Endolumik Wins Ignite Healthcare Network’s 5th Annual Fire Pitch Competition
(Houston, Texas March 3, 2022) – Following presentations from seven women-led digital health and medical device startups from across the country, Endolumik, of Morgantown, WV, was selected winner of the Fifth Annual Fire Pitch Competition hosted by the Ignite Healthcare Network. Second place was awarded to Rx Bandz of Locust Valley, NY, and third place went to Hera Biotech, headquartered in San Antonio, TX.
Endolumik, developer of a patent-pending fluorescence-guided device to improve visualization and safety of robotic and laparoscopic bariatric operations, took home a total of $500,000 in investment prizes from the Texas Medical Center Venture Fund (TMC Venture) and Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health.
Ignite’s 2021 Fire Pitch awarded over $775,000 in cash and investment prizes to three of the seven competing finalists. Texas Halo Fund, Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health, and TMC Venture each provided $250,000 in investment prizes. The night’s second place winner, Rx Bandz, creator of MiniJect, the world’s smallest military-grade auto-injector designed to deliver a wide range of injectable medication, was awarded $250,000 from the Texas Halo Fund and $25,000 from The Southwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium (SWPDC). Banner Health also awarded a pilot program prize to Hera Biotech, developer of the first non-surgical, tissue-based test capable of diagnosing endometriosis.
Each of the seven finalists participated in the Fire Pitch Partner Program pairing competing women entrepreneurs with organizations representing their potential customers and investors. For three years Ignite has provided selected startups with access to over $2,000,000 through the Participating Partner Program. This year’s Partner organizations included Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann Health System, Texas Children’s Hospital, Texas Children’s Pediatrics, The Menninger Clinic, Banner Health, Kindred Healthcare, Aetna, Commonwealth Care Alliance, BLUE KC, Hospital for Special Surgery, Summit Health, TMC Ventures, Texas Heart Institute, Golden Seeds, Portfolia, The Artemis Fund, Wavemaker 360 Health, Prosalus Capital Partners, 7Wire Ventures, Texas Halo Fund, Unity Point Ventures and others.
The competition’s panel of accomplished judges included:
- Jay Goss, MBA General Partner, Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health
- Amanda Hammel, Chief Information Officer, Memorial Hermann Health System
- Karen Hill, MD, MBA, SVP and Chief Medical Officer, Texas Children’s Health Plan
- Tom Luby, PhD, Director, Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute
- Fiona Mack, PhD, Head of JLABS @TMC
- Roberta Schwartz, PhD, EVP and Chief Innovation Officer, Houston Methodist Hospital
- Andrew Truscott, Global Health Technology Lead, Accenture
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ABOUT IGNITE HEALTHCARE NETWORK
The Ignite Healthcare Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the prevalence, proficiency and innovation of women leaders from all facets of influence on healthcare. Its by-invitation membership represents a broad spectrum of leaders, including healthcare executives, entrepreneurs, investors, academicians, as well as specialized advisors, and consultants each with a passion for shaping a promising healthcare future. For more information about Ignite, please visit www.ignitehealthcare.org.