Alec Gillinder ’20 and Quinn King ’20 selected for prestigious MassChallenge Boston accelerator

Two men working in a design studio
Alec Gillinder and Quinn King working on their prototype at the School of Design

MassChallenge, a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators, has selected MedUX, a company founded by recent Syracuse University graduates Alec Gillinder ’20 and Quinn King ’20 (VPA School of Design), as one of the early-stage startups that will join the 2020 MassChallenge Boston program. The startups were rigorously selected by a community of more than 500 expert judges and represent the top 9% of applications from around the world.

Gillinder and King co-founded the company as students at SU.  A medical product company based on user-centered design, the team’s first product is a wearable/portable IV system for people in hospital, infusion center, and home infusion settings, as well as emergency first response and military use,  to receive infusion treatment without being tethered to an IV pole.

As students, they enjoyed great success at Syracuse, starting with Invent@SU and then working with the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars at SU Libraries to commercialize their concept.  Among their accomplishments as student entrepreneurs:

  • First place winner of the Invent@SU Competition
  • First place winner of the ‘Cuse Tank Competition
  • First place winners of the Impact Prize Competition
  • Frist place winner of the Panasci Business Plan Competition, Whitman School of Management
  • First place winner of the Syracuse University ACC InVenture Prize Competition
  • Second place national winner of the ACC InVenture Prize national competition at NC State
  • First place winner of the Upstate NY Global Student Entrepreneurship Competition
  • Finalists in the nationals of the Global Student Entrepreneurship Competition
  • First place winner of the Medical Device Challenge by the CNY Biotech Accelerator at Upstate Medical University
  • Participants in the Blackstone LaunchPad Techstars Propel Program

In addition to being one of the highest performing ventures in Syracuse University innovation ecosystem the past two years, they have also been active coaches and advisors to other student startups as two of the inaugural Rubin Family Innovation Mentors at the LaunchPad.

“The foundation they built at Syracuse positions them for success as they officially launch into the MassChallenge Boston accelerator,” said Linda Dickerson Hartsock, executive director of the LaunchPad.  “They worked incredibly hard to achieve this, and we are so proud that they are joining a very elite group of top startups from around the world on a fast track to success.” 

MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Rhode Island, Switzerland, and Texas. The program supports high-potential startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world. To date, more than 2,400 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $6.2B in funding, generated more than $3B in revenue, and created more than 157,000 total jobs.

“The MassChallenge Boston program stands on more than a decade’s worth of proven experience working with entrepreneurs and corporate organizations to help accelerate innovation and drive economic growth,” stated Damon Cox, Assistant Secretary for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Commonwealth of Massachusetts and MassChallenge Advisory Board member. “I am excited that the program has pivoted to a virtual model to continue the essential work of supporting startups that eventually go on to create jobs and drive economic growth in Massachusetts and beyond.”

Since March, MassChallenge’s world-class network of investors, serial entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and academics have evaluated applications based on each startup’s ability to demonstrate high impact and high potential in their fields. This year’s 2020 Boston cohort reflects an exceptional cross-section of innovators from all industries and from 12 countries around the globe. MedUX was one of only six New York State companies selected for the 2020 MassChallenge Boston cohort. 

Top industries this year include:

  • 34% High Tech
  • 32% Healthcare and Life sciences
  • 19% General, including materials, hardware, retail and consumer goods
  • 11% Social Impact
  • 4% Cleantech and Energy

“Alec and Quinn were guided by great industrial and interaction design faculty mentors like Dr. Louise Manfredi, who co-directed Invent@SU. They concurrently worked diligently with the LaunchPad on an investment-ready roadmap while conducting a great deal of discovery with strategic advisors and users, all of which validated the need for their invention,” added Hartsock. “Over the past year they used their campus prize winnings to finalize a production designs for both health care and military use, file a non-provisional patent, hire an FDA consultant, manufacture product samples, and met with distributors to plan a path to market.  They have interest from hospitals and infusion centers and are actively engaged with conversations with European partners on how to enter the military market. Now, as part of MassChallenge Boston 2020, this will be their break-out year.”

“I’m beyond excited to have been accepted into MassChallenge Boston and get to continue to grow our company and improve our product with the help of their experts,” said Gillinder. “Quinn and I are honored to be part of their elite group of innovators and we are looking forward to bringing all we have to the table in the next couple months.”

“I felt blessed and honored to find out that Alec and I got into the MassChallenge Accelerator,” added King. “Having the opportunity to expand our company into the Boston biotech space will be instrumental in the success of our launch. Now that we are graduates, we will be moving full steam ahead on our mission to bring our product in the hands of people who need it.”