continue to work towards and scale their goal to cure EB by 2030. CEO of EB Research Partnership, Michael Hund, hopes that through this process they can pioneer a business model to be used for the 7,000 rare diseases at large.

Featured Judges

• Nicole Boice, Executive Director, Rare-X

• Ajay Royyuru, Chief Science Officer, Healthcare & Life Sciences Research, IBM Research

• Jeff Himawan, Managing Director, Essex Woodlands Health Ventures

Results

• In 2021 and 2022 the Horizon Prize received 231 applicants headquartered in over 50 countries

• 10 finalists and 3 winners selected

• $150,000 in prize funding awarded to Congenica and ThinkGenetic, Inc. in 2021 and to EB Research Partnership’s Patient-Driven Data Platform for Rare Disease in 2022