Miles Lanham arrived at the University of Virginia eager to build something of his own.
“I came into college knowing I wanted to start something,” said Lanham, now a third-year biomedical engineering major.
That drive led him to create Métopi, a company focused on making lifesaving medication easier and faster to access. The company’s inhaled drug-delivery platform turns a rescue inhaler into a compact wearable device, designed to improve accessibility and drug efficacy in respiratory and neurological emergency care.
Lanham’s entrepreneurial ventures have taken many forms throughout the years, beginning with a love for Legos and homemade inventions that evolved into building projects in a friend’s garage.
“We’d build bows and arrows. We also had this super powerful drill and almost made a working car with it,” he said.
In high school, he launched another startup called SorboStrap, a waist belt designed to reduce strain from carrying backpacks.
Throughout his journey, Lanham reflects on the importance of seeking resources, the experiences that have shaped his progress and his plans to continuing building Métopi. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)
Now, Lanham’s efforts are in building and scaling Métopi. His original idea for the project came after witnessing a teammate live through a health crisis.
“I ran track my first year here. At a practice, my teammate had an asthma attack during his workout and couldn’t access his medication,” he recalled. The experience inspired him to dig deeper for solutions.
“I grew up with asthma and could relate to those things, but I never really thought about it until that happened. Track practice was a wake-up moment,” he said.
When it came to the process of starting the company, Lanham began with the basics. “I started technical; it was me doing all the engineering,” he said.
Now, he is at the operational stage. “Having an idea is one part of the story, but running it by people who are going to use it is the most important,” he said. Lanham has spoken to over 400 patients and health care providers, taking feedback and making sure the product is well received.
