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External Partners Alumni Search Submit Return to home Search Search About About Olin Home Why Olin Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Leadership & Strategy News & Media Events Contact Us Programs Programs Home Explore Our Programs BS in Business Administration MBAs Specialized Master's Doctoral Executive Education Dual Degrees Faculty & Research Faculty & Research Home Faculty Directory Research Research Centers Olin Brookings Commission Olin Award Student Resources Student Resources Home Career Services Center for Experiential Learning Entrepreneurship Academic Calendars Student Organizations For Current Students For Military Veterans Admissions Admissions Home Scholarships & Aid Attend Program Events Visit Olin Ask a Student Student Profiles Request Information Refer a Candidate External Partners Alumni EMBA alum’s startup wins $250K in Texas competition June 5, 2023 By Kurt Greenbaum 2 minute read Home News EMBA alum’s startup wins $250K in Texas competition A WashU-based life sciences startup that patented a groundbreaking bloodstream marker that flags potential cardiovascular disease recently won a $250,000 investment prize in a major national pitch competition. Dr. Mohamed A. Zayed, EMBA 2023, is cofounder of&＃160;AirSeal, founded after he and his colleagues accidentally&＃160;discovered an enzyme that attaches to the &＃8220;bad cholesterol&＃8221;&＃160;in the bloodstream. AirSeal later created a simple blood test for the enzyme that can flag patients who might be at risk for cardiovascular disease. Zayed pitched the company and its groundbreaking, patented discovery in mid-May at the Rice Business Plan Competition in Houston. The competition doled out $3.4 million in prizes to 42 startups. &＃8220;It was an extraordinary experience, which was full of excitement, thrill and a lot of hard work,&＃8221; Zayed said. &＃8220;It was also wonderful to be surrounded by such an accomplished field of innovators with transformative ideas that have the potential to change the world.&＃8221; AirSeal won the Texas Medical Center Innovation Healthcare Investment Prize&＃160;of $250,000. The company also won a $500 prize for best pitch in the life sciences category. More than 1,000 companies initially sent pitches in hopes of an invitation to the competition May 11-13. &＃8220;This investment is an important milestone in our young company&＃8217;s life,&＃8221; said Zayed, who is also an associate professor at the WashU School of Medicine and director of its&＃160;CardioVascular Research Innovation in Surgery and Engineering Center. &＃8220;It was our honor and privilege to represent WashU and the Olin Business School at the event.&＃8221; The founding team was&＃160;recently a finalist in the 2023 Global Impact Award, hosted by WashU&＃8217;s Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The next milestone He said the substantial prize would be a significant catalyst toward AirSeal&＃8217;s next key milestone: developing a product the FCA can evaluate. &＃8220;It provides us with access to additional experts and partners as we continue to execute our key deliverables,&＃8221; Zayed said. The enzyme, known as circulating Fatty Acid Synthase, or cFAS, is essential for making saturated fatty acids that can lead to atherosclerosis&＃8212;a plaque buildup that hardens the arteries. The&＃160;research team conducted clinical studies&＃160;in hundreds of patients to develop a blood test for cFAS, publishing the results in multiple journals. Zayed credited Olin&＃8217;s Ron King, emeritus professor of accounting, and Doug Villhard, director of the entrepreneurship program, for helping the AirSeal team take the discovery to the next level. &＃8220;We leveraged their guidance and expertise,&＃8221; he said. &＃8220;They provided critical feedback and advice that helped us develop a competitive business plan and pitch.&＃8221; Pictured at top: Dr. Mohamed A. Zayed, EMBA 2023, with an image of the check he and his team received at the Rice Business Plan Competition in Houston. About the Author Kurt Greenbaum As communications director for WashU Olin Business School, my job is to find and share great stories about our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. I've worked for the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management as communications director and as a journalist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sun-Sentinel in South Florida and the Chicago Tribune. Contact Us For assistance in finding faculty experts, please contact Washington University Public Affairs. Monday&＃8211;Friday, 8:30 to 5 p.m. Sara Savat, Senior News Director, Business and Social [email protected] &＃160; Kurt Greenbaum,Communications [email protected] Twitter: WUSTLnews Share article Apply Now Visit Us Request Info One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899 [email protected] 314-935-7301 News & Media Events Faculty Directory WashU Center for Career Engagement Washington University home Olin Links Sitemap Privacy Policies Title IX Accessibility ©2024 Washington University in St. Louis