When Dr. Erin Evke stepped on stage at TEDCO’s Entrepreneur Expo on October 21, she carried more than a pitch deck—she carried a mission rooted in personal experience and scientific innovation. By the end of the day, her company, BioEvanesce, was named the winner of TEDCO’s 2025 Concept Capital Pitch Competition, earning an additional $25,000 to advance a hydrogel spray that could transform post-surgical healing.
A Simple Solution to a Widespread Surgical Problem
BioEvanesce, based in Frederick, Maryland, is developing a hydrogel-based barrier and delivery system designed to reduce the formation of adhesions—bands of scar tissue that often develop after abdominopelvic surgeries. These adhesions can cause pain, infertility, and even bowel obstructions, impacting more than 90% of patients undergoing such procedures.
Dr. Evke, who holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan, was inspired to act after her husband suffered complications from post-surgical adhesions.
“Adhesions are the bane of surgeons’ existence,” Evke told FITCI in 2024. “They can cause serious, long-term complications that often require another operation. Bringing this flagship hydrogel-based spray to market will revolutionize the way surgeons prevent adhesions and significantly improve patient outcomes.”
Unlike traditional adhesion barriers that come in rigid films or gels, BioEvanesce’s hydrogel can be sprayed directly onto surgical sites—quickly, evenly, and with minimal disruption to procedure flow. The team estimates the product could add only seconds to an operation while costing just a few hundred dollars per use, compared to the $140,000 average cost of a bowel-obstruction readmission.
TEDCO’s Inclusive Approach to Early-Stage Innovation
TEDCO’s Concept Capital program is designed to fill one of the most critical gaps in Maryland’s innovation pipeline: early-stage capital for underrepresented and socially or economically disadvantaged founders. Through convertible-note investments of $25,000–$50,000, the program gives startups room to validate ideas without giving up significant equity too early.
“The Concept Capital Pitch Competition offered more than just potential funding to the competitors – it provided a chance to practice pitching, receive real-time feedback from expert judges, and connect with interested audiences,” said TEDCO CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall. “We are honored to have hosted such an opportunity for the Maryland ecosystem… and congratulations to BioEvanesce for their win.”
Graham Dodge, TEDCO’s Vice President of Venture Development, added that the program reflects a broader commitment to equitable access in entrepreneurship. “The Concept Capital program was born after recognizing that not all founders start on the same footing. And as home to one of the top 20 cities for entrepreneurs, the program provides even more reason for entrepreneurial spirits to look at Maryland when considering where to grow their company.”
A Strong Field of Innovators
BioEvanesce’s win capped a competition that also highlighted several promising Maryland startups. Other finalists included Neuros Biotechnology, Atme, Forager Station, AnnieGuard Corporation, Kuya App, Spacii, Postcare AI, and Worlds of Hello—a cross-section of biotech, digital health, and sustainability ventures that together reflect the diversity and strength of Maryland’s innovation ecosystem.
Why It Matters for Maryland’s Biohealth Ecosystem
For Maryland’s fast-growing life-sciences community, BioEvanesce’s recognition is more than a single-company success story—it’s proof that local innovation and inclusive funding can spark meaningful health-tech breakthroughs.
TEDCO’s support gives BioEvanesce momentum to move from concept to in vivo validation, advancing its hydrogel spray closer to clinical readiness. It also positions Frederick as a growing med-tech hub, where research, startup support, and community resources like FITCI and TEDCO intersect to nurture promising ideas.
For BioBuzz’s community of biotech professionals, entrepreneurs, and employers, this moment captures what’s possible when science, purpose, and ecosystem collaboration align.
BioEvanesce’s story is just beginning—but with the right backing and a clear vision, the company could one day make surgical complications like adhesions a problem of the past.
