A biomarker to allow for the early detection of diabetes, a therapeutic with significant potential to treat diabetes, and a venture creating wellness products for brain health, were just three of the innovations that took center stage at this year’s virtual ‘Pitch Days.’ The event was a culmination of the Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator’s (WCBA) second cohort which launched this past January.
County Executive George Latimer said: “We are invested in the growth and success of Westchester’s biosciences cluster. These 12 ventures are outstanding examples of the innovation that occurs within Westchester County and we are proud to count them among our Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator alumni.”
Deborah Novick, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Westchester County Office of Economic Development, said: “The Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator is a prime example of the ways we support biosciences companies of varying scale and mission. The diversity of this year's cohort speaks directly to the depth and breadth of our ecosystem, and we wish each of these ventures continued growth and success."
Mary Howard, Principal Design Technologies and Program Director for Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator, said: "We are excited by the opportunity to work with high potential biosciences ventures, which have garnered national press in 2021, following the first cohort in 2020. Our first cohort achieved two breakthroughs in clinical trials and the first alum moved into Westchester County's BIOInc@NYMC incubator."
The 12 ventures showcased during the event included:
Diagnostics and Therapeutics:
- Co-Nexi Vision; presented by Cyril Eleftheriou, Founder
- o Co-Nexi Vision has an artificial dopaminergic neuron for treating light-adaptation deficits in the retinas of patients with dystrophic retinal conditions, including night-blindness.
- ImagineRX Inc.; presented by Eugene Major, CEO
- o ImagineRx is developing a drug delivery platform that hunts down glioblastoma (GBM) tumor cells and delivers anti-tumor drugs.
- NavoTavo Diagnostics; presented by Victor Bustos, Founder and CEO
- o NavoTavo Diagnostics is developing an accessible, accurate and affordable blood test for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
- NY TmT; presented by David Fung, Chief of R&D
- o New York R&D Center for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (NT TmT) has developed a microRNA-based therapeutic uniquely positioned to mitigate tendonopathy disease progression while also offering pain relief.
- Vasocure; presented by Eugene Dinescu, CEO
- o Vasocure is a preclinical-stage vascular therapeutics company with the world’s first peptide to directly treat neointimal disease and atherosclerosis.
Devices:
- AGEless Biomedical; presented by Antonio Frasca, Founder and CEO; Jacob Kibel
- o AGEless Biomedical constitutes a modification of medical device biomaterials conferring resistance to glycation & associated degeneration.
- Insu Health Design Inc.; presented by Doris Candelaria, Chief Operations Officer and Co-Founder; Luis Blanco, Operations Manager; Mason Lucich, Co-Founder and CEO
- o Insu Health Design Inc. is developing the only portable personal use temperature control cooler that keeps medications safe without the temperature fluctuations from domestic refrigerators, and for times of limited access to electricity, or traveling.
- SonoCure; presented by Chandra Karunakaran, Commercialization Lead
- o SonoCure is developing an ultrasound-based cancer therapy device, which primes patients’ immune systems to identify and kill the primary and metastatic tumor, improving patient outcomes.
Digital Health:
- Aermed; presented by Will Alston, Co-Founder and President
- o Aermed is a care companion for chronic disease patients which supports symptom monitoring with clinically validated PROs, medication tracking, and patient education.
- Foodierx.AI; presented by Johnathan Pinkhasov, Founder, CEO and CSO; Regina Druz, Founder and CMO
- o AI is a biotech company leveraging AI and behavioral economics to drive sustainable lifestyle changes, lower costs and improve outcomes for patients with diabetes and other non-communicable chronic diseases (NDC).
- Homeolux; presented by Ale Antoncik-Narcisse, Assistant Director of Operations; Irina Tanenbaum, Chief Executive Officer; Veronica Price, Chief Knowledge Officer; Wendy Bronfin, Chief Product Officer and Chief Marketing Officer
- o HomeoLux is a health and technology company fast-tracking scientific research to create wellness products and platforms for brain health.
- Patient Orator®; presented by Kistein Monkhouse, Founder and CEO
- o Patient Orator is a HIPAA-compliant app helping chronically ill patients document changes in their health to bridge existing communication gaps between healthcare professionals and underserved communities.
The Westchester County Office of Economic Development (WCOED) created the WCBA in 2019 to grow the local biosciences sector. The six-month program provides cohort members with coaching, networking and mentorship to help grow their ventures, attract funding, expand their teams and identify flexible space to house their research and operations. Beyond the accelerator, the WCOED houses an Industry Desk identifying the trends and needs of the biosciences community as well as a Task Force to discuss issues within the local and regional ecosystem.
Westchester County is home to the largest biosciences cluster in New York State, boasting 8,000 jobs and 20 percent of the State’s total biosciences employment. The cluster comprises academic institutes doing basic research, R&D and clinical stage startups, large manufacturers and supply chain participants. The County is proud to support biotech startups, stage two companies and global leaders in the broad life sciences industry.