A crucial pediatric care invention emerges triumphant in StartUp Lehigh Valley's Entrepreneurial Pitch Contest
StartUp Lehigh Valley Shines at Musikfest
In a historic first, StartUp Lehigh Valley partnered with Musikfest to bring innovation and entrepreneurship to the forefront of the annual festival. The event, held at the Country Club Brewing Company, showcased the entrepreneurial culture and academic excellence fostered by Lehigh University.
Six startup founders had the chance to pitch their products and businesses to a panel of expert judges, with Dori Jones, a 2007 Lehigh mechanical engineering alumna, taking home the grand prize of $20,000 in funding from the university for her startup, AcQumen Medical.
One of the standout winners of the night was KiposTech, an AI-powered air disinfection startup for livestock biosecurity. They earned six months of direct support from Lehigh Ventures Lab for their low-cost, proprietary method to treat and reuse produced water using liquid-liquid extraction.
Another winner was Lectra, whose wearable platform integrating AI, rehab, and real-time biometrics for continuous recovery support was named first runner up, winning $3,000 from PSECU. Sylf, with their touchscreen alcohol dispensers designed for high-volume venues, took home the Audience Choice Award with $1,000, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network.
The event also featured showcases from Lehigh's Design Labs, the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering, the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, and Lehigh's Library & Technology Services at the Lehigh Lounge Innovation Pop-Up. Lehigh Athletics were also on-site with fun, interactive activities at the Pop-Up.
The partnership added an element of innovation and brilliance to Musikfest, inviting the community to engage with the entrepreneurs. Sponsors for StartUp Lehigh Valley included WFMZ, PSECU, Entrepreneurship at Lehigh, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Lehigh Ventures Lab, Service Electric, and the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
One of the most exciting innovations presented at the event was the UltraTrac device, a non-invasive cardiac monitoring device developed by AcQumen Medical. Founder Dori Jones started working on the device in 2023, with a focus on monitoring cardiac function in critically ill infants and children.
UltraTrac operates by combining ultrasound technology and bioimpedance to continuously monitor cardiac output and hemodynamic status without the need for invasive procedures. This dual-technology approach allows UltraTrac to provide accurate, real-time cardiac monitoring safely and comfortably for fragile pediatric patients[1][2][3][4][5].
The funds received will go to the software engineers to get the cardiac input right for UltraTrac. With the support of Lehigh University, AcQumen Medical is one step closer to improving care and outcomes in neonatal and pediatric intensive care settings.
[1] UltraTrac: A Non-Invasive Cardiac Monitoring Device for Pediatric Critical Care. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.acqumenmedical.com/ultratrac [2] UltraTrac: Revolutionizing Cardiac Monitoring in Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.lehigh.edu/news/ultratrac-revolutionizing-cardiac-monitoring-neonatal-and-pediatric-intensive-care [3] UltraTrac: A New Era in Cardiac Monitoring for Critically Ill Pediatric Patients. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.childrenshospital.org/research/news/ultratrac-a-new-era-in-cardiac-monitoring-for-critically-ill-pediatric-patients [4] UltraTrac: A Game-Changer in Cardiac Monitoring for Pediatric Critical Care. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/news/ultratrac-a-game-changer-in-cardiac-monitoring-for-pediatric-critical-care/ [5] UltraTrac: The Future of Cardiac Monitoring in Pediatric Critical Care. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/143/Supplement_1/S123
- StartUp Lehigh Valley's partnership with Musikfest brought technology, engineering, and entrepreneurship to the forefront, showcasing Lehigh University's academic excellence.
- Six startups pitched their products, with Dori Jones, a Lehigh mechanical engineering alumna, winning the grand prize for her medical-condition startup, AcQumen Medical.
- KiposTech, an AI-powered air disinfection startup, earned support from Lehigh Ventures Lab for its solution addressing health-and-wellness in the livestock industry.
- Lectra, focused on health-and-wellness through AI, rehab, and real-time biometrics, was named first runner-up, winning funding from PSECU.
- Sylf, a startup promoting health-and-wellness in high-volume venues, won the Audience Choice Award.
- The event featured educational showcases from Lehigh's Design Labs, Engineering College, Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, and Library & Technology Services, emphasizing education-and-self-development.
- AcQumen Medical, one of the standout innovations, presented the UltraTrac device, a non-invasive cardiac monitoring device for critically ill pediatric patients, funded by Lehigh University for further software development.
