At the recent MedTech Actuator Showcase, we joined ecosystem leaders to celebrate Asia Pacific’s next wave of early-stage MedTech, HealthTech and BioTech entrepreneurs – with ELLIS taking home the prestigious MedTech Actuator Origin 2023 Award.
About MedTech Actuator Showcase
The annual MedTech Actuator Showcase brings together global health innovation ecosystem partners to connect and celebrate the achievements, impact, and progress of healthtech entrepreneurs and founders. This exclusive black-tie event brings together 250+ senior representatives and 30+ organisations from across the ecosystem.
Across an evening of celebration, guests heard from LaunchVic CEO, Kate Cornick, before diving into the founding journey of Nutromics with Cofounders, Peter Vranes and Hitesh Mehta, and VeinTech with Cofounders, Nikhilesh Bappoo and Nicholas Buckley.
Shining light on early-stage founders, MedTech Actuator Accelerator startups, DermR Health and NanoCube Health founders Stefan Mazy and Lisa Milani pitched to the audience. Stepping into the spotlight for the first time were the MedTech Actuator Origin Finalists pitching to be crowned the winner of MedTech Actuator Origin 2023 and to secure a $15k cash prize, as well as mentoring from Tom Oxley from Synchron and fast-tracked entry into the 2024 Accelerator program.
Teams pitching in the finals included three Australian and one Japanese team:
- Chyral | Gabriel Oyarzo | Chyral is developing a novel, non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device that uses infrared light.
- ELLIS | Liz Davis | ELLIS is developing a sensor probe to detect respiratory complications early in ventilated ICU patients.
- SmartPoly | Nasim Sabahi | SmartPoly aims to develop a synthetic solution for treatment of large-scale bone defects.
- Spine Chronicle | Ryo Kitagawa | Development of the best spinal implants for elderly patients.
MedTech Actuator Origin 2023 Award: ELLIS
Congratulations to Liz Davis from ELLIS on taking out this prestigious award after a highly competitive process and pitching at the finals. ELLIS was selected and judges as the winner out of four early-stage entrepreneurs who made it to the Origin finals.
“It is really exciting to see such fantastic medical innovations coming through the ecosystem. Liz delivered an amazing pitch integrating a clear patient need with a strong commercial pathway. Congratulations to Liz and the team behind ELLIS!”
Matthew Frith – Chief Commercial Officer, MedTech Actuator
Do you have an early stage idea for an innovation in human health? MedTech Actuator’s Origin is here to help and expression of interest are now open for Origin 2024.
MedTech Actuator People’s Choice 2023 Award: Spine Chronicle
Congratulations to MedTech Actuator Origin Japan participant, Ryo Kitagawa from Spine Chronicle, for being selected for the MedTech Actuator People’s Choice 2023 Award.
MedTech Actuator Showcase guests from the innovation ecosystem – spanning investor groups and VCs, multinational corporations, hospitals, product development firms, universities, and research institutes – voted for their favourite pitch of the night, with Spine Chronicle taking home the prize.
This coveted vote of confidence went to Ryo from Spine Chronicle, who will take home an AUD$1K cash prize.
It Takes A Village to Raise a MedTech Startup
The MedTech Actuator Showcase and the specialised acceleration model underpinning all of our programs would not be possible without the support of the innovation ecosystem and startups in the .
Special Guests
Thank you to our distinguished Showcase guests for your support of our MedTech superheroes and the ecosystem:
- Ms. Kate Cornick – CEO of LaunchVic;
- Mr. Takayuki Watanabe – Managing Director of Japan’s External Trade Organization [JETRO] for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands; and,
- Mr. Rodrigo Tilve Seaone – Economic & Trade Commissioner of Spain in Australia.
Showcase Sponsors
We would like to acknowledge our Silver Sponsors for the MedTech Actuator Showcase – thank you to:
- Bupa
- Nirtek
- Johnson & Johnson MedTech
- Design + Industry Australia
- Cogentech
Partners
We would also like to thank our Foundation and Product Development partners for their constant and continued support of both the MedTech Actuator and the ecosystem.
Friends and supporters
A very special shoutout to all our ecosystem friends and supporters. Without you, we would not be able to surround founders with the support they need to bring innovations to the patients and clinicians who need it most.
MedTech Actuator Accelerator will be open for 2024 soon!
Do you have a medical innovation that you’re ready to bring to market? MedTech Actuator’s Accelerator is here to help and expression of interest is open. The Accelerator program will equip your team with the skills, network and resources needed to successfully navigate the commercialisation pathway. Become a part of MedTech Actuator’s next Accelerator cohort!
MedTech Actuator Origin and Accelerator are supported by the REDI initiative, powered by MTPConnect, funded by the MRFF and LaunchVic.
MedTech Actuator Origin Japan 2023 is sponsored by JETRO and co-organized with JETRO, OCCI and OBDA.
