MedTech Innovator (MTI), the leading accelerator for medical technology companies, has announced that Samay is the 2024 Grand Prize Winner, receiving $350,000 in non-dilutive funding. Based in Mountain View, California, and Medellín, Colombia, Samay is notable for being the first Latin American company accepted into the MedTech Innovator program in its 12-year history. The company is focused on developing an innovative acoustic resonance patch for diagnosing, managing, and intervening in COPD.
MedTech Innovator (MTI), the largest accelerator for medical technology companies, celebrated the culmination of its program at The MedTech Conference, North America’s largest gathering of industry leaders. This year, only 65 companies were selected from 1,300 applicants, resulting in a mere five percent acceptance rate.
The Grand Prize Competition, held on October 16 in Toronto, featured a record attendance of 4,350. The audience voted in real-time, ultimately awarding the Grand Prize and $350,000 to Samay, a company developing an acoustic resonance patch for COPD. Other finalists—BrainSpace, Flow Medical, Juniper Biomedical, and NeuroBionics—each received $25,000.
Finalists presented their innovations and faced questions from an expert panel including leaders from Johnson & Johnson Medtech, Zimmer Biomet, Olympus Corporation, and BD.
Maria Artunduaga, CEO of Samay, expressed pride in being the first Latin American startup to win this award, crediting the program for providing invaluable mentorship and support.
Paul Grand, CEO of MedTech Innovator, congratulated Samay for addressing a critical need in COPD care and highlighted the high caliber of all finalists.
In addition to the Grand Prize, SanaHeal won the Execution Award and $25,000 for demonstrating strong leadership and effective patient care innovations. Founder Hyunwoo Yuk expressed gratitude for the program’s mentorship.
Ozlo received the Best Video Award and $10,000, selected by the audience from several finalists.
This year, MTI utilized over 500 experts to mentor the 65 participating companies, which spanned early and mid-stage medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health solutions. All companies showcased their innovations at the conference, while four mid-stage companies will compete in the upcoming MedTech Strategist Innovation Summit.
About MedTech Innovator:
MedTech Innovator (MTI) aims to enhance human health by accelerating transformative medical technology companies. MTI has reviewed nearly 12,000 applicants and nurtured 717 companies, collectively raising over $8.7 billion and introducing more than 350 products to improve patient care.
