Allisa Song, Nanodropper

Medicine-saving Nanodropper makes history in Minnesota Cup win

The student-led startup wants to save pati ents from wasted eye drops.

BY JIM HAMMERAND MANAGING EDITOR

The Nanodropper

Photo courtesy of Nanodropper

"We decided that patients deserve better. ... Our competitors have made smaller droplets, yes, but Nanodropper is the only solution that both reduces the droplet size and the cost of the medication."

The Minnesota Cup awarded its grand prize for innovative entrepreneurs to a student-led startup for the fi rst time.

Medical device developer Nanodropper took home top honors from the awards ceremony, held Sept. 20 at the University of Minnesota.

“We have created an eyedrop bottle adaptor that will save billions in medication waste, one drop at a time,” Nanodropper CEO Allisa Song said.

Song, an MD candidate at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, launched the company with three other founders — Chief Operating Officer Elias Baker, Chief Commercialization Officer Mackenzie Andrews and Chief Scientific Officer Jennifer Steger — after learning that drug companies make eye drops too large to be fully absorbed, and that smaller drops are more efficient and just as efficacious.

Rochester-based Nanodropper reduces drop size from 40 microliters to 10 microliters (what Song calls the “ideal-size drop”) to extend the life of each bottle of medicated eye drops three or four times, saving hundreds or thousands of dollars per year on a single prescription.

“We decided that patients deserve better. … Our competitors have made smaller droplets, yes, but Nanodropper is the only solution that both reduces the droplet size and the cost of the medication,” Song said.

The startup has already secured seed funding from Golden Seeds and Rochester Area Economic Development Inc. (RAEDI), has its product in more than 250 eye clinics and landed a $500,000 contract with the U.S. Air Force.

Nanodropper won $25,000 for winning the Minnesota Cup Student Division and the $50,000 grand prize as the overall winner. Minnesota Cup does not take an equity stake in exchange for the prizes.

“We trust them to invest that money in their business in any way they choose.” Minnesota Cup Director Jessica Berg said.

It’s the fi rst time in Minnesota Cup’s

microliters (what Song calls the “ideal-size 17 seasons that a student-led startup drop”) to extend the life of each bottle of has won the overall competition. This medicated eye drops three or four times, year’s contest drew nearly 2,000 earlysaving hundreds or thousands of dollars stage companies earning less than $1 million in revenue.

“We decided that patients deserve Aimee Garza’s CoraVie Medical, better. … Our competitors have made which is developing a subcutaneous smaller droplets, yes, but Nanodropper continuous blood pressure monitor is the only solution that both reduces for hypertension, won the competition’s LifeScience/Health IT division.

The startup has already secured seed funding from Golden Seeds and Rochester Area Economic Development Inc. (RAEDI), has its product in more than 250 eye clinics and landed a $500,000

Nanodropper won $25,000 for winning the Minnesota Cup Student Division and the $50,000 grand prize as the overall winner. Minnesota Cup does not take an equity stake in exchange for the prizes.

“We trust them to invest that money in their business in any way they choose.” Minnesota Cup Director Jessica Berg said.

It’s the fi rst time in Minnesota Cup’s 17 seasons that a student-led startup has won the overall competition. This year’s contest drew nearly 2,000 earlystage companies earning less than $1 million in revenue. Aimee Garza’s CoraVie Medical, which is developing a subcutaneous continuous blood pressure monitor for hypertension, won the competition’s LifeScience/Health IT division.

Nanodropper

co-founder and CEO Allisa Song

Photo courtesy of Nanodropper

10 WOMEN-LED MEDTECH STARTUPS

(conti nued)

NASUS MEDICAL

ASHLEY SEEHUSEN, CEO

Nasus Medical is developing an intranasal drug delivery to treat conditi ons like chronic sinusiti s and improve outcomes in a noninvasive way.

Pleasanton, California Founded: 2019

NANODROPPER

ALLISA SONG, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO

Nanodropper developed an eyedrop bott le adaptor that makes medicated eyedrops smaller, reducing waste without losing effi cacy.

Rochester, Minnesota Founded: 2018

RESPIRA LABS

DR. MARIA ARTUNDUAGA, FOUNDER AND CEO

Respira Labs is developing an “acousti c resonance” technology to detect air trapping to quickly diagnose and predict lung dysfuncti on and deteriorati on.

Mountain View, California Founded: 2019

STERADIAN TECHNOLOGIES

ASMA MIRZA, CEO

Steradian Technologies is developing a portable, single-step rapid detecti on test for communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Houston, Texas Founded: 2018

XACT ROBOTICS

CHEN LEVIN, CEO

Xact Roboti cs is developing a hands-free roboti c system that uses image-based planning and navigati on with instrument inserti on and steering capabiliti es for percutaneous interventi onal procedures.

Caesarea, Israel Founded: 2013