MATTER to Showcase 50 Promising Healthcare Technologies from Nine Midwestern Universities
100 Investors Expected to Attend the Midwest University HealthTech Showcase, co-developed with Indiana University
Inventors of 50 promising new healthcare technologies from nine midwestern universities will connect with 100 investors and industry executives tonight at the Midwest University HealthTech Showcase at MATTER. The showcase, sponsored by MB Real Estate, is being held in conjunction with the MidAmerica Healthcare Venture Forum, the premier healthcare investing conference, which opens tomorrow in Chicago.
Hosted by Chicago healthcare incubator MATTER and catalyzed by the Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation, the health technology networking and innovation showcase will include innovators from some of the Midwest’s top research institutions and investors from across the industry. Several Big 10 schools – Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin – will be represented, along with Notre Dame and the University of Chicago. A number of MATTER member companies will also participate in the program.
Examples of new technologies include: Anagin, which is developing small molecules to treat PTSD, Rithmio, a gesture recognition software platform for smartphones and ElectroCyt, a finger-prick blood test that can detect patients at risk for sepsis in 10 minutes at the point of care.
The Midwest University HealthTech Showcase will attract life sciences and health technology investors from across the country, as well as industry professionals responsible for in-licensing and investment opportunities from companies such as Merck, Baxter, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Marathon Pharmaceuticals, Horizon Pharma and Cook Medical.
“Indiana University is a leading health sciences innovator, and we are delighted to show off nine of the most interesting technologies developed at Indiana University,” said David Wilhite, IURTC’s head of marketing and competitive analysis. “The goal of the Showcase is to bring a mix of new technologies and early stage healthcare startups together with investors and industry executives to accelerate the commercialization process. Our approach is to connect people and then get out of the way.”
MATTER is a not-for-profit organization that was developed by a team of entrepreneurs and industry leaders with the support of the state of Illinois. MATTER began as a project of ChicagoNEXT, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s council on technology and innovation, and officially opened on February 13, 2015.
Dr. Maryam Saleh, MATTER’s director of member experience, said she is thrilled to have MATTER bring in university researchers from outside of Chicago.
“MATTER opened three weeks ago with a mission of building the healthcare technology community in the Midwest, and this event does just that,” Saleh 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.”
About Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation
IURTC is a not-for-profit agency that helps IU faculty and researchers realize the commercial potential of their discoveries. Since 1997, IURTC’s university clients have accounted for more than 2,800 inventions, nearly 1,900 patent applications and 77 startup companies. IURTC is part of the Innovate Indiana initiative, which engages strategic partners to leverage and advance IU’s intellectual resources and expertise, enhance Indiana’s economic growth and contribute to the overall quality of life for Hoosiers.
About MATTER
MATTER is a community of healthcare entrepreneurs and industry leaders working together in a shared space to individually and collectively fuel the future of healthcare innovation. MATTER’s mission is to proactively connect and promote collaboration between entrepreneurs, scientists, physicians and industry partners in order to bring next-generation products and services to market that improve quality of care and save lives. For more information, visit matter.health and follow @MATTERhealth.