The 2026 annual Bench-2-Bedside Medical Innovation competition was held April 13, 2026 at the recently opened Sorenson Center for Medical Innovation state-of-the-art facility on campus, led by a cadre of BME student organizers and the University’s Center for Medical Innovation team. BME students have often spearheaded the months-long organization of this annual Utah event; this year’s competition was no exception. Utah BME alumni Amanda Lematty (B2B Program Manager) and Zakary Wankier (B2B Medicine Ambassador) joined BME’s B2B team comprising Monika Buczak (B2B President), Evan Marsh (B2B VP of Engineering), and Alicia Du (B2B VP of Business) to do the heavy lifting ensuring another successful event, drawing multi-disciplinary teams with company start-up technology value propositions and new technology both state-wide and from teams coming from out-of-state. Student teams showcased their innovative solutions to problems facing today’s health care professionals in a gala-style event, meeting with competition judges, industry professionals, technology advocates, mentors, investors, University leadership, state economic development officials, local corporate sponsors, community members, family, and friends. After an evening of project presentations, judging competition, networking and celebration, an awards ceremony announced the event B2B winners across various categories, and sent winning teams home with nearly $80,000 in milestone funding for further medical product pursuit. Significantly, a diversity of State and local industry and commercial sponsors generously financially support the B2B goals annually. Many local entrepreneur, medtech business, healthcare economic, and technology innovation experts serve as team advisors and competition judges to produce the rigor and excellence underscoring the B2B national reputation.
Since its inception in 2010, the State’s Bench to Bedside (B2B) Program has launched hundreds of next-generation medical device ideas through commercial leveraging, awarded over $1.5M in milestone funding to winning teams, and provided over 1400 students from across Utah, and now nationally and internationally, first-hand experiences with healthcare innovation process, idea pitching, intellectual property, technology translation and transfer.
Of 50 teams competing this year, 4 teams with UU BME students took home 2026 B2B awards, notably these Utah BME B2B prize-winning teams:
FOCUS technology (Airavata Bioengineering LLC) is a field-deployable UV-C sterilization device for surgical instruments in resource-constrained settings. Using ellipsoidal geometry and dual UV-C light sources, it delivers shadow-free irradiation in a 90-second cycle without water, plumbing, or heavy infrastructure. FOCUS is designed for military medics, rural clinics, humanitarian teams, and disaster response units. Team members are: Krishnam Goel (BME), Aditya Karthik (BME) (University of Utah). Grand Prize Runner Up – $10,000.
VeilScale is a weight scale measurement/tracking system that removes visible weight metrics, automatically and securely transmits weight data to the electronic medical record, and eliminates patient exposure to potentially distressing/irrelevant information. Weight data remains fully accessible to clinicians when clinically indicated. Team members include: Lauren Ricks (Westminster University), Jackson Stryker (Weber State University), Brodie Taylor, Helena Vu (BME) (University of Utah). Healthcare Access Solutions Award – $7,500.
CardioWear is a Cardiac Rhythm Monitor for Pediatric Patients with no Adhesive-Skin Contact Team members: Alex Madsen (BME), Emmie Edman (BME) Jashanpreet Kaur (BME) (University of Utah). Eccles & Marriott Libraries Award – $5,000.
Elevāre is redefining pectus excavatum treatment with a breakthrough implant that gradually reshapes the chest over time. Unlike the current methods which use painful abrupt corrections, Elevāre delivers controlled, patient-specific adjustments that reduce reliance on pain management strategies like cryoablation and opioids. Elevāre is transforming patient outcomes and setting a new standard of care Team members: Heidi Hunter (BME), Sanaa Sadiq (BME), Kerrigan Denham (BME), Rachel Revillo (BME) (University of Utah). Consumer’s Choice Award – $2,500
B2B 2026 by the numbers:
50 B2B competing teams.
208 student competitors this year, 58% increase from last year, ranging from 1st-year undergraduates to PhD and MD candidates.
35+ Majors and academic disciplines represented.
10 participating institutions joined the University of Utah hosts at this event. (5 in state, 5 out of state).
130+ Professional Mentors & Competition Judges.