Ascendant Dx Wins InnovateHER Ozarks, Advances to U.S. Semifinals

Ascendant Dx of Springdale recently took first prize at the Ozarks regional round of the U.S. Small Business Administration-sponsored InnovateHER competition.

Twenty companies applied and six were considered for the award, said Haley Cleous, associate consultant at Startup Junkie Consulting, which organized the contest locally.

The pitch contest took place Nov. 3, and the winner was announced on Nov. 13, at the 2.7.0. Accelorator Demo Day, another SBA-backed program run by Startup Junkie.

Ascendant Dx makes medical devices. Its signature product is a screening tool that finds breast cancer markers in teardrops.

Founder and CEO Omid Moghadam said the startup is currently trying to raise $5 million in order to bring the product to market.

Ascendant Dx has now been submitted to the SBA as a semifinalist for the national contest, competing against more than 200 companies in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The SBA will choose 10 companies, based on their business plans, to travel to Washington, D.C., in March to compete in the finals, where $70,000 in prize money will be awarded.

Finalists will be announced early next year, according to the SBA. 

The InnovateHER competition, co-sponsored by Microsoft, is seeking the most innovative products and services that impact women’s lives and help empower them.

InnovateHER is an organization that supports female entrepreneurs, breaking the glass ceiling, and creating long-term, positive changes in gender equality, according to its website.