Issue 96 – May 2022
Company Spotlight – Amend Surgical
Amend Surgical, Inc., an Alachua-based medical device company, finalized a funding agreement with the Institute for Commercialization of Florida Technology (the Florida Institute) along with being awarded a substantial product development funding from The Michigan-Pittsburgh-Wyss Regenerative Medicine (MPWRM) Resource Center. This new funding agreement represents the Florida Institute’s second investment in the team at Amend Surgical. The capital investments will allow Amend Surgical to accelerate the development and market launch of Amend Tissue Tape™, a biocompatible, hydrogel-based adhesive that safely adheres in wet environments such as the oral cavity. Tissue Tape™ is an easy to apply, clear, smooth strip that forms a protective barrier between the wound and surrounding tissues. The device stays in place during wound healing to prevent further irritation and contamination while providing improvement in wound healing and patient comfort following dental surgery or soft tissue injuries. Amend Surgical is actively developing both non-resorbable and resorbable product options for applications in periodontal and oral surgical procedures. The intellectual property for the Tissue Tape™ technology was licensed from The Wyss Institute at Harvard University in June 2020. 
"We are committed to providing dental and oral surgeons effective and predictable product options for treating intraoral wounds and help improve post-procedure patient comfort. As the only material that can adhere to oral-dental soft tissue, maintain binding strength multiple weeks after application and support healing, Tissue Tape will fill a significant unmet need in a market exceeding $850 million per year,” said Robby Lane, Chief Executive Officer of Amend Surgical.
“We are excited about the significant progress made by Amend Surgical in moving this important technology toward market approval,” said Rafael Lohner, Florida Institute Executive Director. “Amend Surgical is another successful example of an exceptional team developing market disruptive products right here in Florida that will benefit not only patients in Florida but around the world.”
More on Amend Surgical can be found here. The press release can be found here.
Florida Institute Funds Gemini Sports Analytics in Miami
The Institute has finalized a funding agreement with Gemini Sports Analytics, a company that recently opened its new headquarters in Miami. Firms such as Gemini Sports Analytics are great examples of innovative firms benefitting from the progressive business environment and talent availability in Florida. Gemini Sports Analytics has designed a no-code, predictive intelligence platform which enables non-technical executives to create complex data queries on their own to more efficiently draft & sign better players, choose effective tactics and maximize talent to win more games. Gemini Sports Analytics helps teams win more games by using their athlete data better. A team of world-class applied sports scientists who have innovated their way to enhance people, processes, and technology, in that order.
More on Gemini Sports Analytics can be found here.
The Institute Welcomes Lauren Moore
The Institute has welcomed Lauren Moore to the management team in the role of Business Office Manager in April 2022. She is responsible for Institute business operations, including human resources, financial and contracts management, supporting the Executive Director with program oversight for Institute services, seed funding programs, and other administrative responsibilities.
Mrs. Moore, a customer service professional for over 15 years, has experience in Finance, Project Management, Process Improvement, and Contract and Systems Administration. Working primarily in IT, she has supported companies ranging from large Fortune 100 corporations to small private companies. She has a diverse background that also includes previously owning a small design business in the special event industry as well as working in a supporting role with teachers and special needs students in elementary education.
She has always been an active participant in various community and school organizations, coaching sports, supporting the performing arts, and performing community outreach. She is currently serving as the Treasurer for the Sickles High School Chorus Boosters and will be involved with the Sickles High School Theater program in the coming months
About Us
Formed by the Florida Legislature in 2007, the Institute for Commercialization of Florida Technology supports and funds innovation companies that create clean jobs in new industries that are driving the global economy. The Institute provides company building services, and seed funding through the Florida Technology Seed Capital Fund, to promising Florida startups that are developing products that improve and save lives and help companies improve their bottom line. The organization’s investment decisions are guided through a strong partnership with its Private Fund Manager, Florida Funders. The Institute’s economic impact over the last eleven years was $3.4 billion, with fiscal revenue impacts of nearly $382 million to federal, state, and local governments.