Edmonton tech company wins NASA iTech competition

Tevosol Transplant Technologies, an Edmonton tech company, picked up a big win Tuesday in the NASA iTech competition held in Tampa, Florida.

Dr. Jayan Nagendran only had three minutes to present the Ex-Vivo Organ Support System — or EVOSS — a device developed to improve organ transplantation and possibly, one day, to place astronauts in hibernation for long-distance space travel.

Nagendran returned home with a big win for Canada on a global scale, and an even bigger accomplishment for Edmonton’s tech industry.

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“It’s reassuring that a company started in Edmonton and technology that’s developed right here at home is actually being recognized at an international level and actually has an application, potentially, with deep space travel,” Nagendran said.

“This is a huge deal for the city of Edmonton because it’s putting Edmonton on the map.

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“We have the most tech companies from a single city that have been reviewed and have made it to the NASA iTech top 10,” Lending Assist CEO Kim Krushell said.

The semi-final win has led to an open dialogue with NASA.

“The commitment now is that we’re likely to present at NASA’s final forum and really that means that NASA’s head office seriously reviews these top companies,” added Nagendran.

In May, Tevosol hopes to compete against 10 other companies for the top spot.

The EVOSS device is currently in its prototype phase, but commercial products will be developed later this year.