National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation

What National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation does

NCC-PDI (also known as the Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation, or APDI) is a nonprofit consortium founded in 2013 and headquartered at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. It is one of five designated consortia in the FDA's Pediatric Device Consortia Grants Program and was awarded a nearly $7.5 million, five-year FDA grant in September 2023 to support pediatric medical device innovation. The organization does not sell a technology product; rather, it runs a portfolio of innovation-support services including the annual 'Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!' pitch competition, the Pediatric Device Innovator Accelerator Program delivered in partnership with MedTech Innovator, grant funding of $20,000-$50,000 per project (with total award pools scaling to $300,000 in the Fall 2026 cycle), and the Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium co-located with the AdvaMed MedTech Conference. Underlying technology is non-proprietary: services are delivered through event programming, online application systems (Smapply), and partner networks rather than a software platform.

The consortium is co-led by Children's National Hospital's Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation and the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering, with operational and ecosystem support from MedTech Innovator, BioHealth Innovation, Archimedic, JLABS @ Washington DC, and additional partners. Its go-to-market is event- and RFP-driven: annual RFPs and pitch competitions solicit applications from US-based companies and academic groups developing pediatric-labeled medical devices, with selection based on innovation merit, commercial viability, and unmet pediatric need. It has mentored 315+ medical device sponsors to date and reports 20 devices that have received FDA market clearance, approval, or CE marking.

The business model is a nonprofit grant-distribution model funded almost entirely by the FDA's Pediatric Device Consortia Grants Program. NCC-PDI charges no fees for its services; instead, it receives federal grant dollars and re-deploys them to innovators as direct grants, accelerator support, and wraparound services including mentorship, prototyping, regulatory pathway guidance, IRB facilitation, and reimbursement consultation. The primary customer segment is pediatric medical device innovators (startups, companies, academic groups targeting neonates through 21-year-olds), with secondary relationships to academic medical centers and pediatric healthcare providers who supply clinical expertise and validation.

Name

National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation

Legal name

National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation

Website

https://innovate4kids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NCC-PDI (Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation) is a nonprofit, FDA-funded consortium founded in 2013 that funds, mentors, and accelerates U.S. startups and academic groups developing medical devices for pediatric patients through pitch competitions, grants ($20K-$50K), and a MedTech Innovator accelerator program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Medical Device Innovation Support

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM)

Keywords

• Pediatric medical devices
• Medical device innovation
• FDA grant funding
• Device commercialization support
• Healthcare accelerator programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Grant Funding: Primary funding comes from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through the Pediatric Device Consortia (PDC) Grants Program. In September 2023, the FDA awarded a nearly $7.5 million grant to APDI. The consortium uses these funds to provide innovation grants, pitch competition awards, and support services to pediatric device innovators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NCC-PDI/APDI is a nonprofit consortium that supports pediatric medical device innovators through FDA-funded innovation grants ($20,000-$50,000 per project), an annual 'Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!' competition, a MedTech Innovator-powered accelerator program, and an annual symposium. Services also include mentorship, prototyping support, regulatory pathway guidance, IRB facilitation, reimbursement consulting, and facilitated FDA meetings to advance devices toward commercialization.

Product overview

The National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation (NCCPDI), also known as the Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation (APDI), is a nonprofit consortium led by Children's National Hospital that does not offer a traditional technology product. Instead, it provides a portfolio of innovation support services including the 'Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!' annual pitch competition, a Pediatric Device Innovator Accelerator Program powered by MedTech Innovator, grant funding opportunities (ranging from $20,000-$50,000 per award), and an Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium. These services work together to support pediatric medical device innovators through funding, mentorship, and networking resources to advance their devices toward FDA market clearance and commercialization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!
• Pediatric Device Innovator Accelerator Program
• Pediatric Device Innovation Grant Funding
• Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Additional VenturessupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2024Collaboration partner for grant opportunities addressing pediatric heart conditions. Up to $300,000 in combined grant funds available through joint RFP.
• CobiCuresupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2024Co-producer of the Symposium on Pediatric Medical Devices for Optimizing the Heart-Brain Continuum (April 2024).
• JLABS @ Washington, DC (Johnson & Johnson Innovation)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 April 2024Venue partner for the 2024 symposium. Located at Children's National Research and Innovation Campus, provides incubator space for pediatric health innovators.
• CTIP (Children's Tumor Foundation accelerator)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2023Joint NCC-PDI + CTIP Edition of 'Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!' competition maximizing resources across two FDA-funded Pediatric Device Consortia.
• Children's National Hospital (Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organization and consortium headquarters. Children's National provides clinical expertise, hosts the annual symposium, and serves as the principal institution for pediatric device innovation initiatives.
• University of Maryland - A. James Clark School of EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-lead organization providing engineering expertise and home to the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices. Supports prototyping and manufacturing expertise for pediatric device innovators.
• MedTech InnovatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLargest medical device accelerator globally provides pediatric track for NCC-PDI competition finalists. Offers individualized mentorship, customized curriculum, and access to industry leaders for selected companies.
• BioHealth InnovationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides business support, investment facilitation, and ecosystem connections for pediatric device startups in the Maryland/Washington D.C. region.
• ArchimedicsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign firm partner providing product design and development expertise for pediatric medical devices.
• Midwest Pediatric Device ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Spring 2026 Pediatric Device Pitch Competition with $200,000 in seed grants awarded for cardiovascular device projects. Jointly announces funding opportunities and shares accelerator resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• CobiCure: Pediatric medical device accelerator co-founded with NCC-PDI to address congenital heart disease; focuses on a narrower therapeutic area (heart-brain continuum) but shares the pitch competition model and co-funding structure.

Others

• BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority): Federal authority within HHS that funds medical countermeasure development through grants and partnerships; comparable in funding mechanism (federal grants to advance medical product development) but with a different mission focus (biodefense, pandemic preparedness).

Direct peers

• Midwest Pediatric Device Consortium: One of the other FDA-funded Pediatric Device Consortia; co-produces the Spring 2026 pediatric cardiovascular pitch competition with NCC-PDI and shares accelerator resources. Structurally identical in model, funding source, and target applicants.
• CTIP (Children's Tumor Foundation accelerator): Fellow FDA-funded Pediatric Device Consortium focused on neurofibromatosis-related devices; runs joint editions of 'Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!' with NCC-PDI to pool resources across two consortia.
• Philadelphia Pediatric Medical Device Consortium: Another FDA-funded Pediatric Device Consortium hosted at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Direct sibling in the five-PDC program, with similar pitch competition and accelerator services.
• Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium / Georgia Tech Pediatric Innovation Network: One of the five FDA-funded Pediatric Device Consortia; co-awards $25,000 innovation prizes with NCC-PDI at the Georgia Tech Innovation Day & Showcase. Direct peer with overlapping sponsor pool and co-funded grants.
• UCSF Pediatric Device Consortium: Another FDA-funded Pediatric Device Consortium; provides grant funding, mentorship, and regulatory support to pediatric medical device innovators. Competes with NCC-PDI for FDA program funding and sponsor applicants.

Regional players

• Stanford StartX (pediatric healthtech cohort): Stanford-affiliated accelerator whose hinlab portfolio company acquired Gabi SmartCare (an NCC-PDI portfolio device) in 2025. Operates a similar medtech innovation model but is geographically concentrated in Silicon Valley rather than the DC/Mid-Atlantic region.

Broad incumbents

• MedTech Innovator: Largest global medical device accelerator; runs NCC-PDI's pediatric accelerator track for competition finalists. Comparable accelerator model but serves the broader medtech market, not pediatric-only.
• JLABS @ Washington, DC (Johnson & Johnson Innovation): Johnson & Johnson incubator co-located at the Children's National Research and Innovation Campus; provides physical lab space and corporate resources for pediatric health startups that overlap with NCC-PDI's sponsor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliance-for-pediatric-device-innovation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments5 records

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Frequently asked questions about National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation