Syracuse, Ithaca firms to compete in FuzeHub contest

Commercialization competition set for Oct. 28-29          

ALBANY — Twelve finalists, including a Syracuse company and two firms with operations in Ithaca, will compete in the annual FuzeHub commercialization competition near the end of the month in Syracuse. Triton Bio, Inc. of Syracuse, along with Anova Biomedical, Inc. and Parker Isaac Instruments d/b/a FormaPath, both with operations in Ithaca, are the regional finalists. Additional finalists are located in the New York City, the Capital Region, Long Island, and Mid-Hudson regions. Albany–based FuzeHub is a nonprofit organization that supports small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in New York state. The eighth annual commercialization competition — which is part of the upcoming New York State Innovation Summit — is set for Oct. 28-29 at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter in downtown Syracuse. It happens yearly as part of the Empire State Development (ESD)-supported FuzeHub Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund. The finalists have the chance to win $50,000 by pitching their business plan before a panel of judges and a live audience. One firm will win the top funding award of $150,000. “I would like to take a moment to celebrate our twelve outstanding finalists” Patty Rechberger, Innovation Fund manager for the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund at FuzeHub, said in the announcement. “It is a significant accomplishment to reach this stage. These companies have proven that they have what it takes to break through the noise and the tenacity required to turn their innovative ideas into reality. I cannot wait to work with them to get ready for their live pitches at the Summit.”

Regional finalists

The finalists include Triton Bio, Inc., which is working on scalable manufacturing of a “smart” incubator for automating microbial analysis. The firm’s website lists an address of 841 E. Fayette St. in Syracuse, which is Upstate Medical University’s Central New York Biotech Accelerator. FuzeHub in its announcement said, Triton Bio is “building Mira, an incubator with AI computer vision to automate microbial analysis and supercharge research. Mira automatically captures images of samples (such as Petri dishes) over time. This will automate laborious tasks for microbiologists and give them unprecedented access to biological characteristics and activity. Real-life application examples are the identification of drug resistance characteristics, the study of the effects of preservatives on food shelf-life, and the effects of insecticides in real time.” The finalists also include Anova Biomedical, Inc. of Ithaca, which says it is working on the first self-transforming, fully biodegradable vascular grafts. The project description in the FuzeHub announcement says, “As part of their treatment, some dialysis patients must undergo surgery to create ‘vascular access.’ Current vascular access grafts are made of porous Teflon, the same material used in non-stick pan s, and they perform terribly. Anova Biomedical is making a new form of vascular access graft made from a novelty material that slowly degrades over time as the body regenerates. This technology will help prevent excess hospitalizations and premature patient deaths.” Another finalist, Parker Isaac Instruments d/b/a FormaPath, has a manufacturing facility in Ithaca. It is working on nToto, automated tissue handling and visualization system to gross small biopsies. Its description in the FuzeHub announcement says, “FormaPath has proven their concept combining robotics and computer vision to automate small biopsy grossing. Labs are under significant pressure to meet turnaround time and limited resources; manual processes are inherently inconsistent. nToto quickly delivers high-confidence reports to guide appropriate treatment for all patients.” Besides its Ithaca manufacturing location, the firm’s website also lists a location in Brooklyn, as well as one in Hood River, Oregon.