What if a stroke could be treated faster and more completely? Or what if cancer treatment options could be improved for patients with resistant tumors?

Breakthrough innovations like these could take another step on the path to commercialization and eventual patient impact at the Shark Tank-style competition, 2019 Biomedical Innovation Cup, on May 15 at the Midwest Growth Capital Symposium.

Teams from the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) for Life Sciences Innovation Hub, funded by the Michigan Development Economic Corporation, will pitch their biomedical innovations to investment “sharks” for a chance to be crowned this year’s winner. The event caps off the annual Symposium, a two-day venture capital investment event in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on May 14-15.

The Biomedical Innovation Cup is the culmination of entrepreneurial training that prepares MTRAC for Life Sciences teams to seek investors for their potential innovations. Hosted by Michigan Medicine’s Fast Forward Medical Innovation (FFMI), which runs the MTRAC program, the event will welcome special guest host, Kelly B. Sexton, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Research – Technology Transfer and Innovation Partnerships at the University of Michigan.

“Michigan is a growing biomedical hub with world-class research organizations pushing the boundaries of knowledge and emerging life science startup companies working to bring these healthcare innovations into practice,” notes Sexton. “The Biomedical Innovation Cup is a unique opportunity for us to highlight the strengths of our growing biomedical innovation ecosystem.”

At the Biomedical Innovation Cup, five teams will pitch their projects, which range from a multi-channel scaffolding for neural regeneration to software for pulmonary embolism diagnosis. They will be judged by a panel of biomedical investment experts from BioVentures Investors, Invest Michigan, Arboretum Ventures, and Agent Capital. Click here for the full list of projects and judges.

"With this pitch showcase, MTRAC for Life Sciences Hub teams benefit from gaining a 'real world' perspective on their projects and commercialization plans,” says Michelle Larkin, MSE, MTRAC Life Sciences Hub Program Director. “Getting feedback from investors who can provide the funding critical for success is incredibly valuable. It’s one step closer to commercializing their new technologies, and ultimately having a positive impact on patients’ lives.”

For more information and to RSVP, click here.

FFMI and the Office of Technology Transfer at U-M co-manage the MTRAC for Life Sciences Hub, a statewide program that accelerates the transfer of technologies from Michigan’s health systems and institutions of higher education to the private sector for commercialization through funding and mentorship. For more information, visit innovation.medicine.umich.edu.