Two Pediatric Medical Device Companies Receive Medtech Color Awards

The federally funded consortium led by Children’s National Hospital and a member of MedTech Color, Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation (APDI) announced the winners of the Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids! competition. The event was part of the annual MedTech Color Pitch Competition on March 15, held at the University of California, Los Angeles during L.A. Medtech Week 2024. 
 
The competition focused on supporting and recognizing Hispanic and African American pediatric medical device companies. Winners received a combined $50,000 grant funding from APDI thanks to the FDA in support of the advancements pediatric medical technologies make on the market.
 
Five finalists gave pitches on their innovation’s attributes, benefits to patients, and pathways to commercialization. Five judges decided the winners. The winners are:
 
Rubitection from Pittsburgh, PA: They presented a low-cost skin assessment management tool for chronic wounds. The system measures the properties of the skin and allows users to monitor incremental changes in skin health to monitor progression, predict risk, and customize care. 
 
Kofimi Technology Inc. from Danvers, MA: The company presented a patent-pending pulse oximeter device for pediatric populations. It is designed to provide superior accuracy for all levels of skin pigmentation. It measures oxygen levels in the blood.
 
“Funding innovators of African American and Hispanic backgrounds is crucial for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives because it addresses systemic barriers and inequities that have historically hindered this group from accessing resources and opportunities in the life sciences sector,” said Kolaleh Eskandanian, VP and chief innovation officer at Children’s National and APDI program director and principal investigator. “Supporting a diverse group of innovators enriches the research and development process by bringing a variety of perspectives and viewpoints representing all populations.”
 
Finalists also gain access to a network of supportive resources and expertise in their connection to APDI and medtech. 
 
“We believe there is a community of companies focused on platforms that treat or diagnose pediatrics,” said MedTech Color founder, Kwame Ulmer. “This partnership allows us to significantly increase the support we provide for entrepreneurs in this area. We are delighted to be a part of the Children’s National community to drive positive patient outcomes.”  
 
MedTech Color is a nonprofit organization working to advance the representation of people of color in the medical device industry. APDI is one of five nonprofit consortia in the FDA Pediatric Device Consortia. Members include Children’s National, John Hopkins University, CIMIT at Mass General Brigham, Medstart Health Resource Institute, Tufts Medical Center, OrthoPediatrics Corp., and MedTech Color.