Thrilled to be a Finalist for Local Startup of the Year

May 08, 2023

Thrilled to be a Finalist for Local Startup of the Year

We are proud that Luminoah has been recognized as a finalist for the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council’s Startup of the Year award. This award acknowledges companies with a focus on innovation, scalability, and significant progress in recent years. As we reflect on this achievement, we are grateful for the support of our community and excited to share our journey thus far.

A Journey of Innovation and Growth

Since our inception, Luminoah has been on a mission to disrupt the tube feeding industry by reinventing solutions that address critical challenges. Our passion for innovation and our commitment to making a positive impact have propelled us forward, and being named a finalist for Startup of the Year affirms that we are on the right track.

At the heart of our success lies the transformative power of what we are building. Whether it’s enabling mobility through innovative delivery technology, creating an intuitive design by partnering with our users during development or enhancing communication with providers through a connected solution, our product development approach will consistently deliver tangible benefits. Our team’s relentless pursuit of excellence has allowed us to build a reputation for innovation in the community.

The Importance of Community Support

None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of our community. From our early collaborators at the University of Virginia, to our dedicated team members and loyal advisors every individual has played an integral role in our journey. We are grateful for the trust and belief that has been placed in us, as it has been the driving force behind our growth and accomplishments. By working hand in hand with industry experts, mentors, investors, and fellow startups, we have been able to leverage diverse perspectives, invaluable expertise, and shared resources to overcome challenges and fuel our growth.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our supporters and everyone who has supported us for their unwavering belief in our mission. We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and are honored to be recognized among the top startups in our community.

Stay tuned as we continue our journey, bringing forth exciting developments, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Luminoah Website: luminoah.com  LinkedIn Twitter

CBIC Website: cvilleinnovation.org Twitter

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    Charlottesville, VA – June 5, 2025 – Luminoah, a medical device company transforming chronic disease care through personalized enteral nutrition delivery, announced today that it has been selected to join the MedTech Innovator 2025 Accelerator Cohort. Luminoah is one of only 65 companies—representing the top 4% of nearly 1,500 global applicants—chosen for this year’s program.

    MedTech Innovator (MTI) is the world’s largest accelerator for medical technology startups. The highly competitive four-month program provides participants with world-class mentorship, strategic guidance, and access to a robust network of investors, providers, payers, manufacturers, and industry experts.

    “We are honored to join this year’s MedTech Innovator cohort,” said Neal Piper, Founder and CEO of Luminoah. “This opportunity gives us a powerful platform to validate our technology, accelerate key partnerships, and expand the reach of our mission to set a new standard in enteral nutrition.”

    Luminoah was selected based on its breakthrough approach to modernizing enteral care—developing the world’s first data-driven enteral nutrition system. Its connected platform delivers real-time insights, unmatched mobility, and personalized therapy that improves outcomes and reduces malnutrition-related costs.

    Throughout the program, cohort companies will present at major industry events including The MedTech Conference powered by AdvaMed (October 5–8 in San Diego) and the MedTech Strategist Innovation Summit (November 19–21 in San Diego), where they will compete for a share of $800,000 in non-dilutive funding.

    ABOUT LUMINOAH

    Luminoah Inc., is a MedTech company, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, dedicated to making enteral nutrition delivery simpler, smarter, and easier for everyone. 

    For more information about Luminoah, visit www.luminoah.com, follow them on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, and subscribe to its newsletter. Post about us with #Luminoah.

    Luminoah Contact: info@luminoah.com

    ABOUT MEDTECH INNOVATOR

    MedTech Innovator is the world’s largest accelerator of medical device, digital health, and diagnostic companies. Its mission is to improve human health by accelerating the growth of companies transforming patient care. MTI has been a catalyst for groundbreaking healthcare solutions, sourcing nearly 14,000 applicants and fostering the growth of over 700 graduates. Alumni have collectively raised $10 billion in follow-on funding and introduced 400+ products to the market, improving the health of millions worldwide. For more information about MedTech Innovator, its annual programs, portfolio of industry-leading startups, and insights on trends, visit MTI’s website, follow them on LinkedIn, and subscribe to its monthly newsletter.

    Luminoah was named Startup of the Year at the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) 25th Annual Gala. “We are grateful for this recognition and proud to grow our company in Charlottesville,” said Luminoah’s Founder and CEO Neal Piper. “Our mission is to build a brighter future for people requiring tube feeding. This award is dedicated to our fellow Lumineers and the millions of enteral users who depend on us.”

    “This year’s awardees represent the pinnacle of innovation, perseverance and community spirit that define our region’s dynamic tech ecosystem,” said CBIC Executive Director Tracey Greene. “Their achievements inspire us all, and it’s an honor to recognize their extraordinary contributions.”

    About Luminoah
    Luminoah is a medical technology company dedicated to improving the standard of care for patients requiring enteral nutrition. The company’s portable, intuitive, and connected nutrition system creates a new reality for patients and providers, enabling the freedom to feed anytime, anywhere with robust data tracking and remote patient monitoring. To learn more, visit Luminoah.com.

    Hello friendly traveler! My name is Marty Weiner. I was a founding engineer at Pinterest, the first CTO Reddit, and now a “retired” mad scientist who loves to build anything and everything, especially if it helps make the world a better place… or at least funnier. 

    One of the ways I could help make the world a better place happened by accident when I met Neal, The Nicest Guy in the WorldTM. No really. Like Mr. Rogers nice. Neal had an idea for a product that all began when his 3-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. Quick spoiler so I don’t keep you stressed: Noah is now 7 and fully recovered and thriving! For Neal and his wife Val, while dealing with the unfathomable hell I can only imagine of having a child with cancer, one of the many really hard things was feeding. For about 18 months, Noah couldn’t swallow. Food slush had to be pushed through a tube straight to his stomach via a surgically implanted connection. That meant Noah sitting there for hours next to an IV pushing liquid food straight into his stomach. That meant going anywhere was a hassle. That meant this little kid that just wanted to jump and run and play had to just sit there. That meant other kids at school teasing him. That meant (and this competes for the best/worst new failure mode phrase I’ve heard) “feeding the bed” on occasion. What’s “feeding the bed”? That’s when the IV line detaches at night and the pump keeps pushing food slush out onto the bed. Eech. 

    Through all that pain, Neal didn’t seem to lose his drive and passion. He’s got like Serena Williams level of drive and passion. I find that truly inspiring – to go through such a hard life path and come out of it with his burning need to do something to make the world a better place.

    Neal had a vision. What if the liquid food and pump were compact and portable so that going places was easy? So that a child or grownup who needs this kind of feeding can jump up and run and play and work and relax? What if this device was also fun and cool (you know, maybe some sweet Spiderman graphics on the screen)? What if the alert sounds emanating from this device didn’t sound like the panic-inducing sounds of the ICU, but rather, were relaxing, fun, or enjoyable? Seems doable and definitely revolutionary for people going through this. This is some Steve Jobs level vision Neal had.

    So, I started chatting with Neal about how I could help as an advisor and possibly more. Cause when you meet a Mr. Roger + Serena Williams + Steve Jobs, you just gotta amplify them.

    We chatted about funding, hiring, and building a software team—all the usual startup stuff. But then I asked that fateful question: who’s building your circuit board? Nobody?? Dude, I wanna build it!

    And for a year and a half, while my kids were in bed, I did. I’ve built maybe 20 circuit boards in my life, but never one for production and certainly never one that would need to also get FDA approval and be in the hands of small children pouring orange juice on it and dropping it in the mud 🙂. I had to learn a lot for my part. We pumped out 8 or PCBs until honing in on the one that’s going to the FDA. 

    A little aside cause I gotta geek out with you – it’s insane how fast you can prototype hardware now! I can iterate a design on Kicad (which, if you haven’t tried it, is amazing), ship it out to PCBWay (today’s sponsor… just kidding), and have it back in my hands in a week. For just about $80. Holy crap… that’s nearing the speed of software development. (And don’t get me started on how amazing 3D Printers are…). Ok, geek out over. Back to it.

    We set out to build this portable food pump and did just that. In the earliest days, I hacked alongside Neal, Hill Johnson (an excellent product manager), Landon Gilkey (an excellent mechanical engineer), and Kevin Owen (an excellent electrical engineer). Once the company was able to get some funding underneath it, the team rapidly expanded with more brilliant people to cover all the areas needed to bring this device to market. And now we’re off to the races, quickly stepping over each hurdle as any great team does. 

    Why am I telling you all this? Well, one to introduce you to Luminoah, soon to be the hot new kid on the med tech block :). And two, I want to reach out to all of you out there who find yourselves in the same lucky position I’ve found myself – having a little extra time on my hands (or hate sleep) and a background that helps startups get off the ground – and encourage you to find and amplify another Mr. Rogers… err… I mean Neal Piper.  You might just help change the world for the better :).