Southwest-Midwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium

Name

Southwest-Midwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium

Legal name

Southwest-Midwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium

Website

https://swpdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device Innovation Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigator & Site Training / GCP Support (HLAGACAF)

Keywords

• Pediatric medical devices
• Device innovation accelerator
• Regulatory consulting services
• Clinical trial support
• Engineering design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. FDA P50 Grant Funding (Primary Revenue Source): SWPDC is funded entirely by an FDA P50 grant as one of five FDA-supported pediatric device consortia. It operates as a nonprofit platform providing free services to innovators — no equity is taken and no fees are charged for advising services or funding. Funding is used to provide direct device funding prizes at competitions, consulting, engineering/design assistance, clinical collaboration connections, and access to programs and resources. Since no revenue is generated from operations, this is a grant-funded nonprofit model rather than a commercial revenue model.
2. Direct Device Funding Prizes to Innovators: SWPDC distributes direct device funding prizes to pediatric device innovators through various competitions. Across all P50-supported FDA pediatric device consortia, a maximum of $50,000 of direct device funding and in-kind support per year may be received by any single innovator. Prize amounts vary by competition: AAP SOATT Prize up to $25,000; AAP SOU Urology Prize up to $20,000; BCM Seed Funding for Pediatric Devices; Rice Business Plan Competition; Texas A&M New Ventures; University of Minnesota Pediatric Device Seed Funding Award; Design of Medical Devices Conference Emerging Innovation Valuation Competition.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SWPDC is a free, no-strings-attached virtual accelerator that supports pediatric medical device innovators nationwide across the full device life cycle. It provides direct device and seed funding through multiple annual competitions, regulatory strategy and FDA engagement support, engineering and design assistance, connections to clinical collaborators across pediatric subspecialties, and access to commercialization resources and investment networks. The consortium is anchored at Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine within the Texas Medical Center and operates as one of five FDA P50 grant-funded pediatric device consortia.

Product overview

The Southwest-Midwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium (SWPDC) is a virtual accelerator providing comprehensive support services rather than a single unified product. The core offering is the SWPDC Virtual Accelerator, which bundles direct device funding prizes, consulting assistance, engineering and design support, and clinical collaborator connections. Key programs include the SWPDC and AAP SOITT Pediatric Device Prize (up to $25,000) and SWPDC and AAP SOU Pediatric Urology Device Prize (up to $20,000). The Pediatric Medical Device Clinical Trial Unit (MDCTU) provides specialized regulatory and operational expertise. Capstone Projects at Rice University and Texas A&M pair innovators with engineering students, while the TMC Pediatric Bio-design Fellows Program offers structured 10-month training. The consortium supports 271 pediatric device innovators across 29 states through its portfolio program, and operates Real World Evidence (RWE) demonstration projects analyzing cardiac and diabetes data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SWPDC Virtual Accelerator
• Real World Evidence (RWE) Project
• Pediatric Medical Device Clinical Trial Unit (MDCTU)
• SWPDC and AAP SOITT Pediatric Device Prize
• SWPDC and AAP SOU Pediatric Urology Device Prize
• Capstone Projects at Rice University and Texas A&M
• TMC Pediatric Bio-design Fellows Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 271 pediatric device innovators supported across 29 US states
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

39 partnerships are on record, tiered primary/anchor, core, regional and national.

• Texas Children's Hospital (TCH)primary/anchorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas Children's Hospital is one of the two anchor institutions of SWPDC. It provides the consortium's headquarters location and serves as the primary clinical institution for pediatric device development, clinical trials, and consortium leadership (Dr. Chester Koh, Executive Director).
• Baylor College of Medicine (BCM)primary/anchorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaylor College of Medicine is the second anchor institution of SWPDC. It provides faculty, clinical expertise, regulatory infrastructure, and serves as the grant-receiving institution for the FDA P50 grant. Hosts the MDCTU (Medical Device Clinical Trial Unit) and ICTR (Institute for Clinical and Translational Research).
• Rice University (Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen - OEDK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRice University's OEDK provides the engineering infrastructure for capstone and Master's design projects, pairing concept-stage inventors with senior engineering student teams following a biodesign process. Rice Business Plan Competition is a key funding opportunity for SWPDC innovators.
• Texas A&M University EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas A&M Engineering provides capstone project support, NSF-funded PATHS-UP collaboration (diabetes remote monitoring RWE project), Aggie Angel Network (investment), and the TNVC (Texas A&M New Ventures) competition. Dr. Balakrishna Haridas serves as Deputy Executive Director.
• University of HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Houston provides engineering faculty (Dr. Richard Willson as Principal Investigator), access to UH Bridge Innovation Park startup resources, and hosts Dr. Fong Lam's leukopheresis device research collaboration.
• Fannin Innovation StudioregionalTechnology or IntegrationHouston-based device development firm partner providing engineering and product development support to pediatric device innovators.
• Children's Hospital of San AntonioregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner children's hospital in the San Antonio/Austin Hub providing clinical expertise and referral of pediatric device innovators.
• Children's Health (Dallas)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner children's hospital in the Dallas Hub providing clinical expertise and referral of pediatric device innovators to the consortium.
• Phoenix Children's HospitalregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner children's hospital in the Phoenix Hub providing clinical expertise and referrals for pediatric device innovators.
• University of Minnesota / PDIC (Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPDIC is the Midwest partner of the Southwest-Midwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium. They co-host the University of Minnesota Pediatric Device Seed Funding Award competition and participate in the consortium's Minnesota Hub with M Health Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital. Dr. Gwenyth Fisher serves as Director of PDIC.
• Driscoll Children's HospitalregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner in the Corpus Christi Hub providing clinical expertise and innovator referrals.
• Arkansas Children's HospitalregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner in the Arkansas Hub providing clinical expertise and innovator referrals.
• HealthTech ArkansasregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional healthcare technology accelerator partner in the Arkansas Hub providing entrepreneurial training and go-to-market support.
• UNMC Children's Hospital (Nebraska)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner in the Nebraska Hub providing clinical expertise and innovator referrals.
• M Health Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital (Minnesota)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner in the Minnesota Hub providing clinical expertise and innovator referrals.
• UT Southwestern (Dallas)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic medical center partner in the Dallas Hub providing research and clinical collaboration support.
• UT DallasregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Dallas Hub providing engineering and research collaboration.
• Quest Medical (Dallas)regionalTechnology or IntegrationMedical device company partner in the Dallas Hub providing engineering and product development expertise.
• Proxima CROcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSWPDC's preferred partner for regulatory expertise and FDA interactions. Provides comprehensive clinical study support and regulatory strategy services for pediatric device trials.
• ICTR (Dan L. Duncan Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at BCM)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides support for grant submissions, BRAIN submissions, proposal reviews and edits, and clinical studies. Available to BCM faculty members conducting pediatric device research.
• Zewski CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationMedical product design and development firm specializing in feasibility studies, production planning, and navigating regulatory requirements. Provides engineering resources for innovators with prototypes.
• Biotex MedicalcoreTechnology or IntegrationFull-service medtech firm providing end-to-end development, regulatory, and manufacturing support with expertise in neurosurgery, cardiology, and connected health.
• MinnHealth (Minnesota)coreTechnology or IntegrationMedtech R&D firm specializing in advancing pediatric innovation from concept to commercialization with deep expertise in medical devices and digital health solutions. Strong track record of securing SBIR grants.
• NeoTech ProductscoreTechnology or IntegrationSWPDC's manufacturing partner providing QMS, quality, and design history file support. Specializes in product development, prototyping, and manufacturing of neonatal and pediatric devices with regulatory compliance guidance.
• Cooper ConsultingcoreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering design firm providing full product design, testing, and commercialization support for medical device development.
• INRI Patent Law (Brad Henkelman)regionalImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPatent attorney offering free office hours for founders and innovators on intellectual property protection questions. Available virtually or in person.
• Minneapolis Medical AlleyregionalGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare network linking startups to 1,500+ investor, supplier, and media opportunities annually. Connects SWPDC innovators to the Medical Alley ecosystem.
• Rice OwlSpark, UH Red Labs, TMCi Accelerator, JLABS @ TMCregionalGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple accelerator and incubator partners offering entrepreneurial training and tailored business plans to fast-track go-to-market and investment. SWPDC connects innovators to these programs.
• NESTcc (National Evaluation System for Health Technology Coordinating Center) / MDICnationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWPDC's RWE demonstration project aligns with NESTcc strategic plans and goals as a public-private partnership of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC). The systematic process for EHR-based evidence generation is expected to produce a scalable model for industry-wide use of practice data.
• NSF-funded PATHS-UP Engineering Research Center at Texas A&McoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF-funded Engineering Research Center focused on remote monitoring for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in underserved populations. Collaborated with SWPDC on a CGM real-world evidence project extracting longitudinal data for pediatric diabetes patients.
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Innovation in Therapeutics and Technology (SOITT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWPDC co-hosts the AAP SOITT Pediatric Device Prize (up to $25,000) with the AAP Section on Innovation in Therapeutics and Technology. Open to pediatric device innovators with FDA-defined medical devices benefiting patients aged 21 years or younger.
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Urology (SOU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWPDC co-hosts the AAP SOU Pediatric Urology Device Prize (up to $20,000) with the AAP Section on Urology. Award is specifically for pediatric urology devices only.
• Incube Labs (San Antonio/Austin)regionalTechnology or IntegrationMedical technology company partner in the San Antonio/Austin Hub providing device development and innovation support.
• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)regionalTechnology or IntegrationLarge applied research organization in the San Antonio/Austin Hub providing engineering and research capabilities for pediatric device development.
• Ignite Healthcare (Houston)regionalGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare innovation organization in the Houston Hub offering Golden Ticket programs and entrepreneurial support for pediatric device innovators.
• TMC Innovation (Houston)regionalTechnology or IntegrationTexas Medical Center innovation arm providing startup support and connections within the TMC ecosystem.
• JLABS @ TMC (Houston)regionalTechnology or IntegrationJohnson & Johnson Innovation JLABS location in the Texas Medical Center providing incubator space and resources for healthcare startups.
• Design of Medical Devices Conference / University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWPDC partners with the Design of Medical Devices Conference at the University of Minnesota for the Emerging Medical Innovation Valuation Competition, a key funding opportunity for pediatric device innovators.
• Other FDA P50 Pediatric Device ConsortianationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWPDC is one of five FDA P50 grant-supported pediatric device consortia. The other four are located in Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles. SWPDC welcomes innovators to apply and participate in various consortia and shares announcements from different consortia regarding programming and funding opportunities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swpdc
• Xx.com/SouthwestPDC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about Southwest-Midwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium