Washington DC – The Second Annual Pediatric Innovation Symposium, Lessons from Drugs to Devices: A Pediatric Perspective, will feature a medical device competition called ‘Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!’ The competition highlights new generations of medical devices to use with pediatric patients in a forum that gives innovators the chance to pitch their business or product for prizes, including the opportunity to bring it to market. The competition will be held Friday, October 24, 2014, at the Newseum in Washington, DC.
Proposals are sought from inventors in medical institutions, private practices, device companies, and academic researchers who have medical device concepts or ideas for use with pediatric patients. Inventors are asked to submit their application online by September 22, 2014 at 5 pm. Two prizes, each up to $50,000 and both named the ‘Sheikh Zayed Prize for Pediatric Device Innovation,’ will be awarded to winning entrants, in honor of the people of Abu Dhabi, whose vision and generosity created the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Innovation at Children’s National.
Proposals should be directed toward development of a product with potential for commercialization, not research of a scientific concept.
“The pediatric device market is both small and insufficiently funded,” says Kolaleh Eskandanian, PhD, MBA, PMP, Executive Director, the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National.
“Funding opportunities such as this enable small businesses in the pediatric device market to receive much needed funding to move the needle a bit further to bring the much needed pediatric devices to our children,” says Peter C. W. Kim, MD, CM, PhD, Vice President of the Sheikh Zayed Institute.
The competition is sponsored by the law firm of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, and one of its partners, Mark Fitzgerald, is a moderator. Judges are Charles Berul, MD, Chief of Cardiology at the Children’s National, and three members from venture capital, innovation incubator and accelerator space.
Details of the competition include:- Five semi-finalist companies will compete for $100,000 in prizes, (two prizes at $50,000 each). The companies will be selected from a pool of first round applicants who submit a three-page proposal and an optional video.
- A panel of judges consisting of current surgeons and investors will review the submissions and select five companies to make presentations during the competition and give feedback to each of the companies that present. The audience also can vote using their smart phone or tablet.
- During the competition, applicants will be asked to address issues such as prototyping, manufacturing, marketing, and regulatory clearance.
Please follow this link to review the submission guidelines and to submit your application online by September 22, 2014 at 5 p.m. EST.
Contact: Joe Cantlupe or Leah Parker 202-476-4500.
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