Three people working on a medical device

CTSI team powers majority of UMN health startups formed in record-breaking year

When a child in a wheelchair can participate in activities in a standing position — whether to chat with friends or see animals at the zoo, it’s more than a moment — it’s a breakthrough years in the making. 

Optimal Mobility — a University of Minnesota startup dedicated to giving children with disabilities greater mobility and independence — is just one of 25 startups launched in a record-breaking year for innovation at the University.

Of the 16 health-focused startups launched this past fiscal year, 13 were propelled forward with support from a Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) team dedicated to driving the development of new health innovations. 

The team — CTSI’s Office of Discovery and Translation (ODAT) — has a proven track record of identifying the most promising scientific discoveries and helping advance them closer to the point of helping people. They support projects from the stage of early concepts to real-world implementation, including research led by University of Minnesota entrepreneurs.

"Our role is to connect the dots between discovery and impact," says Jodi Fenlon Rebuffoni, ODAT’s Assistant Director. “We partner with start-up entrepreneurs at the pivotal moment when their ideas are ready to move from research to development, equipping them with funding and expertise to accelerate the path to patients.”

The approach has proven so successful that a wide range of sponsors have turned to them to administer their own funding programs — all aimed at bringing new healthcare innovations to the people who need them.

Following is a closer look at four of the newest companies with CTSI ties. Optimal Mobility, Safeguard Innovations, and PhysiAroma received translational research funding, while funding to Kommodo Therapeutics was provided through Regenerative Medicine Minnesota, a State-sponsored funding program which ODAT co-administers.

From therapies for rare diseases to devices for managing chronic pain, these new UMN startups are redefining what’s possible for human health. 

Kommodo Therapeutics: Hope for rare genetic disorders

Kommodo Therapeutics is developing gene editing technology to create therapies for rare and potentially fatal genetic disorders. 

Regenerative Medicine Minnesota funding has been supporting studies on efficacy, safety, dosing, and manufacturing. 

These studies are paving the way for clinical trials of a novel cell-based therapy that could help those with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I), a devastating disease with limited treatment options.

Gene editing
Branden Moriarity, PhD; Beau Webber, PhD; and Nicole Shirkey-Son, PhD, are advancing therapies for devastating genetic diseases.

Optimal Mobility: Greater independence kids with disabilities

Optimal Mobility is creating a pediatric manual standing wheelchair that allows children with disabilities — such as spina bifida — to move in both seated and standing positions. Unlike traditional wheelchairs, this innovative device is intended to accommodate growth, offering mobility and independence at every stage of childhood.

Funding to faculty researchers Gary Goldish, MD, and Andrew Hansen, PhD, supported the design, development, and testing of a fully functional prototype, a critical step toward real-world use.

Graphic conveying the problem of current pediatric wheelchair options (redundant equipment, environmental constraints, transportation, and inaccessibility of activities) and the potential solution, which would reduce caregiver burden, enhance participation, facilitates regular standing, promotes equity, and improves accessibility).
Optimal Mobility’s pediatric wheelchair grows with the child, empowering mobility at every stage.

Safeguard Innovations: A tool for protecting caregivers 

Safeguard Innovations is working to improve safety for nurses, police officers, teachers, and those in their care during episodes of patient violence. The patent-pending device is designed for rapid containment of aggressive individuals while protecting from injury and restricted breathing. 

Funding to Andi Seppelt, DNP, APRN-CNP, a nursing PhD student at the University, is driving the design, prototyping, and testing of this device, enabling the team to create a minimum viable product ready for manufacturing and sale. 

Three people working on a medical device
Safeguard Innovations’ device provides protection in high-stress situations. Left to right: Luke Lundquist, CTO, LaserMed Technologies; Andi Seppelt, Founder, Inventor, and CEO of Safeguard Innovations; and Jim Ries, Sales Director, Safeguard Innovations.

PhysiAroma: A new path for managing chronic pain

PhysiAroma is developing a wearable wellness device to help individuals manage chronic pain. By integrating pain management techniques, novel scent delivery, and AI-powered personalization, this solution empowers users to better control their pain without relying solely on medication.

Funding and expert guidance supported the design, prototyping, and optimization of the wearable device, algorithm, and mobile app — paving the way for patient testing and eventual commercialization.

PhysiAroma wristband device and mobile app
A device developed by University researcher Beth Groenke, DDS, MS, combines pain management expertise and engineering to deliver relief for chronic pain sufferers.

A proven model for real-world impact

The success of these startups underscores the CTSI Office of Discovery and Translation’s proven approach to supporting promising innovations.

The model — published in Journal of Clinical and Translational Science and Clinical and Translational Science — focuses on identifying the most promising innovations and surrounding them with funding, expert guidance, and practical support.

Over the last dozen years, more than 50 technologies supported by the team have been licensed to UMN start-up companies. 

Licenses to grantees have risen dramatically in the past four years, due in large part to intentional, formal collaborations with groups like the University’s Venture Center and the MNSBIR, Inc. Working synergistically makes it easier for researchers to navigate the innovation development process and maximizes the impact of investments.

“What began as a single funding program has grown into a vibrant innovation ecosystem with six tailored programs, supported by sponsors ranging from the NIH and FDA to the University of Minnesota and State of Minnesota,” says Rebuffoni. “This approach has driven more than 50 licenses and is steadily advancing more innovations toward patient use. It’s transformed how local innovations are supported and is a powerful example of how programs can improve the process of translating ideas into health.”

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