A ribbon-cutting and panel discussion Wednesday celebrated the opening of Plug and Play's Warsaw office, located at the Zimmer Biomet headquarters.
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform connecting startups, corporations and investors. Warsaw's location is the company's first office in Indiana and will serve as the worldwide capital for medtech startups.
Those in attendance for the opening included Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg, Plug and Play CEO and founder Saeed Amidi and Zimmer Biomet President and CEO Ivan Tornos. All four participated in a panel discussion on Plug and Play and also spoke with media members prior to the panel about the impact the office's opening will have on Hoosiers and medtech startups.
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play has over 50 locations across five continents. It's invested in hundreds of companies such as Dropbox, Honey and PayPal. In 2023, Plug and Play accelerated 2,701 startups globally.
According to a press release from Plug and Play, the Warsaw facility "aims to support and accelerate the rapidly expanding global medtech industry, underscoring Plug and Play's commitment to fostering healthcare innovation and advancing groundbreaking technologies."
Startups operating from the Warsaw office will gain access to a wide array of resources and support, including mentorship, networking events to help them grow and scale their businesses, and Plug and Play's extensive network of corporate partners and investors.
Additionally, selected medtech startups will have the opportunity to participate in Plug and Play's renowned accelerator programs, providing them with invaluable insights, mentorship and potential investment opportunities.
"Plug and Play has, for years, helped startups scale up and grow by connecting talent, capital and innovation experts," said Holcomb. "We've got 17 sectors in the state of Indiana and they're all growing. We've got Plug and Play in Indiana, and they're going to start to grow roots here and partner with us and we'll be able to introduce them to folks all over the state of Indiana."

    Taking part in a panel discussion Wednesday were (L to R) Ivan Tornos, Zimmer Biomet CEO; Saeed Amidi, Plug and Play CEO and founder; David Rosenberg, Indiana secretary of commerce; and Eric Holcomb, Indiana governor. Photo by Liz Shepherd, InkFreeNews
  

Rosenberg credited orthopedic companies in Warsaw such as Zimmer Biomet, OrthoPediatrics and Paragon Medical for stepping up to bring a Plug and Play office to Warsaw.
"(Plug and Play) will bring 20 to 40 different startups per year to Warsaw to partner with industry partners here, to see if their innovation can grow in the state," said Rosenberg. "Getting them here, that's what makes Indiana so special. The cost of doing business, the ease of doing business, gives these startups such a long runway where they can try something, fail, pivot, and have that next success. Here, they can be with industry leaders, figure out what can work long-term, and have that time and ability to make that pivot."
Tornos said with the startups, those could come to fruition within 1-1/2 to four years. He also noted receiving worldwide interest about Warsaw's office.
"Even from my home country of Spain, I'm getting emails directly about different startups in Europe that want to be part of the system," said Tornos.
Amidi said there were representatives for startups from Spain, Poland and Canada who would be presenting pitches following the panel discussion.
"We feel, as the orthopedic capital of the world, the base is very strong, the technology and development, it's rooted here (in Warsaw)," said Amidi. "So we want to just add more of an element of entrepreneurship execution for medtech."
"We want to create the Silicon Valley of medtech right here in northeast Indiana," said Tornos. "Our vision is to create something like the technology companies have created in northern California right here in Warsaw."
"My big dream is we would like to create the next Zimmer Biomet," said Amidi. "I do it because I enjoy it but also I would love one of these startups to build the next biggest medtech company in the world, and quite frankly, improve lives."
Jim Lancaster, president, recon and global headquarters executive director at Zimmer Biomet, said Amidi and his team first came to Warsaw less than 35 weeks ago to meet with Zimmer Biomet representatives about Plug and Play. Within four months of that meeting, Zimmer Biomet signed an anchor agreement with Plug and Play as a corporate partner.
"Our office is here in this community, and Plug and Play Indiana calls Warsaw home," said Brandon Noll, director of Plug and Play Indiana. "We're not here to be disruptive, we're here to be additive. This will be an important piece not just for this community, not just for this industry, but for this state as a whole, as we have grand plans to take this model and put it in Fort Wayne, in Indianapolis, to put it on (college) campuses. And as we work with those bigger institutions, we're not losing sight of how we got here. It is an ecosystem that we have brought here to Warsaw."
"My cup runs over with pride on a day like today, knowing what this is going to mean 10 to 15 years from now," said Holcomb. "Indiana is having a moment in a very positive way, and what will come out of it will change lives. This is an example of what instills trust and confidence in others. This is pulling people together."