ABCT, the Accelerator for Biosciences in Connecticut, announced the second cohort of emerging biosciences ventures invited to participate in the annual program. Nine ventures will participate in the 6.5-month-long program that features business education to develop fundable business plans and a professional network. All startups will receive an entrepreneur coach; access to active business professionals; and support with preparation to pitch to investors. The program will culminate in a pitch day for each individual venture scheduled for Thursday, May 12, 2022.
The selected startups were chosen following an extensive screening process. Expert scientists, active investors and business strategists rated the ventures based on metrics, including the strength of the team, uniqueness of insights into the problems they are solving and their capacity to revolutionize the life sciences industry.
The 2022 ABCT cohort participants and ventures include:
David Pritchard and David Schmidt (Independent) OHM Dynamics has developed platform resistance and movement health technology that advances exercise and digital health science while serving the broadest possible spectrum of users.
Ed Buckley (Independent) – Ontogenetics, LLC developed an innovative cradle that replicates the womb environment, thereby reducing stress/crying, increasing sleep, and smoothly transitioning the infant to its new world.
Frank Kuchinski, Jinpu Li and Philip Sharlach (University of Connecticut -TIP) –Ongo Health has created a method to make breathing exercises fun for patients and effortlessly keep doctors aware of their patients’ progress.
Hasan Baig and Sumaiya Javedh (University of Connecticut -UConn Health) –Eleptic Technologies has synthesized a complete suite of technology containing software and a portable and reprogrammable platform to design, simulate and verify genetic logic systems.
Joseph Vinetz (Yale University) – LeptoX, Inc developed a platform that enables novel ways to treat and prevent bacterial toxin-mediated diseases, currently targeting unmet needs in leptospirosis, a globally important infectious disease as proof-of-principle.
Olga Toro-Salazar and Tze Chiam (University of Connecticut) – Cloud based architecture of a digital ecosystem for personalized care through multidimensional risk stratification of patients and pathways of care facilitated by vendor independent connectivity to EHR. The cardio-oncology digital ecosystem provides a platform for various customer segments to log data and develop predictive analytics informed by risk stratification for prediction of cardiotoxicity and modeling of disease emergence (plug and play approach).
Roel Verhaak (Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine) –Circular cancer-activating DNA presents a unique opportunity for precision medicine. Through their technology platform, they are leading development for a new class of anti-cancer therapeutics.
Samuel Oduwole, Gregory Pereira, Pranav Warman, Sarah Kurkowski, Miguel Arasa, Alec Werthman and Miles Romney (Quinnipiac University)–MSK Curbsider LLC is a novel, point-of-care platform designed to optimize and standardize care of common musculoskeletal complaints and associated billing in the Emergency Department.
Stacey Mileti (University of Connecticut -TIP) – At Unisoft Medical Corporation, the Unisoft One Mattress System is a cost effective, recyclable, single-patient use healthcare mattress that prevents and treats pressure injuries, while providing protection from mattress-borne pathogens.
“This cohort has incredible potential and we’re excited to track the progress of the group,” said Jessica Dodge, interim executive director at CTNext. “The ABCT program puts these startups in a position to connect with key thought leaders and provides them with an opportunity to jumpstart their ventures through meaningful connections and a one-of-a-kind curriculum.”
The 2021 ABCT cohort has already accomplished important venture milestones, including: hospital pilot Mindful Metrics, proof of concept Physisens, second hospital trial CtrlTrial, angel funding round Nanoionix. For more information on these ventures and their successes, read the Impact Report for ABCT 2021 found at ABCT.co.
ABCT is initiated by CTNext and supported by Kaneka, Pfizer, Marcum LLP, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC, Wiggin and Dana, Clinipace, JP Morgan Chase, Synectic. Based on government records, it was shown that over twenty percent of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program awards to Connecticut firms from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for 2021 were given to participants or alum of ABCT, highlighting the perceived strength of the value propositions offered by ventures that enroll and complete the program.
About ABCT:
ABCT is a competitive-entry, six-month-long program that helps emerging bioscience ventures grow by providing entrepreneurship education and business networking to access global funders and prospective team members. ABCT supports the development of Connecticut as a hub of bioscience invention and commercialization by harnessing the creativity and ambition present in the state’s academic institutions, spinouts from established institutions and serial entrepreneurs. Through its Pitch to Build Your Venture events, it connects talent to start-ups. Through ABCT CE events it supports entrepreneurs with education and networks critical to start successful bioscience-based businesses.