Novel Microdevices
Grant in 2024
Novel Microdevices, LLC is a medical device company that specializes in the development of handheld devices for molecular diagnostics. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the company has created the NOVEL DX device, which employs microfluidics technology to analyze raw biological samples at the point of care. This device delivers results in approximately 30 minutes, allowing healthcare professionals to achieve lab-quality diagnostics without the need for a traditional laboratory setting. Novel Microdevices caters to various sectors, including clinical diagnostics, biodefense, food safety, forensics, drug discovery, animal care, and agriculture, thus addressing a wide range of applications in health and safety.
Lasarrus is a medical device company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The company specializes in developing wearable devices aimed at enhancing the physical therapy experience for patients, particularly those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lasarrus's innovative device facilitates remote monitoring and telemedicine by capturing physiological and range-of-motion data from various points on the body. This technology provides patients with an affordable, comfortable, and non-invasive means to track their health routines and accelerate their recovery process.
PediaMetrix is a pediatric health technology company that develops AI-powered cranial measurement and monitoring tools to detect and manage head shape abnormalities in newborns. Its SoftSpot platform provides quantitative cranial measurements via a smartphone app, enabling at-home and in-office use, and offers data-driven guidance and repositioning instructions for parents. The system also gives pediatricians access to simplified analysis and data from the app to support clinical decisions, and is supported by FDA-cleared digital tools for pediatric head assessment. Founded in 2018, the company is based in Rockville, Maryland, and leverages computer vision and artificial intelligence to lower healthcare costs and improve outcomes in pediatric head care.
Novel Microdevices
Grant in 2023
Novel Microdevices, LLC is a medical device company that specializes in the development of handheld devices for molecular diagnostics. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the company has created the NOVEL DX device, which employs microfluidics technology to analyze raw biological samples at the point of care. This device delivers results in approximately 30 minutes, allowing healthcare professionals to achieve lab-quality diagnostics without the need for a traditional laboratory setting. Novel Microdevices caters to various sectors, including clinical diagnostics, biodefense, food safety, forensics, drug discovery, animal care, and agriculture, thus addressing a wide range of applications in health and safety.
PediaMetrix is a pediatric health technology company that develops AI-powered cranial measurement and monitoring tools to detect and manage head shape abnormalities in newborns. Its SoftSpot platform provides quantitative cranial measurements via a smartphone app, enabling at-home and in-office use, and offers data-driven guidance and repositioning instructions for parents. The system also gives pediatricians access to simplified analysis and data from the app to support clinical decisions, and is supported by FDA-cleared digital tools for pediatric head assessment. Founded in 2018, the company is based in Rockville, Maryland, and leverages computer vision and artificial intelligence to lower healthcare costs and improve outcomes in pediatric head care.
Sonavex develops imaging technologies for vascular and surgical care, employing ultrasound to detect postoperative blood clots at the point of care and to measure intravascular flow metrics for timely decision making. It also develops bioresorbable, echogenic devices to mark at-risk vessels and to collect data on arteriovenous fistula flow, diameter, and depth at dialysis clinics to assess maturation and anticipate future complications. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Sonavex focuses on delivering data-driven visualization of vessel health to improve surgical and dialysis patient outcomes.
Mount St Mary's University
Grant in 2020
The Mt. Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, offers quality
undergraduate and graduate programs that allow for the intellectual and
spiritual growth of every student.
Its strong Roman Catholic identity informs nearly all aspects of the
university, such as the curriculum, campus ministry and service
organizations and class instruction. The university aims to aid all
students in their spiritual journey, no matter to which faith they
belong.
The school sponsors many events designed for spiritual fulfillment, like
retreats, community-based service projects and religious services. It
also has an active student life, with more than 70 groups and
organizations from student government to St. Mary’s own radio station.
There’s always something to do on campus, whether you want to catch a
performance of the Beijing Opera, hear a guest speaker or enjoy the
Annual Crab Feast, which are only a few of the many opportunities St.
Mary’s offers.
Academics include traditional undergraduate programs in Biology,
Environmental Science, Psychology, Theology and more. Available graduate
programs are in Business Administration, Health Administration, Education
and Teaching.
Admissions require students to submit ACT or SAT scores, a letter of
recommendation and a personal statement as well as have been involved in
extracurricular activities.
Many students who are accepted are eligible for academic scholarships.
Other financial aid options include federal grants, loans, ROTC
scholarships and work-study programs.
Sonavex develops imaging technologies for vascular and surgical care, employing ultrasound to detect postoperative blood clots at the point of care and to measure intravascular flow metrics for timely decision making. It also develops bioresorbable, echogenic devices to mark at-risk vessels and to collect data on arteriovenous fistula flow, diameter, and depth at dialysis clinics to assess maturation and anticipate future complications. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Sonavex focuses on delivering data-driven visualization of vessel health to improve surgical and dialysis patient outcomes.
NextStep Robotics
Grant in 2019
NextStep Robotics Inc. develops a portable ankle rehabilitation device that treats foot drop by providing real‑time, graded assistance during gait training. The system combines advanced robotics with adaptive software that tailors assistance to each patient’s needs and, as more data accumulate, transitions to an AI‑driven platform that optimizes training protocols. Designed for use in outpatient clinics, the device can be operated by lower‑skilled staff, freeing therapists to focus on other modalities. It is classified as a Class 1 exercise device, allowing immediate market entry without FDA approval. The company generates revenue through direct sales or leasing of the hardware, subscription fees for the software, and service contracts, while enabling clinics to bill for gait training under existing CPT codes.
Department of Veterinary Medicine
Grant in 2019
The Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and the Maryland Campus of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM) are integrated as a single unit housed in the Avrum Gudelsky Veterinary Center at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus.
University of Maryland
Grant in 2019
Founded in 1856, University of Maryland is a renowned public research university located in College Park, Maryland. It is dedicated to research, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
CoapTech
Seed Round in 2018
CoapTech is an early-stage medical device company based in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 2016 by Dr. Tropello. The company specializes in researching and manufacturing ultrasound-based solutions for feeding tube placement. Its flagship product, the Point-of-care Ultrasound Magnet Aligned (PUMA-G) System, utilizes a patent-pending technology called Coaptive Ultrasound to enhance safety and reduce healthcare costs. This system employs strong rare-earth magnets for device guidance and real-time, low-cost ultrasound for visual feedback, enabling non-surgical providers to perform procedures such as Percutaneous Ultrasound Gastrostomy (PUG). By eliminating risks associated with traditional methods like organ damage, infections, or cancer from fluoroscopy, CoapTech aims to improve medical care delivery globally.
Clear Guide Medical
Grant in 2018
Clear Guide Medical, LLC is a Baltimore, Maryland-based company specializing in the development of image-guidance medical devices for ultrasound-based interventions. Established in 2010 as a spinout from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and The Johns Hopkins University, the company offers a range of products, including CLEAR GUIDE ONE, a computer-assisted instrument guidance system, and CLEAR GUIDE SCENERGY, which integrates ultrasound with real-time CT navigation for enhanced imaging and instrument guidance. Additionally, the company provides SteriMASK sterile sleeves and sterile fiducials for image guidance systems. Clear Guide Medical's innovative technology aims to simplify workflows, minimize the operational footprint, and lower the costs associated with ultrasound-guided procedures, thereby enhancing the efficiency of healthcare institutions in the United States.
Perceptive Navigation
Grant in 2018
Perceptive Navigation LLC is a pre-clinical stage medical device company based in Baltimore, Maryland, focused on developing innovative interventional medical devices for the image-guided surgery market. The company is known for its flagship product, Vu-Path, an intracorporeal ultrasound device that integrates front-viewing ultrasound imaging with a working portal. This unique combination allows for the precise introduction of needles, biopsy instruments, guide wires, and therapeutic agents into the body. Vu-Path aims to enhance the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive procedures across multiple medical disciplines, including radiology, cardiology, interventional oncology, and urology. Traditional imaging techniques often pose challenges such as high costs, complexity, and risks associated with patient safety. Vu-Path addresses these issues by facilitating quicker and safer access to internal organs while reducing the need for extensive training and equipment. With its patented technology, Perceptive Navigation seeks to transform the landscape of interventional medicine, improving outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers.
Circulomics is a biotechnology company based in Maryland, situated within the IMET's Harbor Launch Incubator. The company specializes in developing innovative platforms for nucleic acid sample preparation, microRNA profiling, and single molecule analysis, with a focus on advancing genomics technologies. Circulomics has created a single molecule analysis system that enhances cancer analysis and diagnosis by streamlining the entire genomics workflow, from sample preparation to assays and detection instruments. This system allows researchers to better characterize their samples prior to sequencing or conducting critical studies, thereby facilitating the research and clinical application of genomics in areas such as expression profiling and biomarker analysis. The company has secured significant funding from the NIH and Maryland TEDCO to support its development efforts.
Circulomics is a biotechnology company based in Maryland, situated within the IMET's Harbor Launch Incubator. The company specializes in developing innovative platforms for nucleic acid sample preparation, microRNA profiling, and single molecule analysis, with a focus on advancing genomics technologies. Circulomics has created a single molecule analysis system that enhances cancer analysis and diagnosis by streamlining the entire genomics workflow, from sample preparation to assays and detection instruments. This system allows researchers to better characterize their samples prior to sequencing or conducting critical studies, thereby facilitating the research and clinical application of genomics in areas such as expression profiling and biomarker analysis. The company has secured significant funding from the NIH and Maryland TEDCO to support its development efforts.
Cerecor Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of treatments for rare pediatric and orphan diseases. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, the company is advancing a clinical-stage pipeline that includes therapies for inherited metabolic disorders, such as CERC-801, CERC-802, and CERC-803, which are focused on congenital disorders of glycosylation. Additionally, Cerecor is developing CERC-006, an oral mTOR inhibitor aimed at treating complex lymphatic malformations, and two monoclonal antibodies: CERC-002, targeting the cytokine LIGHT for severe pediatric-onset Crohn's disease, and CERC-007, targeting IL-18 for autoimmune inflammatory diseases like adult onset Still's disease and multiple myeloma. Several of these therapies have received Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation, qualifying them for expedited review upon FDA approval. Cerecor also offers Millipred, an oral prednisolone for various inflammatory conditions.
Clear Guide Medical
Grant in 2015
Clear Guide Medical, LLC is a Baltimore, Maryland-based company specializing in the development of image-guidance medical devices for ultrasound-based interventions. Established in 2010 as a spinout from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and The Johns Hopkins University, the company offers a range of products, including CLEAR GUIDE ONE, a computer-assisted instrument guidance system, and CLEAR GUIDE SCENERGY, which integrates ultrasound with real-time CT navigation for enhanced imaging and instrument guidance. Additionally, the company provides SteriMASK sterile sleeves and sterile fiducials for image guidance systems. Clear Guide Medical's innovative technology aims to simplify workflows, minimize the operational footprint, and lower the costs associated with ultrasound-guided procedures, thereby enhancing the efficiency of healthcare institutions in the United States.
J. Craig Venter Institute
Grant in 2014
The J. Craig Venter Institute is a prominent organization in genomic research, formed in 2006 through the merger of several legacy institutions, including The Institute for Genomic Research and The Center for the Advancement of Genomics. With over 400 scientists and staff, the institute operates from locations in Rockville, Maryland, and San Diego, California, encompassing more than 250,000 square feet of laboratory space. The institute has been at the forefront of genomic advancements for over two decades, initiated by Dr. J. Craig Venter and his teams, who pioneered techniques such as expressed sequence tags and contributed to the sequencing of the first free-living organism, Haemophilus influenzae. The institute's research spans a wide array of fields including genomics medicine, infectious diseases, mammalian genomics, microbial and environmental genomics, and synthetic biology. Recent projects include the sequencing of the first diploid human genome, global ocean sampling expeditions, and the analysis of various infectious disease agents. The institute aims to enhance human health and environmental understanding through its innovative research efforts.
Akonni Biosystems
Grant in 2012
Akonni Biosystems, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in molecular diagnostics, focusing on the development and manufacture of integrated systems for clinical and life science research markets. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, the company offers a range of products, including the TruDiagnosis point-of-care testing platform, which allows healthcare professionals to analyze infectious diseases effectively. Its product lineup features TruTip kits for DNA and RNA extraction, TruArray tests for multiplexed molecular diagnostics from various clinical samples, and various MDx instrument platforms such as microarray readers and thermal cyclers. The company’s technologies are particularly relevant for diagnosing infectious diseases, pharmacogenomics, oncology, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular conditions, addressing complex health issues including multi-drug-resistant infections.
Circulomics is a biotechnology company based in Maryland, situated within the IMET's Harbor Launch Incubator. The company specializes in developing innovative platforms for nucleic acid sample preparation, microRNA profiling, and single molecule analysis, with a focus on advancing genomics technologies. Circulomics has created a single molecule analysis system that enhances cancer analysis and diagnosis by streamlining the entire genomics workflow, from sample preparation to assays and detection instruments. This system allows researchers to better characterize their samples prior to sequencing or conducting critical studies, thereby facilitating the research and clinical application of genomics in areas such as expression profiling and biomarker analysis. The company has secured significant funding from the NIH and Maryland TEDCO to support its development efforts.
REGENXBIO is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene therapy product candidates using its proprietary NAV Technology Platform. This platform delivers genes to cells to address genetic defects or produce therapeutic proteins. REGENXBIO's pipeline includes RGX-314 for wet age-related macular degeneration, RGX-121 and RGX-111 for mucopolysaccharidoses, RGX-181 for late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type II disease, and RGX-501 for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The company also licenses its platform to other biopharmaceutical companies.
Akonni Biosystems
Grant in 2011
Akonni Biosystems, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in molecular diagnostics, focusing on the development and manufacture of integrated systems for clinical and life science research markets. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, the company offers a range of products, including the TruDiagnosis point-of-care testing platform, which allows healthcare professionals to analyze infectious diseases effectively. Its product lineup features TruTip kits for DNA and RNA extraction, TruArray tests for multiplexed molecular diagnostics from various clinical samples, and various MDx instrument platforms such as microarray readers and thermal cyclers. The company’s technologies are particularly relevant for diagnosing infectious diseases, pharmacogenomics, oncology, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular conditions, addressing complex health issues including multi-drug-resistant infections.
Akonni Biosystems
Grant in 2010
Akonni Biosystems, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in molecular diagnostics, focusing on the development and manufacture of integrated systems for clinical and life science research markets. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, the company offers a range of products, including the TruDiagnosis point-of-care testing platform, which allows healthcare professionals to analyze infectious diseases effectively. Its product lineup features TruTip kits for DNA and RNA extraction, TruArray tests for multiplexed molecular diagnostics from various clinical samples, and various MDx instrument platforms such as microarray readers and thermal cyclers. The company’s technologies are particularly relevant for diagnosing infectious diseases, pharmacogenomics, oncology, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular conditions, addressing complex health issues including multi-drug-resistant infections.
Akonni Biosystems
Grant in 2010
Akonni Biosystems, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in molecular diagnostics, focusing on the development and manufacture of integrated systems for clinical and life science research markets. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, the company offers a range of products, including the TruDiagnosis point-of-care testing platform, which allows healthcare professionals to analyze infectious diseases effectively. Its product lineup features TruTip kits for DNA and RNA extraction, TruArray tests for multiplexed molecular diagnostics from various clinical samples, and various MDx instrument platforms such as microarray readers and thermal cyclers. The company’s technologies are particularly relevant for diagnosing infectious diseases, pharmacogenomics, oncology, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular conditions, addressing complex health issues including multi-drug-resistant infections.
MacroGenics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing antibody-based therapeutics for cancer treatment. Its pipeline includes Margetuximab targeting HER2-expressing tumors, Flotetuzumab for acute myeloid leukemia, and other immuno-oncology product candidates such as MGA012, MGD013, MGD019, and Enoblituzumab. The company also develops combination therapies like MGD009 with MGA012, and antibody drug conjugates like MGC018 targeting B7-H3.
Akonni Biosystems
Grant in 2009
Akonni Biosystems, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in molecular diagnostics, focusing on the development and manufacture of integrated systems for clinical and life science research markets. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, the company offers a range of products, including the TruDiagnosis point-of-care testing platform, which allows healthcare professionals to analyze infectious diseases effectively. Its product lineup features TruTip kits for DNA and RNA extraction, TruArray tests for multiplexed molecular diagnostics from various clinical samples, and various MDx instrument platforms such as microarray readers and thermal cyclers. The company’s technologies are particularly relevant for diagnosing infectious diseases, pharmacogenomics, oncology, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular conditions, addressing complex health issues including multi-drug-resistant infections.
OriGene Technologies, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Rockville, Maryland, specializing in the development, manufacturing, and sale of genome-wide research and diagnostic products. Established in 1995, OriGene offers a comprehensive array of tools for academic, diagnostic, pharmaceutical, and biotech applications. Its product portfolio includes cDNA clones, shRNA and siRNA reagents, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools, proteins, antibodies, and anatomic pathology products. Additionally, the company provides services such as gene synthesis, custom cloning, and assay development, supporting a variety of research areas including cancer biomarker research and stem cell research. OriGene's extensive resources aim to facilitate gene-based research, enabling researchers to validate antibodies and develop new drugs. The company's products are distributed globally through various channels, including online platforms.