MATTO New Ventures Showcase 2016 · 2016-11-04 · MATTO New Ventures Showcase 2016 Welcome to the...
Transcript of MATTO New Ventures Showcase 2016 · 2016-11-04 · MATTO New Ventures Showcase 2016 Welcome to the...
MATTO New Ventures Showcase 2016
Welcome to the 2nd Annual MATTO New Ventures Showcase – an opportunity to meet with spin-off companies from universities and hospitals that are seeking expansion investment.
This year we have 20 presenting companies that have already raised nearly $20 million. Each
one is looking for additional capital to further their product development, grow their management team and/or support product launch. Our presenters represent the broad
diversity of research and industries that make up our ecosystem from new drugs and medical devices, to eHealth and new materials.
We hope you enjoy this opportunity to meet these inventor entrepreneurs who represent the very best in our research institutions and will continue to drive the growth of the Massachusetts innovation economy. In addition to funding, our presenters are seeking new team members, along with your advice and expertise. By attending you can be part of the newest and most exciting developments in your fields.
As always, we will host a networking reception so that you can meet with and speak to the researchers and entrepreneurs who interest you most.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our conference supporters listed below for their financial assistance as well as to our organizing committee Todd Keiller (WPI), Michal Preminger (Harvard), Dan Dardani (MIT), Rekha Paleyanda (UMass Lowell), Martin Son (Tufts) and Julia Goldberg (MTTC) for their help in putting together today’s program.
Vinit Nijhawan President, MATTO
Dr. Abigail A. Barrow, Director, Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center
Supporters
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CONFERENCE AGENDA
1:00 – 1:30 Registration, Dessert Bar, and Networking
Boston Room
1:30 – 1:45 Welcome
Boston Room
1:45 – 2:45 Company Pitch Presentations - Session One
Life Sciences
Boston Room
Cyta Therapeutics LayerBio, Inc.
Articulate Biosciences Harmonus Inc.
AMProtection LLC
Physical Sciences
Lowell Room
Giaran, Inc Blustream Corporation
Treaty, LLC Solchroma Technologies, Inc.
Felsuma LLC
2:45 – 3:15 Coffee Break
Boston Room
3:15 – 4:30 Company Pitch Presentations - Session Two
Life Sciences
Boston Room
BioNet Sonar
NeuroFieldz Inc.
Diopter Corporation
Invitrometrix
HydroGlyde Coatings, LLC
Physical Sciences
Lowell Room
3DFortify
Arammu
Genoverde Biosciences, Inc.
KnipBio
Nano-OPS
4:30 – 6:30 Networking Reception
Boston Room
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Company Profiles
3DFortify
Contact person: Karlo Delos Reyes, Business Development
Phone: 925-324-7387
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.3dfortify.com
Technology from: Northeastern University
Company Overview
3DFortify is an advanced manufacturing startup that aims to disrupt additive manufacturing,
ushering in a new generation of custom, high performance products. We have developed a
patented process that combines 3D printing and magnetics to create aligned reinforced carbon
fiber composites. Our flexible platform technology can be applied to custom medical devices,
aerospace, defense, and other related verticals. Currently, we are housed in the MassChallenge
Venture Accelerator and are advised by a mentoring team consisting of industry veterans. In the
short term, we will function as an enterprise 3D printing as a service (3DPAAS) bureau, with the
long term goal of leasing 3D printers as well as selling our materials. Our team consists of: Dr.
Randy Erb, PhD, Founder; CEO Josh Martin, PhD candidate mechanical engineering; CFO Phil
Gregory, MBA; VP Business Development Karlo Delos Reyes, PhD candidate chemical
engineering; and three Product Development Engineers, Dan Shores, Scott Goodrich, and
Andrew Caunter.
AMProtection LLC
Contact person: Todd Alexander, CEO, Co-founder
Phone: 508-813-9081
Email: [email protected]
Technology from: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Company Overview
AMProtection will license a broadly-active antimicrobial coating to urinary catheter
manufacturers that will combat antibiotic resistance and reduce gold standard antibiotic use to
fight infection. Per 10,000 coated catheters sold, we reduce 80% of catheter-associated urinary
tract infections (CAUTIs), 200 patient hospital days, and tens of millions of dollars in never event
expenses. We enter the medical implant market with an FDA Class II device. Our patent-pending
technology for surface-tethered antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is competitive because it is broad-
spectrum, biocompatible, and combats resistance. CAUTIs are unreimbursed healthcare
expenses known as never events, which – leave clinical and economic burdens that existing
technologies fail to address. While never event costs and patient pain increase, so does
competition among manufacturers to differentiate their antimicrobial products, a need that
AMProtection fulfills.
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Arammu
Contact person: Matt Rubin, CEO
Phone: 781-223-3997
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.relationshipcheckup.org/
Technology from: Clark University
Company Overview
18 years ago Dr. Cordova had the idea that, like dentistry and general health, relationships
would benefit from regular health checkups. He then laid the ground work for the Relationship
Checkup. Using the data gathered, Arammu has built a brief evidence-based assessment and
feedback protocol that enables clinicians to readily identify each couple’s strengths and
weaknesses and assists in guiding them towards deeper intimacy and practical solutions.
The Relationship Checkup helps increase a sense of intimacy and connection between
partners. Vibrant relationships require regular attention, and just as we check in on our physical
and dental health, we can use that same idea to attend to our intimate relationships. The
Relationship Checkup works with couples to discover their greatest strengths as partners, as well
as any areas of their relationship that could be made even stronger. It also helps to identify any
areas of concern so they can protect their relationship health in the long run.
In addition to Dr. Cordova, Arammu’s COO is Tatiana Gray who has spent six years working on
this project and managing our team of researchers and clinicians. Matt Rubin has helped start
six companies ranging from service companies to technology companies.
Articulate Biosciences
Contact person: Benjamin Cooper, Director of Research
Phone: 860-463-1368
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://lnked.in/articulate
Technology from: Boston University
Company Overview
Articulate Biosciences is a Boston University spinout, developing a new type of viscosupplement
(Class III medical device) for injection into osteoarthritic knee, hip, and finger joints. The
company is seeking rapid growth to execute the preclinical studies required for entry into the
veterinary medical device market, followed by pilot and pivotal clinical trials to support approval
in humans in US and foreign markets. The scientific founders are Benjamin Cooper, bringing
experience in biomaterials chemistry and cartilage treatment evaluation, and Dr. Mark Grinstaff,
Distinguished Professor of Translational Research and founder of five prior companies, with
three approved products in clinical use. Core advisors include Dr. Brian Snyder, orthopedic
surgeon and inventor of one musculoskeletal medical device; Drs. Laurie Goodrich and Wayne
McIlwraith, equine orthopedic clinicians with deep expertise in evaluating new osteoarthritis
treatments; and Dr. Lee Simon, rheumatologist and former FDA division director providing
expert regulatory opinion on existing viscosupplements. Additional advisors include former
product development heads at two major viscosupplement companies, and business and
strategy development executives at the Boston University Questrom School of Business.
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BioNet Sonar
Contact person: Tommaso Melodia, President & CEO
Phone: 716-598-9930
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.bionetsonar.com/
Technology from: Northeastern University
Company Overview
BioNET Sonar’s mission is to build the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). BioNET Sonar is
developing an IoMT platform based on a proprietary technology, Ultrasonic Wideband (UsWB),
which uses ultrasonic waves to wirelessly connect implantable devices with one another and
with the Internet. In contrast to traditional wireless technologies based on microwaves such as
Bluetooth, our technology is safer, more secure, and uses much less power. Implantable devices
based on this technology can provide continuous telemetry without the need for expensive
procedures to change the batteries. BioNET Sonar is developing an ultrasonic IoMT platform
that will be a core building block of a new generation of networked medical implants. This
platform technology will be demonstrated by developing and commercializing GlucoPet, a
disruptive ultrasonic implantable continuous glucose monitor for cats and dogs, as well as
wirelessly networked neurostimulators, pacemakers, and smart stents. BioNET Sonar is a
Northeastern University spinoff hosted within the Health Science Entrepreneur (HSE) incubator
and entrepreneurial mentorship program. BioNet Sonar has been awarded an SBIR grant from
the National Science Foundation to develop the first prototype of an IoMT implantable platform
based on our ultrasonic technology.
Blustream Corporation
Contact person: Ken Rapp, CEO
Phone: 508-525-0011
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.blustreamcorp.com
Technology from: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Company Overview
Tens of millions of people have hundreds of millions of valuables like guitars, cameras, sporting
equipment, wine, exotic pets, tobacco, jewelry, etc. that are susceptible to environmental
extremes such as temperature and humidity, and loss or theft. Blustream has built a scalable
sensor/application system with a cloud back-end to protect and secure valuables. Data
collected from these valuable items presents big data market intelligence never before possible.
The company’s go-to-market strategy is to partner with industry leaders to provide Blustream’s
sensor/app/big data to consumers thru partner channels. The technology is completely
transferable from market to market. Our approach is to enable new partners to attach their
brand to the framework and go to market with an IoT solution within months of partnering
with Blustream. The company does have the ability to provide its technology direct to
consumers. In 2016, Blustream began generating revenue and has developed the IoT
protection leadership position in music and humidity management systems for tobacco and
guitars. We have identified priorities for additional market segment partnerships and seek
capital to bring on board business development leadership and scale-up resources.
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Cyta Therapeutics
Contact person: Bonnie Fendrock , CEO
Phone: 617-947-1416
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cytatx.com
Technology from: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Company Overview
Cyta’s mission is to develop patient centered therapeutics to significantly improve therapeutic
index by maximizing tissue targeting of drug molecules while limiting systemic exposure. The
company’s core technology is based on a novel chemistry nanogel platform called “IntelliGel”
developed in the laboratory of Professor S. Thayumanavan at the University of Massachusetts,
Amherst (UMA). Cyta’s IntelliGel platform is differentiated from other nano platforms due to the
following characteristics: 1) chemistry based design imparting enormous versatility, 2) precise
drug loading: tight encapsulation with no cargo leakage, 3) stimuli responsive trigger: redox or
pH dependent cargo release and 4)improved safety profile: limited systemic exposure of cargo.
Cyta’s lead program will target liver regeneration and help restore liver function. In addition to
developing its own proprietary programs, Cyta will partner with pharma and biotech companies
around specific assets including: small molecules, peptides, proteins, mRNA, siRNA.
The company was co-founded by Professor of Chemistry, Thayumanavan, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, along with CEO, Bonnie Fendrock, MS, MBA, a biotech executive and
entrepreneur, and CSO, Steve Faraci, PhD, a pharmaceutical development veteran from Pfizer.
Cyta has an exclusive option to a portfolio of patents from University of Massachusetts, Amherst
and has also filed its own Intellectual Property.
Diopter Corporation
Contact person: Christopher Adams, CEO
Phone: 617-957-9858
Email: [email protected]
Technology from: Tufts University
Company Overview
Diopter Corp develops advanced medical device technologies to treat cornea and ocular surface
disease as a result of trauma or infection. The company successfully patented and
commercialized the world’s first biochemical contact lens (BCL). The BCL harnesses and applies
the biochemistry of amniotic tissue to prevent trauma-related corneal scarring, and decrease
scar formation post-corneal laser surgery. The BCL product is now the leading product in the
market for treating cornea injury with more than 30,000 patients treated. Building on the
success of the company’s first product the company is developing a patented bioengineered silk
material to promote wound healing on the ocular surface. In pre-clinical and clinical studies, the
silk material has demonstrated the ability to increase the rate of ocular surface healing. The silk
material is easy to handle, manufacture, possess a long shelf life and can be modified as a co-
polymer to address a diversity of ocular applications, such as drug delivery reservoirs or artificial
corneas.
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Felsuma LLC
Contact person: Rana Gupta, CEO
Phone: 617-306-8280
Email: [email protected]
Technology from: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Company Overview
Vision: “Designed material devices that mimic a Gecko”. Imagine a material that can be attached
(carry a load) and peeled-off (without a trace) with very little force. Felsuma is primarily pursuing
a B2B model (and secondarily a B2C model) where multinational customers in industries such as
construction, consumer products, apparel, industrial equipment, and aerospace are interested in
changing the way their products attach and release to other products/surfaces. We design,
develop, manufacture (customer funded) and sell them a finished component. Manufacturing of
these devices is can be done on existing global roll-to-roll and converting equipment. Raw
materials are sourced from large global manufactures.
Rana K Gupta, CEO, has a background in venture capital and technology commercialization.
Rana’s last company, HistoRx, was a Yale spinout that he sold to Novartis in 2012.
Genoverde Biosciences, Inc.
Contact person: Michael Harrington, CEO
Phone: 202-531-4897
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.genoverde.com
Technology from: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Company Overview
Genoverde Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural biotechnology company, is dedicated to improving
yield of commercially important, non-food crops to address many of the global economic and
environmental challenges of the 21st century. Using a biotechnology gene trait approach,
Genoverde sells to loblolly pine plantation tree farmers bioengineered seedlings with 20% more
wood density over conventional crops. This translates to increased revenues for farmers and
enhanced wood production towards forest industry products, i.e., pulpwood for paper, saw
timber for lumber and wood pellets for energy. As an added benefit, trees with our patented cell
wall technology, sequester more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere helping to combat
climate change. Further optimization of the core technology is being co-developed through a
collaborative partnership with the Hazen Laboratory at UMass Amherst.
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Giaran, Inc.
Contact person: Raymond Fu, Associate Professor
Phone: 217-299-1432
Email: [email protected]
Technology from: Northeastern University
Company Overview
Giaran Inc., a Northeastern University spinoff company, is founded by Prof. Raymond Fu, a serial
entrepreneur and world-known Artificial Intelligence expert. The company takes the big data
mining principles of digital makeup visualization and provides real-time augmented reality
displays using advanced machine learning and computer vision technologies. One of their
current prototypes is named Giaran Mirror, which allows users to have smart real-life makeup
try-on experience in augmented reality. It’s technology could provide virtual makeup removal,
color matching, skin measurements, interactive tutorial, skin tone recognition, user habits
analysis, etc. Current co-founders also include Vaso Gountoumas who is leading the marketing
and business development; and Tianyi Xie who is leading the product design and user
experience study.
Harmonus Inc.
Contact person: Phill Marathakis, Senior Biomedical Engineer
Phone: 508-208-1711
Email: [email protected]
Website: www. harmonusinc.com
Technology from: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Company Overview
Harmonus’ vision is to create a cost-effective, easy-to-use, profitable biopsy system to perform
MRI-guided prostate biopsies and significantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostate
and other cancers through precise tumor targeting. Today’s standard – Transrectal Ultrasound
(TRUS) - procedure misses an estimated 25% of significant tumors; this can lead to high repeat
biopsy rates, disease overtreatment, and serious complications. Our core technology uses MRI -
the most direct targeting method – and creates a patient specific disposable needle-guide on-
site during the biopsy procedure.
HydroGlyde Coatings, LLC
Contact person: Stacy Chin, Co-founder & Director of Research
Phone: 973-618-6702
Email: [email protected]
Technology from: Boston University
Company Overview
HydroGlyde Coatings, LLC has a vision to commercialize a new condom design with improved
lubrication since insufficient condom lubricity is a universal drawback for consistent and correct
condom use. The HydroGlyde Coating on latex condoms will provide uninterrupted superior
lubrication that is activated with water thereby eliminating the need for additional lubrication to
maintain condom lubricity. Inadequately lubricious condoms can result in mucosal microtrauma,
increased chances of condom breakage, decreased satisfaction between partners, and
increased risks for the spread of STIs.
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Invitrometrix
Contact person: Abiche Dewilde, President
Phone: 978-856-8169
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.invitrometrix.com
Technology from: University of Massachusetts Lowell
Company Overview
Invitrometrix has developed an array of cell based biosensor as a research tool to accelerate
pharmaceutical drug discovery success by detecting real time changes in living cells due to
drugs over multiple days. Millions of dollars are spent yearly on drug discovery including the
newest trends of antibodies against oncology targets. However, there is a lack of research
devices that can bridge the molecular research to the animal studies. There is a need for a
cellular system to validate emerging targets in cancer therapy and immuno-oncology, and to
predict and detect the immune response, be it desirable to undesirable. Invitrometrix has
created such a device, which is a whole cell biosensor to detect real time changes in living cells
due to drugs. Our 12 well cell-based quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is an array of living
whole cell biosensors that detects measurable changes in cellular biomechanics: attachment,
mass redistribution, and viscoelasticity. The system creates real time, reproducible and robust
experiment data. The system can be used with multiple cell types (disease vs. normal) and for
experiments that span multiple days.
KnipBio
Contact person: Larry Feinberg, CEO
Phone: 413-327-8149
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.knipbio.com
Technology from: Harvard University
Company Overview
Nearly 3 billion people are directly dependent on the world’s oceans for the primary source of
protein. It has been well documented that fish are an excellent food for people, tied to improved
cardiovascular health, decreases in obesity and increased brain function. Since 1990, there are
an additional 2B people on the planet, 80% of fisheries are at capacity or in decline and the
prospect for reliable marine protein is highly insecure. Aquaculture offer tremendous potential
to offset this growing gap but is ultimately dependent on finding alternatives to using wild fish
to feed farm-raised fish. Our technology proposes to break this cycle. Through a proprietary
fermentation technology, we “brew protein”. Our single cell protein (SCP) contains many of the
essential amino acids and other vital biomolecules to formulate highly nutritious animal feeds.
Preliminary findings demonstrate diets containing 25% of KnipBio Meal (KBM) support growth
rates on par with control diets, is highly digestible and even leads to great tasting shrimp as
sampled by ~50 participants in a blind taste test! A world class team has been assembled
composed of seasoned biotechnologists, experienced in commercializing novel technologies.
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LayerBio, Inc.
Contact person: Kenneth Mandell, President & CEO
Phone: 678-427-2334
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.layerbio.com
Technology from: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Company Overview
LayerBio is an early-stage biotechnology company developing innovative products for
ophthalmology, wound care and orthopedics. Our LayerForm™ technology is based on the
layer-by-layer drug delivery platform developed in the laboratory of our co-founder, Dr. Paula
Hammond, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Since its inception in 2013, LayerBio
has raised $1.5 million in non-dilutive funding through multiple federal and state grants,
industry collaborations and convertible debt. We are seeking seed funding to advance the
development of our lead product for glaucoma (LB-01) and expand our platform for additional
therapeutic applications.
Nano-OPS
Contact person: Ahmed Busnaina, Founder & Interim CEO
Phone: 617-543-2921
Email: [email protected]
Technology from: Northeastern University
Company Overview
The company has the only technology in the world that can print nano and microscale sensors
and electronics (down to 20 nm). The printing technology is high throughput, sustainable,
multi-scale (nano, micro and macro), material independent (prints organic, inorganic,
conductive, insulating or semiconducting materials) and can print on flexible or rigid surfaces.
Currently, there are no nanoscale 3D printers available commercially or in development.
Nano OPS will make patented fully automated 3D printers for industry, government and
universities for printing micro and nanoscale devices at 10-100 cost advantage compared to
conventional fabrication. The printer manufacturing and maintenance will be outsourced.
Making and maintaining the printers (including software) will be outsourced but the sales will
go through Nano-OPS. Nano OPS will develop, print and test a new generation of
nanomaterials-enabled sensors with superior performance and lower cost compared to today’s
and future technologies (currently in development). These patented wearable sensors will
monitor glucose, lactate and urea using sweat over several days. Other sweat sensors are in the
research stage and not available commercially. Management team will include technology
development executives and directors in fortune 500 companies and other executives of
successful start-ups with successful exits.
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NeuroFieldz Inc.
Contact person: Srinivas Sridhar, Director
Phone: 617-755-3838
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.neurofieldz.com
Technology from: Northeastern University
Company Overview
NeuroFieldz aims to become a leader in the rapidly growing area of wearable brain monitoring
applied to human performance, well-being and mental health. The central vision of NeuroFieldz
is to develop cyber-integrated products for brain signal monitoring and analysis that will lead to
greater quantitative information on brain activity, with portability and ease of use for a wide
range of applications from clinical and laboratory neuroscience and neurology to military and
consumer applications. The advantages of NeuroFieldz technology will have significant impact
on detecting a wide range of neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis and traumatic
brain injury as well as in brain computer interfaces (BCI), human performance assessment and
neurofeedback.
Solchroma Technologies, Inc.
Contact person: Roger Diebold, Director
Phone: 401-829-0024
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solchroma.com
Technology from: Harvard University
Company Overview
Solchroma is building the world’s most vivid, sunlight-readable digital displays for the Out-of-
Home advertising market. By means of a new way to generate bright, reflective color,
Solchroma wants to modernize this industry and integrate it into our increasingly connected
world.
Solchroma’s core technology uses electroactive polymers to hydraulically pump liquid ink in and
out of the observer’s view, enabling a low-cost, low-power, regulatory-friendly digital display
with advertiser-quality color. Solchroma is building display hardware to enable far greater
proliferation of digital signage, with a medium-term goal of leveraging its unique hardware to
create synergistic outcomes from network effects via cloud-hosted IoT-type management
software.
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Treaty, LLC
Contact person: Marc Gammell, Co-founder & CEO
Phone: 774-644-1276
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.treatyllc.com/
Technology from: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Company Overview
Treaty LLC, is a biotech start-up based in Amherst. We work with advanced biomaterials to make
new products and technology. Our first products and patents have come from our work with
nanocellulose, a natural polymer that can be extracted from plants and plant products. Our
team is founded and managed by an undergrad, a PhD student, and a professor, all from UMass
Amherst. Marc Gammell, an undergrad at UMass Amherst studying Sustainable Enterprise &
Biotechnology, is the CEO of the company. Yinyong Li, who recently received his PhD from
UMass in Polymer Science & Engineering, is the CTO of the company. Kenneth R. Carter, a
graduate professor in Polymer Science & Engineering, is Chief Scientific Advisor for the
company.
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Notes:
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Thank you to our Supporters