Tulane teams make strong showing in International Biz Model Competition

This year’s International Business Model Competition had a decidedly Tulane flavor.

Instapath Bioptics, a venture started by Tulane University bioinnovation and biomedical engineering students Peter Lawson, David Tulman and Mei Wang, topped more than 5,000 entrants from around the world to win first place and the grand prize of $30,000 in the annual lean startup competition. The event, hosted by Brigham Young University's Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, took place in Mountain View, California, on May 11-12.

Instapath earned top honors on the strength of its imaging device, which enables centralized remote pathology evaluation to improve the efficiency of biopsy procedures.

Also making a strong showing was CMDX Biopsy, a team of Tulane undergraduate biomedical engineering students with an integrated biopsy punch device that improves the efficiency of biopsy procedures. CMDX Biopsy was one of 20 teams to make it to the competition's semifinal round.

This year’s Tulane Business Model Competition winner, Johns Hopkins University-based medical device company Kaleyedos, was also a semifinalist in the international competition.

"Not only did Tulane win the competition and place two teams in the semifinals, but all three finalists from the 2017 Tulane Business Model Competition advanced in the competition," said Ira Solomon, dean of the Freeman School. "I think that speaks volumes about the entrepreneurial talent here at Tulane and the outstanding quality of the Tulane Business Model Competition."