Nine WashU student-lead ventures are finalists set to compete for $22,500 in awards in the 2020 Skandalaris Venture Competition (SVC) later this month. This week, we are publishing Q&A articles to feature each venture team. Today’s featured team is Revax, previously known as Artline Medical.
About Revax
Revax is a medical device startup specialized in vascular access.
Total Funding (as of March 2020): $2,000
What problem are you solving?
Revax aims to revolutionize the future of vascular access (getting to the patient’s blood via the arteries). We are currently focused on making the 8,000,000 arterial line placements more efficient. Arterial line placement is a common procedure performed by physicians to get blood from patients from their radial artery to provide vital information about a patient’s blood composition during a procedure. We are developing a device with novel technology and design that will allow physicians to navigate the common obstacles they face during arterial line placement.
About the Team
Kadair Eskandar - Team Lead; A graduating Master’s student from the McKelvey School of Engineering Masters in Biomedical Innovation Program. Kadair received his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. Kadair’s unique passion for innovation and entrepreneurship has given the Revax team guidance to bridging together the innovative, strategic, and financial components of the company.
Dr. Mohamed Zayed – Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Zayed is a vascular surgeon at Washington University in St. Louis’ School of Medicine. In addition to performing operations, Dr. Zayed runs a laboratory with a focus on studying Peripheral Artery Disease. Dr. Zayed provides outstanding knowledge of the problem we are solving and is an integral part of our core team.
Matthew Whitehill – Chief Engineer; Matthew will be receiving his Masters of Mechanical Engineering from the McKelvey School of Engineering. Matthew received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. Matthew’s knowledge of synthetic materials and experience in prototype development allows for our ideas to be tangible and shared.
David Buchinsky – Chief of Operations; David is an undergraduate student that studies Anthropology. In his free time, David also enjoys learning about the business of healthcare and entrepreneurship. David’s ability to network, organize, and communicate gives him the ability to lead the operations of Revax.
What has been the biggest lesson learned since starting the venture?
The biggest lesson we have learned since starting our venture is that everything is a process. At times we have gone through weeks of prototyping and heading back to the drawing boards to redevelop ideas. While developing a venture could, at times, be frustrating, keeping in mind the process of learning and growing through failures is critical to enjoying the venture experience.
What do you love about being an entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur allows our team to combine its blend of skills into an idea that celebrates the range of skills we bring to the table. We have met and worked alongside incredible mentors, professors, and passionate entrepreneurs in St. Louis because of this project!
What advice do you have for those interested in starting a business?
Our word of advice for anyone interested in starting any venture is to make sure you are maximizing your resources available. At WashU, we are incredibly fortunate to have access to institutions, professors, and advisors that all can contribute valuable insight into our projects. We have found that most people are receptive to students that want help with expanding their ideas, so we would recommend that aspiring ventures ensure that they are making the most of the resources available to them.