The NSF I-Corps Hub Mid-Atlantic Region convened leading voices in technology and entrepreneurship on Friday, September 26 for the I-Corps Bio/MedTech Startup Symposium, spotlighting Maryland’s role as a national leader in biotechnology and medical technology.
Held at The Launchport in Baltimore, Md., the symposium was part of the Hub’s Bio/MedTech I-Corps workshop for entrepreneurs developing innovations in those sectors. The cohort was the Hub’s largest ever, featuring 33 teams of inventors and entrepreneurs evaluating the commercial potential of their technologies.
“I-Corps bridges one of the most critical gaps for inventors by answering two questions,” said Dan Kunitz, director of the Hub and venture strategy and development at the University of Maryland. “They are: should this technology be brought to market, and, if so, what is the best way to do it? To answer these questions, I-Corps guides researchers and entrepreneurs through a process of customer discovery and business model generation, which helps them avoid the common pitfalls and mistakes of deep tech startups while defining a viable path to market.”
The result is that entrepreneurs and others put their time, effort and resources into potential companies that show real promise.
“As entrepreneurs, you are some of the most important people in Maryland,” said Patrick O’Shea, vice president for research at the UMD. “It is you and your inventions that are going to bolster the economy and set us on a path for a successful future.”
O’Shea was one of two keynote speakers for the event, in addition to Bob Storey, managing partner of The Launchport.
A Maryland Bio/MedTech ecosystem panel discussion followed, with Storey moderating, featuring: Jesse Christopher, CEO of Longeviti Neuro Solutions; Samantha Scott, CEO of JuneBrain and UMD I-Corps alum; Jay Shah, CEO of Neurava; and Matt Tremblay, CEO of Blackbird Labs.
Panelists discussed Maryland support for startups and gave advice to entrepreneurs launching new ventures.
“In Maryland, you’re a stone’s throw away from everything you need to start a company,” said Christopher. “This is the right time to be here.”
Scott emphasized the importance of I-Corps for startups. “It was a foundational part of my company,” she said. “To this day, we do customer discovery constantly.”
Networking time concluded the event.
The NSF I-Corps Hub Mid-Atlantic Region equips researchers with real-world tools to translate scientific discovery into market-ready solutions that address global challenges.
Since I-Corps launched in the D.C. region in 2013, the program has served 1,824 entrepreneur teams. More than 400 companies have been launched, creating 1,686 jobs and raising $446 million in funding.
View photos from the symposium here.
