Humimic Biosystems Leadership Heads to Prestigious Ivey Business Plan Competition

Humimic Biosystems is proud to announce that CEO, Lexi Applequist, and COO, Landon Usher, will represent the company at the highly prestigious Ivey Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. The competition is one of North America’s premier platforms for entrepreneurial innovation and takes place from January 23-25, 2025, bringing together exceptional entrepreneurial talent from across the continent. Showcasing Innovative Organ-on-Chip Technology Humimic Biosystems, founded in 2023, specializes in organ-on-chip technology—a cutting-edge solution poised to revolutionize drug development.

Lexi and Landon will present the company’s vision to redefine preclinical testing by providing human-relevant, cost-effective, and ethical alternatives to traditional animal models. Despite the recent formation of the company, Humimic draws on years of research and innovation at the University of Arkansas’ Mechanobiology and Soft Materials Laboratory lead by Dr. Kartik Balachandran. Humimic’s product portfolio includes microengineered organ models for the heart, brain, lungs, and muscle allowing researchers to: Reduce drug development costs by up to 26% per drug. Accelerate time-to-market for new therapies by up to 22 months. Minimize reliance on animal testing, protecting thousands of animals from mice to monkeys. Competing Among the Best

The Ivey Business Plan Competition is an internationally recognized event, attracting entrepreneurial teams from leading universities throughout North America and beyond. Organized by the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship at the Ivey Business School, the event provides participants with a platform to pitch their business ideas to an experienced panel of judges that includes venture capitalists, top entrepreneurs, and academic experts. With a $30,000 prize pool, including a $20,000 grand prize, the competition offers a valuable opportunity for learning, networking, and gaining exposure. “Participating in the Ivey Business Plan Competition is a remarkable opportunity for our company to test our business model against the brightest minds in entrepreneurship. It’s a chance to share our mission, refine our vision, and gain insights from some of the most respected leaders in the business world,” said Lexi Applequist, Humimic Biosystems CEO.

A Unique Opportunity for Connection and Growth Beyond the competition, Lexi and Landon will engage in networking sessions with fellow entrepreneurs and investors, exchange ideas, and showcase Humimic’s technology. By competing alongside top-tier graduate and undergraduate teams, they aim to highlight the real-world impact of organ-on-chip technology in addressing critical inefficiencies in pharmaceutical research and development.icbiosystems.com