Baltimore weekly roundup: EDA Tech Hubs visit; Employment holds steady; Protesting data centers

Welcome to the roundup of the latest from Baltimore's tech and entrepreneurship scene. Want this in your inbox? Subscribe for free.

New AI healthcare accelerator

Programming for the just-launched Techstars AI Health Baltimore will be in person and is intended for early stage startups in the biotech, healthcare and medical sectors using AI. 

Open to startups globally, it’s a 13-week program, and founders will receive up to $120,000 in funding from Techstars, in return for around 6% to 9% equity. 

“The recent ‘blossoming’ of artificial intelligence has taken a number of folks by surprise, but AI has been around for a long time,” program managing director Adam Phillips told me. “It will have massive implications for healthcare where accessing currently unstructured datasets will help providers, payers, and patients alike make better healthcare decisions.”

➡️ Learn more about the new accelerator here 

$21M for cancer research breakthroughs

With a $21 million federal grant that’s part of the Biden administration’s Cancer Moonshot, a Johns Hopkins research team is developing a tool to better remove tumors and detect if cancer cells are left behind. 

“Enabling a successful first surgery and ending it with a negative margin — when there are no cancer cells left behind — means that you are not only giving more years to the patient but sustaining their quality of life, as well,” said Emad Boctor, director of JHU’s Medical UltraSound Imaging and Intervention Collaboration Research Laboratory. 

There’s also a new fellowship for social entrepreneurs in the city, and public schools across Maryland will soon be getting funding for energy upgrades. 

➡️ Get details on all the latest Baltimore money moves

Edit cal opportunity: Life Sciences Month

Venture capital trends prove it: life sciences is big right now. Some people even say it’s threatening to dethrone software as the king of technology. You’ll hear lots more about this during September, when the topic will be a special focus for our newsroom as our editorial calendar theme.Support this reporting while elevating your brand awareness by underwriting Technical.ly Life Sciences Month!

Your investment gets your logo and intro atop each story we publish in the series. You’ll reach up to 75k+ social followers, 45k newsletter subscribers and an average of 5k+ page views per series per market. Take advantage of our new self-service option, where you can create and finalize your campaign online — or reach out to sales@technical.ly to find out more.

➡️ See offer details and sign up for Life Sciences Month

News Incubator: What else to know

• A Baltimore man pleaded guilty to killing late tech CEO Pava LaPere. This followed the man pleading guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder in a separate case. LaPere, founder of the local startup EcoMap Technologies, left a colossal mark. [Baltimore Biz Journal/Technical.ly]

• The region’s total employment has remained steady over the last five years — and it’s projected to grow 3% in the next five. [Technical.ly]

• The University System of Maryland is accepting applications for its venture capital fellowship. It’s open to all students enrolled at a University of Maryland institution. [University System of Maryland]

• Baltimore medical device company BC3 Technologies developed a wound spray that claims to manage serious bleeding, and it’s now being distributed by the firm First Aid Only. [Maryland Matters]

• The recent data center conference organized by the Maryland Technology Council at Frederick Community College was met with protestors. The demonstrators focused on a proposed power transmission project that would go from a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, through Maryland, to Northern Virginia. [Maryland Matters]

• The clean energy company Constellation in Baltimore is helping Maryland students go to the Maryland Science Center through $850,000 in grants. [Constellation]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Sept. 7: Baltimore Code & Coffee is hosting a workshop about communication skills. [Details here]

• Sept 26: Meet and network with fellow manufacturers and artists at Magma Build Studios. [Details here]

• Sept 10-11: HBCU Research is hosting an AI summit at the Baltimore Hyatt Hotel. [Details here]