ANN ARBOR, Mich., 7 June 2011 – New Enterprise Forum will host a panel discussion on the specifics of building your first team. This discussion should help entrepreneurs better understand how to you find, recruit, and pay for the talent needed to help grow a start-up. The event takes place at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, at the Holiday Inn on Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor.

The participants for this event include:

Bhushan Kulkarni – CEO, InfoReady Corporation and former CEO of GDI Infotech. Kulkarni resigned from GDI in March 2010 to lead the spinoff, a software start-up whose initial product helps users mine databases for government funding opportunities. InfoReady has since landed $1.1M in venture capital to fund sales and product expansion.

Ted Dacko – Founder and CEO of Arbor Dakota and previously CEO of HealthMedia® Inc. Arbor Dakota “helps early stage companies implement growth strategy which will in turn, enhance shareholder value.” The firm has “particular expertise with ‘Software as a Service’ (SaaS)…and helps companies with their growth acceleration strategies, strategic marketing plans, and sales discipline.”.

Adrian Fortino – CEO, Shepherd Intelligent Systems, which is commercializing the University of Michigan’s Magic Bus program. That software, tested by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority earlier this year, allows system riders to follow bus progress on their smart phones. Adrian has an extensive background in engineering, operations, entrepreneurship, venture capital and private equity. He also volunteers at Ann Arbor Spark, helping area talent transition from corporate to entrepreneurial environments.

Our moderator will be Elliot Forsyth, Vice President and COO for talent enhancement at the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Forsyth was previously vice president of human resources and business services at Ann Arbor-based information technology company ProQuest. In his new position at MEDC, he oversees all work force development and adult education programs.

Showcase Presentation: Each month, NEF highlights emerging companies and provides them a Showcase Presentation. This month, our presenter will be Verdi Ergun of Own Point of Sale Corporation, which provides a web-based cash register that allows business owners to track sales by product, keep tabs on revenues, run reports, and more.

Business Introductions/Open Forum: The evening’s agenda includes Business Introductions/Open Forum, during which attendees have the opportunity to make a concise, 10-second pitch for themselves, their company, product/service, or need.

Meeting location: Holiday Inn, 3600 Plymouth Rd. in Ann Arbor. Registration and networking begin at 5:00 p.m. with the program starting at 5:45 p.m. Free to NEF members, the cost is $20 for non-members and $5 for students. The event is sponsored by NEF stakeholder sponsor, Brown & Brown (www.bbdetroit.com).

ABOUT NEF

Through its hands-on work with entrepreneurs, NEF has been planting the seeds for Michigan’s economic prosperity for over two decades. NEF serves Michigan entrepreneurs by linking them with management expertise, venture partners, business services, capital, and other critical resources. NEF also provides free coaching teams who assist entrepreneurs with investor presentations and business planning in preparation for fundraising meetings. For information, visit www.NewEnterpriseForum.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — ANN ARBOR, MICH.  – American Broach & Machine Company will establish a new research and development center in the Ann Arbor region.  Today, the company received a Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) tax credit totaling $572,782 to help encourage the expansion.  
“American Broach & Machine Company is focused on quality processes and investing in manufacturing capability in order to make the world’s highest quality internal spline broach cutting tools for gears and spline parts,” said Ken Nemec, president, American Broach & Machine Company.  “American Broach & Machine Company would like to design, develop, and build newly innovated broaching machines to add value to manufacturing while growing jobs in Michigan.   The company’s new research and development center would give American Broach & Machine an edge in a tough industry, and help rebuild Michigan’s manufacturing base.”

American Broach & Machine Company, a designer and builder of machine tools for the auto and defense sectors, plans to invest $25 million in a new research and development center in Ypsilanti. The company expects the project to create up to 43 new jobs.
The MEGA award helped convince American Broach & Machine Company to invest in Michigan over competing sites in Canada and China.
“The Ann Arbor region is a destination for advanced manufacturing,” said Skip Simms, interim president and CEO.  “Access to talent as well as existing facilities and equipment help advanced manufacturing businesses hit the ground running and grow quickly in the Ann Arbor region.”
The City of Ypsilanti is considering tax abatements in support of the project.
ABOUT ANN ARBOR SPARK

Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is the driving force in establishing the Ann Arbor region as a destination for business expansion, retention, and location by identifying and meeting the needs of business at every stage, from startups to large organizations. Ann Arbor SPARK represents all communities in the Washtenaw County. Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners including the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, Michigan Works!/ETCS, Washtenaw County, the City of Ann Arbor, the Bank of Ann Arbor and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. For more information, please call (734) 761-9317 or visit www.AnnArborUSA.org.

Company’s Social Media Technology Addressing $650 Billion Information Overload Problem

Ann Arbor, MI – Jan. 18, 2011 – Startup software company InfoReady Corp. has raised $250,000 in seed capital from Automation Alley, closing out $1.1 million in first-round funding.

InfoReady’s core technology helps knowledge workers find relevant information quickly with advanced search techniques, fosters communication with project peers via social-networking collaboration, and facilitates automated workflow management in one centralized project interface. The company’s flagship product, In4Grants™, helps grant seekers better manage the complex pre-award process.

Tom Anderson, Senior Director and Director of Entrepreneurism at Automation Alley, Michigan’s largest technology business association, said InfoReady’s leadership and interactive solutions were an attractive draw.

“InfoReady’s experienced management team has developed a sound product that improves how data-driven organizations conduct business,” Anderson said. “The company’s core technology transforms data into actionable knowledge and supports the ability for multiple people to work together in a single workspace. It all boils down to better collaboration.”

The round will immediately help fund the expansion of sales, marketing and new product deployment. The company recently rebranded In4Grants from InfoReady4Grants and launched a new website. Longer-term developments include new products to address the $2 billion—and growing—search, discovery and collaboration segment of the information-management market.  

InfoReady is led by veteran technology entrepreneurs Bhushan Kulkarni, founder of telecom InTouch as well as IT solutions and services company GDI InfoTech, and Jim Diggs, an original executive team member at the successful startup BlueGill Technologies. Kulkarni said grant seekers in particular are in need of new search and collaboration tools to contend with competitive pressures.

“Organizations realize grant funding is no longer a luxury,” said Kulkarni, CEO. “Grants are now mission critical, and administrators say they are spending too much time searching for opportunities and managing the pre-award process. In4Grants makes their jobs easier and gives them substantially more time to craft winning proposals.”

In4Grants is being used by more than 25 universities, economic-development organizations and local governments including Eastern Michigan University and Ann Arbor SPARK.

For organizations such as these, social-media functionality is an integral part of limiting information overload. Each year, emails and other distractions cost the U.S. economy $650 billion in lost productivity and waste 28 percent of workers’ time, according to a recent report from research firm Basex. InfoReady addresses this problem with information filtering and social-media collaboration—which drastically reduce confusing email threads and other distractions.
Skip Simms, President and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK, an economic-development organization, said In4Grants is offered to member companies because the product helps startups win funding more efficiently.

“Many companies get their start with grant funding, and In4Grants is focused on this process,” Simms said. “Companies that have been seeded with grant funding are attractive to investors because risk is reduced. And anything that can positively impact the ratio of fund seekers to fund recipients is a boon for Michigan and the startup community as a whole.”

Founded in 2010, InfoReady has received investments from Michigan’s three major seed funds and is now over-subscribed. Investors include $250,000 from the Ann Arbor SPARK-administered Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, $50,000 from First Step Fund, and advisory board members Ted Dacko and Terry Cross. The advisory board has deep experience in relevant areas of InfoReady’s strategy, including Dacko, who headed HealthMedia’s successful sale to Johnson & Johnson in 2008.

About InfoReady Corp.

InfoReady deals with information overload…so you don’t have to. An information-management innovator backed by decades of deep IT know-how, InfoReady’s core technology helps knowledge workers find relevant information quickly, fosters communication with project peers via social-media applications, and facilitates automated workflow management in one centralized project-based interface. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company’s flagship product, In4Grants™, helps grant seekers better manage the complex pre-award process.

To see how InfoReady and In4Grants are changing how the world manages data, go to www.in4grants.com.

Industry-Wide Safety Projects to Focus on Children, Teens and Seniors in Collaboration with Leading U.S. Institutions

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Toyota announced today that it is launching a new, advanced safety research center that will collaborate with leading North American universities, hospitals, research institutions, federal agencies and other organizations on projects aimed at reducing the number of traffic fatalities and injuries on America’s roads. 

Toyota’s new Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) will be based at the Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in Ann Arbor, Michigan and will involve Toyota researchers and engineers from North America and Japan.  The new initiative builds on Toyota’s ongoing commitment to safety and quality leadership.  The company estimates that it will commit approximately $50 million over the next five years to fund CSRC.

The collaborative research will pursue integrated ways to enhance safety, involving the vehicle, driver and traffic environment.  Initial areas of focus will include reducing the risk of driver distraction – a growing cause of accidents – and protecting the most vulnerable traffic populations, including children, teens and seniors.  These populations account for approximately 30% of U.S. traffic fatalities. 

In addition, CSRC will conduct in-depth analyses of available accident and human behavior data to support stakeholders’ efforts to evaluate and speed deployment of active safety systems. 

Announcing the new safety initiative, Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda said, "Toyota’s new safety research center will work with leading North American universities and other partners on safety projects that benefit the entire industry.  Our investment will support collaborative research aiming to reduce driver distraction and increase the safety of vehicles, drivers, passengers and pedestrians."

Chuck Gulash, a Senior Executive Engineer at the Toyota Technical Center, will serve as Director of CSRC.  He will report to Shigeki Terashi, who is a managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation and the president of TTC.

"Toyota has always tried to take a comprehensive approach to creating a safe, sustainable automotive society through advanced vehicle safety technology, intelligent transport systems and traffic safety education," Mr. Gulash said.  "We have a long history of working closely with North American partners to achieve our safety objectives, and our new collaborative research initiative will build on this tradition. We intend to publish as much of the research as possible so that it is available to federal agencies, the industry and academia."

Charter Partners: University of Michigan, Virginia Tech, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

The University of Michigan, Virginia Tech and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute will be charter partners in the new Collaborative Safety Research Center.  Toyota will also reach out broadly to other universities, hospitals and research institutions in North America to invite proposals for research into advanced automotive safety. 

Toyota is supporting the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) on a multidisciplinary project to assess the potential benefits of advanced safety systems in a systematic way, combining their expertise in driver behavior, crash data analysis and driver modeling.

"We at the U-M Transportation Research Institute share Toyota’s enthusiasm for maximizing the societal benefits from leading-edge safety research, and will leverage this generous support with the full range of our research laboratories and databases," said UMTRI director Peter Sweatman. "This program will allow leading safety researchers to collaborate on complex issues affecting the most important elements in the automotive safety equation – the drivers and passengers who are also our family, friends and colleagues.  With Toyota’s continuing support, we will be able to test and disseminate research findings more widely, and to seek a more rapid rate of improvement."

Toyota’s collaboration with Virginia Tech involves research into the effectiveness of an electronic coaching and monitoring system for newly licensed teenage drivers to help reduce unsafe driving behaviors.  Toyota will have an active role in guiding this "Driver Coach" project alongside partners including the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health. 

"Given that newly licensed teen drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than their adult counterparts, Toyota’s support of our Driver Coach project is of utmost importance," said Dr. Tom Dingus, Director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, developer of the Driver Coach system.  "Based on our previous teen driving research, we can now determine, with actual video, the kinds of behaviors teens engage in while driving.  The next step is to educate the teens and their parents with feedback about unsafe, and safe, driving behaviors with the ultimate goal of helping teens become better drivers."

Toyota will join The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute in a pilot study to create America’s first publicly available national crash surveillance system focused on child vehicle occupants. Such a system will be used to monitor trends in child passenger safety, assess the performance of new safety technologies for children and serve as a national resource to assist researchers, industry and policy-makers to set the agenda for child passenger safety in the U.S.

"Toyota’s support is critical to allow us to further advance efforts to broadly and accurately measure the burden of motor vehicle crashes on children’s health and well-being on a national level," said Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE, Co-Scientific Director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at The Children’s Hospital. 

Toyota Technical Center (TTC), a division of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America, is the Research and Development arm of Toyota in North America.  TTC is responsible for engineering design, vehicle development, safety and performance evaluation, regulatory affairs and advanced technical research for Toyota and Lexus vehicles manufactured or sold in North America.  TTC has developed the Avalon, Camry, Sienna, Solara, Tundra and Venza vehicles for the North American market.  For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – JANUARY 5, 2011 – ANN ARBOR, MICH. – Several Michigan companies recently received investments from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, pushing the total investments made through the Fund to over $11.6 million.  To date, 52 Michigan companies have received seed funding from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, a collaborative effort of Michigan’s SmartZones.  

“The Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund proves that innovation is thriving throughout the state,” said Skip Simms, administrator of the fund programs and interim CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK.  “Companies that received support from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund are currently employing 285 people throughout the state and have attracted outside investment.  Matching support from other funding sources totaled $16.4 million for these Michigan companies.”  

In 2010, Advanced Battery Concepts, Armune BioScience, Inc., Current Motor Company, Downstream, LLC, Intervention Insights, Innovative Surgical Solutions, InfoReady Corporation, InPore Technologies, Inventure Enterprises, NextCAT, Inc. and Tangent Medical Technologies received $2.575 million from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund.  These companies will use the funding to support commercialization efforts.  Specific innovations include:

o   Advanced Battery Concepts, LLC, Lansing: Advanced Battery Concepts is driving innovative technology, branded GreenSeal™, into the large-format, battery industry enabling smaller, lighter and longer life batteries.  GreenSeal™ batteries are cost-effective for storage applications and have lower impact on the environment than traditional large-format batteries.

o   Armune BioScience, Inc., Kalamazoo: Armune BioScience was formed to develop and commercialize high value, protein signature-based diagnostic tests for prostate, lung and breast cancers that will allow physicians and patients to make better treatment decisions.

o   Current Motor Company, Ypsilanti: Current Motor has developed a line of electric motorcycles and mopeds designed to provide urban and suburban commuters with practical, affordable, zero-emissions electric vehicles (EVs) that do not use oil. Current Motor’s scooters have a range of up to 80 miles and a top speed of 70 mph.

o   Downstream, LLC, Zeeland: Web application that can help an individual, business, group or community retrieve and backup their digital life, deliver it back to them, share it with others and provide trends to help better understand them.

o   Intervention Insights, Grand Rapids: Diagnostic software that delivers personalized cancer information to physicians with insight into patient specific treatment options.

o   Innovative Surgical Solutions, Royal Oak: The medical device startup, founded by Chris Wybo and Stephen Bartol, created a monitoring system for spinal surgeries. NeuralMAS monitors nerve location during invasive spinal procedures, helping surgeons save time and avoid complications. The product is now fully developed and made Innovative Surgical Solutions a semi-finalist at the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition.

o   InfoReady Corporation, Ann Arbor: InfoReady offers SaaS model software to help companies find and access grants, and collaborate.

o   InPore Technologies, East Lansing: Silapore particles were developed and patented by Michigan State University by Dr. Thomas Pinnavaia. Tom then founded InPore Technologies, Inc. for the purpose of providing Silapore particles to the plastics industry, obtained an exclusive license to the MSU technology, and built a team to take the product to market.

o   Inventure Enterprises, Inc., East Lansing: Its idView product raises the standard for securing and streamlining workforce screening and background checks for states.

o   NextCAT, Inc., Detroit: NextCAT is commercializing a series of heterogenous catalysts developed by the National Biofuels Energy Lab at Wayne State University, for use in biodiesel production. These new catalysts allow producers to use less expensive raw materials in the production of biodiesel, and simplify the production process. Today, over 80% of the U.S. biodiesel producers sit idle due primarily to very high feedstock costs. NextCAT has a world-class team of catalysis experts, an experienced management team, and strategic partners.

o   Tangent Medical Technologies, Ann Arbor: Tangent Medical Technologies, Inc., is a seed stage medical device development company formed in 2009 as a spinout from the University of Michigan’s Medical Innovation Center (MIC) fellowship program. Tangent’s patent-pending Novacath™ was created to address health and safety shortcomings of existing catheter stabilization products for peripheral intravenous (PIV) fluid/medication delivery systems.
The Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, a collaborative effort of Michigan’s SmartZones, is an equity fund that invests in technology-based companies to support business formation and acceleration.  Ann Arbor SPARK serves as the Fund’s administrator.

To qualify for the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, start-up companies must be based on a technology in one of the state’s identified competitive technologies and have the sponsorship of a local SmartZone.  In addition to SmartZone sponsorship, companies must have received grant, angel or venture capital funding as a match to the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund investment. 
 
The Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund is an equity investment fund that receives the same returns as the third party investor.  The returns the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund receives from its investments will be redeployed by the Fund to continue its mission of helping start ups with their first round of capital.

Ann Arbor SPARK Announces Skip Simms Interim President and CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – DECEMBER 13, 2010 — ANN ARBOR, MICH.  Ann Arbor SPARK, the region’s driving force of innovation and economic growth, announced the appointment of Skip Simms as interim president and CEO. In his new role, Simms, who joined Ann Arbor SPARK in 2006, will oversee the organization’s efforts to help businesses in the region grow.

Simms assumes this role on behalf of the SPARK Executive Committee Transition Team, which is overseeing the leadership transition following the resignation of Ann Arbor SPARK president and CEO Michael Finney. Finney recently resigned to lead economic development efforts on behalf of the state of Michigan.

“Ann Arbor SPARK has achieved national recognition in the five years since its formation,” said Stephen Forrest, Ann Arbor SPARK’s chairman of the board.  “The Board of Directors and Executive Committee are committed to continuing that momentum and the appointment of Skip as interim president and CEO ensures that SPARK will not miss a beat in its mission to support business and talent growth in the Ann Arbor region.”

Simms previously served as Ann Arbor SPARK’s vice president entrepreneur business development as well as manager of the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund and the Michigan Microloan Fund Program.

Simms has nearly 30 years experience in business, finance and investment management.  Prior to joining Ann Arbor SPARK, Simms was the managing general partner at the Ralph Wilson Equity Fund, a $31 million fund-of-funds with investments in five venture capital funds and six side-by-side direct investments.  While with the Ralph Wilson Equity Fund, Simms reviewed all opportunities and performed due diligence on funds, including all Michigan based funds, and direct investments.  Following investments, he was engaged at board meetings and served on advisory committees.

Simms was a charter member and is a current board member of the Michigan Venture Capital Association and serves on the board of directors for the New Enterprise Forum.

The SPARK Transition Team is conducting a national search for president and CEO and anticipates a permanent position announcement before April 1, 2011.

ABOUT ANN ARBOR SPARK
Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is the driving force in establishing the Ann Arbor region as a destination for business expansion, retention, and location by identifying and meeting the needs of business at every stage, from startups to large organizations.  Ann Arbor SPARK represents all communities in the Washtenaw County. Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners including the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, Michigan Works!/ETCS, Washtenaw County, the City of Ann Arbor, the Bank of Ann Arbor and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.  For more information, please call (734) 761-9317 or visit www.AnnArborUSA.org.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Every year about this time, on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally begins the holiday shopping season, early-morning consumers stand in long lines eager to purchase some sought after prize. From the outside, it looks as if these holiday shoppers can’t wait to plunk down their cash, but Ross School marketing professor Scott Rick says consumers often behave differently than they would ideally like to behave.

"Some consumers chronically spend more than they would like, and some consumers chronically spend less than they would like," he said. "Where an individual falls within the range of desiring to spend more or less largely determines whether he or she is a tightwad or a spendthrift, characteristics that determine quite a bit about a person’s spending habits."

Rick says anticipating the psychological pain that goes along with paying money drives some people to spend less than they would like, while not experiencing enough pain causes others to spend more.

While a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, Rick and a group of colleagues developed and validated a "Spendthrift-Tightwad" scale to measure stable differences in the level of pain that come from spending decisions. He and his colleagues have since been able to observe the expected patterns of pain in the brains of tightwads and spendthrifts in experiments involving shopping tasks.

It turns out differences between tightwads and spendthrifts are greatest in situations that amplify the pain of paying. For example, paying for an item with cash amplifies purchase pain. In these cases, tightwads spend substantially less.

But differences are smallest in situations that diminish the pain of paying, such as those associated with spending money on others for gifts during the holidays. This is especially true when paying with credit cards because consumers don’t immediately feel the pain associated with buying decisions.

"Tightwads and spendthrifts spend about the same amount of money on gifts," said Rick, an expert on the emotional causes and consequences of spending money. "It may be that spending money on someone else lessens the pain of making purchases. Alternatively, spending on gifts may be just as painful as usual for tightwads, but the necessity of buying gifts overwhelms the influence of that pain on spending decisions."

In a webcast sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Rick discussed spending decisions during the holidays when the pressure to buy gifts and take advantage of low prices increases.

"The pain of paying matters most when purchases are optional," Rick said during the webcast. "Generally, gifts for loved ones are not optional, assuming we want to maintain those relationships. If grandma wants the new Obama Chia Pet, it may not matter how distressing we find the prospect of buying that tacky, over-priced tchotchke. Grandma wants it, so it goes in the cart."

But in other buying categories, differences remain sizable. Spendthrifts spend significantly more on coffee, clothes and entertainment. When paying for restaurants and hobbies, spending trends level out again.

Rick says how a spending decision is framed has a big impact on how much tightwads and spendthrifts are willing to pay. If dinner and a movie are framed as an investment in a relationship, for example, then tightwads are willing to spend more.

He says these findings are important for economic models of decision-making that traditionally assume people make spending decisions based on a purely cognitive appreciation of what they forego in the future by spending today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – NOVEMBER 17, 2010 – ANN ARBOR, MICH. – Ann Arbor SPARK celebrated the conclusion of its 18th Boot Camp program with participant investor pitches and a reception on Tuesday, November 16 at the SPARK Central business incubator. At the Ann Arbor SPARK Boot Camp Celebration, WriteSteps was selected as the “Best of Boot Camp” winner, based on the quality of its investor pitch and business plan and will receive $5,000 in business consulting services.

"The experience at Boot Camp had been invaluable for WriteSteps,” said Suzanne Klein, founder & CEO. “Boot Camp provided the tools for us to become more focused and has given us the confidence and knowledge we need to launch our national efforts.  WriteSteps will be the first web based writing curriculum for elementary teachers that meets the new national standards."

WriteSteps addresses the demand for curriculum programs, providing K-5 teachers with the most effective techniques and strategies to meet National Common Core Standards Initiatives (NCCSI) standards for writing. WriteSteps delivers comprehensive, easy-to-use lesson modules tailored for each grade level. Each module includes complete lessons demonstrated on video, as well as downloadable lesson material to use in the classroom.    
Also at the Boot Camp celebration, Tyler Paxton of Are You a Human (AYaH) was awarded “Best Pitch” by the judges. AYaH is creating and marketing a human authentication applet for use on websites.

Ann Arbor SPARK’s expanded Boot Camp program includes “after care” that helps further the likelihood of entrepreneurial success for participating start-ups. At the conclusion of Boot Camp, every graduating company receives complimentary access to 3 months of comprehensive services designed to accelerate their business and fulfill milestones identified during Boot Camp:

SPARK Entrepreneur Resource Board
Business introductions from Boot Camp mentors
Power Lunch
Entrepreneur Education Programs
Funding Fundamentals Workshop

Ann Arbor SPARK’s Boot Camp is a two-day business planning and preparation event designed to help early stage technology businesses. A unique combination of hands-on learning and one-on-one mentoring, the event features noted speakers on entrepreneurship, successful local entrepreneurs and investors.

The next scheduled Ann Arbor SPARK Boot Camp is May 5-6, 2011. Application submission opens January 11, 2011. Boot Camp participants that receive early decision admission receive complimentary Entrepreneur Education programs prior to the spring 2011 Boot Camp. 
 
ABOUT ANN ARBOR SPARK
Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is the driving force in establishing the Ann Arbor region as a destination for business expansion, retention, and location by identifying and meeting the needs of business at every stage, from startups to large organizations.  Ann Arbor SPARK represents all communities in the Washtenaw County. Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners including the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, Michigan Works!/ETCS, Washtenaw County, the City of Ann Arbor, the Bank of Ann Arbor and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.  For more information, please call (734) 761-9317 or visit www.AnnArborUSA.org.

$1 million in cash winnings and in-kind services draws worldwide interest

DETROIT, /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, an international business competition designed to highlight Michigan as a robust and vibrant venue for innovation and business opportunity announced today that it has chosen its 50 company semi-finalists. These semi-finalists will compete for more than $1 million in cash winnings and in-kind awards of services, staffing and software.

The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition received nearly 600 entries, which were split evenly between the business and student portions of the competition. Entries were received from every region of the United States including Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Texas. Companies from British Columbia, Ontario, Switzerland and the West Cape of Africa also submitted entries. 

"It is exciting to see that the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition generated worldwide interest, indicating that companies from all over see the unique opportunity that the state presents to grow a business," said Ken Rogers, executive director of Automation Alley. "Michigan’s integrated entrepreneurial ecosystem of incubators, accelerators, business networks, and research institutions position the state as a destination for innovation."

Nearly 25 percent of the company entries, were from people age 55 and older, and the top three industries represented among the submissions were: products and services, information technology and life sciences. This representation of applicants correlates to the large number of displaced Michigan  workers seeking other avenues and opportunities to branch out independently. 

"Michigan’s public research universities, including Wayne State University, are eager to collaborate with these growing companies in order to continue to drive economic growth and development in the state," said Allan Gilmour, interim president of Wayne State University. "We hope that all the companies involved with the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition will tap the intellectual capital of all three public research universities." 

Semi-finalist companies include: 

Accio Energy – Alternative Energy

Advanced Battery Concepts, LLC – Alternative Energy

Advanced Battery Control – Advanced Transportation

Angott Medical Products, LLC – Medical Device

ApoLife, Inc. – Life Science

Arbor Photonics, Inc. – Next Generation Manufacturing

Armune Bioscience, Inc. – Life Science

Compendia Bioscience, Inc. – Medical Device

CSquared Innovations, LLC – Next Generation Manufacturing

Current Motor Company – Advanced Transportation

Discera – Products and Services

Eco Products, LLC – Advanced Materials

ElectroDynamic Applications, Inc. – Advanced Materials

ENRG Power Systems – Advanced Transportation

ePack – Next Generation Manufacturing

Epsilon Imaging, Inc. – Medical Device

Evigia Systems, Inc. – Defense and Homeland Security

Fanaroo – Products and Services

Focus Power – Defense and Homeland Security

FreeStride Therapeutics, Inc. – Life Science

GraviKor – Defense and Homeland Security

Hygieia, Inc. – Medical Device

ImBio – Medical Device

Inmatech, Inc. – Advanced Transportation

Innovative Surgical Solutions, Inc.  – Medical Device

Ix Innovations – Products and Services

LED Optical Solutions – Alternative Energy

Life Magnetics – Life Science

MatchRX.com – Information Technology

Mayaterials, Inc. – Advanced Materials

Monarch Antenna, Inc. – Products and Services

NextCAT, Inc. – Alternative Energy

NextGen Metabolomics, Inc. –  Life Science

North Coast Industrial Imaging – Next Generation Manufacturing

OcuSciences, Inc. – Medical Device

Pixel Velocity, Inc. – Defense and Homeland Security

Power Panel – Alternative Energy

POWERleap – Alternative Energy

ProNAI Therapeutics, Inc. – Life Science

RealBio Technology, Inc. – Life Science

RetroSense Therapeutics – Life Science

Reveal Design Automation, Inc. – Information Technology

Sensors, Inc. – Alternative Energy

ShadePlex, LLC – Alternative Energy

Spinal Ventures – Medical Device

Sproxil, Inc. – Information Technology

The Mackinac Technology Company – Advanced Materials

TherapyCharts, LLC – Information Technology

Vestaron Corporation – Life Science

Vir(Sn) – Medical Device

Semi-finalists will be narrowed down to 10 finalists just prior to the culmination of the competition on Saturday Dec. 11, 2010. The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition concludes with the University of Michigan vs. Michigan State University "Big Chill" hockey game at Michigan Stadium. 

The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan granted Ann Arbor SPARK $750,000 to launch the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition on behalf of the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, which is composed of four of the region’s key business accelerators – Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU INCubator, and TechTown. Joining the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition as premier sponsors is Accelerate Michigan.

For more information about the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, visit www.acceleratemichigan.org, or connect with the competition via Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan

The Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan is a region-wide network for building and retaining new business in southeast Michigan. Composed of the region’s four key business accelerators – Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU INCubator, and TechTown, the organization works collaboratively to share best practices, host events focused on addressing issues and goals that impact southeast Michigan, support business plan development, and leverage funding to grow business in the region.  The Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan is supported through a $3 million grant from the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan.

About The New Economy Initiative

The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan (NEI) is an innovative philanthropic effort to accelerate the transition of metro Detroit to an innovation-based economy that expands opportunity for all. Ten national, regional and local foundations have committed $100 million to this unprecedented eight-year initiative, including the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (Detroit), the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation (Southfield, Michigan), the Ford Foundation (New York), the Hudson-Webber Foundation (Detroit), the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, Michigan), the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (Miami), The Kresge Foundation (Troy, Michigan), the McGregor Fund (Detroit), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (Flint, Michigan), and the Skillman Foundation (Detroit). The participating foundations are leading the implementation and governance of the Initiative. The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, which initiated the collaborative, is serving as its administrative home. For more information, please visit http://neweconomyinitiative.cfsem.org/.

About Accelerate Michigan

The mission of Accelerate Michigan is to create a distinctive partnership between Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM) and Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC).  By uniting Michigan’s largest businesses and universities together, Accelerate Michigan aims to place Michigan among the "Top Ten" states for accelerating economic transformation and cultivating entrepreneurism based on mutually beneficial values, investments and activities. http://www.acceleratemichigan.com/

SOURCE The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition