Winning team projects range from a cost saving codec that reduces video file sizes to a life saving mosquito lure.
The CoMotion Innovation Gap Fund offered twice a year is a bridge for University of Washington innovators between the conclusion of their academic research grants and the level of development at which they can attract seed stage investment. The fund awards over $1 million to fund and support UW inventions with high potential.
Projects come from university researchers with sustainable solutions to pressing needs in life sciences, engineering, software/IT, or social impact. (The spring cycle of the Innovation Gap Fund will also include funding tracks in fintech, mobility, and population health.) Successful projects have used funds to create prototypes, complete software coding or UI development, initiate Beta testing, evaluate customer demand, and validate markets.
The Innovation Gap Fund is open to any UW innovator who has disclosed their technology to CoMotion. Anyone interested in applying is encouraged to contact our Innovation Development team to see if their project’s stage and goals make them a good candidate for the fund.
See below to learn which University of Washington teams won Innovation Gap Funds last month.
Fall 2019 CoMotion Innovation Gap Fund Winners
Team lead: Trinh Vo
Simple battery-operated hand-held device for easy QT scan administration. Easy and fast: Patient inserts two thumbs into the device and tapes a third electrode to a side.
…measuring adherence to antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis
Team lead: Paul Drain
We developed a test for fast, user-friendly, and inexpensive bioassay for measuring long-term HIV adherence.
Team lead: Blake Hannaford
Soft, non-sliding introducer enables tele-cystoscopies by increasing urologist confidence in insertion procedure. Teleoperation of cystoscopy via nurse-inserted robotic cystoscope at clinics allows patients to take less time off work and stay closer to home. Off-site scanning allows hospitals to commit resources to more specialized care.
Team lead: Katie Maskal
An automated blood monitoring device that combines a pressure cuff and Doppler ultrasound.
Team lead: Eric Seibel
UnTape is a unique system comprised of two medical components, (1) custom disposable medical tape with high-adhesion properties, and (2) reusable optical wand that rapidly and safely warms the tape which reverses the adhesion so it can be easily and painlessly removed from the skin (and hair).
Team lead: Amrita Mazumdar
Codec independent proprietary, patent-protected algorithms that leverage human visual perception to reduce video file sizes.
Team lead: Igor Novosselov
TeamAQN has developed a networked sensor solution for air pollution monitoring and mapping, enabling customers to track their families’ exposure to allergens and pollutants.
…Attractants and Repellents for Mosquito Control
Team lead: Jeff Riffell
Novel lures that target sugar-feeding responses in male and female mosquitoes and incorporate visual cues that kill more mosquitoes.
Team lead: Ka Yee Yeung-Rhee
A container-based graphical platform to build and execute analytical workflows that:
• Enables biomedical end-users to analyze their own data
• Auto-installs workflows using software containers that ensure reproducible execution.
• Provides performance and cost optimized workflows that execute in the cloud with minimal setup.
Team lead: Ben Keller
Provide broad support for lab management with technician interface for carefully performed protocols.
Learn more about the CoMotion Innovation Gap Fund and see Population Health’s blog post here.
