York start-up plans to use Rise of the Rest prize to expand

(Harrisburg) — The Rise of the Rest tour highlighted examples of innovation when it stopped in the midstate Tuesday — and landed one promising start-up a $100,000 investment.

Madris Tomes said she felt confident going into a pitch competition against eight other start-ups, but admitted she was nervous about explaining her business in only four minutes to a panel of judges.

Her York-based company Device Events uses software to identify patterns of problems in medical devices, so doctors and patients know the risks.

“Everyone’s afraid in the hospital and everyone is hoping that the device that’s used on them is safe and effective, and right now there’s really no measure for how to find out about the device,” Tomes said, “and so that’s what this system is going to do.”

The mission of the Rise of the Rest tour is to promote innovation away from traditional centers like Silicon Valley. 

Tomes started her company two years ago, after moving back to the midstate from Washington DC. 

She said the cost of living and the support system in the region made her start-up possible. 

“Although that wasn’t the intent of why I moved, it made it so that I was able to start my own company and still be able to thrive and survive,” Tomes said.

Tomes said she’ll use the prize money to attract new customers and expand sales. She also hopes to find new talent in the region to help grow the business.