MTPConnect presents award to bright stars of medtech

16 December 2016

MTPConnect was delighted to present Bellum with the MTPConnect Award at the annual Medtech’s Got Talent awards in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Some of Australia’s brightest entrepreneurial minds gathered for the chance to win a $20,000 mentorship and a host of other prizes at the Medtech’s Got Talent competition.

The 12 semi-finalists had three minutes each to pitch their business concept to the judging panel who then selected five finalists against criteria including innovation, market, pathway, sustainability and soft skills.

Winner of the MTPConnect Award, Bellum is a wearable autoinjector which can be worn on a wristband like a smart-watch. The wearable device makes it easy for anaphylaxis patients to have a life-saving drug on hand at all times.

The five successful teams were Bellum, PELT, HorusAI, SWADE and Hemideina, who pitched ideas for medical technologies aimed at tackling a wide range of ailments including malaria, jaundice, back pain and Parkinsons.

The people’s choice award for the night was taken out by Resthera who thought up a medical device that can diagnose bacterial or viral infections in the common cold to help slow antibacterial resistance.

The five finalists will now pitch to investors in a boardroom event in February 2017 for the final stage of the competition. The winning team will be announced following the pitch and will receive an additional $40,000.

MTPConnect CEO Sue MacLeman presented the award, and said: “It is inspiring to see so many outstanding candidates present their innovative work, and we are very proud to be involved. It is through programs like Medtech’s Got Talent that we as a sector can encourage and support the next generation of innovators through to commercialisation.”

Small Technologies Cluster CEO, Buzz Palmer, said: “We understand that it’s one thing to have a great idea, but another to actually get that idea out into the world and Medtech’s Got Talent is about helping young entrepreneurs getting their brilliant ideas into the market.”

“We’ve been nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship in Victoria for more than ten years and every year we are seeing the talent get stronger and the ideas get more innovative.”