From left to right: Jesse Christopher (CEO, Longeviti Neuro Solutions), Brad Hennessie (CEO, NextStep Robotics), Deborah Hemingway (Managing Partner, Ecphora Capital), Steve Schaefer (CEO, Mi-Helper), Andrea Pais (CEO, Novel Microdevices)
Maryland’s MedTech Startup Ecosystem Illuminated at Venture Capitalist’s Party Turned Pitch Event
February 8, 2024
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It’s no secret that the medical and life science startup ecosystem in the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland/DC/Virginia) is on the rise as it emerges as a vibrant hub of entrepreneurship and innovation.
What is leading to this rise? It’s not enough to have innovation locked in a lab or a portfolio of patents stacked on the shelf. You need a group of passionate and seasoned individuals who wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to the ecosystem to champion its growth.
Dr. Deborah Hemingway, the enthusiastic Managing Partner of Ecphora Capital, is one of them.
An experienced founder, board member, advisor, and investor, Dr. Hemingway is not only an active vocal advocate for the community but regularly supports and champions it. It is in this spirit that, in an unprecedented blend of celebration and innovation, she transformed her birthday party this January into a pitch event for medical startups.
The event, set amidst a backdrop of elegant charcuterie trays, delectable hors d’oeuvres, a birthday cake, and champagne toasts, proved to be a formidable and inspiring setting for the pitch event.
The CEO’s Who Pitched
Four of Ecphora Capital’s most promising portfolio companies pitched to include Jesse Christopher of Longeviti Neuro Solutions, Brad Hennessie of NextStep Robotics, Steve Schaefer of Mi-Helper, Inc., and Andrea Pais of Novel Microdevices.
These visionary leaders had the unique opportunity to present their groundbreaking work and showcase their company’s products, from customizing patient-specific implants and developing a portable robot for foot drop treatment to commercializing a device for migraine relief and innovating rapid diagnostic tools.
Longeviti Neuro Solutions, under Christopher’s leadership, is pioneering in creating implantable prosthetic cranioplasty plates, a testament to technological advancement with their Gen2 implants featuring embedded tech. Meanwhile, Hennessie’s NextStep Robotics is making strides in mobility assistance with AMBLE, a device designed to offer durable relief for foot drop sufferers.
Schaefer’s Mi-Helper introduces a novel approach to pain modulation for migraine sufferers, offering hope for millions.
Pais’s Novel Microdevices is at the forefront of diagnostic technology, enabling rapid PCR results that promise to revolutionize disease detection. Headquartered at City Garage, Novel, a Launchport company, most recently was awarded $1.4M National Institutes of Health (NIH) RADx® Tech to continue to develop its solutions.
The Takeaways?
Many! It was a vivid portrayal of not only Dr. Hemingway’s unwavering dedication to innovation and entrepreneurship but the entire community’s. By intertwining joyous personal milestones with the promotion of cutting-edge medical solutions, Dr. Hemingway has indeed set a new standard for supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
As attendees reveled in the spirit of celebration, the event served as a powerful reminder of the global impact of the work being done in Maryland’s local startup scene. It was an evening of not just celebrating another year of life but spotlighting the incredible contributions of CEOs and their companies both to the lives of those in the local ecosystem bolstered by economic growth and to the lives of those worldwide impacted by the betterment of healthcare.
The success of this unique pitch event highlights the potential for more collaborative and innovative gatherings in the future, fostering a community where entrepreneurship and celebration go hand in hand.
Here’s to Dr. Hemingway, her portfolio companies, and all those who participated in making the event a beacon of inspiration and a testament to the power of combining joy, gratitude, and entrepreneurship. Cheers to many more years of innovation, success, and making a meaningful difference in the health of the world together! Cheers to the rise of the BioHealth Capital Region as a medical and life science startup hub!
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Passion. It’s what makes Cat tick. Born and raised in Baltimore, Cat is a former Division-I lacrosse athlete (Hofstra ’09), entrepreneur, and mom of three (crazy) boys. Over the last 12 years, she’s built and led countless teams (on the field, in the gym, and in the office), scaled programs and brands (in both scope and geography), and driven growth and impact in nearly everything she touches. She loves being part of something bigger than herself and has found a new home within the life sciences as BioBuzz’s Head of Marketing.
