Enrico Ascher Vascular Innovation Institute

A structured 8‑week virtual bootcamp, guided by a Lab2Market Program Manager (PM) and supported by Lab2Market’s experienced C‑level Business Advisors (BA). Through discussions and online learnings, teams will explore key topics that strengthen their ability to articulate market viability, design and execute critical experiments, advance research translation, and develop an informed regulatory strategy.

The virtual sessions are designed to help teams determine if they have a clear and viable path to market and develop a go-to-market plan:

• Program Introduction
• Sessions 1, 2: Business viability (meet with PM; develop and refine content)
• Session 3: Business viability (present to BAs)
• Session 4: Key experiments, Regulatory strategy (meet with PM; develop and refine content)
• Session 5: Key experiments, Regulatory strategy (present to BAs)
• Sessions 6, 7: Final presentation (meet with PM; prepare and refine final pitch)
• Session 8: Final presentation (present to BAs)

Time commitment is 5-10 hours per week.

• July 31, 2026, 11:59pm CT – Application deadline (Submit through the online application portal)
• Week of August 31, 2026 – Selected teams invited to advance to the virtual presentation round 
• Week of September 28, 2026 – Selected teams present a brief (10 minute) virtual presentation to a committee of subject matter experts
• Week of October 26, 2026 – Accepted teams notified of their selection for the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp
• Mid-December 2026 – SVS Foundation Entrepreneurial Bootcamp Orientation
• January 4 through March 15, 2027 – Weekly virtual bootcamp sessions and team presentations. Time commitment is 5-10 hours per week.
• June 2027 – Eligible bootcamp participants will be invited to participate in the Innovation Awards Competition at the Vascular Annual Meeting 2027

The SVS Foundation Entrepreneurial Bootcamp is intended for early- to mid-stage teams, led by a vascular surgeon, that have identified a clinical need, developed a potential solution, and are seeking to further define the commercial pathway.

Applicants/Teams

The primary applicant and team leader must be an SVS Active or Early Active Member. The team may include clinicians, researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs. Teams should demonstrate clinical and/or technical expertise, as well as an interest in advancing toward commercialization.

Stage of Innovation

Projects should at minimum be at the translational/proof-of-concept stage, typically:

• Beyond the initial concept stage
• Pre-Series A

Teams are expected to be actively evaluating:

• Intellectual property position (e.g., invention disclosure submitted, provisional or non-provisional patent application filed)
• Regulatory pathway
• Market opportunity and positioning

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Unmet Need: A clearly defined and significant clinical problem that is not adequately addressed by existing solutions, with demonstrated clinical need and a meaningful market opportunity.
• Solution Viability: A credible technological approach, including a preliminary intellectual property strategy or freedom to operate considerations.
• Team Capability: Demonstrated access to the clinical, technical, and operational expertise required to advance the project, including execution of key proof of concept or validation studies.

Step 1: Written application - Deadline July 31, 2026, 11:59pm CT 

Submit application through the online application portal 

The application is a 1–2-page narrative, excluding references, and should include the topics listed below. References may not exceed 1 additional (third) page. 

Use Arial, 11pt font, 1” margins. Type density should conform with standard NIH guidelines (no more than 15 characters per inch, no more than six lines per inch). 

Use section titles, images and graphics to assist reviewers in understanding your application. 

1. Non-Confidential Project Title: Provide a non-confidential title intended for a lay audience that succinctly conveys what the envisioned product is, what it does, and what problem it solves.
2. Project Team: List each team member, their relevant expertise and role, previous commercialization experience (if any), and their institutional or organizational affiliation (e.g., employer, academic institution, or startup). Include a primary contact email and phone number.
3. Unmet Clinical Need: Describe the clinical problem or unmet need addressed by your proposed solution. Where possible, quantify the significance of the problem using relevant metrics (e.g., number of patients affected annually, procedure volumes, healthcare costs, or projected trends).Describe the current standard of care for managing this condition. What approaches (e.g., drugs, devices, diagnostics, or procedures) are currently used? Finally, explain why the problem remains unresolved and where existing approaches fall short.
4. Solution and Enabling Technology: Describe, non-confidentially, your proposed product or solution to address the identified clinical need. What is the underlying innovation or technology that enables this solution? Briefly describe the current stage of development. What do you have in hand (e.g., concept, design drawings, prototype, benchtop or in vitro data, animal data, or human data)? Please include at least one figure (e.g., chart, graph, schematic, or other visual representation) that illustrates the product envisioned.
5. Intellectual Property: If you are affiliated with an academic institution that has a Technology Transfer Office (or equivalent), please indicate whether your technology has been disclosed to that office. Describe the current status of your intellectual property, including any invention disclosures, provisional or non‑provisional patent applications, and any shared or joint ownership arrangements. Please note that while a filed or issued patent is not required at the time of application, submission of at least an Invention Disclosure Form is required for your application to be considered for review.
6. Facilities and Resources: Describe the facilities and resources available to support research translation (e.g., for design, prototyping, and testing) that you and your team have access to.

Applications will be reviewed by the SVS Foundation and Lab2Market. Selected teams will be notified during the week of August 31, 2026, and invited to deliver a brief virtual presentation to a committee of subject matter experts during the week of September 28, 2026.

Step 2: Virtual Presentation (by invitation) - Week of September 28, 2026

Selected teams will deliver a 10-minute virtual presentation to a committee of subject matter experts from SVS Foundation and Lab2Market. The presentation content should align with the information included in the submitted application. Additional guidelines will be shared in advance.

SVS Foundation will select the final teams to participate in the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp and notify accepted teams by October 31, 2026.

Information to come.

Lab2Market is an entrepreneurial training organization that helps biomedical innovators and early-stage companies evaluate commercial opportunities and accelerate the translation of new technologies to market. Since 2015, Lab2Market's leadership team and network of experienced C-level industry advisors have trained more than 200 biomedical innovation teams through programs supported by organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

A distinguishing feature of the Lab2Market approach is its combination of structured entrepreneurial education, personalized business coaching, and project management support. Each team works closely with experienced advisors who help participants assess unmet clinical needs, validate market opportunities, evaluate commercialization strategies, and develop a clear path to market.

Through the SVS Foundation Entrepreneurial Bootcamp, Lab2Market will provide vascular surgeon innovators with the tools, mentorship, and business expertise needed to determine whether their innovations have a viable commercial pathway and the potential to improve patient care.

Please contact svsfoundation@vascularsociety.org.