Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures is partnering with Microsoft to give a total of $150,000 to three startups, including gastroenterology technology company SpectralDx, that are addressing environmental and medical challenges, Technical.ly reported June 15.
The funding was granted via the Microsoft Innovation Acceleration Awards Program. The awards aim to help Johns Hopkins University-affiliated startups launch, scale and commercialize.
SpectralDx is creating a tool that will allow patients to use smartphones to screen their own stool samples for colorectal cancer. The company plans to use the money to continue research into this camera-based diagnostic tool.
The company chose the three winners out of 26 applications. The startups were chosen by a panel of experts that included the university's alumni, successful entrepreneurs and key industry players.