Woodmere Man's SmartEKG Gets $10K in Funding

Originally posted on June 20 at 11 a.m.

A Woodmere resident’s smart heart monitor pitch at the Second Annual Long Island Young Entrepreneur Challenge has earned him $10,000 in startup funding, a mentorship and other support.

Eric Forkosh, 20, detailed plans for the SmartEKG – a “comfortable, personalized heart monitor” during his live pitch at the recent challenge. The monitor is a vest that is invisible under clothing and allows for a full range of motion without irritation, according to a press release. It also syncs wirelessly with the patient’s Smartphone, involving patient interaction in the monitoring process and providing data to medical professionals via an online portal.

“A group of us have been working on this concept for quite some time, and this challenge helped us take a closer look at the way we positioned our business model,“ Forkosh said. “I also enjoyed the question and answer session with the judges. The work with my Capital One mentor, Pete DeRosa, really helped me prepare for the type of questions to expect and the type of answers that would best articulate our project.”

The challenge winnings will go to the next steps for the SmartEKG, which involve a trial phase with a New York-area university. The team will build 15 to 20 monitors and continue work on the associated software. From there, the trial will launch into patient use and recording results for further product evaluation.

“Both Eric’s presentation and his product were most impressive,” said Joseph Scaretta, chief development officer of FrontStreet Facility Solutions, which along with Capital One Bank sponsored the event. “The concept of the SmartEKG will be soon appreciated by cardiac patients nationwide. We are proud to be supporting Eric and his business partners and look forward to following their success.”

The LI YEC is an annual business pitch competition, engaging entrepreneurs, ages 17-22, who either live on Long Island or are enrolled as an undergraduate student at an accredited Long Island college or university. The challenge is funded through a partnership between FrontStreet and Capital One Bank.