Vanderbilt start-up EndoShunt makes it to semi-finals of “Heartland Challenge Startup Competition”
The start-up's technology is focused on trauma surgeons, providing them with a way to rapidly gain targeted control of abdominal hemorrhages.
Twelve teams representing eight universities, including Vanderbilt, will descend on Northwest Arkansas next month to compete for a $100,000 prize pool in the fourth annual “Heartland Challenge Startup Competition.” They were selected from a record 90 applicants for the multi-stage event scheduled for April 13-15 in downtown Bentonville.
The sole Tennessee-based selectee is EndoShunt, a length-adjustable shunt for the targeted control of non-compressible hemorrhage. To address the critical need for time during the repair of bleeding, this device allows for the occlusion of hemorrhaging vessels or organs while maintaining blood flow to the rest of the body. This will reduce peri- and post-operative complications while providing trauma surgeons the time they need to perform definitive repairs.
Three of the semi-finalists come from the University of Arkansas and Johns Hopkins University. The balance comes from Brown, Clemson, Maryland, Michigan, and Washington University in St. Louis.
The competition is hosted by the Sam M Walton College of Business and managed by the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation with generous support from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, the title sponsor.
