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January 7, 2020

Bioscience accelerator program taps ‘high potential’ ventures

IMAGE | Pixabay.com
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

Start-up ventures aimed at detecting and treating cancer are among those getting a boost in the coming months.

The Accelerator for Biosciences in Connecticut (ABCT) on Monday announced its latest cohort of emerging ventures invited to participate in its annual program.

Startups with ties to Yale and the University of New Haven are among the dozen selected. The ventures are working to tackle a range of health issues, such as treating paralysis and healing wounds.

Margaret El Naamani, head of screening for the ABCT program, said the ventures picked to participate were chosen for their “innovative solutions to health-care problems and their impressive dedication to solving these problems.”

“These are entrepreneurs who, despite having many professional and personal obligations, have committed to using their skills, creativity, and resources to improving the landscape of medical technology,” she said. 

For six and a half months, participants get help with developing fundable business plans and a professional network. They also receive assistance from an entrepreneur coach, mentoring and help with pitching to investors. 

There will be a formal Pitch Day in April, when the ventures will present to an audience of potential investors, strategic partners and other interested organizations and individuals. 

According to ABCT, the startups were selected based on criteria such as the strength of their team, insight into problems they are seeking to solve, and “capacity to revolutionize the life sciences industry.” 

The program has helped participants further their businesses, as some have gone on to obtain grants and seed funding, and start clinical trials. 

Those selected to participate in 2020 include:  

Abhijit Patel (Yale) — Binary Genomics aims to develop and commercialize a blood test to enable early cancer detection via tumor-derived DNA signatures in the circulation.

Yaw Ofosu Ansong Jr. (University of New Haven) — Kova is building an AI-backed medical diagnostic platform that makes the diagnosis of sickle cell and other blood diseases cheaper, on-demand and more efficient.

Chad Bouton (independent) — Neuvotion technology treats those living with paralysis and movement disorders through AI-driven neurostimulation that modulates specific nerve and muscle targets to restore functional movement.

David Rowe (UConn) — Cloud-based generation and analysis of biologically meaningful fluorescent histological signals from mineralized tissue to assess regenerative, therapeutic and genetic challenges affecting the skeletal system.

Elizabeth Cusack (independent) — RBK Biotech has developed a nutritional product optimized for cancer care aimed at preventing and alleviating cancer-related nutritional crisis and metabolically rooted treatment side effects.

Henry Smilowitz (UConn) — Iodine nanoparticles that enhance radiotherapy useful in better treating brain tumors and other cancers.

Jayme Coates (independent) — Lactation Innovations’ Manoula device is a non-invasive medical-grade sensor that accurately detects the quantity of breast milk during breastfeeding to reduce prevalence of hypernatremic dehydration.

Lawrence Silbart (independent) —Bandage Products LLC Therapeutic produces advanced wound care products using non-toxic biodegradable microneedles to heal skin wounds and infections from the inside out.

Mark Roser (independent) — Results Group has developed a passive ankle-foot exoskeleton that inserts a spring in parallel to the Achilles tendon to improve propulsion and plantar off-loading.

Mrinal Kumar (independent) — OnTrack Rehabilitation stimulates patient balance and vision to drive faster, safer concussion recovery.

Triantafyllos Tafas (independent): QCDx develops a novel liquid biopsy to deliver precision cancer diagnosis via early cancer detection, monitoring of treatment efficacy, and surveillance for disease recurrence.

Thomas Wilson (independent): Interact Medical delivering the clinical benefits of patient-matched implants and innovative 3D-printable materials to more patients through a focused, expedited service.

CTNext, a subsidiary of Connecticut Innovations, initiated ABCT to help bioscience entrepreneurs and develop the state as a bioscience hub.

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.

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