When serial entrepreneur Mike Hooven founded the medical device startup AtriCure in November 2000, Cincinnati was considered to be a swerve of the wheel for venture capitalists located on the coasts. In fact, some would say it was hardly even on the map.
Today, AtriCure is one of the region's success stories. The company has over 200 employees and more than $50 million in annual revenue, having benefited from first-mover advantage on its FDA-approved Synergy Ablation System. The device treats atrial fibrillation, a problem that affects two million people in the United States and can lead to congestive heart failure and stroke.
In many ways, AtriCure is a success story that emerged from Cincinnati's diverse, teeming health care ecosystem. When Hooven left a job at Johnson and Johnson in 1994 to create his own company, Enable Medical Corporation, he was able to tap the expertise of people he'd worked with at Ethicon. He received support from Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Ohio Third Frontier and the Cleveland Clinic.
To read the full, original article click on this link: City's health care ecosystem teems with entrepreneurship, innovation
