Tony Rizzo

BSI Group America
AVP Healthcare Business Development 

Dr Gary Robinson

The Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination (OTAC) at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute supports the development of innovative biomedical products to address unmet medical needs in the heart, lung, blood and sleep fields.  OTAC is home to the NHLBI's small business programs (SBIR and STTR) and the NIH Centers for Accelerated Innovations.

The NHLBI's SBIR and STTR programs comprise one of the largest sources of early-stage capital for U.S. small business, acting as engines of innovation for developing and commercializing novel technologies and products that aid in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases and disorders. The NHLBI provides grant and contract funding opportunities and resources to support small businesses performing research and development on technologies related to the mission of NHLBI. With an annual budget of $85M, the NHLBI funds about 200 companies each year through the Institute's small business programs.

The NIH Centers for Accelerated Innovations accelerate translation of scientific discovery into commercial products that improve health for patients. This unique public-private partnership is changing the way discoveries with scientific and commercial potential are identified and developed.

Dr Gary Robinson
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
LinkedIn logo Business Development Specialist 

Cheryl Rogers

Consulate of Canada, San Diego
Trade Commissioner 

Priyanka Rohatgi

Baxter Ventures is the strategic venture arm of Baxter International Inc. that was formed in 2011 and is based in Deerfield, Illinois. The firm is currently making equity investments out of a $200 Million fund with allocations generally falling in the $3-$5 million range. The firm is looking in invest in companies who have previously or are currently in the process of securing investment from other institutional investors. The firm is willing to look globally for investment opportunities and plans to make approximately 2 new investments over the next 6-9 months.

Baxter Ventures
Director 

Ayal Ronen United States

FreeMind is a consultancy firm that specializes in raising funds from government agencies and other non-dilutive sources through grants and contracts.

FreeMind is the largest consulting group of its kind whose goal is to assist its clients in maximizing their potential to secure funding from non-dilutive sources. Established in 1999, FreeMind's proven long-term strategic approach has garnered its clients, academics and Industry alike, over $1.5 Billion to date. Our expertise in applying for grants and contracts extends throughout every government mechanism open to funding the life sciences including all NIH Institutes, DoD, BARDA, etc., as well as private foundations. FreeMind's knowledgeable and experienced team of Analysts and Project Managers are dedicated to guiding its clients' non-dilutive funding efforts from identification of the most suitable opportunity through to submission and subsequent award. Our team of experts will assist in making non-dilutive funding a key tool in a long-term financial strategy.

Year Founded
1999
FreeMind Group

Chad Ronholdt United States

Subwave Sensing is poised to be the future of fracture care by giving the traditional orthopaedic hardware market an infusion of intelligence that will improve patient outcomes, decrease treatment costs and fundamentally change how fracture care is treated in the United States.

Year Founded
2012
Main Sector
Medtech Phase of Development
Technology Overview

Our flexible sensor can assess mechanical deformation of orthopaedic implants via a painless and wireless radio frequency emission, which is captured and analyzed using our handheld reader. Upon analysis of these radio emissions, Subwave Sensing will be the first MedTech company to provide real-time, post-operative clinical feedback on implant performance as well as patient healing patterns.

Alliance & Collaborations
DePuy/Synthes (a division of Johnson and Johnson)
Supporting Metrics or Evidence
  • Designed and manufactured working prototypes (sensor and handheld reader)
  • Successfully completed a statistically significant large animal (ovine) fracture model with favorable results for our primary indication (trauma)
  • Successfully completed a proof-of-princiapal study in a large animal (ovine) fracture model with favorable results in our secondary indication (spine) 
  • Successfully completed a proof-of-principal study in a large animal (ovine) cadaveric model using a second generation flexible sensor (trauma and spine)
  • Completed ASTM biocompatibility evaluations confiming that our implant materials do NOT ilicit an immune response
  • Received a regulatory opinion from a top tier Washington D.C. regulatory law firm (Hogan and Lovells)
Current Financing Needs

2015 = $1.3M

2016 = $2.4M

Subwave Sensing is requesting an initial investment of $700,000 for the first half of 2015 to accelerate the scale-up of our prototypes and creation of data/cloud infrastructure as well as file additional patent applications and solidify a reimbursement strategy. A second investment of $600k will support formal product (sensor and antenna) design control and web app development as well as begin initial validation studies.

After successfull completion of our 2015 miletsone events, another investment of $2.4M will be required to go to market. This money will be used for large-scale manufacturing, regulatory and FDA filings, product validation, additional large animal market validation studies, quality control/assurance activities as well as setting up distribution/sales networks.

Current Timeline

Subwave Sensing plans to be on the market in two years and revenue positive by year three.

Current Investors

The founders have boot-strapped the design and development of the technology with National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and personal funds.

IP Status

Subwave Sensing filed a PCT application in 2008 on our core technology and have recieved a notice of allowance in China and Korea. We anticipate a notice of allowance in the United States within six months.

We have filed an additional patent application last year expanding the breadth of our IP footprint and have several other applications awaiting filing.

Subwave has a full-release and freedom to operate from Colorado State University, where the technology was originally developed.

Recent Milestones
  • Subwave Sensing was selected as a finalist in the 2014 Digital Health Investor Challenge (PRIME Healthcare Collaborative http://primehealthco.com/) in September 2014.  
  • Subwave Sensing has two formal quotes from premier software developers for the creation of a Subwave software app, cloud service and user interface.
  • Subwave Sensing has started discussions with a premier medical device contract manufacturer for the completion of medical device compliant prototypes as well as the set-up and maintenance of our corporate quality system and regulatory strategy.
  • Subwave Sensing is actively seeking experts to fulfill advisory and Board level roles on our Board of Directors.
Management Team Highlights

The Subwave Sensing management team has over forty years of experience within the orthopaedic and electrical engineering disciplines, in both academic and commercial settings. Our team is keenly aware of the obstacles and regulatory requirements to commercialize intelligent orthopaedic medical device products in the United States as well as abroad. We have the expertise, commitment and passion to commercialize high quality products that disrupt the traditional understanding of how medical information is used and delivered in the evolving mobile health environment.

Founders:

  • Chad J. Ronholdt, B.Sc., MBA. President and CEO:

    • Charismatic and passionate executive with eighteen years of product development, validation and quality expertise with a successful track record of commercializing orthopaedic devices.

  • Christian Puttlitz, PhD. Founder and Scientific Advisory Board Member:

    • Key opinion leader within the orthopaedic biomechanical testing discipline and tenured professor of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University.

  • Hilmi Volkan Demir, PhD. Founder and Scientific Advisory Board Member:

    • BioMEMS key opinion leader and tenured professor of Electrical Engineering at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Subwave Sensing
President and CEO 

Kurt Rote United States

Western Oncolytics is developing a novel immunotherapy to treat a wide range of solid tumors.  Our therapy is an oncolytic vector with multiple therapeutic transgenes that both stimulate the immune system and remove local tumor immune inhibition.  The vector is engineered to avoid the immune system itself, thus overcoming a major drawback in competing designs.  It is the only therapy in the world with these leading attributes.  Western Oncolytics' therapy works in combination with other treatments, e.g. checkpoint inhibitors, and is capable of systemic (intravenous) delivery. 

Our team comprises the leading scientists, clinicians, and regulatory experts within our field, including entrepreneurs who successfully exited companies with earlier technologies.  In comparison animal testing measuring tumor growth and survival, our therapy performed far better than earlier, clinically-proven oncolytic therapies.

Western Oncolytics is currently raising investment to complete preclinical development and a planned clinical trial. 

Year Founded
2013
Biotech Phase of Development
Technology Overview
Immunotherapy, Oncolyics for Cancer
Supporting Metrics or Evidence
Comparative Live Animal Data
Current Investors
Private
IP Status
PCT Application
Recent Milestones
Seed Funding Round Completed
Management Team Highlights
Experienced Regulatory, Scientific, Medical and Development Experts within our Field
Western Oncolytics, Ltd.
CEO 
BIO

Graduated from Duke in three years while studying Biomedical Engineering and working part-time. Hands-on lab experience using viral vectors to deliver genes to cells. MBA from IMD, a one year program in Lausanne, Switzerland. International network and experience including strategy, business development, project management, product development and start-ups.

Beni Rovinski

Lumira Capital is a Venture Capital firm that changed its name from MDS Capital In 2007 and have been investing in companies since 1989. The firm is based in Toronto will additional offices in Boston and Montreal. The firm currently manages 2 funds for a total of approximately $180 million in assets under management. The firm’s Lumira Capital II fund currently hold approximately $115 million in assets and is looking to invest in companies across North America. The firms Merck Lumira Biosciences fund formed via a partnership with Merck Serano, currently holds around $65 million in assets and is looking for early stage opportunities in companies located in or looking to move to Quebec. The firm typically makes initial investments ranging from $2-$5 million of equity and looks to invest $8-$12 million over the lifetime of the investment. The firm plans to make 4-6 investments over the next 6-9 months.

Investor Type
Biotech Phase of Development
Medtech Phase of Development
Capital Structure Preference
Investment Stage Preference
Lumira Capital
Managing Partner 

Bernard Rudnick

Mid Atlantic Bio Angels (MABA) founded in 212 is an angel investor group based in the New York City area which focuses exclusively on new and emerging life science companies. The group places no geographical restrictions or requirements for presenting companies as long as meaningful and effective post-investment monitoring of these companies can be achieved, MABA has considered opportunities in Europe and Israel as well as across the USA and Canada. Since the members are investing their own capital the investment size is highly flexible and will depend on the financial needs of the company. The capital structure is typically in preferred stocks or convertible notes in qualified cases. The group prefers to invest in companies with valuations of less than $5M. As MABA prefers opportunities that can be entirely angel-financed MABA generally requires that companies can achieve exit with $15 million capital or under (generally after raising a Series B round but no further rounds).

Mid Atlantic Bio Angels
Founder