Five Plastic Surgery Startups From the MTI/ASPS Plastic Surgery Accelerator Propelled to Finals of Annual MedTech Competition

Five plastic surgery startups advanced through a rigorous selection process to represent the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)/MedTech Innovator (MTI) Plastic Surgery Accelerator track in the 2024 MedTech Innovator Accelerator program and competition. Each startup will take part in the comprehensive program, designed to help grow promising new companies focused on medical device, diagnostic and digital health technology.

The plastic surgery track startups selected to advance in this joint effort between the ASPS and MTI include Akeyna (Boston, Mass.), Avance Innovation (London, United Kingdom), Fasciotens GmBH (Essen, Germany), Lattice Medical (Loos, France) and ReConstruct Bio (Boston, Mass). The five finalists join a field of 65 startups from around the world that will compete for a share of $800,000 in funding awards over the course of the four-month program.

"It is always incredibly exciting to witness innovative technologies emerging in the field of plastic surgery, ," says ASPS President Steven Williams, MD, Dublin, Calif. "The MTI/ASPS Plastic Surgery Accelerator not only provides invaluable support for these startups but also represents a significant step forward in enhancing patient care and advancing the specialty."

Approximately 80 companies entered the MTI/ASPS competition this year, and 12 advanced to the live-pitch judging phase, where the top five were selected to represent the plastic surgery track.

ASPS participation in the MTI/ASPS Plastic Surgery Accelerator is made possible through the generous support of Motiva, the Society's 2024 Innovation Sponsor. Each of the five cohort participants from the MTI/ASPS Plastic Surgery Accelerator will be featured at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, Sept. 26-29 in San Deigo, Calif., and receive mentoring from ASPS surgeons and associated entrepreneurs. They will also participate in MedTech Innovator's corporate mentorship program, where they will be matched with senior industry leaders to receive ongoing, in-depth, customized mentorship and support.

"Our accelerator has become the gold standard, thanks to our industry-leading track record of identifying and refining the most innovative medtech startups in the world," says Paul Grand, CEO and founder of MedTech Innovator. "Having evaluated thousands of applicants, I can tell you that the 2024 MedTech Innovator Cohort represents the best-emerging startups around the globe."

This year's event marks the third year of the ASPS/MTI partnership. More than 500 companies have completed the programs since the launch of MedTech Innovator in 2013. This participation has resulted in more than 200 FDA approvals and clearances and $6.8 billion in funding.

The 2024 accelerator program launches June 12-13 at the MedTech Innovator Summit in Mountain View, Calif. Leadership teams from each of the 65 startups will attend networking events and workshops with MedTech Innovator partners, alumni and industry leaders.

The 2024 cohort will then be featured on June 14 at the Wilson Sonsini Medical Device Digital Health Conference in San Francisco, Calif., where they will be showcased to investors and compete for the $25,000 Vision Award. The program culminates in the MedTech Conference powered by AdvaMed, Oct. 15-17, in Toronto, Canada, where five companies will advance to the Grand Finals.