September 15, 2026

The finalists have been selected for the 2026 BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition, taking place on September 16 during the 12th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Week at U.S. Pharmacopeia in Rockville, Maryland. This year’s group includes five U.S.-based finalists from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia, along with one international finalist from France, representing medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, and life science technologies.

This year’s competition drew a record 82 applications, the largest applicant pool in Crab Trap history. The finalists represent medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, and life science technologies from across the United States and internationally.

Each company will pitch live before a panel of judges, investors, industry leaders, and members of the regional biohealth community. The competition is scheduled for September 16 during the second day of the BioHealth Capital Region Forum.

2026 Crab Trap Finalists


Actuated Medical — Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Aidar Health — Columbia, Maryland
Cortexx Medical Intelligence — Paris, France
Lisen Imprinting Diagnostics — Wilmington, Delaware
Liquet Medical — Glen Allen, Virginia
Phycin — Frederick, Maryland


The BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference returns September 17, bringing together companies seeking capital, visibility and strategic partners with investors looking for promising biohealth opportunities.

The partnering portal IS OPEN! In, giving registered companies and investors the opportunity to review profiles and begin making connections before the conference. If you have not registered yet, now is the time. Just as important, make sure your profile is complete so others can find you and understand what you are looking for.

Companies with stronger profiles will be better positioned for investor visibility, and investors will have more information to identify companies that fit their interests. If you want to take part in the partnering process, register and complete your profile before the portal opens.

COLUMBIA, Md., (September 9, 2026) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced the latest round of awardees for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Matching Funds (Matching Funds) program.

“We are excited to have the means to support entrepreneurs across their journey, providing additional funds through the Matching Funds program to help them advance research and development efforts,” said Julia Deng, director, SBIR Programs. “The three awardees were chosen from another competitive grouping of applicants. We are grateful for all applications and wish everyone luck on their entrepreneurial journey.”

Created to strengthen the power of the SBIR/STTR awards, the Matching Funds program fosters job creation and economic development in Maryland by promoting the commercialization of research, facilitating technology transfer and encouraging SBIR/STTR program applications.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has launched the fourth NIA Start-Up Challenge and Accelerator, offering early-stage innovators a combination of funding, entrepreneurial training, mentorship, and networking to help advance new technologies focused on aging and older adults.

The 2027 Challenge will award up to $994,000 in total cash prizes while providing selected entrepreneurs with hands-on support to move research-driven ideas toward commercialization.

The Challenge is seeking innovative tools, technologies, and interventions that address aging-related diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. NIA is also looking for solutions that promote healthy aging, help older adults age in the place of their choice, improve care delivery, and reduce the burden on caregivers.

COLUMBIA, Md., (September 10, 2026) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced the findings of an independent economic impact study detailing the contributions of TEDCO to the state of Maryland.  

The 2026 study, conducted by Sage Policy Group, a Baltimore-based economic and policy consulting firm whose client base spans more than forty states, shows TEDCO as an economic powerhouse, contributing significant economic and fiscal returns to the Maryland ecosystem. In fiscal year 2025 alone, TEDCO supported more than $1 billion in statewide economic output, 4,027 jobs and $479 million in labor income — building on a track record that now totals more than $9.9 billion in economic output and 38,000 jobs since inception.

“TEDCO was created to lead innovation to market, and we are excited to continue doing just that,” said Troy LeMaile-Stovall, TEDCO CEO. “Our impact across Maryland's ecosystem reflects the strength of the entrepreneurs, researchers and industry partners we're proud to support. Every dollar we invest is designed to help promising ideas become viable companies, and this study confirms that approach is paying dividends for the entire state — in jobs created, in business expansions and in Maryland's reputation as a place where innovation thrives.”

IonQ and the Association of University Research Parks are hosting an invite-only reception on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at GrillMarx in College Park, Maryland, located in the lobby of The Hotel at 7777 Baltimore Avenue. The evening runs alongside Quantum World Congress but stands on its own. Conference registration is not required, so anyone in the research park, innovation district, or quantum technology community can attend. Doors open at 6:00 PM with check-in, followed by two hours of open networking.

The reception marks the launch of the AURP Quantum Tech Caucus, a new community for AURP members working inside quantum research hubs and across quantum and adjacent technologies throughout North America. The caucus gives research parks a shared forum as quantum moves from lab work toward commercial deployment, and the reception is the first chance for members to meet in person. Space is limited and attendance is by invitation.

RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BRAINBox Solutions today announced it has entered into an agreement with Prolight Diagnostics to supply its Pyros® instruments and cartridges for use in point-of-care (PoC) delivery of BRAINBox's TBI diagnostic/prognostic tests for concussion (also known as mTBI or Acute Traumatic Encephalopathy).

"This agreement is an important step towards commercialization of our solutions and reflects the successful progress of our collaboration with Prolight. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts as we prepare for the market launch of our BRAINBox TBI tests and broader adoption of our neurology portfolio," said Donna J. Edmonds, CEO of BRAINBox Solutions. "The Prolight alliance is part of our broader strategy to deliver TBI and other neurology tests through a portfolio of technologies that enable testing in a variety of settings, including hospital laboratories, clinics, ambulances, emergency departments, nursing homes, and athletic facilities. Our approach also focuses on the commitment and ability to quickly scale to meet this important clinical need and extremely large market opportunity."

The supply agreement follows a successful collaboration, including a feasibility study in which Prolight evaluated 260 patient samples from the data set of BrainBox's HeadSMART II pivotal trial on the Psyros platform using three assays for concussion. The results demonstrated excellent performance. Prolight's Pyros technology enables the rapid detection and measurement of single molecules from a drop of blood. Their proprietary and multiplex-capable technology enables the measurement of biomarkers at extremely low concentrations (single digit ng/L).

In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Subin Baral, Partner at Ernst & Young LLP and EY-Parthenon Global Life Sciences Deals Leader, joins the conversation to discuss the changing life sciences dealmaking environment and what it means for companies, investors, and regional innovation ecosystems.

Subin shares how life sciences companies are shifting from defensive portfolio management toward acquiring earlier-stage assets, technologies, and capabilities that can support long-term growth. He discusses why buyers are looking earlier in the development cycle, what makes an asset attractive in the current market, and why differentiated science, strong data, and flexible deal structures matter more than ever.

The conversation also explores the current M&A environment, including EY’s view that life sciences M&A activity has accelerated significantly, with stronger activity across both biopharma and MedTech. Subin touches on the broader mix of buyers entering the market, the role of mid-sized companies, and how areas such as oncology, immunology, neuroscience, cell and gene therapy, ADCs, bispecifics, AI, data, and quantum may shape future deal activity.

ROCKVILLE, Md. and SHANGHAI, Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AbelZeta Pharma, Inc. ("AbelZeta" or the "Company"), a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative and proprietary cell-based therapeutic products, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company's Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating C-CAR168, an anti-CD20/BCMA bispecific CAR-T, in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis refractory to standard therapy.

This IND clearance expands AbelZeta's C-CAR168 clinical development program into refractory chronic autoimmune neurological disease. It follows two recent major regulatory milestones in refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), including lupus nephritis (LN): FDA clearance, under the Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation, of a multicenter registrational Phase II clinical trial, and PRIority MEdicines (PRIME) designation from the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).

TEDCO’s 12th Entrepreneur Expo will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, universities, and resource partners from across Maryland on October 27, 2026, at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor.

The full-day event will feature workshops, roundtable discussions, keynote conversations, live pitches, networking, and an exhibitor showcase. Sessions will focus on practical topics such as fundraising, investor expectations, startup financials, AI, leadership, and building a business in Maryland.

With more than 1,100 attendees at last year’s Expo, the event has become one of the state’s largest gatherings for the entrepreneurial and innovation community, offering attendees a chance to make new connections, discover resources, and hear directly from founders, investors, and business leaders.

VirginiaBio is reimagining its premier annual conference for 2026. Women Building Bio is moving to an evening format this year, so attendees can keep their daytime schedules intact and still join a few focused hours of insight, networking, and connection. Save the date for Thursday, October 29th at the Sheraton Suites Old Town Alexandria.

Full programming details are still being finalized and will be announced soon. In the meantime, mark your calendar and watch for updates on speakers and session topics. More information is available on the VirginiaBio event page.