There is currently a major push to streamline the acquisition process and to better engage and partner with private industry in an effort to place cutting-edge technology quickly into the hands of the Warfighter. In support of this push, the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command has connected with the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium, a nonprofit biomedical technology consortium, through an Other Transaction Agreement to streamline acquisition, and join industry, academia and other organizations to collectively share resources and expertise for military medical technologies.

Seeking companies with novel and innovative solutions for military medical needs, the USAMRMC and MTEC collaborated with MedTech Innovator to enhance the military's engagement within the medical technology space, both with early stage startups as well as with medical device manufacturers. MedTech Innovator is a global medical device accelerator with a history of success -- in the past five years the consortium has reviewed more than 2,000 early-stage companies and graduated 135 companies from its programs. Combined those companies have raised more than $540M in funding, with 24 of them commercially launching products.

Tapping into its existing network, MedTech Innovator hosted a Military Pitch Event on June 19 at LIM Innovations in Silicon Valley, CA. The event was designed to introduce startups to DOD funding opportunities and allowed USAMRMC and MTEC to identify promising technologies in combat casualty care. Eight highly scored startups were selected to present to a panel of 17 expert judges that included impact investors, commercial manufacturers, subject matter experts and USAMRMC stakeholders.

CoLabs, Inc., a Carmel, CA-based company, presented Ventor, a device that could enable blind intubation and ventilation for casualties on the battlefield, and was unanimously selected as the top pitch.

Runner ups included TrueCath, Inc., a Central Coast CA-based medical device company that presented an automated IV catheter that allows a one-time venipuncture stick for the most difficult patients and least experienced staff at roughly the same cost as a conventional IV catheter; Gauss Surgical, Apple Design Award Winner 2018 based out of Los Altos, CA with Triton, a device that monitors blood loss in real time through AI software to help correctly dose the amount of blood needed for resuscitation and maximize the valuable resource of blood on the battlefield; and Sisu Global Health, a Baltimore-based company that has developed a handheld device for intraoperative autotransfusion of blood in emergency situations

All four companies will receive one complimentary registration to The MedTech Conference in Philadelphia, PA, on September 24-26, 2018 where they will present in the MedTech Innovator Showcase, a series of 11 interactive sessions on a special stage in the Exhibit Hall highlighting each company's technology. The companies were also featured at the WSGR Medical Device Conference in San Francisco on June 22.

MAJ Amanda Love, Director of Medical Device Assemblage Management at the US Army Medical Materiel Agency, participated as a judge in the Military Pitch Event. "It was beneficial to be able to speak and consult with the inventors of medical devices to help transform their ideas into useful items for the medical device industry and the Military," stated Love. "I really enjoyed the enthusiasm and soul many of these people have put into their devices to help advance humanity."

"We were thrilled to partner with USAMRMC and MTEC to bring together some of the most promising innovations in combat casualty care with military leadership who can provide the early feedback that can help to ensure these critical technologies reach the soldiers who need them," said Kathryn Zavala, VP Business Development and Operations for MedTech Innovator.

MTEC, as a partner in the event, has offered to make connections for all participants. USAMRMC can work with MTEC and the companies to provide needed assistance to further develop the products for both commercialization and military usefulness.