50 Startups From 9 Midwest Universities to Showcase HealthTech Innovations in Chicago

Dozens of healthcare technology startups from nine of the top research universities in the Midwest will showcase their inventions in front of investors Monday night at MATTER.

The Midwest University HealthTech Showcase will bring around 100 investors and industry professionals to the Merchandise Mart to check out new healthcare technologies from 50 early-stage companies based out of nine Midwestern schools. Universities presenting include Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and the University of Chicago.

Among the companies presenting are Rithmio, a gesture recognition software platform for smartphones from the University of Illinois, and Anagin, an Indiana University-born company that is developing small molecules to treat PTSD.

The Showcase, which is being co-developed with Indiana University, is being held in conjunction with the MidAmerica Healthcare Venture Forum, the healthcare investing conference that opens Tuesday in Chicago. Several MATTER companies will be present at the Showcase, such as Janus Choice and Innoblative Designs. Investors from across the country are expected to attend, as well as industry professionals responsible for in-licensing and investment opportunities from companies like Merck, Baxter, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Marathon Pharmaceuticals, Horizon Pharma and Cook Medical, according to a news release.

The Showcase presents a big stage for MATTER, the Chicago-based health technology incubator that opened officially last month.

“MATTER opened three weeks ago with a mission of building the healthcare technology community in the Midwest, and this event does just that,” Dr. Maryam Saleh, MATTER’s director of member experience said. “It’s great to see so many investors from across the country converge on Chicago to look at technologies that will shape the future of healthcare.”

You can see a full list of the presenting companies here.