Two VCU Technologies are Finalists at Southeast BIO/Plan Competition
Two medical technologies coming out of Virginia Commonwealth University are among the four finalists selected to present at the annual Southeast BIO/Plan Competition, a yearlong program designed by Southeast BIO (SEBIO) to bring forward the most promising opportunities from the region’s research universities.
Over the past few months, VCU Tech Transfer has worked with the faculty inventors of both technologies, along with business advisory groups consisting of investors and innovation-experienced entrepreneurs to develop comprehensive commercialization plans. These plans were evaluated by the SEBIO selection committee, and both VCU technologies were chosen as finalists to present at the annual SEBIO Investor Forum in Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 1. The audience will include venture capital and angel investors, serial entrepreneurs and industry representatives. All finalists are awarded face-to-face, private meetings with top investors in the region to further promote their opportunities and commercialization plans. These meetings will be scheduled in the months following the forum.
Identification, protection and advancement of high-potential technologies is a major focus for VCU Tech Transfer, which has enhanced its commercialization strategy over the past year in regards to new venture creation and economic development.
“We have initiated a pre-licensing value creation program inside the university to ‘de-risk’ promising innovations and to connect our inventors with external resources and expertise,” said Ivelina Metcheva, Ph.D., executive director of VCU Tech Transfer.
The VCU technologies selected are:
Electrospun Surgical Mesh
Category: Medical Device
Principals: Gary Bowlin, David Simpson
POC Ischemic Cardiac Biomarker Test
Category: Diagnostic
Principals: Don Farthing, Todd Gehr, Lynne Gehr
