Early-stage medtech companies in the lone star state will have a new avenue of support in 2022.

Proxima Clinical Research, a contract research organization (CRO) based at the Texas Medical Center, plans to launch its own accelerator program early in the new year. Dubbed M1 MedTech, the accelerator will take on a limited number of companies in each cohort and offer a hands-on approach to helping founders advance their companies and technologies. The coaching process will include a curated educational program, interactive workshops to help the participants build out specific company deliverables, and one-on-one mentoring.

“Our goal is to move these companies substantially forward in a short amount of time,” said Kevin Coker, CEO of Proxima. “Proxima is in a unique position to leverage our experienced team of regulatory, quality, and clinical experts. We won’t be working at arm’s length from these companies. We will be a big part of what they do every day.”

Accelerators and incubators can be a tremendous source of support for budding medical device innovators. Earlier this year, MD+DI organized a list of U.S. medtech incubators and accelerators by state to help you locate the support and inspiration needed to bring your next medical device to market.

Proxima said it has raised funds for company launch and investment in several new companies as part of the initial cohort.

“This will be a unique experience for all parties involved, as Proxima is also a young, yet established, company that is now creating a program to assist companies at an earlier stage,” said Larry Lawson, co-founder of Proxima. “Our experience in the CRO realm and ability to provide coaching in clinical, regulatory, quality, and go-to-market strategies will only strengthen M1 MedTech’s ability to support the success of emerging companies and provide more life-saving technology to the public.”

M1 MedTech plans to open applications in the spring.

“M1 will be a place where startups can go to receive concrete resources to further their development. The participant success is our sole focus, and the ultimate goal is to have a substantial impact on the ideation-to-market process for Class II and Class III medical devices,” said Isabella Schmitt, director of regulatory affairs at Proxima and a principal at M1. “Proxima’s specific expertise alongside our M1 partners will provide resources for all key areas of a medical device entrepreneur’s journey to market and beyond.”

For now, M1 MedTech will function as an accelerator focused on more involved Class II and III medical devices. As the program continues to grow, the team plans to build out an even more extensive incubator focused solely on Class III medical devices.

“We don’t view M1 as competitive to other accelerators, rather we believe it will offer a different experience. Our team will strive to create a personalized program where companies have a dedicated touch point throughout the process,” said Sean Bittner, director of programs at M1 MedTech. “We will also provide specific, tailored connections and resources vetted by our team through professional partnerships, not just a general list of industry contacts.”