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3D Health Solutions wins Biotech Showcase, takes home $10,000

March 3, 2021

3D Health Solutions has been announced the winner of the 2021 Biotech Showcase and was awarded $10,000.

3D Health Solutions, a spinoff startup company from Iowa State University, is seeking to improve current preclinical screening methods of therapeutic drugs for Pharmaceutical Research and Development. In 2020, the Ames-based startup took part in the sixth cohort of ISU Startup Factory, received a $225,000 SBIR Grant from the National Science Foundation, and won Iowa’s statewide Pappajohn Pitch Competition.

This was the sixth annual Biotech Showcase, a pitch competition for emerging biotech companies across various industries including agtech, human health, medical devices, animal health and industrial/environmental biomaterials.

Eight startups made it to the finals and yesterday presented a live, two-minute “elevator pitch” to a designated expert judge in front of the IBSC virtual attendees. Five minutes of Q&A followed from the designated judge, and Biotech Showcase attendees had an opportunity to vote on and select a “Fan Favorite.” Four of the finalists were based in Iowa.

LEAH Laboratories, a startup building cellular therapies for companion animals with gene editing, was voted as the Fan Favorite.

The 2021 Biotech Showcase finalists are:

3D Health Solutions (Ames, IA)
CartilaGen (Iowa City, IA)
Distynct (Ames, IA)
FBB Biomed (Coralville, IA)
Hilltop BioSciences (Mansfield, MA)
LEAH Labs (Rochester, MN)
Mazen Animal Health (St. Joseph, MO)

Past Biotech Showcase winners have included Skroot Laboratories (2020), Cardio Diagnostics (2019), SynderBio (2018), Aptimmune (2017), and Viewpoint Molecular Targeting (2016).

All eight finalists’ full pitches are currently available for viewing.

Previous coverage

3D Health Solutions wins 2020 Pappajohn Pitch Competition, takes home $40,000 -Oct. 5, 2020

3D Health Solutions wins Biotech Showcase, takes home $10,000 | Clay & Milk

A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.

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