Johns Hopkins FastForward

BALTIMORE HOMECOMING ANNOUNCES HOMECOMING HERO AWARD FINALISTS

Baltimore Homecoming announced today the finalists of its Homecoming Hero Awards program. The 11 finalists, nominated by the public and selected by the Homecoming Host Committee, will attend the first-ever Homecoming event in October where Baltimore alumni will hear their stories and celebrate each finalist’s contribution to the city. Five finalists, voted on by the public, will receive a $3,000 cash prize. Public voting opens today at baltimorehomecoming.com and continues through August 18.

Vote for your favorite!

http://www.baltimorehomecoming.com/heroes

Nominate | Baltimore Homecoming

Anchor Ventures is offering 10 minutes with Baltimore tech leaders

The Power Ten event is July 19 at Johns Hopkins' FastForward 1812. Bring an idea.

Since launching earlier this year, Anchor Ventures events put a focus on providing insights from some of Baltimore’s tech community leaders, whether through talks, panel discussions or networking.

At the next edition of the monthly series organized by innovation-minded leaders from Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland, the event series is offering a chance to to go one-on-one with the experts who could provide some honest advice, or help an idea become reality.

You get ten minutes.

For the “Power 10” event, organizers are encouraging attendees to bring their ideas. That could mean they’re seeking help building a new company. Or, fitting with Anchor Ventures’ goals of bringing the tech community together, it could be for a tech event or other means of increasing collaboration. According to organizers, attendees will get matched with one of the innovation leaders after signing up.

The event is scheduled for July 19 at Johns Hopkins’ FastForward 1812 space in East Baltimore, starting at 4:30 p.m. Register and check out the lineup of leaders who are scheduled to be onhand at the link below.

http://anchorventures.org/events/powerten-spend-10-minutes-baltimore%E2%80%99s-most-dynamic-innovation-leaders

https://technical.ly/baltimore/2018/07/13/anchor-ventures-is-offering-10-minutes-with-baltimore-tech-leaders/

PowerTen: Spend 10 Minutes with Baltimore’s Most Dynamic Innovation Leaders | Anchor Ventures July 19, 2018 - 4:00pm to 7:00pm Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures1812 Ashland AvenueBaltimore, MD 21205(directions) PowerTen: Spend 10 Minutes with Baltimore’s Most Dynamic Innovation Leaders Spend an inspiring 10 minute ‘ideastorming’ session with the Anchor Ventures PowerTen, the most influ...

Congrats to THREE FastForward startups, Circulomics, PapGene, Inc. and RevolveBiotech who were among the finalists for the 2018 Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards Ceremony tonight! The event was hosted by Anchor Point Ventures.
http://www.mdincubatoraward.com/

www.mdincubatoraward.com

TODAY on WYPR: Tune in to "Midday" with host Tom Hall to hear Christy Wyskiel, senior adviser to the president (JHU) and head of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, discuss the work The Johns Hopkins University is doing in the realm of small-business incubation and entrepreneurship.

She'll also preview Anchor Ventures' 2018 Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards Ceremony happening later that night.

Other co-panelists on the live radio discussion of the state of venture development in Baltimore include Josh Russakis, director of Venture for America/Baltimore, and VFA fellow Floyd Jones (GWU ’15), now with VoloCity.

Listen in at 88.1 FM from noon to 12:45 p.m. TODAY!

JHTV Newsletter Issue 26 | June 2018 is here!

The end of the academic year is a moment for reflection across campus. This year, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures saw students from all corners of the University embrace entrepreneurship through the space, funding and programming available at FastForward U. Dozens of social ventures and commercial startups received education through startup programs like TrajectoryNext, the Social Innovation Lab and I-Corps. Faculty across the schools increasingly engaged in industry partnerships to advance their research. FastForward startups raised a record-breaking amount of venture capital and made weekly headlines as they brought Hopkins discoveries closer to the market.

Read more: https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=&u=d1ee34ab3f09119d2ec88fe7e&id=96c8b0aa16

JHTV Newsletter Issue 26 | June 2018 Recognition poured in, marking another month of JHTV and its ventures receiving well-deserved recognition for groundbreaking work. See the latest awards, accomplishments and more.

WindMIL Therapeutics, a Johns Hopkins spinoff company based in Hopkins’ FastForward incubator, raises $32.5 million to continue pursuing cancer immunotherapy treatment

A Baltimore company in the second phase of a clinical trial for a cancer immunotherapy treatment, one that taps the body’s own immune system to fight disease, has secured $32.5 million in financing to continue developing its products.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-windmil-immunotherapy-funding-20180618-story.html

Baltimore biotech company raises $32.5 million to continue pursuing cancer immunotherapy treatment Baltimore-based WindMIL secures $32.5 million to continue pursuing its cancer immunotherapy treatment.

This week on WYPR:

Tune in June 21 to "Midday" with host Tom Hall to hear Christy Wyskiel, senior adviser to the president (JHU) and head of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, discuss the work The Johns Hopkins University is doing in the realm of small-business incubation and entrepreneurship.

She'll also preview Anchor Ventures' 2018 Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards Ceremony happening later that night.

Other co-panelists on the live radio discussion of the state of venture development in Baltimore include Josh Russakis, director of Venture for America/Baltimore, and VFA fellow Floyd Jones (GWU ’15), now with VoloCity.

Listen in at 88.1 FM from noon to 12:45 p.m. Thursday!

Bayer has a brand new program: The G4A Generator! Open for applications until March 23rd!

Bayer recently launched the U.S. Consumer Health-focused program: G4A Generator.

The G4A Generator is a structured program with an aim to identify and engage valuable partnerships with like-minded healthcare innovators and start-ups to quickly bring self-care innovations to market, making it accessible and achievable for our consumers. It focuses on four specific challenge areas within the Consumer Health division, including:

• Nutrition support
• External pain management
• Improving the sun care experience
• Digital self-care solutions

A number of promising submissions have already come in. Every submission counts in jointly attempting to solve the common barriers that prevent consumers from living better, healthier lives. Finalists will deliver a pitch to a panel of Bayer and industry experts in New York City on May 24 when the winners will receive a cash prize and a Letter of Intent to close a project deal with Bayer.

To learn more: https://www.grants4apps.com/usa/

Grants4Apps US

Please join us on Thursday, March 15 for Anchor Ventures' second event with special guest Harpoon Medical!

Harpoon's Bill Niland, Epidarex Capital's Kyp Sirinakis and others will tell the Baltimore startup's acquisition story and share best practices for other local medical device startups.

Additionally, join our Take It to the Table Resource Room for 1-on-1 discussions with investors, engineers, and others like TEDCO and Harbor Design who can help move your technology to market.

Registration required. Event will reach capacity.

Thursday, March 15, 2018
4:00 PM: Doors Open & Networking Begins
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM:
Welcome by Chancellor Robert Caret
Fireside Chat: Healing Hearts - Harpoon Medical's Solution Story
Financing Tips for Your Startup

5:00 PM: Take It to the Table Resource Room Opens
7:00 PM: Event concludes
* Light hors d'oeuvres and drinks will be served.

Questions? Please contact Mary Morris at
[email protected]

Registration: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ef5lmg9idc1dfed5&oseq=&c=&ch=

More info: http://anchorventures.org/events

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“Innovations like ClearMask represent the next generation of medical device entrepreneurs, those with seasoned guidance, that are poised to attract investment, hire employees, and generate revenue,” said Neil Davis of Maryland Technology Development Corporation - TEDCO
https://www.theclearmask.com/updates/2018/3/4/tedco-accepts-clearmask-into-mdpace-program

TEDCO Accepts ClearMask into mdPACE Program Program connects entrepreneurs and commercialization experts to navigate FDA approval, attract investors and manufacturers

As part of the mdPACE program, ClearMask has access to Maryland Technology Development Corporation - TEDCO’s expertise and resources to efficiently navigate the FDA regulatory process and generate a 510(k) cleared technology within 12-18 months. Congrats to ClearMask of Social Innovation Lab at Johns Hopkins University

https://www.theclearmask.com/updates/2018/3/4/tedco-accepts-clearmask-into-mdpace-program

TEDCO Accepts ClearMask into mdPACE Program Program connects entrepreneurs and commercialization experts to navigate FDA approval, attract investors and manufacturers

Call for Submissions! The Boston Scientific Connected Patient Challenge III

Boston Scientific is excited to announce their third annual innovation challenge: The Boston Scientific Connected Patient III.

The Boston Scientific Connected Patient Challenge is an open call to all participants with ideas on how to use the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve diagnosis, treatment, monitoring or patient care in the following areas:
• Neuromodulation
• Cardiac Rhythm Management
• Cardiology
• Electrophysiology
• Peripheral Interventions
• Oncology
• Endoscopy
• Urology
• Pelvic Health

Finalists will be honored at a live event at Google’s Cambridge Headquarters on March 1st, 2018, where they will present their ideas to a panel of Celebrity Judges, Challenge Sponsors, and fellow participants. Up to $50,000 of services in kind may be divided among Challenge winners to further develop or pilot their ideas. Submissions are now open, and will remain so until January 7th, 2017.

https://medstro.com/groups/the-boston-scientific-connected-patient-challenge-iii/pages/home

Home in The Boston Scientific Connected Patient Challenge III (#CPCIoT) • Medstro The Internet of Things (IoT) encompasses the connections between sensors and devices and patients and clinicians. How would you use IoT to improve diagnosis, treatment, monitoring or patient care in the areas of Neuromodulation, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Peripheral In...

Computer scientist Suchi Saria recognized in 'MIT Technology Review'

Computer scientist whose algorithms help detect life-threatening sepsis named to '35 Innovators Under 35' list

By Arthur Hirsch / Published Aug 17

Johns Hopkins University computer scientist Suchi Saria has joined the company of the co-founders of Google, Facebook, PayPal, CRISPR, and iRobot in being named to the annual MIT Technology Review list of 35 Innovators Under 35.

In selecting Saria for the 2017 list of the country's most promising young technology innovators, the magazine recognizes the Whiting School of Engineering assistant professor for creating algorithms hospitals can use to recognize sepsis. The fast-moving condition ranks as the 11th leading cause of death in the country in killing more patients every year than breast and prostate cancer combined.

Sepsis is the body's response to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. It's difficult for clinicians to diagnose and to spot early enough to provide treatments that can prevent harm. Because the condition can develop so quickly, hours can literally make a difference between life and death.

Saria, who joined Johns Hopkins in 2012, leads a team that is devising a machine-learning system to spot telltale patterns in vast quantities of patient information that hospitals compile as a matter of routine—including clinical history, vital signs, laboratory tests.

Technology Review notes that the study algorithms, published in 2015 in the journal Science Translational Medicine, "correctly predicted septic shock—the deadliest version of sepsis—in 85 percent of cases, by an average of more than a day before onset. That is a 60 percent improvement over existing screening tests." In subsequent work, the team's effort has further refined recognition rates and turned the work into a practical system that can be used by caregivers.

"It's a real honor to be included here," said Saria, who last year was named one of the Popular Science "Brilliant 10," that magazine's recognition of the country's most promising young scientists. "Research can be lonely and even a little scary when we're going in a new direction. It's nice when somebody out there sees what we did and thinks it was worth doing," said Saria, who thanked her doctoral and postdoctoral students and collaborators in the research, her advisors, and mentors.

Saria—who in addition to her affiliation with the Whiting School is also assistant professor of health policy and management at the Bloomberg School of Public Health—continues to work with her team to advance the computer algorithms needed to make reliable inferences from messy clinical streams. Her hope is to give caregivers a crystal ball that enhances their ability to catch deteriorating patients sooner than they currently do.

Previous innovators named by MIT Technology Review have included Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, CRISPR inventor Feng Zhang, and Helen Greiner, co-founder of iRobot.

https://hub.jhu.edu/2017/08/17/suchi-saria-mit-tech-review-list/

Computer scientist Suchi Saria recognized in 'MIT Technology Review' Computer scientist whose algorithms help detect life-threatening sepsis named to '35 Innovators Under 35' list

Here are the winners of the 5th annual Baltimore Innovation Awards

The awards were handed out at Mt. Vernon Marketplace amid the festivities of the BIW17 Innovation Celebration.

Game demos and startup founders were among the booths at Mt. Vernon Marketplace Friday night as the BIW17 Innovation Celebration put an exclamation point on the weeklong series of events.

The food hall’s vendors provided oysters, poutine and plenty of drinks for attendees as they got caught up and tried video games like Mister Mart.

Then it was time to hand out some awards.

After an open call for nominations, readers voted to select the winners of the 5th Annual Baltimore Innovation Awards. The awards themselves were created by the Station North makerspace Open Works.

Here are the winners:

• Indie Video Game of the Year: Pure Bang Games, the Highlandtown studio, for development of Zombie Clicker.

• Tech Mission Org of the Year: Moms as Entrepreneurs, the academy program for mothers seeking to launch businesses which recently announced expansion through a partnership with Etsy and Open Works.

• Dev Product of the Year: Osmosis, the learning platform founded out of Johns Hopkins for medical students and professionals that offers personalized learning and video content.

• Design/Dev Firm of the Year: Mindgrub, the Locust Point–based agency which has brought on recent clients such as Exelon and Royal Farms.

• Technologist of the Year: Mike Fried, the CIO of the Baltimore City Health Department who was a guiding force for the TECHealth program, which brought technologists and city government together.

• CTO of the Year: Gorkem Sevinc, the Chief Technology Officer of emocha Mobile Health, the Johns Hopkins Fast Forward 1812–based startup that’s looking to apply its video-based apps to the treatment of opioid addiction.

• Tech Startup of the Year: Notice and Comment, the ETC–based company that makes Regendus, a platform bringing data analysis tools to public notices. The win came on the heels of founder John Davis’ talk at the Business Conference.

• Growth Tech Company of the Year: ZeroFOX, the Federal Hill–based social media cybersecurity firm which closed a $40 million Series C in July.

https://technical.ly/baltimore/2017/10/09/winners-5th-annual-baltimore-innovation-awards/

Here are the winners of the 5th annual Baltimore Innovation Awards - Technical.ly Baltimore The awards were part of the BIW17 Innovation Celebration.

Pitch and Play – the AUTM Venture Challenge

Is your startup's business plan worth $10,000?

New company creation and development has been an integral component of academic technology commercialization for decades. AUTM will celebrate this mission-critical function through Pitch and Play – the AUTM Venture Challenge, where academic-affiliated startup companies pitch their business opportunity to a panel of seasoned venture investors for a $10,000 cash prize.

Read more: https://www.autm.net/2018-annual-meeting/highlights-networking/venture-forum/?utm_source=AUTM-Informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=default

AUTM - Pitch and Play – the AUTM Venture Challenge Is your startup's business plan worth $10,000? New company creation and development has been an integral component of academic technology commercialization for decades. AUTM will celebrate this mission-critical function through Pitch and Play – the AUTM Venture Challenge, where academic-affiliated s...

Windmil tilts at tumors with marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes

Friday, October 6, 2017
http://www.bioworld.com/content/windmil-tilts-tumors-marrow-infiltrating-lymphocytes

Windmil Therapeutics Inc., a startup harnessing the power of bone marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes, or MILs, for cancer immunotherapy, has nearly completed enrollment of patients in a phase IIb trial testing its approach in high-risk myeloma.
The company, funded and incubated by Domain Associates, Foxkiser and Silver Rock LLC, is seeking to prove that its use of long-term memory T cells found in marrow can differentiate it from other cell therapy approaches reliant on T cells found in the periphery.

The randomized trial, supported by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, is already underway and will finish enrolling in late 2017 or early 2018. It is assigning participants already lined up for an autologous stem cell transplant to either receive or forgo activated MILs alongside standard pharmacological therapies. The primary endpoint of the study, which is expected to wrap up in late 2019 or early 2020, is progression-free survival. Secondary endpoints of toxicity and overall survival will also be measured. The possibility of an interim analysis is under discussion.

So far, the Baltimore-based company has raised $11 million to support its endeavors and is working to raise additional financing to support exploration of MILs in three different solid tumor types, Windmil CEO and Domain partner Brian Halak told BioWorld.

The company will look at a range of tumors, both those that are known or thought to be immunologically responsive, such as lung cancer, and those that are thought to be "immunologically cold" such as prostate cancer. It will also investigate MILs as a treatment for breast cancer.

"The cell therapy space has become crowded," said Halak. In MILs, he said he sees a truly differentiated approach which exploits a natural reservoir for memory T cells in the body, the bone marrow, which yield cells with strong tumor specificity, more prolific tumor cell-killing potential, and better persistence over time.

"Cells from the periphery are very different. For instance, peripheral blood cells don't have tumor specificity. That's why the CAR T cells are engineered with a gene construct, to help recognize the tumor," he said.

Though the company touts a lack of need for genetic manipulation of MILs to make them tumor-specific, it's still taking a look at that approach as a potential avenue for "supercharging" the cells.

Windmil's candidate is primarily composed of central memory cells. Once extracted, the company will send them to a central facility where it will activate, expand and then prepare the cells for return to one of four trial sites, including the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, where one of the company's scientific co-founders, Ivan Borrello, is an associate professor in the divisions of tumor immunology and hematologic malignancies.

Windmil's other scientific co-founder, Kimberly Noonan, the company's chief scientific officer, is also a faculty member at the university. Together, the two have been working on MILs for the better part of 10 years, Halak said. Windmil has exclusively licensed intellectual property related to their work.
Clinical experience to date has demonstrated that MILs are associated with only mild side effects, the company said, as well as a complete absence of the cytokine release syndrome seen with many other cell-based therapies. That profile could favor their use earlier in treatment.

Results of the first clinical trial using MILs for the treatment of multiple myeloma were reported in Science Translational Medicine in May 2015. The trial included 25 patients with either newly diagnosed or relapsed disease. After their MILs were harvested, activated and expanded, they were returned via infusion following myeloablative therapy. Borrello, Noonan and their co-authors found that achieving at least a 90 percent reduction in disease burden significantly increased patient's progression-free survival, to 25.1 months vs. 11.8 months (p = 0.01).

The company currently employs about 10 people and is looking to grow in the year ahead. It's sited at Johns Hopkins FastForward space.

Windmil tilts at tumors with marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes Windmil Therapeutics Inc., a startup harnessing the power of bone marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes, or MILs, for cancer immunotherapy, has nearly completed enrollment of patients in a phase IIb trial t

JHTV Newsletter Issue 20 | October 2017 issue is here!

Print version:https://ventures.jhu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/JHTV_Newsletter_Issue_20_october_2017.pdf

Web version:
http://us12.campaign-archive2.com/?e=&u=d1ee34ab3f09119d2ec88fe7e&id=f5d0b76d5a

ventures.jhu.edu

WindMIL Therapeutics Announces New Cancer Immunotherapy Approach Based on Marrow-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WindMIL Therapeutics, a clinical stage company developing Marrow-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (MILs™) for cancer immunotherapy, today presented its novel approach to harnessing a patient’s immune system to treat solid and liquid cancers at The Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa in La Jolla, CA.

Memory T cells are believed to generate the immune system’s most effective killers, and the role of the bone marrow in the formation and maintenance of memory T cells has become increasingly well-understood. Consistent with this understanding, WindMIL’s co-founders Ivan Borrello, M.D., and Kimberly Noonan, Ph.D., have demonstrated that the bone marrow of patients with both hematologic and solid tumors contain memory T cells that can recognize and destroy tumor cells. They have worked at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for over a decade to perfect the activation and expansion of the cells they termed ‘MILs™’. WindMIL has exclusively licensed intellectual property related to this pioneering work by Drs. Borrello and Noonan.

“MILs™ represent a novel class of cell therapy,” says Brian Halak, Ph.D., founding Chief Executive Officer of WindMIL. “Owing to their derivation from the bone marrow, a natural reservoir for memory T cells, MILs™ are marked by inherent tumor specificity, low toxicity, and long-term persistence. We believe that our ability to harness this long-term memory component is what differentiates MIL™-therapy from other cell-therapy approaches, which rely predominantly on T cells found in the periphery.”

WindMIL Therapeutics’ lead program is currently enrolling patients in a Phase 2b clinical trial for patients in high risk myeloma (clinicaltrials.gov ID ) and is supported by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

”WindMIL’s focus on harvesting cells from the bone marrow is an innovative way to take cell-therapy forward,” says Marcela V. Maus, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital. “While the majority of cell therapy companies are exploring novel genetic modifications to peripherally derived cells, WindMIL’s ability to harness the bone marrow memory population could be a meaningful advantage.”

Scientific Advisory Board

WindMIL’s scientific advisory board includes scientific co-founder Dr. Borrello; Kenneth Anderson, M.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a leading expert in the field of multiple myeloma; Marcela V. Maus, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, a pioneer in the area of adoptive cell therapy; Drew Pardoll, M.D., Ph.D., the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, an internationally recognized expert in immunology and immunotherapy; Howard Soule, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of the Prostate Cancer Foundation; and Jeffery Weber, M.D., Ph.D., NYU Langone Medical Center, an expert in immunology and immune therapy for solid tumors.

Board of Directors

WindMIL also announced the appointment of its Board of Directors, including Brian Dovey, Partner, Domain Associates; Allan Fox, Founding Partner, FOXKISER; Brian Halak, PhD, CEO, WindMIL Therapeutics and Partner, Domain Associates; Don Hayden, former President, Global Pharmaceuticals at Bristol-Myers Squibb; and Howard Soule, PhD., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Prostate Cancer Foundation.

About WindMIL Therapeutics

When it comes to cell therapy – cell source matters. At WindMIL, we are harnessing the power of bone marrow derived lymphocytes (MILs™) to develop ground-breaking immunotherapies to treat cancer patients. The bone marrow is a natural reservoir of T cells with unique advantages including inherent tumor-specificity. We have perfected an efficient and rapid process to extract, activate and expand MILs™ for future commercial applications. Our lead program is in a large Phase 2b study in high-risk multiple myeloma with additional programs in solid tumors using MILs™ advancing to the clinic. We are also advancing programs to supercharge MILs™ through genetic-modification.

For more information, please visit: https://windmiltherapeutics.com
Contacts

Media Contact:
MacDougall Biomedical Communications
Rob Kloppenburg, 1-781-235-3078
[email protected]

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171005005572/en/WindMIL-Therapeutics-Announces-New-Cancer-Immunotherapy-Approach

WindMIL Therapeutics

A young Johns Hopkins alumnus, Minhaj Chowdhury, CEO of Drinkwell, wins $500,000 Under 30 Impact Challenge

A lot of people want to change the world. Minhaj Chowdhury, cofounder and CEO of Drinkwell, is doing it -- and just got another $500,000 to keep providing clean water to India and Bangladesh. He won the first-ever Under 30 Impact Challenge today at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston.

In India and Bangladesh, the region’s drinking supply is plagued with arsenic, fluoride and iron water contamination but Drinkwell offers a lifeline. Its technology provides more than one million liters of safe drinking water to over a quarter million people, with zero reported cases of arsenicosis or fluorosis. Add to that, Drinkwell has created 500 jobs and Chowdhury earned a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2015.

As the winner, Drinkwell qualifies for up to $250,000 in investment from The Rise Fund, and a $250,000 media grant from Forbes. It will also receive consulting from The Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit focused on social entrepreneurs.

Drinwell beat out some tough competition.

Kushagra Srivastava is CEO of Chakr Innovation, which converts soot into ink and paint. Based in India, one of the word’s most polluted countries, the company is a breath of fresh air: Its groundbreaking technology has already prevented more than 900 billion liters of air from becoming polluted to date.

Alloysius Attah is the cofounder and CEO of Farmerline, an Amazon-like platform for African farmers. They can quickly access high quality information, products and services that help boost income. The help is online and off: Farmerline has its own mobile apps as well as field agents. The company’s Mergdata platform has already reached more than 200,000 farmers across Africa.

All three finalists, chosen from hundreds of submissions, made their pitches live on-stage. Judges for the competition were Cheryl Dorsey, president of Echoing Green, and Bill McGlashan, founder and managing partner of TPG Growth as well as founder and CEO of The Rise Fund.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/glendatoma/2017/10/02/drinkwell-wins-first-ever-under-30-impact-challenge-500000-prize/

Drinkwell Wins First-Ever Under 30 Impact Challenge, $500,000 Prize Minhaj Chowdhury, cofounder and CEO of Drinkwell, won the first-ever Under 30 Impact Challenge today at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston.

JHTV’s Year in Brief

Last year, we adopted the theme “Start Here” to highlight to innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and corporate partners the many opportunities, pathways and possibilities at Johns Hopkins.

We are proud of the results that Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures produced in 2017. In myriad ways, we helped bring the benefits of discovery to the world and served as stewards of Baltimore’s economic revitalization.

Here are a few highlights:

● 549 invention disclosures and 174 executed agreements
● FastForward 1812’s grand opening
● 10 new, impactful Social Innovation Lab teams
● 16 active industry collaborations

As these stats comprise only a small part of what we accomplished, we are excited to share with you our 2017 Annual Report.

Of course, we would not have made the same impact without the support we gratefully receive from across Johns Hopkins, including its many schools, departments and leadership.

Additionally, we would like to thank those outside of Johns Hopkins — our sponsors, corporate collaborators, neighboring universities, state and city elected officials, and other builders of Maryland’s innovation ecosystem — who have supported our mission.

We look forward to continuing to work with all of you to deliver even more in 2018.

Read our 2017 annual report now!: https://ventures.jhu.edu/year-in-brief-fy-2017

Year In Brief FY 2017 – JHTV Start here. That all-encompassing theme reverberated across Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures’ efforts to bring the benefits of discovery to the world in fiscal year 2017.