Another new cohort for a prestigious life sciences accelerator is out, and Houston is back on the board once again.
The Los Angeles-based MedTech Innovator named 65 startups from around the world to its latest cohort. Two Houston-based — Taurus Vascular and Tybr Health — were selected for the cohort. Both companies are alumni of the Texas Medical Center Biodesign program.
A spokesperson for the MedTech Innovator confirmed that 20 Texas-based companies, including five Houston startups, applied to be a part of this year’s cohort. Taurus and Tybr are the only representatives from the Lone Star State. MedTech Accelerator is in its 12th year running this year.
Taurus Vascular provides a solution to minimize complications during aortic operations through a minimally invasive catheter. The company was co-founded by CEO Matthew Kuhn and Melanie Lowther. Kuhn said Taurus planned on raising a Series A round after completing animal studies for its technology
“We're looking forward to leveraging MedTech Innovator for invaluable advice and guidance on our product development, regulatory strategies, guiding our commercialization strategy, and then ultimately, fundraising as well with a great connection of investors that are interested in the med tech space,” Kuhn told the HBJ.
Tybr Health is developing a gel that is applied post-surgery for tendons to prevent re-injury or complications. The company was founded by CEO Tim Keane and Alex Smith. Keane said the company was planning its own clinical studies and a potential Series A round next year.
“I think [having local companies in the accelerator] puts a foot in the door for Houston’s life sciences,” Keane said. “I think having programs like the TMC Biodesign Fellowship is really what’s going to continue to bring the talent and the capital that startups in this space need to thrive if they’re going to be in Houston.”
Tybr was formerly part of the Mountain View, California-based accelerator Y Combinator.
Meanwhile, BioTools Innovator, a program devoted specifically for life sciences tools and diagnostics startups, named a Bayou City company to the cohort for the first time since 2022, with EmGeniSys joining 19 other companies from around the world. BioTools was spun out of MedTech Accelerator’s programming and is offering $300,000 in prizes.
EmGeniSys was founded by Cara Wessels Wels and is creating a platform that can assess animal embryos for breeding purposes.
All three confirmed to the Houston Business Journal that they are in the process of fundraising at various stages, and Tybr and Taurus are entering regulatory discussions with the Food and Drug Administration, showcasing growth in the Bayou City’s life sciences ecosystem.
“We recognize that the companies accepted into the BioTools Innovator Cohort represent the most innovative, ground-breaking life science companies in the world, so acceptance into this cohort is tremendous validation of our vision and hard work,” said Wessels Wels. “We believe with the help of BioTools Innovator, EmGenisys EmVision has the potential to serve as a platform technology and scale into other market verticals, including human in vitro fertilization, endangered species conservation and enable mammalian reproduction in space.”
Last year, four Houston startups were named to the MedTech cohort. Meanwhile, another ex-Y Combinator startup, CellChorus, was selected to the BioTools cohort in 2022.
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