IRVINE, Calif., April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — University Lab Partners (ULP) proudly announces the selection of nine cutting-edge MedTech companies for the inaugural cohort of the International Consortium for Research, Engineering, Acceleration of Technology Excellence (I-CREATE). I-CREATE serves as the BARDA Accelerator Network’s Medical Devices and Diagnostics Hub and is executed in partnership with CIMIT and Science Exchange.

“We are thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of companies, representing diverse and groundbreaking innovations,” said Sandra J. Miller, Executive Director of University Lab Partners. “We look forward to supporting them, alongside our partners, as they advance their technologies to address critical health security challenges.”

About I-CREATE and the 2025 Cohort
I-CREATE is one of five strategic BARDA Accelerator Network Hubs (BAN 2.0), focused on empowering innovative startups to accelerate the development, scalability, and commercialization of medical devices and diagnostics globally. The program emphasizes advancing innovative technology to develop medical countermeasures that address the public health and medical consequences of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) accidents, incidents and attacks, pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious diseases

Three companies will each receive up to $200,000 in non-dilutive funding, customized mentorship to fit their needs, and consulting over six months to support the development, evaluation, or validation of their diagnostic or medical device solution.

Lo BiosciencesRua DiagnosticsAdaptyx

Six additional companies will participate in a six-month accelerator program featuring tailored workshops, advisory services, consulting, mentorship and compete for a prize of up to $50,000.

Acorn GeneticsChecktor BiosciencesVIDEMMitos DiagnosticsHikari Medical TechnologyLatde Diagnostics

All nine companies will present their innovations to potential investors at the I-CREATE Virtual Showcase on May 20, 2025. For more information, please visit www.universitylabpartners.org/contact

This project has been supported in whole or in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under agreement number 75A50124C00007.

About I-CREATE
I-CREATE fosters groundbreaking innovation in the medical device and diagnostics sectors by serving as a bridge between startups and a network of investors, industry leaders, and experienced mentors. Through this collaboration, the program empowers entrepreneurs to navigate the complexities of development and commercialization, driving the advancement of transformative medical countermeasures that address critical health challenges and improve lives globally.

About University Lab Partners
University Lab Partners (ULP) is a premier nonprofit wet lab incubator located in Orange County, CA, with facilities in Irvine and Aliso Viejo. ULP provides state-of-the-art wet lab spaces and fosters a vibrant entrepreneurial community focused on life sciences. In addition to offering highly equipped facilities and peer-to-peer collaboration opportunities, ULP runs global accelerator programs and workforce development initiatives, empowering innovators and advancing the life sciences ecosystem worldwide. www.universitylabpartners.org

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SOURCE University Lab Partners

Kaleidescape’s Entry-Level Movie Player, Redefined

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Kaleidescape, maker of the ultimate movie platform, today announced Strato M, a new entry-level movie player for residential, marine, and commercial theatre systems. Offered at half the price of Kaleidescape’s previous lowest-cost system, Strato M provides reference 2K video output, with better than Blu-ray quality. Like all Kaleidescape movie players, Strato M supports lossless audio.

“Strato M opens up the Kaleidescape experience to a broader range of movie enthusiasts,” said Tayloe Stansbury, chairman & CEO of Kaleidescape. “And in larger systems, Strato M is great for secondary rooms, while reserving the flagship Strato V for main viewing areas.”

Strato M works on its own or as part of a larger Kaleidescape system. As a standalone system, Strato M provides a single playback zone that holds a half-dozen movies on an internal solid-state drive – downloading a movie in about ten minutes over gigabit Ethernet. It features a streamlined interface, optimized for navigating a small movie library, offering automatic offloading of watched movies 48 hours after playback to make room for more movies. Purchased movies can be re-downloaded at any time.

Strato M can also be grouped with Terra Prime movie servers to increase movie storage. This returns Strato M’s interface to the full Kaleidescape user experience. Strato V, Strato C, and Strato M movie players can all be grouped together with one or more Terra movie servers, to fit your entertainment needs.

Strato M supports lossless multi-channel and spatial object-based audio, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Strato M supports reference 2K video, with higher bit rates and bit depths than Blu-ray, including Dolby Vision, HDR10, BT.2020, and 4:2:2 chroma.

Kaleidescape Strato M provides access to the Kaleidescape movie store, the world’s only digital movie collection with lossless audio and full reference video quality. The movie store offers thousands of 4K and HD titles for purchase or rent, including movies, TV series, and concerts. Kaleidescape movies are downloaded, not streamed, so there is never buffering or loss in quality.

To learn more, visit: https://www.kaleidescape.com/strato-m-movie-player/. Strato M is available now through authorized Kaleidescape dealers: https://www.kaleidescape.com/find-a-dealer/.

About Kaleidescape (www.Kaleidescape.com) 
Kaleidescape is the ultimate movie platform. Kaleidescape has been designing, manufacturing, and selling state-of-the-art movie players and servers for over 20 years. Kaleidescape digitally delivers movies with lossless audio and reference video. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Kaleidescape products are assembled in the USA.

Media Contact:
Kaleidescape, Inc.
Josh Gershman
Josh.Gershman@kaleidescape.com

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SOURCE Kaleidescape, Inc.

WINNIPEG, MB, April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Activate has been recognized as #1 in Leisure and Entertainment on the Financial Times list of The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies 2025, ranking 12th across all industries. This prestigious award, presented in partnership with data provider Statista, identifies the 300 fastest-growing companies in North and South America based on their 209% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2020 and 2023.

“Activate’s rating as the #1 in Leisure and Entertainment solidifies our place as a leader in the modern entertainment industry,” said Adam Schmidt, CEO of Activate. “This achievement reflects our team’s dedication, our players’ enthusiasm for the brand, our commitment to innovation, and our passion for delivering an unparalleled gaming experience to millions of players worldwide.”

The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies Ranking

The Financial Times and Statista’s selection process was comprehensive and stringent, starting with an application phase where over 30,000 companies meeting specific eligibility criteria were invited to participate. During the research phase, Statista analyzed more than 1,000 public companies and prominent businesses that satisfied revenue growth benchmarks. In the evaluation phase, verified revenue data was used to calculate each company’s CAGR. Ultimately, the final ranking highlighted the top 300 companies, requiring a minimum CAGR of 9% to qualify.

Activate’s Rapid Global Expansion

Since launching in 2017, Activate has redefined entertainment by merging physical activity with high-tech gaming. The company has expanded from its first location in Winnipeg, Canada, to over 40 locations globally, including internationally in Dubai and London. Activate aims to open 200 more locations within the next decade, further establishing its international presence, with locations opening this year in France, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Kuwait, and more.

As Activate continues its strategic expansion, it remains committed to pushing the boundaries of interactive entertainment and delivering an unmatched experience to its ever-growing community of 3.9 million players worldwide.

Activate also earned a spot on The Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Companies 2024, securing the top position as Canada’s fastest-growing entertainment businesses with an impressive 1,105% growth rate over the past three years.

For more information on Activate and its expansion, visit playactivate.com or follow @activategames on social media for the latest updates.

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ABOUT ACTIVATE
Activate is the world’s first active gaming experience where players #EnterTheGame. Activate offers a unique blend of physical activity and gaming that promotes a healthy lifestyle. Each Activate location provides fun and interactive rooms where players can work cooperatively or compete against each other while tracking their achievements. With the global headquarters located in Winnipeg, Canada, Activate has grown to 40 locations across Canada, the U.S., London, UK, and Dubai.

To join the active gaming movement, visit Activate and follow us on social media:

Facebook: @activategames
Instagram: @activategames
TikTok: @activategames
LinkedIn: @activategames

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SOURCE ACTIVATE