MODAG reaches the final of the “EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026” award

WENDELSHEIM, 27 October 2026

MODAG GmbH from Wendelsheim is one of 20 companies in the final of the “EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026” award. An expert jury selected the biotech company for the final round. The nominees are CEO Dr. Torsten Matthias, Chief Medical Officer Prof. Dr. Johannes Levin and Chief Scientific Officer Prof. Dr. Armin Giese. The Mainz-based company GOT BAG is the second finalist from Rhineland-Palatinate. Other finalists from across Germany include Kärcher from Stuttgart and the Bremen-based space company OHB.

This year, EY is presenting the award in Germany for the 30th time, with the European financial group ODDO BHF as programme partner. Awards are given in the categories Family Business, Innovation, Sustainability and Young Companies. The jury assesses entrepreneurial performance, a company’s purpose and vision, its growth, and its impact on the economy and society. One winner will represent Germany at the “EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2027” in Monaco.

MODAG was founded in 2013 and builds on some 20 years of research at LMU Munich and the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen. The company develops diagnostics and therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and multiple system atrophy (MSA). In March 2026, MODAG launched PD DETECT®, the world’s first CE-certified test kit that detects pathological alpha-synuclein aggregates in cerebrospinal fluid. This allows Parkinson’s disease to be identified on a biological basis. Until now, diagnosis has relied mainly on the observation of symptoms. The active substance emrusolmin is currently being tested in a Phase 2 study in MSA by the pharmaceutical company Teva, which also owns ratiopharm. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the programme Fast Track designation. The Michael J. Fox Foundation, founded by the actor Michael J. Fox, has supported MODAG with more than seven million dollars since 2014.

“This nomination belongs to the whole team. For the first three years, all of us worked on MODAG after hours and without pay. Today we are a team of 15 and, within a very short time, we have four substances in clinical trials. I am very proud of that.”

– Dr. Torsten Matthias, CEO of MODAG GmbH

Dr. Torsten Matthias holds a doctorate in biochemistry. In Wendelsheim, he previously built up AESKU.GROUP, which has more than 300 employees and develops diagnostics, laboratory instruments and software. In 2013, he co-founded MODAG and became its first investor.
As the so-called “winegrowers’ disease”, Parkinson’s disease is also a workplace issue in Rheinhessen. Since 1 August 2026, Parkinson’s syndrome caused by long-term, frequent and self-applied use of pesticides has been recognised as an occupational disease in Germany. This affects people working in agriculture, including viticulture, which shapes Rheinhessen as Germany’s largest wine-growing region.

The winners will be announced on 5 November 2026 at the award gala in the Wappenhalle in Munich. The evening will be hosted by journalist and entrepreneur Judith Rakers. All finalists are also nominated for the Audience Award: voting is open on the manager magazin website from 15 to 29 October 2026.

MODAG GmbH is a privately held German biotechnology company focused on developing disease-modifying therapeutics and diagnostics for neurodegenerative diseases. Based on a broad portfolio of patented compounds, MODAG develops innovative oligomer modulators and diagnostic tools that target the causes of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease and MSA, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.