Berkeley SkyDeck’s Global Innovation Partner program thrives despite COVID-19
Canadian startup, MindfulGarden Digital Health, accelerates path forward as part of Berkeley SkyDeck’s GIP program
A global hub for entrepreneurship, Berkeley SkyDeck is a top accelerator with three primary programs: the Cohort accelerator track, the HotDesk incubator track, and the Global Innovation Partner (GIP) program.
The GIP program, in particular, was born out of SkyDeck’s mission to connect startups from around the world to the Bay Area’s abundant pool of resources.
If selected into the highly competitive program, GIP startups have the chance to come to the United States for a period of three months during which they receive access to networking events, educational workshops, and advisory office hours with industry experts. Most importantly, startups in the GIP track are matched with three seasoned industry advisors who have specific interests in the startup’s key areas of growth. These mentors guide GIP companies through the duration of the program… and often beyond.
MindfulGarden: When anxiety is lowered, care begins™
MindfulGarden, a current GIP startup based in Canada, is a hardware and software-based behavior modification platform that integrates biometric sensors and video game technology to de-escalate anxiety and psycho-motor agitation associated with hospitalized delirium in Intensive and Acute Care. The technology is being developed to reduce the high cost of care and poor health outcomes associated with over-reliance on psychotropic drugs and physical restraints in managing anxiety and agitation associated with delirium.
MindfulGarden is non-pharmacological, requires no additional staffing, and is intended to intercept problematic patient behaviors at the onset so care can continue efficiently. Mark Ross, the cofounder of MindfulGarden, explains that delirium — the sudden onset of an acute confusional state — is a medical emergency that affects up to 80% of seniors in Intensive Care, and costs the US healthcare system $164 billion annually. And now with COVID-19 driving a 70% rise in delirium worldwide, the need for MindfulGarden as a tool of care has never been greater.
Despite the economic challenges and uncertainties presented by COVID-19, MindfulGarden is thriving. In a recent interview, Mark Ross spoke to the company’s GIP experience during this unprecedented time and how, in many ways, MindfulGarden is finding the new virtual model to have been advantageous to moving the company forward.
The immediate challenges of COVID-19
When COVID-19 first swept the world, MindfulGarden’s international ordering and shipping of product components for its first beta product going out to North American long-term care sites was delayed. Not only was there a lack of availability of certain parts, but, as Ross explained, “All the product shipments had to get put on hold temporarily because our evaluation units were going into institutions which were obviously sites under lockdown for infection control.”
However, the problems were all manageable. “These problems didn’t curtail the business, they just delayed the deployment of the evaluation units,” said Ross.
“And on a more positive note, these delays also gave us an opportunity to move up the clinical pilot study of an important iteration of our product into a large hospital, specifically looking at the rise in COVID-19 related delirium in the ICU and over the patient’s entire perioperative journey.“
SkyDeck’s GIP program: The virtual experience
With over 130 startups in the Spring 2020 cohort and over 300+ advisors and mentors at SkyDeck, going virtual was no simple feat. However, with the quick and strategic coordination of SkyDeck’s staff, the virtual GIP program experience has been a ‘game changer’ for startups like MindfulGarden who was one of the few startups that the prestigious Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) selected to attend the SkyDeck program.
The educational programming has not missed a beat by going virtual, Ross explains. “The first month of all the Berkeley Accelerator Method (BAM) sessions were pretty intense in terms of programming but because our team could do it virtually it was easier to attend the workshops. One or more members of our team have probably attended most of the BAM sessions and followed up with a number of the session leaders.”
Ross also highlighted, “The other benefit of having virtual programming is knowing the content is being recorded and will be available for reference at a later time.” Additionally, Ross noted the attendee turnout for the workshops had reached new levels, with 80+ participants at any given virtual session and the opportunity to ask questions and share ideas in real-time with others in the chat box — something that is appreciated by those who may not always participate when sitting in a crowded room.
Beyond workshops, Ross emphasized the importance of having close access to the talents and expertise of the SkyDeck network. So far, through the GIP program, Ross and his team have connected with over a dozen key investors and industry experts.
“Their knowledge base and connections are unlike anything we’ve had access to before. And for a company that is outside of the U.S., having credibility and access to the U.S. market has been incredible. Even with SkyDeck’s GIP program having gone ‘virtual,’ we’re getting access to all of that through their vast network,” said Ross.
For instance, MindfulGarden has had the chance to have regular virtual meetings with Caroline Winnett, SkyDeck’s Executive Director. “I don’t think we would have had as many opportunities to connect with her if we were on site. She has been really responsive to us as a team and helped us rethink our messaging as we moved up our research activities and took advantage of new opportunities in this challenging healthcare environment.”
“Ultimately, to be able to leverage the Berkeley SkyDeck name has been enormously helpful for MindfulGarden. The name carries a cachet that implies a level of academic rigor which we’re happy to leverage in our communication with investors, health authorities, and others in the healthcare system.”
Sowing the seeds of success
In May, six weeks into the COVID-19 shutdown, MindfulGarden successfully closed their convertible note round. The team was already set on closing this round before COVID-19, but as Ross elaborated, “It was a great message to send out to our existing investors, many of whom are coming along for a followup round and have consequently made commitments to participate in the second round.”
Another opportunity that has risen for MindfulGarden with the help of one of their mentors through the virtual GIP program is the chance to look into a potential U.S. research partnership. “One of the most exciting outcomes of our participation in SkyDeck’s GIP program was the day we introduced our Chief Medical Advisor, the Chief of Staff of a busy Canadian hospital, to our advisor who is actively involved in the UC Davis healthcare landscape,” said Ross. “Once we have our initial pilot studies completed this fall in Canada, these conversations will continue and we know that without SkyDeck we would not have had this early introduction into the U.S. market, nor the opportunity to potentially work together in the future.”
Being a part of the GIP program during this unprecedented time will also aid MindfulGarden in securing additional non-diluted grant capital within the Canadian marketplace as they go out for funding this fall. “SkyDeck’s name goes a long way. Being backed by Berkeley SkyDeck is validation from a large, well-known entity outside of Canadian borders which can prove to be advantageous when applying for funding,” said Ross.
“The GIP program has helped us enormously to get our messaging aligned and prepare our investor and presentation pitch documents, progress that will go a long way to helping us secure financing in the future.”
The GIP program runs shorter than the typical six-month-long Cohort accelerator program, but Ross commented, “Even after the three month program, I know we’re going to continue to work with our key advisors and others we’ve met through the SkyDeck program because there’s such strong interest and value from both sides. I look at the GIP program as the beginning of a much longer relationship.”
While MindfulGarden may be finishing up its Berkeley experience online, the company is already taking advantage of the many relationships they’ve established. For MindfulGarden, fall 2020 will see a new financing round, the publication of results from two completed clinical studies in long-term care, the release of a strong paid Evaluation Unit program with MindfulGarden units in place from New Jersey to Alberta, and the start of the first clinical study using MindfulGarden technology in ICU delirium and perioperative care. “Ultimately we’re out to calm the anxious world,” concludes Mark Ross. “It’s a big moonshot, but few are addressing the needs of our anxious aging population, and there’s never been a more urgent time to take this on.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a challenging obstacle to many startups, Berkeley SkyDeck understands that now — more than ever — is the time to evolve its capabilities and resources to support the community and ecosystem it has worked so hard to develop. Over the past few months, SkyDeck has launched a Global Pandemic Accelerator, secured new lab space for Bio-track startups on UC Berkeley’s campus, and is developing joint international programs with top universities to expand its resources and capabilities.
“We hold ourselves to the same standards of innovation and growth that we hold our startups to. We’re here for them, and we’re developing our program in accordance with their needs.”
— Sibyl Chen, Senior Director of Program, Berkeley SkyDeck
