MindTrace’s work on mind surgical procedure is high of the road on the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Accelerator
When a task is easy, we say “it’s not a brain surgery” because we all know how complicated brain surgery is. So complicated that the results are often unpredictable.
But MindTrace, a Carnegie Mellon University spin-off, has just been rewarded for its work helping brain surgeons predict what the cognitive outcome will be for a patient before the first cut is made.
MindTrace won first prize in the LifeX Labs and Pittsburgh Life Science Greenhouse jointly sponsored Life Sciences Accelerator program for its work of ensuring that patients undergoing surgery are still the same person they were before the knife stab won for spring.
The Life Sciences Accelerator is a 13-week program that includes mentoring and educational components and culminates in a pitch event with jurors. The program is designed to support life sciences entrepreneurs across the region. Only eight to ten companies are included in each cohort.
The grand prize is a package of services valued at more than $ 50,000 that includes legal and advisory services from Troutman Pepper, nonprofit advisory support from Fourth River Solutions, access to the PitchBook search platform, and mentoring with domain experts.
Max Sims, who co-founded MindTrace with Brad Muhon and Hugo Angulo, says they value the connections with other entrepreneurs most.
“The cohort we were in was excellent and we really enjoyed getting to know the other teams,” says Sims. “I think everyone there has a ‘pay-it-forward’ mentality where there are always teams in front of you and teams behind you, and they are doing everything to make it easier for the next generation of teams in Pittsburgh.”
The price enables MindTrace to hire more employees.
“The prize package allows us to turn three people into 30 people,” adds Sims. “And that is precisely the value of this type of program, which enables startups to quickly access specialist knowledge and fill blind spots that they would otherwise not be able to fill themselves.”
Sims says they are grateful and excited about what the future holds for the company.
“I think everyone in the Pittsburgh community is trying to move us forward and we’re so grateful for the time, energy, and effort people have put into us, and I look forward to repaying that,” said Sims.
Runner-up Vanish, a nerve stimulator with biodegradable electrodes for the relief of chronic neuropathic pain, received a package worth $ 35,000. Chemia.ai, a software system for discovering new bioactive molecules, received a $ 10,000 package and an Honorable Mention.
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