ARSS AND SOUNDPASS MEDICAL WIN INAUGURAL BENCH TO BEDSIDE APEX COMPETITION
October 29, 2026
Two Student-Led Startups Earn $50k in Funding in Global Medical Innovation Competition
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (October 23, 2026) — A judging panel of top medtech industry executives named ARSS and SoundPass Medical as the inaugural winners of two startup divisions of the Center for Medical Innovation’s Bench to Bedside APEX competition, recognizing the companies for their innovative medical technologies and strong potential to improve patient care.
Bench to Bedside APEX expands CMI’s nationally recognized Bench to Bedside program into a global competition for student-founded health care startups. The competition connects emerging companies with mentorship, funding, and resources to accelerate the development of medical technologies addressing unmet clinical needs.
Following a multi-stage competition that culminated in a live grand finale in Salt Lake City, judges selected winners in two categories: Emerging Innovators and Scaling Startups. Each winning team receives $50,000 in non-dilutive funding, a year of incubator space at the Sorenson Center for Medical Innovation, mentorship from industry experts, and additional commercialization support.
Emerging Innovators Winner: ARSS
ARSS (Automated Repositioning Sheet System) earned the top prize in the Emerging Innovators category for its automated patient-turning technology, designed to prevent pressure injuries and reduce the physical burden on caregivers. The system uses a disposable glide sheet with integrated inflatable chambers that automatically reposition patients on a clinically validated schedule, providing a lower-cost alternative to powered specialty beds.
The technology addresses a longstanding challenge in hospitals and long-term care facilities, where consistent patient repositioning is essential for preventing pressure ulcers but is often difficult to maintain due to staffing limitations. By automating the process within existing clinical workflows, ARSS aims to improve patient outcomes while reducing caregiver injuries and burnout.
Scaling Startups Winner: SoundPass Medical
SoundPass Medical was named the winner of the Scaling Startups category for EchoVent, an investigational ultrasound-guidance platform designed to improve the placement of external ventricular drains, a critical neurosurgical procedure used to relieve pressure on the brain.
The company’s technology integrates an ultrasound-tipped stylet, echolucent catheter, and guidance software to provide clinicians with real-time localization feedback during ventricular access procedures while preserving familiar bedside workflows. SoundPass developed the platform in response to the challenges clinicians face during emergency ventricular access, where speed and accuracy are critical to patient outcomes.
“The caliber of innovation demonstrated by our APEX finalists reflects the next generation of health care entrepreneurship,” said Mark Paul, Executive Director of CMI. “These teams are combining clinical insight, technical expertise, and business acumen to develop solutions that have the potential to make a meaningful impact on patient care around the world.”
Building on more than a decade of success from the original Bench to Bedside program, APEX was created to support student-founded companies at a more advanced stage of development and help accelerate their path toward commercialization. The competition welcomes startups developing medical devices, diagnostics, and other health technologies with the potential to improve patient outcomes and transform care delivery.
For more information about Bench to Bedside APEX, visit uofuhealth.utah.edu/center-for-medical-innovation/programs/bench-to-bedside-apex.
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