UMaine spinoff company wins regional BigGig, Maine Startups Insider reports

Maine Startups Insider reported a medical simulation startup founded by University of Maine students won the Bangor region’s BigGig pitch event. The company, Zephyrus Simulation LLC, was spun off from a product developed by a group of bioengineering students, according to the article. The product began as a $500 prototype of a manikin with a diaphragm that mimics natural breathing patterns, as well as hyperventilation and obstructed breathing patterns. It’s job is to help train medical professionals to diagnose and respond to critical respiratory situations, according to William Patrick Breeding, a bioengineering major at UMaine who pitched the business at the BigGig event. “The idea was to create a simulation capable of simulating realistic diaphragm movements,” Breeding said. Breeding and his co-founders plan to market the product to hospitals, medical education facilities, and emergency response organizations, the article states. For winning the BigGig pitch event, the team won $500 and a chance to compete for $5,000 at the BigGig Finale. Tech.co also published the Maine Startups Insider report.