Second Anchor Ventures Speakers Series Event Scheduled for March 15, Featuring USM Chancellor Caret, Leaders from Harpoon Medical
Fireside Chat at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 15 to Focus on Medical Devices, Startup Funding; Harpoon Medical Now Part of Edwards Lifesciences Following Acquisition Valued at Up to $250M
Adelphi, Md. (March 6, 2018) – University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Robert L. Caret will offer the introductory remarks in advance of the second monthly event in the recently launched Anchor Ventures Speakers Series.
The symposium will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 15 at the IMET Columbus Center, located at 701 E. Pratt Street in Baltimore. Anchor Ventures is a new initiative of University of Maryland Ventures and Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV), funded by the Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO). The speaker series, which kicked off with a standing-room-only event showcasing AOL Co-Founder Steve Case, seeks to inspire and support the development of startups and other technology companies across Baltimore.
Chancellor Caret will introduce participants in a fireside chat session, “Healing Hearts: Harpoon Medical’s Solution Story.” The fireside chat features Bill Niland, chief executive officer of Harpoon Medical, and venture capital investor Kyp Siranakis. It will be moderated by Phil Robilotto, DO, MBA, Assistant Vice President, UM Baltimore Office of Technology Transfer, representing UM Ventures. The panel will discuss the growth of Harpoon Medical, a Baltimore-based medical device company founded in 2013 with technology licensed from the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus.
Harpoon Medical is in the development stage of an instrument for minimally invasive heart surgery. The company grew successfully from its initial innovation, through the startup phase to an announced sale to Edwards Lifesciences Corp. for $100 million in cash.
The session also includes a discussion of financing tips for startup companies. Each Anchor Ventures event is held from on the third Thursday of the month from 4 pm to 7 p.m. A registration form is here.
The Anchor Ventures series will reinforce the strong elements of the ecosystem that exists already in Baltimore and provides a forum to inspire ideas for entrepreneurs, investors and resource partners.
Following the keynote panel session, attendees can confer and network to discuss challenges that are unique to companies in the medical device field. Gil Blankenship, managing partner and CEO of the Maryland Development Center, will be among the session’s leaders. Blankenship is also professor and associate chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Starting locally with an eye toward expansion regionally, Anchor Ventures will provide a focal point to grow and enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Maryland.
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Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
