Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund

Capital for medical innovation at the earliest stage.

MDC-Verte invests in medtech companies in federally designated Opportunity Zones — at the point where an idea is still a sketch, and traditional capital has not yet arrived.

$15M+
Raised by client companies

In contracts, grants and investments

12
Companies in the portfolio

Graduated, funded and in the pipeline

5
NSF Phase I SBIR grants

Part of ~$13M in contract and grant funding

65%
Potential Maryland BIITC match

Up to 75% under the state tax credit program

The opportunity

4%

of Opportunity Zone capital reaches operating companies.

Opportunity Zone investments are commonly used by real estate developers. The statute also supports investment in operating companies — but less than 4% of OZ capital goes there, and only a very small fraction of that reaches startups.

That gap is the MDC-Verte Fund's target market.

Acquiring early capital from friends, family and angel investors is often the limiting factor in launching a technology company, and especially a medtech startup, because medical technology innovation is resource-intensive. We focus on the earliest stages to bridge the gap between an idea and traditional later-stage funding.

More about the fund and its structure →

Investment focus

Where we invest

We support innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs building impactful technology companies in Opportunity Zones.

01

Surgery and trauma care

Medical devices that improve outcomes in the operating room and in the field, from sterile processing to emergency airway management.

02

Diagnostics and monitoring

Wearable technologies that move diagnosis and health monitoring out of the clinic and into daily life.

03

Robotics

Robotic systems for rehabilitation and surgery, including stroke recovery and autonomous surgical assistance.

Portfolio

Companies we back

Built on inventions from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins schools of medicine, the Henry Jackson Foundation, Cooper University and MDC's own staff.

See the full portfolio →

Tax treatment

Why Opportunity Zones

Federally designated Opportunity Zones are found throughout the United States, including many locations near research centers. Companies in these historically distressed zones commit to creating jobs, fostering innovation and having a social impact locally.

Investors in Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds can defer capital gains taxes for several years, and may be able to avoid them altogether.

Maryland adds a further incentive: the Biotechnology Investment Incentive Tax Credit may match 65% — or even 75% — of an investor's money in the Fund.

BIITC is awarded by lottery and not every investment receives the match. MDC-Verte investments have received the match each time we have applied.

A Modular Matter prosthetic fitting
MDC Studio portfolio company Modular Matter is developing new prostheses and braces using advanced metamaterials.

Supporting innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs

Whether you are an investor exploring Opportunity Zone funds or an inventor with an idea on a napkin, we would like to hear from you.