FIU student startup PolarDoc named global Hult Prize finalist for preterm birth technology

PolarDoc, a startup led by Florida International University biomedical engineering doctoral students Jenny Pei and Amanda Sanchez, has been named one of eight global finalists in the 2026 EF Hult Prize—often called the ‘Nobel Prize for students’—after advancing from a field of 18,000 startups worldwide. 

PolarDoc developed PPRIM, short for Portable Preterm Imaging, a patented handheld device invented by FIU biomedical engineering professor Jessica Ramella-Roman in her Medical Photonics Laboratory. Pei and Sanchez have optimized and further advanced the technology through their doctoral research. As PolarDoc, they are hoping to move it from the laboratory into clinical use and beyond. 

The yearlong Hult Prize competition helped accelerate that transition. Through its Digital Incubator and four-week Global Accelerator, Pei and Sanchez tested their assumptions, refined PolarDoc’s business model and market strategy, clarified clinical and regulatory milestones, and expanded their network of mentors and potential investors. 

“We entered the competition with deep confidence in the science,” Sanchez said. “The Hult Prize pushed us to define who would use PPRIM, how we would reach them and what must happen to turn a promising device into a clinical tool. Finishing among the final eight validates the need, the technology and the company we are building.” 

PPRIM uses polarized light to capture rapid images of the cervix and software to analyze changes in its collagen structure. Premature changes may signal increased risk of early labor, giving clinicians an opportunity to intervene or prepare for an early delivery. About one in 10 babies is born preterm; complications include death, breathing and feeding problems and developmental delays. 

“It is deeply gratifying to see Jenny and Amanda advance this research and build a company around it,” Ramella-Roman said. “The Hult experience gave the technology global visibility and moved it closer to the real objective: becoming a validated clinical tool that can improve care for mothers and babies.” 

“PolarDoc shows how university research can become an engine for economic growth and student success,” said FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez. “A faculty discovery has become a student-led venture positioned to attract investment, support high-skill jobs and address an urgent health challenge. Reaching the final eight shines a global spotlight on the work and innovation taking place at FIU." 

Before reaching the finals, PolarDoc joined 20 other teams at the Global Accelerator at Ashridge House near London. The team received entrepreneurship guidance, pitch preparation and travel support from FIU’s Eugenio Pino and Family Global Entrepreneurship Center. 

Pei and Sanchez will continue developing PPRIM, pursuing clinical validation and preparing for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration process. PolarDoc estimates that approximately $1 million will be needed for that next stage. Its ultimate goal is to make PPRIM part of the standard of care in obstetric and prenatal medicine.