MedTech Innovator Announces Crely Healthcare and Kesem Health as Winners at Australia Regional Pitch Event
Startups Advance to Showcase and $300K Final Competition at the Asia Pacific MedTech Forum in Singapore
SYDNEY and LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26, 2019 –
MedTech Innovator, the premier global nonprofit accelerator in the medical technology industry, today announced that Crely Healthcare and Kesem Health have been selected as Travel Award winners at the organization’s inaugural Australia regional pitch event in Sydney. Both Crely Healthcare and Kesem Health now advance to the 2019 MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Showcase Program, featuring 20 best-in-class startups from the Asia Pacific region developing transformative medical solutions to improve the lives of patients.
MedTech Innovator launched its Asia Pacific Program this year in partnership with Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed) to accelerate the growth of the most promising medical device, digital health, and diagnostic startups in the region. The first regional pitch event was held July 31 in Tokyo, the Sydney event was held August 5, and pitch events will also be held this month in Singapore on August 22 and Shanghai on August 27.
Singapore-based Crely Healthcare was voted the International Travel Award winner. The company has developed a medical device-enabled SaaS platform to improve surgical outcomes. Early warning for surgical site infections leads to timely intervention and better health outcomes for patients. As the International Travel Award winner in Australia, in addition to advancing to present in the MedTech Innovator Showcase in Singapore, Crely’s travel expenses and registration will be covered to return to Sydney for the MTAA MedTech19 Annual Conference on September 19-20. Travel expenses will graciously be provided by our regional partner IDE Group.
“MedTech Innovator is truly outstanding in supporting innovators like us and has provided a wonderful platform for innovations that transform healthcare. The Crely team is very excited and grateful for the opportunity to present their medical device enabled platform in the MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Showcase in October,” said Arun Sethuraman, Founder & CEO of Crely Healthcare.
Kesem Health was voted the Australian Travel Award winner. The company is a connected health startup improving the convenience, accuracy and validity of data in support of the diagnosis and management of urological conditions. It produces a fully automated, easy-to-use bladder monitoring solution, implemented on a smart phone platform called iUFlow. As the Australian Travel Award winner, Kesem will advance to present in the MedTech Innovator Showcase at the Asia Pacific MedTech Forum in Singapore, and their travel expenses will be covered by IDE Group. MTAA will also be covering registration for the company at the MTAA MedTech19 Annual Conference.
“Winning the MedTech Innovator Travel Award is special. MedTech Innovator is world-renowned for their program with medical device, digital health and diagnostic startups. In Australia specifically, their ability to put together the esteemed judging panel demonstrates the calibre of their program and their capabilities. We are confident that the program will support Kesem Health’s continued progress in the commercialization of our novel technology,” said CEO Gil Hidas.
Crely Healthcare and Kesem Health will receive mentoring by MedTech Innovator’s Asia Pacific corporate collaboration partners including Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, Amgen, Boston Scientific, JOHNAN, Olympus Medical Systems Group, and Terumo. The companies are also two of 20 semi-finalists competing for four spots in the 2019 Grand Finals competition at the MedTech Forum, with up to $300,000 in non-dilutive cash prizes and awards.
“We are pleased that Crely Healthcare and Kesem Health were chosen by regional industry leaders to receive the Travel Awards to support these companies in their important mission to improve the lives of patients,” said Jenell Robinson, VP Clinical Value and Provider Relations of MedTech Innovator and Head, MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific. “Our goal in MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific is to find the most promising startups from across the Asia Pacific region and to give them access to our industry-leading corporate partners and world class ecosystem. We aim to ensure that their transformative health technologies reach patients and improve lives.”
Over 170 companies applied for the Asia Pacific program, and eight startups were selected to participate in the Tokyo pitch event. Each company presented in front of a panel of industry judges and an audience of more than 250 attendees. Startups had the opportunity to network with MedTech Innovator’s partners and to pitch their products, business plans, and value propositions to the judges. The judges included:
- Paul Braico, Boston Scientific
- Ian Burgess, Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)
- Kathy Connell, Johnson & Johnson Innovation (Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd)
- Rebecca Cortiula, Terumo
- Erin Currie, Olympus
- Ann Damien, Cook Medical
- Patrick Flanagan, Design + Industry
- David Fox, Newcastle Innovation
- Gary Jones, Fledge Innovation Labs
- Jeff Malone, Design + Industry
- Alfredo Martinez-Coll, MTP Connect
- Anne O’Neill, NSW Health
- Buzz Palmer, MedTech Actuator
- George Sidis, IDE Group
- Jamie Stanistreet, BioConnexUS
- Elane Zelcer, Australian Government
- Stephen Thompson, Brandon Capital
Startups selected to present in the MedTech Innovator Tokyo pitch event included:
Since 2013, MedTech Innovator has reviewed more than 3,000 startups and graduated 185 companies that have gone on to raise more than $1 billion in follow-on funding and bring 37 products to market. MedTech Innovator’s 2019 Asia Pacific program sponsors include Johnson & Johnson Medical Device Companies, Amgen, Boston Scientific, JOHNAN, Olympus Medical Systems Group, and Terumo. Regional sponsors for the Tokyo pitch event are Link-J and Johnan. The MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Program is held in partnership with the Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed).
About MedTech Innovator
Based in Los Angeles, California, MedTech Innovator is the premier nonprofit startup accelerator in the medical technology industry. Its mission is to improve the lives of patients by accelerating the growth of companies that are transforming the healthcare system. MedTech Innovator matches healthcare industry leaders with innovative early-stage and emerging growth medtech companies for mentorship and support. For more information about MedTech Innovator, visit https://medtechinnovator.org/ and follow @MedTechAwards on Twitter. To receive industry insights and highlights about MedTech Innovator’s current and alumni participant companies, subscribe to its monthly newsletter.
About Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association
Founded in 2014, the Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed 亚太医疗技术协会) is the first and only regional association to provide a unified voice for the medical technology industry in Asia Pacific. APACMed works proactively with bilateral, regional and local government bodies to shape policies, demonstrate the value of innovation and promote regulatory convergence. APACMed engages with medical device associations and companies in Asia Pacific to jointly advance regional issues, code of ethics and share best practices. Learn more about the association at www.apacmed.org.
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MedTech Innovator
Media Contact:
Lara Lingenbrink
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