BOOT CAMP OVERVIEW

Penn Health-Tech (PHT) hosts a strategic innovation education program (known as the Health-Tech Accelerator “Boot Camp”), teaching the basics of commercialization of technologies developed in academic settings, with application to your specific project. The goal of the Boot Camp is to support the development of a high-quality translational proposal and pitch for funding consideration by PHT and other future partners.  

Expectations: Enrollment in the Boot Camp is optional for teams that are invited to submit a full proposal to PHT. However, if teams decide to enroll in the Boot Camp, participation is mandatory, including committing to sending a team representative to each session. 

Student Involvement: This program is also part of a for-credit course for graduate students that is offered in partnership with PHT. PHT teams MAY be assigned a team of students (unless equivalent support is already available) to support your project.  Inclusion of students on your project team is not guaranteed. The first in-person session on 1/22 will include an introduction of your project – students will subsequently be matched with specific project teams by 1/29. Depending on the number of project teams and the number of students participating, it is possible that teams may not be assigned a student.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM 

Participants will begin to develop a commercialization plan for their technology.  Teams (and assigned students, if applicable) will work to identify, pressure test, and validate the clinical need, stakeholder requirements, and business opportunities and risks (technical, market, IP, regulatory, reimbursement, etc.) in order to increase commercial potential and package the idea for follow-on partnership and/or investment. Topics discussed during the course will cover important elements of the commercialization process and provide tools to apply to your own projects, including support in addressing early feedback received from your pre-proposal. 

TIME & LOCATION  

• A Pre-Course Orientation will occur on Wednesday, January 15th, 4-5 PM EST, via ZOOM.

• The Boot Camp will run for 10 sessions on Wednesdays, 3:30-6:30 PM EST, starting January 22nd.
  

  • Sessions are held in-person on the Penn Medicine campus.

BOOT CAMP OBJECTIVES 

1. Participants will be able to demonstrate knowledge of all aspects of how to bring a health technology innovation from the lab to the market by:

• Describing the unmet clinical need and stakeholder requirements
  

• Evaluating the business opportunities and risks (technical, market, IP, regulatory, reimbursement, etc.)

• Packaging and pitching the idea to best position it for future commercial value (e.g., partnership or follow-on investment)

2. Participants will engage in an interdisciplinary experience through team interactions and connection with experienced professionals across the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia campus and the broader Philadelphia health-technology innovation ecosystem.

KEY DELIVERABLES OF THE BOOT CAMP  

1. Completion of at least 10 stakeholder interviews

2. Completion and presentation of weekly assignments (templates provided)

3. Pitch Deck (outlining the need, the solution, the business opportunity, and the development plan)