UofM Startup, PopCheck Technologies, Wins National-Level Competition
450 companies applied
PopCheck Technologies, Inc. has celebrated many successes as of late, with the latest as the Grand Prize winner of the NBMBAA Scale-Up Pitch contest. This startup was also awarded a microgrant from LaunchTN to support a proposal for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research program. The funds from LaunchTN will cover costs for research and development milestones including technology feasibility studies. In addition to the microgrant from LaunchTN, Dillard has also been selected as a semi-finalist for the Northwestern Mutual/Gener8tor Black Founder Accelerator program, which invests in high-growth startups founded by Black entrepreneurs by providing investment capital of $100,000 and in-kind resources such as office space and mentorship. In April, she won first place and $10,000 in the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (NEC) Pitch 4 Good contest, and in July she placed third in the University City Science Center OnRamp Pitch Contest, securing another $1,500 for her company. PopCheck was started by Dr. Erika Dillard, Ph.D and MD, a post-doctoral fellow in the Patents2Products (P2P) Fellowship Program. P2P is a collaboration between the UofM’s FedEx Institute of Technology and Epicenter Memphis, which offers a two-year funded position for research entrepreneurs that serve as a launching pad to turn innovative ideas into successful startup companies.
On August 27, Dillard represented PopCheck Technologies as a semi-finalist in the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Scale-Up Pitch Contest along with nine other startup companies across the United States. This competition, managed by StartCo., aims to provide funding and exposure to investors to support startups that are scalable. Dillard advanced to the final competition that included the opportunity to present PopCheck in person in Chicago for a chance to win a Grand Prize of $50,000, with additional cash prizes for second and third place. On September 17, Dillard represented PopCheck Technologies at the Scale-Up Pitch Competition for the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Annual Conference and Career Fair in Chicago, IL. Of over 450 companies that applied, 30 were selected for more in depth evaluation. 10 of these companies competed as semi-finalists in a virtual pitch of which three were chosen to pitch their company in-person during the meeting in Chicago. PopCheck received the 1st place award, which included a Grand Prize of $50,000 sponsored by FedEx. The funds will be used toward prototype iterations and coordinating an FDA strategy which includes applying for breakthrough device designation.
During the P2P fellowship, Dillard launched PopCheck, an early-stage healthcare technology company creating AI-driven remote monitoring biosensors for post-operative patients with an emphasis on patients at highest risk for surgical complications. As many as 1 in 3 patients experience complications after surgery usually within the first few weeks of leaving the hospital. With the push to decrease the length of hospital stay and unplanned readmissions, post-operative care must evolve to address management of surgical complications in the outpatient setting. One of the most common, potentially life threatening yet preventable of surgical complications are venous thromboemboli (VTE) or venous clots. Of the one million people in the U.S. who suffer from venous clots per year, up to 30% die many times without any warning sign carrying a cost burden of over 12 billion dollars annually, largely due to unplanned hospitalizations. Currently, there is no way to monitor for the development of venous clots during the time when surgical patients are at highest risk.
PopCheck is particularly interested in monitoring for the development of post-operative venous clots in patients after hip and knee replacements. The non-invasive remote biosensors will carry out intermittent assessments of associated physical thrombotic biomarkers. Using a predictive algorithm, the device will analyze biomarker patterns and detect variations concerning for venous clot development. Detected abnormalities will then be translated into risk status and real-time changes in patient risk will be communicated as a device alert to the patient and via remote monitoring platform to the healthcare team who can then determine the next best step(s) in the patient’s management. This strategy encourages a management plan based on objective patient health data which will prevent delays in care, improving patient outcomes. PopCheck Mission: To create technology based on models of safe, effective, equitable and accessible care that enable patients to recover from surgery, stress-free.
For more information on PopCheck Technologies, contact Dillard at erika@popchecktech.com. For more information on the P2P Program at the University of Memphis, contact Dr. Hai Trieu at hhtrieu@memphs.edu.