MedStart Relaunches
MedStart Relaunches
Local groups are gearing up to relaunch MedStart, a networking and support group aimed at fostering connections among medical, pharmaceutical, and device companies in the region. Spearheading this effort is Startup Folsom, which plans to provide the program with a home, a website, and organize events and discussions.
“It’s an experiment. We don’t know what it’s going to look like yet,” said Rich Foreman, founder of Startup Folsom. “But we know there is a definite need.”
The concept of a revitalized MedStart quickly gained the support of The Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at California State University, Sacramento. Cameron Law, the executive director of the Carlsen Center, emphasized the necessity of a central hub for medical technology and health technology companies. "We need a node to be the center for medical technology and health technology companies," he stated.
Laura Good, CEO of StartupSac, echoed this sentiment, noting, “I do think there is a need. There is a hole in the support system for these startup companies.”
MedStart was originally one of several industry verticals created by the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance (SARTA), a local nonprofit that supported startups in sectors such as agriculture, clean technology, general technology, and medicine. While some SARTA verticals like CleanStart and AgStart have persisted, SARTA itself ceased operations in 2015 after a period of rapid executive turnover and declining support.
Reflecting on the early years of MedStart, Good, who served as its program director for the first three years, recalled, “MedStart had the most companies” of all the SARTA verticals. Despite initial backing from the city of Sacramento, MedStart struggled to find leadership after SARTA's closure.
Rich Foreman is actively working to gauge local interest and needs by organizing forums and planning the first event in May. The event will feature speaker Jordan Plews, CEO of Elevai Labs Inc., a startup specializing in stem-cell-derived cosmetics for skin surgery patients. Foreman highlighted the region's abundance of startups in medicine, devices, and therapies, emphasizing the lack of a unifying group to connect them. “One thing I’m good at is getting people together,” Foreman remarked, as he seeks sponsors and event spaces.
Cameron Law appreciates Foreman's approach to engaging the medical community. "I like that he is asking the medical community what the right offerings will be," Law commented. "It's not 'build it and they will come.' He wants to know what they want."
The timing of this initiative is opportune, according to Law, due to the rising interest in life sciences and medical technology in the area. He anticipates that the number of companies involved with MedStart will increase with the growth of ReadyStart Clean Rooms in Rancho Cordova and Aggie Square. ReadyStart, which opened in October, provides shared clean-room and wet-lab spaces for medical science companies. Meanwhile, Aggie Square is a $1.1 billion, 1.2 million-square-foot medical and biotechnology center being developed by the University of California Davis. Located just south of UC Davis’ hospital campus in Sacramento, it is expected to open its first buildings in 2025.
The Carlsen Center is also committed to supporting the MedStart relaunch by hosting events and spreading awareness, Law added.
Rich Foreman, who is also the CEO of application development company Apptology, serves as the local director of Startup Grind and a board member of StartupSac. Both organizations are dedicated to providing networking and support for entrepreneurs.
This version maintains the original article's information while integrating the provided quotes more seamlessly into the narrative.
