Startup, 2008 Global Finals
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VCIC Startup Acquired for $400M.

Brent Ratz, a Wharton MBA grad, pitched at VCIC 2008 Global Finals with his heart valve replacement startup, CardiAQ Valve Technologies. CardiAQ went on to raise over $40M in venture funding before being acquired by Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (NYSE:EW) for $400 million in June of 2015.
Press release announcing the acquisition, July 10, 2015. 

Mr. J. Brent Ratz Co-founded CardiAQ Valve Technologies, Inc. and has been its President since October 2007, just a year prior to his VCIC involvement. When asked to comment on his VCIC experience, Mr. Ratz said, “I was fortunate enough to present the CardiAQ opportunity at a VCIC competition back when we were just getting started.  I was immediately impressed by the caliber of the student teams and found the experience to be invaluable in helping me craft and refine the CardiAQ pitch.  I’m confident that the presentations and mock-negotiations that took place at VCIC helped prepare me for subsequent interactions with real Venture Capitalists and paved the way for CardiAQ’s ultimate success.”

Currently, Mr. Ratz serves as the Chief Operating Officer at CardiAQ Valve Technologies, Inc. He served as the Chief Executive Officer at CardiAQ Valve Technologies, Inc. since October 2007. From 2001 to 2007, Mr. Ratz served at Accellent, leading provider of outsourced design, development, and contract manufacturing for device industry. In most recent position, he served as Accellent’s Field Sales Rep for Boston Scientific, Covidien (Tyco Healthcare) and several smaller companies and was Project Manager on numerous projects, including a stent delivery system. He serves as Director at CardiAQ Valve Technologies, Inc. He studied MBA with Honors in Entrepreneurial Management, University of Penn., Wharton School of Business in May 2006 and BS in Magna Cum Laude in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University in 2000.