Life science researchers across Michigan to pitch innovation ideas at 2017 Biomedical Innovation Cup
ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In May, University of Michigan's Fast Forward Medical Innovation (FFMI) will gather some of the most promising innovation projects of the year from a crop of life science clinicians and researchers who are looking to make their mark in new diagnostics, therapeutics, devices and healthcare IT.
Each research project team has already taken a critical step on the path to commercialization, having been selected for funding by the U-M Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) for Life Sciences Innovation Hub, made possible in part by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
At the 2017 Biomedical Innovation Cup on May 17 at the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS), the teams will pitch their biomedical innovations to investment "sharks" for a chance to be crowned this year's winner. The event caps off the annual MGCS, the two-day venture capital investment event in Ypsilanti, Michigan, May 16-17.
Hosted by Paul Riser, managing director of Tech Town Detroit, Innovation Cup is the culmination of entrepreneurial training that prepares MTRAC for Life Sciences teams to seek investors for their potential innovations.
"Increasingly, Michigan is a nexus of companies and research organizations pushing boundaries," notes Riser. "The Biomedical Innovation Cup is a unique opportunity for our innovation ecosystem to showcase its strength as a biomedical hub to the world."
At the Innovation Cup, five teams will pitch their projects, which range from a new method for the detection of heart irregularities to a drug for scleroderma to a diagnostic for blindness. They'll be judged by a panel of biomedical investment experts from Three Leaf Ventures, BioMotiv, Bloom + Burton, and Rivervest Venture Partners. Click here for the list of projects and judges.
"With this pitch competition, MTRAC teams benefit from gaining a 'real-life' perspective on their projects and commercialization plans," Brad Martin, Ph.D., FFMI Senior Director of Commercialization Programs. "It's one step closer to taking their drugs and technologies to market, where they can ultimately help patients."
For more information and to RSVP, click here.
FFMI and the Office of Tech Transfer at U-M manage MTRAC for Life Sciences, offering education, mentoring, and resources to world-class biomedical researchers at U-M, across the state, and beyond. For more information, visit innovation.medicine.umich.edu.
For more information, contact:
Ann Curtis, [email protected], 734-615-9147, or
Lauren James, [email protected], 734-764-2695
SOURCE The University of Michigan Medical School
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