Fischell Institute particpates in the MedTech and BioTools Innovator East Coast Pitch Event

The Robert E. Fischell Institute of Biomedical Devices was an event sponsor of the MedTech and BioTools Innovator East Coast Pitch Event 2023 from March 28-30, 2023.

The event was held in Baltimore, Md., at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), where over 85 medical device and biotech companies and organizations were invited to pitch their ideas for a chance to be a part of the MedTech Innovator and BioTools Innovator 2023 accelerator cohorts. The event also offered an opportunity to meet and receive feedback from key industry, academic, and government representatives.

Institute clinicians and fellows from the University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, provided critical feedback throughout the three-day event.

Fischell Institute Director Bill Bentley attended the BioTools Innovator section of the event on March 28. At the beginning of the event, Bentley spoke about the Fischell Institute and its role in facilitating and creating medical devices, and how the DMV is becoming a hub for biotechnology. Following his speech, Bentley participated as a judge for the event, listening to pitches and debriefing with other judges to decide which companies should be invited to the accelerator’s next cohort. Martha Wang

"The pitch event showcased great technological advances and ideas. I'm looking forward to seeing what next year offers," said Bentley.

Fischell Institute Associate Director Martha Wang helped open the MedTech Innovator section with an overview of the Fischell Institute, including the goal of translating critical medical devices, and the Institute's key relationships in the process such as M-CERSI, which is sponsored by the FDA. She also supported this section as a judge for the pitches.

"We were excited to participate as judges, and for our students to be exposed to this part of the medical device path to market since it's a unique opportunity," said Wang.

Wang said she’s always happy to join the judging panel to see the wide range of novel and transformative medical devices showcased.

Before this event, Wang had contacted several Institute faculty members to participate in judging the pitched devices. One of those who attended was Fischell Institute Fellow, Amal Isaiah. Isaiah noted that this was his first time judging for the event and it was an excellent experience.

With his medical background, Isaiah tried to focus primarily on technical feasibility and the impact on patient care related to the technologies pitched. "The breadth and scope of the event were extraordinary,” he said “I will attend again, if invited!" Volunteers

In addition to judges, the Institute brought several volunteers to help with the event.

Fischell Department of Bioengineering senior Arsalan Siddiqui, who is interested in working in biomedical devices, was one such volunteer. "It was wonderful being able to connect so much of what we have learned in the classroom to the real world," said Siddiqui.

Mpower Fellow and Master of Engineering student David Garvey, a passionate biomedical device engineer, was also eager to volunteer for the event and expand his network. "As a student, it is easy to get caught up in coursework and research," he said. "I found the MedTech pitch event to be incredibly eye-opening, as talking to others at the event gave me a glimpse of the bioengineering industry outside of the classroom, and exposed me to the questions asked when it comes to seeking investors."

Additional event volunteers from the Fischell Institute included Quinn Burke, Eric Frank, Ambi Narula, Sriya Pothapragada, Ryan Smith, and Karen Zhao.

At the event, Fischell Institute staff were thrilled to connect with companies and organizations worldwide. They fielded inquiries about the Fischell Institute's mission and operations and collaborating together in an educational facility. The Fischell Institute looks forward to exploring the connections created during the pitch event and participating in similar events in the future.

Published April 21, 2023