September 9, 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.

TORONTO and GERMANTOWN, Md., Sept. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sernova Biotherapeutics Inc. ("Sernova") (TSX: SVA) (OTC: SEOVF) (FSE/XETRA: PSHO) and Seraxis Holdings, Inc. ("Seraxis") today announced a definitive agreement to combine their technologies and businesses to create a clinical-stage company, BetaNova Biotherapeutics ("BetaNova") focused on advancing a differentiated approach to type 1 diabetes (T1D) islet cell replacement (the "Merger"). BetaNova will be a U.S.-domiciled biotechnology company headquartered in Germantown, Maryland, with integrated research laboratories and cGMP manufacturing capabilities. Upon completion of the Merger, the shareholders of Seraxis and Sernova will each own approximately 50% of BetaNova.

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.

The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research will host its 2026 Technology Showcase on Wednesday, September 9, at the Advanced Technology Research Facility in Frederick, Maryland. The event brings together researchers, industry leaders, investors, and technology transfer professionals for an afternoon focused on innovation, commercialization, and collaboration. The program begins with networking, lunch, and one-on-one partnering, followed by a keynote address from Jeff Allen, Ph.D., President and CEO of Friends of Cancer Research.


Attendees will hear presentations highlighting research capabilities and technologies available through Frederick National Laboratory and the National Cancer Institute, along with funder pitches from organizations including Ecphora Capital, TEDCO, and Blood Cancer United. The agenda also features panels on best practices for partnering with NCI and FNL and strategies for moving technologies efficiently through FDA review, as well as presentations showcasing FNL research tools, software, and NCI technologies.

In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Tammi Thomas, President of TEDCO, joins the conversation to discuss how Maryland is helping entrepreneurs move ideas from research and concept to market.

Tammi shares how TEDCO has evolved from an early-stage funding organization into a broader partner for Maryland startups, supporting companies through capital, federal funding navigation, technical assistance, ecosystem connections, and venture development.



Listen now via your favorite podcast platform:

Apple: https://apple.co/4cnCw30

Spotify: https://bit.ly/4clb7i3

iHeart Podcasts: https://ihr.fm/4xygovk

YouTube Music Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4wRS4Dj

Amazon Podcasts: https://amzn.to/3vpZDHI

TuneIn: https://bit.ly/3Slcx5z

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 12th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Week, September 15–17, 2026, at US Pharmacopeia in Rockville, Maryland.

Sponsors help keep BHCR Week free to attend while gaining visibility with biohealth leaders, investors, emerging companies, academic institutions, government partners, and regional collaborators across the BioHealth Capital Region Forum, Crab Trap Competition, and Investment Conference.

Sponsorship also provides access to one of the most valuable parts of the week: the VIP Leadership Dinner. This smaller, invite-only gathering brings together senior executives, investors, speakers, public-sector leaders, university partners, and key opinion leaders in a more focused setting than the daytime program. For sponsors, it is an opportunity to build relationships, have higher-value conversations, and connect directly with people who are helping shape the future of the BioHealth Capital Region.

BHCR Week sponsors are recognized across event materials, signage, the registration site, and BHI communications, providing visibility before and during the event. Sponsorship is a strong way to support regional collaboration while positioning your organization in front of the companies, investors, researchers, and partners driving biohealth growth.

To learn more, contact Rich Bendis at rbendis@biohealthinnovation.org and Andy Eckert at aeckert@biohealthinnovation.org.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) today announced a contract modification valued at approximately $24 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to supply CYFENDUS® (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed, Adjuvanted) for anthrax preparedness efforts. Anthrax remains a significant global biological threat due to its potential use in a bioterrorism event and its implications for public health and national security.

“This newly executed CYFENDUS® contract modification with the U.S. government highlights the continued importance of maintaining readiness against anthrax threats,” said Paul Williams, senior vice president, head of products business, global government & public affairs at Emergent. “Emergent remains committed to ensuring access to CYFENDUS® and strengthening preparedness through reliable domestic manufacturing and supply.”

Stemora, Inc., a Maryland-based regenerative medicine company, announced today that it has been awarded a $100,000 matching grant from the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program to support a collaborative research project with Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor Srinivasa Raghavan of the University of Maryland. The funded project, “Biopolymer Gel to Regenerate Cartilage,” will focus on early-stage formulation engineering to enable controlled, sequential release of the biochemical cues used in STM-01, Stemora's lead therapeutic candidate.

STM-01 is designed to modulate endogenous skeletal stem cells (SSCs) to promote cartilage regeneration. To function effectively, STM-01 requires a delivery system capable of releasing its components in a precisely timed two-step profile. The MIPS project will develop and refine hydrogel-based formulations that support this release behavior.

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.

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.