Innovation Factory is pleased to announce the finalists for the third annual Synapse Life Science Competition! Synapse will provide eleven companies with the chance to pitch their ideas to a panel of top life science experts to solicit over $30,000 in cash and professional resources.
After careful evaluation of all the applications, we’re happy to introduce you to the 2016 finalists:
20/20 Optimeyes: a new mucoadhesive drug delivery vehicle that will be used to deliver Cyclosporine A, the only drug that is currently FDA approved for treating dry eye.
BioLab-in-Pills: an inexpensive, simple method for creating biosensors in pills, which allows for storage of labile reagents over long periods of time.
NeurOculus: a novel therapeutic device – in the form of a virtual reality headset – designed to address cognitive deficits following a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Oral Health Innovation Ontario: creating a containment system for particle blasting in dentistry, which isolates the working area completely and removes the spent particles simultaneously.
Penta Medical Inc.: developing a technical medical fabric that promotes faster healing, reduces inflammation, alleviates musculoskeletal related pain, is antibacterial and highly sustainable.
Provant: a medical image-guidance platform than be used to target cancers and deliver therapeutic interventions less invasively, reducing the risks of side effects.
Qidni Labs Inc.: working on an implantable artificial kidney, which is based on a durable and biocompatible nano-filtration technology. This medical device provides access to renal replacement therapy, continuously and automatically.
Suncayr: a colour-changing indicator providing a clear visual warning to detect when your sunscreen is no longer optimally protecting you.
tHAIRapy: combining optical microscopy, tensile tests, and X-ray diffraction on scalp hair to determine its significance as a biomedical marker, in the hopes of speeding up diagnostic times.
TopSpin360 (TS360): a device built as a self-driven system affixed to a helmet to increase neck strength and minimize the risk of concussion.
Virtual Possibilities Inc. (VPI): commercializing a novel surgical navigation system technology designed to markedly improve the safety profile and accuracy of laparoscopic procedures.
Throughout the competition, life science innovators will team up with some of the top graduate students in the region and develop executive summaries and commercialization plans for their innovative concepts. The three teams with the strongest commercialization plans will then compete in a pitch showcase on April 6, 2016.
The showcase is the culmination of months of hard work and brings together investors, business leaders and the life science community. All teams have to opportunity to present posters for guests to engage with, and the top three finalists will pitch live for the chance to win over $30,000 in cash and in-kind resources.
To learn more, visit: www.synapselifescience.com or read about the experience of last year’s finalists here!
