Cade Museum announced Boston-based company CranioSense as the winner of the 2023 Cade Prize at its Thursday awards ceremony.  

CranioSense won out of the 21 named finalists based on “developing a portable device that is able to assess pressure in the brain by using near-infrared light to look at how the blood vessels in the brain are changing as pressure builds up or subsides. This tool will help doctors make more informed care decisions, reduce the time to receive care and preserve brain health for millions of patients each year. This invention is revolutionizing the way that we assess and treat brain injuries,” according to the Cade Prize social media post.  

“The recognition of our vision by the Cade Museum is an enormous pillar of success for our young startup,” said CranioSense co-founder Ryan Myers in a press release. “The Cade Prize is both an acknowledgment and a source of momentum. The prize money will help us further refine our approach to the market, spread the word about CranioSense, and visit hospitals to get customer feedback.”    

Along with four other category winners, CranioSense won an initial $10,000 cash prize for scoring the highest in the Healthcare and Biomedical category. On Thursday at the awards ceremony, the team competed against the following four category winners to ultimately place as the overall winner.    

• Agriculture and Environmental Winner ($10,000 prize): Terra Pave (Austin, TX) – Environmentally friendly replacements for concrete and asphalt roads, pavements, parking lots, and other hard surfaces.   
• Energy Winner ($10,000 prize): Adaptive Hydro (Somerville, MA) – A way to electrify non-powered dams (existing dams that do not generate any power) across the US.     
• IT/Tech Winner ($10,000 prize): Connected Wise (Orlando, FL) – Vision-based communication for vehicles through QR codes.     
• Wildcard Winner ($10,000 prize): SpadXTech (Worcester, MA) – An alternative leather material that can be produced using less energy and chemicals, thus reducing emissions.  

Richard Miles, the Cade Museum’s co-founder, said he was very pleased with the Prize’s transition from primarily a Florida prize to a national one, “We received applications from every part of the United States, and four of the five finalists were outside of Florida.” 

Last year, the first place winner was NEPTUYNA, which is based in Boca Raton.