About the Program ​

KidStart, innovation for children’s health program, offers Ben-Gurion University researchers and students a chance to collaborate with clinicians at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), one of the leading pediatric centers in the US, in co-developing breakthrough medical devices and digital health solutions for improving children's health.

Collaborative teams of clinicians, engineers, researchers, and students will work together to innovate solutions to improve healthcare for children. Experts in technology and business will provide input and guidance throughout the program.

international.jpgFull information about the program you can find here >>​

One of our Success Story

In 2002 Kanye West was involved in a car accident and sustained a severe jaw injury. His jaws were surgically wired together for six weeks. The song “Through the Wire” was written by the rap singer who wrote about the difficulties in his recovery process; he had to survive on liquid medical food only, while others around him ordered chocolate-dripping pancakes. During recovery, he relearned to pronounce words and communicate with locked jaws.
The rest is history: the song became a dizzying success and starred at the top of the charts around the world, but the difficulties Kanye described are still here.

Recovery from jaw surgery is so complex that it is performed only when there is no choice. Yet over 10,000 such surgeries are performed each year in the United States alone; One of them was done to 15-year-old Abraham, who was hospitalized at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Through the Zoom app and despite metal wires in his mouth, he spoke with Shoval Sade, Noa Yamin, and Aviad Avraham, students at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, who were able to think of a solution to his difficulties!

A successful investment committee made up of representatives from Israel, and the US selected them (and five other teams) and invested $10,000 to develop the idea further and make it valuable. As the team builds a prototype, they prepare to pitch a second investment committee this coming July with an additional $100,000 at stake, dedicated to clinical trials, patent registration, and company formation, to transfer the expertise from academia to the marketplace. 


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The Bottom Line?

“A course for three credits turned into the possibility of forming a company and changing the lives of thousands. We're still surprised we're still doing it. At times, it's the center of our lives. We wouldn't have given up for anything despite tears, perseverance, and pivots beyond counting!”​

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