Sonavi Labs, Inc., a medical device and software company, has won the annual Innov8 Talks pitch competition at this year’s Arab Health conference in Dubai. The company presented its debut device – Feelix, a digital stethoscope platform including respiratory diagnostic devices and supportive software – during the four-day competition, and ultimately took home the grand prize in the final round. The Baltimore City business, which traveled as part of the Maryland delegation, will receive a free booth at next year’s conference.
“I am so glad that we were able to start 2020 off with this win,” said CEO Ellington West. “We brought the whole Sonavi Labs team here because this is one of the world’s largest medical conferences, and I’m ecstatic that we all got to be a part of this amazing victory.”
Innov8 Talks received more than 7,000 applications from around the world, with Sonavi Labs being one of 32 global start-up companies to compete in the competition. The Feelix platform features outside noise cancellation, which provides advanced sound quality for patients’ body sounds, and can analyze conditions as a trained physician would. The company believes a device that can instantly detect abnormalities can benefit countless individuals, including those with pneumonia, tuberculosis, COPD, asthma, and more.
“On behalf of the entire Hogan-Rutherford administration, I extend an enthusiastic congratulations to Sonavi Labs of Baltimore City on their impressive win at Arab Health’s Innov8 Talks pitch competition,” said Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford, who led the Maryland delegation this year. “Your success showcases not only the benefit of events like Arab Health in exposing Maryland start-ups to a global audience, it also highlights the strength and innovation of our state’s healthcare industry. We look forward to seeing what you accomplish next.”
“The future is bright for Baltimore’s Sonavi Labs,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “The company’s Feelix platform has the potential to help thousands of patients around the world, and we couldn’t be happier to have them located here in Maryland. Congratulations on winning this highly selective entrepreneurial pitch competition.”