MedTech Innovator 2019 Finale Recap

Forest Devices Wins $350,000 MedTech Innovator 2019 Grand Prize

In the exciting conclusion to the MedTech Innovator 2019 Global Competition, Forest Devices was voted the grand prize winner by a live audience. Forest Devices, a medical technology startup based in Pittsburgh is developing a portable device that uses electroencephalogram monitoring and machine learning to diagnose large vessel occlusions and other stroke subtypes, enabling first responders to triage patients to proper stroke centers. In addition to the $350,000 Grand Prize, Forest also received complimentary AdvaMed Accel membership for one year and will be profiled in an upcoming issue of the MedTech Strategist. The final competition took place on the plenary stage at The MedTech Conference in Boston. Flosonics Medical, Koya, OncoRes Medical, and Venari Medical were also finalists, selected out of a pool of over 800 applications, and each received a prize of $25,000.

The Finals Judges were: Christos Monovoukas, Global M&A Leader / Business Development at Olympus; Jennifer Kozak, VP, New Business Development at Johnson & Johnson; Heather Walsh, Director, External Innovation at Baxter International; and Stephen Ralph, Divisional Marketing Leader Product Innovation at W. L. Gore & Associates.

In addition to the Finals Competition, the plenary session included the announcement of corporate prize recipients. Avisi Technologies and Respirix each took home a Johnson & Johnson JLABS Award. Patch’d received the Gore Innovation Center Award.

Execution Competition & Virginia Shimer Rybski Memorial Award

Presented in partnership with AdvaMed Accel, the Virginia Shimer Rybski Memorial Award recognizes the potential of a promising entrepreneur or entrepreneurial medical technology company. The award is presented to the winner of the MedTech Innovator Execution Award Competition. Six finalists were selected to compete: Avisi Technologies, Ischemia Care, Olfactomics, Patch’d, Respirix, Starling Surgical. Starling Surgical was voted the winner by the industry audience, which included a $25,000 cash prize, a one-year AdvaMed Accel membership and complimentary registration to The MedTech Conference 2020 in Toronto.

The judges for the Execution Award Competition were: Ajay Khatri, Director, Venture Investments at Johnson & Johnson; Chris Neil, Head of Maxim Ventures / Senior Vice President at Maxim Integrated; James Kaiser, Director, Corporate VC Group at HOYA Corporation; Jessica Richter, COO at Experien Group; and Jim McGough, Co-Founder of EdgeOne Medical.

The audience also voted for the winner of the Best Video Competition. MedTech Innovator 2019 Showcase companies submitted 1 minute videos highlighting their life-changing technologies and participated in a 10-day social media competition to gain the most views and likes. Five finalist videos were played for the voting audience with Avisi Technologies topping the field to take home the $10,000 cash prize.

MedTech Innovator Showcase

Each year, MedTech Innovator releases a list of the top medtech companies in the industry. This year’s up and coming innovators were featured during 10 sector-focused panels on a special stage in The MedTech Conference Exhibit Hall. To learn about those who made the list, watch their one minute videos: Cardiovascular, Chronic Disease Management, Critical Care, Molecular Diagnostics, Neurotechnology, Oncology, Orthopedics, Personalized & Precision Medicine, Surgical Advancements, and Vascular Solutions.

“Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” Competition

MedTech Innovator powered the “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” competition, an annual event hosted by Children’s National Hospital and the National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation (NCC-PDI). Out of 11 finalists focused on NICU technologies, six companies were selected as the winners and each received a $25,000 award. They will participate in NCC-PDI’s recently launched “Pediatric Device Innovator Accelerator Program” led by MedTech Innovator. The winners were: AlgometRx, Epitel, Novonate, PyrAmes, Raydiant Oximetry, and Rhaeos.