XLerateHealth, a Louisville, Ky.-based accelerator program, received $1.73 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health to bolster its network of academic institutions pursuing healthcare innovation.
Approximately $1.5 million of the grant will go toward strengthening various tools and resources within the XLerator Network of 24 academic institutions, led by Lexington-based University of Kentucky. One such tool will offer personalized plans for researchers, faculty and students aiming to take their ideas from lab to market. The network serves as a hub for research and development of innovative healthcare solutions in the southeastern U.S.
The remaining $250,000, an Administrative Supplement from the NIH, will fund the new "Ideas to Products" program. The program will provide funding to assist in the commercialization of innovative technologies developed by the network's faculty, students and researchers.
To support these initiatives, XLerateHealth has formed two advisory committees to provide hands-on support. The committees comprise leaders from pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as investors, entrepreneurs and academic experts.