EAP portfolio company RNvention signs with Medline

EAP portfolio company signs agreement with Medline Industries, Inc.

Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP) portfolio company RNvention has signed a manufacturing and distribution agreement with Medline Industries, Inc., the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies providing products, education and support in medical care.

RNvention, a medical startup based in Shreveport, was co-founded by nurses Wayne Nix and Dawn Nix to advance innovation in healthcare through addressing the needs of frontline medical personnel.

RNvention’s first product, the Multinix tool, is a device designed to assist in bedside patient care, combining several tools nurses find themselves needing into one 7-inch device with more than 15 features. The Nixes hope the Medline partnership will make the tool accessible to nurses around the world.

Medline will manufacture, license and market the tool internationally.

“Wayne and Dawn’s product is the first of many we hope to see as they assist others in healthcare move their ideas and innovations to commercialization. RNvention’s first product is a tool that could become a staple in bedside care due to its time-saving and cost-cutting potential for healthcare providers and operators,” said Dave Smith, EAP Executive Director. “We congratulate the Nixes on the agreement with Medline, an innovative and respected medical supplier.”

Wayne Nix, a former neonatal nurse, has been developing the Multinix tool for the past three years, taking the prototype through a dozen iterations based on feedback from nurses in the field.

“We feel that this product is going to change healthcare providers’ lives for the better. The final design assists in everything we do around a patient – from opening packages and clamping lines to splitting pills,” Wayne Nix said. “Health systems are going to realize new efficiencies that contribute to the bottom line and provide better care to the patients.”

EAP, an initiative of BRF, is a public/private partnership between BRF, the Caddo Parish Commission, and the City of Shreveport to diversify the regional economy, create jobs and expand the area’s tax base by providing services to innovative startups that have high growth potential.

EAP provides a suite of services to build sustainable and profitable companies in North Louisiana while stimulating economic development and enhancing the regional innovation entrepreneurial ecosystem.  

To date, EAP has vetted more than 780 ideas and has provided startup services to 222 businesses or entrepreneurs.