OCTANe Announces Agenda for 11th Annual Medical Device & Investor Forum

ALISO VIEJO, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 12, 2016) - OCTANe, Orange County's life sciences and technology accelerator organization, today announced the final agenda for its 11^th Annual Medical Device & Investor Forum (MDIF) on October 27-28, 2016 in Irvine, Calif.

The lineup includes executives and experts from among the leading medical technology companies in the area, including Edwards Lifesciences, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Allergan and Medtronic.

As in previous years, MDIF 2016 promises to deliver high quality content that will lead innovation in this all-important medical segment. Some key sections include:

• A keynote by Dr. Harry Greenspun, managing director Health Solutions, Deloitte. Greenspun will cover the changing role of life sciences companies and how they approach the market, among other topics.
• A panel on using big data to improve patient outcomes and reimbursement moderated by Clay Wilemon, CEO, of DevicePharm, along with an all-star lineup of industry experts.
• A discussion between Mike Mussallem, CEO, Edwards Lifesciences, and Jim Mazzo, global president, Carl Zeiss Meditec.
• A panel on successful exit strategies of Orange County companies moderated by Mike Hedge, partner, K&L Gates. The panel features Tom Burns, CEO, Glaukos, and executives from successful startup companies as well as perspective from industry leaders Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic and Allergan.
• A discussion between Brett Wall, president of Brain Therapies, Medtronic, and Geoff Martha, executive vice president and group president, Medtronic.
• A special panel on medical device security, preventing hacks and keeping information secure along with FDA regulatory trends and the latest changes to accelerate the path to market.
• U.S. Congresswoman Mimi Walters, who will discuss the importance of innovation in Orange County, and healthcare legislative and policy expert Jeff Kimbell, who will provide an election update from a Washington D.C. perspective.
• Eight presentations by companies showcasing new strategies to maximize funding options.

"This year will provide a diverse number of speakers covering a variety of topics supporting the formation and growth of companies," said Bill Carpou, CEO of OCTANe. "We're thrilled of the support from among the local community and industry leaders. It's the most important event of the year when it comes to medical technology and Orange County."

Added Carpou: "It's an exciting time as we introduce a newly-formed group within OCTANe that focuses on scaling companies, retaining them in Orange County and growing jobs. We see this as a natural extension to the great accomplishments of our LaunchPad accelerator to date, providing $1.7 billion in capital funding and exit values to companies."

Those interested in registering can visit http://mdif.octaneoc.org. 

Other upcoming OCTANe events in 2017 include the Technology Investment Forum (TIF) June 1-2, the Ophthalmology Technology Summit (OTS) on June 23-24, and the Annual Investor Meeting of Visionary Venture Fund on June 25. Details for all OCTANe events can be found at http://www.octaneoc.org/octane-events/.

About OCTANe:

OCTANe drives technology industry growth and innovation in Orange County by connecting ideas and people with resources and capital. Its members represent Orange County technology executive leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, academicians, and strategic advisors, all working together to fuel innovation in the OC. The organization has helped more than 800 companies via the LaunchPad™ SBDC accelerator. LaunchPad™-certified companies have received more than $1.7 billion in investment and equity exits. OCTANe annually welcomes more than 7,000 people to its programs and events. More than 2,000 business leaders throughout the Orange County region are OCTANe members. For more information, visit www.octaneoc.org.