CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS,
23 December 2022—MIT linQ, a health technology innovation initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduated the eight teams of IDEA2 2022. IDEA2 is an international mentorship program that helps emerging healthtech innovators to drive their new technology ideas toward healthcare impact.
The teams, which came from the United States, Spain, Peru, and Argentina were accepted to IDEA2 on the strength of their projects proposals to solve urgent unmet medical needs with innovative technologies and businesses. Through intensely interactive workshops and dedicated, customized mentorship, IDEA2 equipped the teams with practices and professional networks to improve their customer research, research strategy, and business plans.
“IDEA2 is committed to finding creative, promising medical technology projects around the world and helping them move closer to healthcare reality to improve health for everyone,” said Mercedes Balcells-Camps, PhD, Program Chair of IDEA2 and a Principal Research Scientist at MIT. “This year’s teams represent that global community of innovators. We’re proud to host them and be part of their growth.”
Teams were recruited to the program in the spring and were matched with technical experts and mentors who helped them develop their technologies and business ventures. Over the following seven months, they met with these people and were trained in innovation methods and communication skills.
Teams included in the 2022 cohort were:
- ArgenTAG: Developing innovative cell analysis technology for diagnostics and treatments
- Biomixing: Designing new bioreactor methods to produce vaccines and drugs faster
- BP Support Frame: Helping veterans and other physically disabled people with easier-to-use blood pressure measurement technology
- CareBridge: Developing a digital platform for culturally-personalized health care advocacy
- Heuristik Health: Reducing medical errors with more precise patient identification technology
- My Oxygen System: Helping people with respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD with personalized oxygen therapy technology
- Real E-Skin: Developing an innovative solution for economical and accessible health monitoring
- Tremor Assistant: Designing new technology for earlier detection of neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease
On the first day of their two-day closing workshop this month, the teams were welcomed with an address on innovation by Fiona Murray, Associate Dean of Innovation and Inclusion at the MIT School of Management and the William Porter (1967) Professor of Entrepreneurship.
Their final project presentations were reviewed by an expert panel representing medical, technical, and business expertise heard presentations and provided critical advice for further project development and derisking. The panel included Randel Frazier, Fortune 500 R&D/Chief Technology Officer and board advisor in the medical device sector; Sheryl Greenberg, MIT Corporate Relations Program Director; Michael Naimark is Director of Business Development at CBSET; Frances Toneguzzo, Executive VP at Nantkwest, Inc; and Joyce Y. Wong, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering at Boston University.
Participants drew a range of benefits from the program, including help with defining their roadmaps, connections to deep expertise in critical areas, and guidance to understanding technology startup practices and challenges.
IDEA2, which is hosted by the MIT Institute for Medical and Engineering Sciences (IMES), was supported by recruiting collaborations with MIT Hacking Medicine, The MGH Medical Innovation Program, the Veterans Administration, the MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, and Boston Landing. Organizers plan to launch a new round of recruiting in spring 2023. To learn more about IDEA2, please visit http://idea2.mit.edu or contact Mercedes Balcells at merche@mit.edu.
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About IDEA2
IDEA² provides mentoring and connections to biomedical innovators around the world to develop their project ideas and to provide the expertise to realize them. It is especially valuable for trainees, early-stage professionals, and those who have few opportunities in their normal work to participate in innovation projects. More at http://idea2.mit.edu
About MIT linQ
MIT linQ is an initiative based in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences (MIT IMES) to develop a new paradigm for biomedical technology innovation. MIT linQ, part of the MIT Innovation Initiative, unifies a portfolio of international innovation programs focused on improving healthcare through need-driven, interdisciplinary research and training. For more information, visit http://linq.mit.edu
