Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Action Figure Laboratories
Rice University | 2012 Competitor | www.actionfigurelabs.com
Action Figure Labs manufactures customized, personalized, 3-D printed action figures, miniatures, and
other novelty items.
The company makes and customizes action figures at a reasonable price with a wide variety of customization options. Customers design the figures online, combining different character templates, hairstyles,
accessories, and colors, and Action Figure Labs feeds the unique design into its 3-D printer.
3-D printing is cutting edge technology that can take a digital 3-D model and produce it in the physical
world as a real three dimensional model. The printer builds the digital model one very thin layer at a
time, and the 3-D object is built by layering a compact base of gypsum powder (similar to plaster of Paris).
Next, it deposits a binder with 24-bit color layer by layer into the plaster-like base, literally building the
figure millimeter by millimeter from the powdered material. Action Figure Labs is based in Houston.
AEMK Systems Inc.
University of Waterloo | 2007 Competitor | www.aemksystems.com
Using its pioneering research and mechatronics engineering strength, AEMK Systems Inc. creates unique,
advanced technology solutions to complex processing challenges across numerous sectors.
The fundamental principle guiding design is for technology to be pragmatic, not targeted at eliminating
human involvement but to instead complement and support. Solutions address tasks considered tedious,
repetitious, and onerous wherever they may occur in the growing process. Systems are modular, flexible,
and adaptable, transcending seamlessly across diverse tasks to enhance facility operating efficiency.
AEMK Systems Inc. has applied its experience in the industrial application of robots to develop a pot fill,
packaging, and bar code labeling system for use in greenhouse horticultural operations. The system is to
be introduced in April 2013 and will be the first in a series of systems for the horticultural market. The
company is located in the city of Waterloo, in the heart of Canada’s Technology Triangle.
Alusera
University of Gothenburg | 2011 Competitor | http://alusera.com
Alusera is developing a patent-pending technology modifying the surface layer of aluminum to emit photoluminescent characteristics. In other words, its aluminum will glow in the dark without using paint, dye,
or radiation. Used for nonelectrical warning signs, current photoluminescent aluminum is usually screenprinted with photoluminescent paint or dye, a time consuming and expensive process. Alusera integrates
the process of making aluminum glow into the aluminum production.
Initially, Alusera is focusing on two target product categories, emergency egress systems and stair nosings.
The technology is protected by a PCT patent application, and the company expects to be able to demonstrate a prototype in the near future. It has established a proof of concept prototype although it is not yet
commercially viable.
In 2011, Alusera was named champion of the Venture Cup West, the biggest business plan competition in
Scandinavia, and it was in the top three finalists at the Västsvenska Handelskammaren’s investment fair.
Alusera is based in Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Ambiq Micro Inc.
University of Michigan | 2010 Competitor | www.ambiqmicro.com
Ambiq Micro is the leading developer of energy efficient timing and power management integrated circuits (ICs) that solve the most demanding system requirements for battery life – enabling months, years,
or decades of operation.
With its initial product release, Ambiq Micro has developed two real-time clock (RTC) families to meet the
needs of power-constrained electronics. The AM08XX is a functionally diverse RTC product family that
easily replaces existing, more power-hungry RTC products. To this, the AM18XX adds unprecedented
power management functionality that enables dramatic system level power savings. Ambiq recently partnered with Abracon Corporation to distribute Ambiq’s RTCs both directly and through a global distribution
channel.
Ambiq is currently developing a unique class of power management ICs – the micro power management
IC. The product will provide single chip integration, highly efficient regulation, and ultra-low quiescent
current with an energy efficient RTC, battery monitoring and a flexible ARM-based processing platform.
Ambiq was named one of four Texas startups to watch by EETimes in 2012. The privately-held company
placed fifth in the 2010 Rice Business Plan Competition. Founded the same year, Ambiq Micro is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
Antenatal Screening Kit
Now part of Jhpiego | Johns Hopkins University | 2011 Competitor
Antenatal Screening Kit has developed an affordable diagnosis to screen pregnant women for readily
treatable but potentially fatal conditions including pre-eclampsia, anemia, and gestational diabetes. The
self-screening kit will be used in developing countries where access to diagnostic techniques can be limited and expensive.
The developers won the 2013 Maternal Health Challenge; the award was sponsored by ABC News, the
Lemelson Foundation and the Duke Global Health Institute. Following its public debut at NCIIA's Open
Minds 2011 showcase of student innovation, Antenatal Screening Kit was selected as a Popular Science
Invention of the Year.
Antenatal Screening participated in the 2011 RBPC as a social venture. The technology is no longer being
advanced by a company, but instead, it is being developed under the auspices of Jhpiego. Jhpiego is a
nongovernment organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University; the organization focuses on women’s health.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
aquaREAL
Thammasat University | 2010 Competitor
With increasing global demand for aquaculture products, aquaREAL seeks to provide a sustainable, integrated solution for small and medium-sized farms in developing countries. The company opens the door
for farmers to access cost effective technology and realize increased productivity.
aquaREAL’s solution consists of indoor, recirculating water systems that enable farmers to raise aquatic
animals in high density conditions without needing to perform water changes. aquaREAL’s National Science and Technology Development Agency, patented technology minimizes the land required for farm
operations. These systems dramatically reduce the negative impacts created by water contamination and
soil destruction.
Although aquaREAL has yet to launch, it is currently negotiating licensing agreements with the government
agency that holds the patent for the core technology. The company has finished a new modular design of
the product that was showcased on the national level. aquaReal is in the incubator program at Thailand
Science Park.
ArborVita Associates
University of Chicago | 2012 Competitor | www.arborvitaassociates.com
ArborVita Associates (AVA) is a biotechnology company that has developed a faster, simpler, and more
cost effective method for modifying the DNA of living systems.
The fast-paced environment of biomedical research demands a more nimble technology to modify the
genetics of model organisms. AVA has developed a Direct, Rapid, and Precise (DRAP) technology to modify
the genomes of experimental living systems via homologous recombination. DRAP is a universal recombinase that eliminates the requirement for complex protein engineering to accomplish DNA targeting.
DRAP delivers unmatched precision and flexibility to introduce, delete, or tactically modify genomic sequences.
Currently, the company is preparing for pilot studies with a large pharmaceutical company. AVA placed
second at the University of Chicago Booth New Venture Challenge. It is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Arctic Sand
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2011 Competitor
Arctic Sand is commercializing a revolutionary platform technology in power conversion. It consolidates
several broad-level power components into one chip. The company’s core product is based on the patented MIT TIPS technology delivering a breakthrough in the traditional tradeoff between efficiency and circuit
size. Its groundbreaking technology reduces energy consumption in consumer, commercial, and industrial
markets.
The MIT spinout received the Best Venture Award at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's 24th
Industry Growth Forum. The company was also a Northeast Regional Cleantech Open Winner.
A graduate of the North Shore InnoVentures incubator, Arctic Sand is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Are You a Human
University of Michigan | 2011 Competitor | www.areyouahuman.com
Are You a Human builds short, simple, and intuitive games to verify that online users are actually human.
This is currently accomplished by the CAPTCHA, the twisted text challenges that Web sites occasionally
ask users to complete when buying tickets or resetting a password. Are You a Human’s online verification methods allow brands and advertisers to customize games, providing brand recognition and ease of
use.
The company placed second at the 2011 Rice Business Plan Competition and has been featured in Bloomsberg Businessweek and on CBS News (Detroit). Its games have been installed on more than 5,000 Web
sites and are served over 20 million times a month. Are You a Human is based in Detroit, Michigan.
ARTsensing Inc.
Formerly Nanovate | University of Waterloo | 2007 Competitor |www.artsensing.com
Headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, ARTsensing Inc. is pioneering the development of transparent and
flexible radiation detectors. The small dimensions and extreme light-weight feature of the sensors allow
them to be applied to applications where there are stringent requirements on mass, dimensions, and
power consumption.
ARTsensing Inc. sensors can be integrated within gloves and garments of nuclear technicians for minimally
invasive real-time measurement of radiation exposure. The sensors are also perfectly suited for space
applications where the provision of power, size, and mass is at a premium.
A new generation of proprietary radiation sensor has been developed. The sensors have already been
extensively characterized at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and
showed extremely promising results. While this revolutionary technology was initially developed to address the shortcomings of current radiation dosimeters, it can also be used in various markets where radiation sensors are needed such as the nuclear, transportation security depots, and the aerospace industries.
ATDynamics
Formerly Advanced Transit Enterprises | Dartmouth College | 2006 Competitor | www.atdynamics.com
ATDynamics, Inc. and its fleet customers have redefined the shape of the world's most fuel efficient tractor-trailers.
ATDynamics trailer aerodynamics technology is reducing the fuel consumption and associated greenhouse
gas emissions of leading North American trucking fleets by 12 percent. The company's TrailerTail® reardrag aerodynamics technology alone will deliver over $20 billion in fuel savings to trucking companies and
consumers over the next decade by streamlining the airflow at the back of two million long-haul semitrailers pulled on U.S. and international highways.
In March 2013, ATDynamics received European Union approval for a European version of its TrailerTail,
and it expanded its production capabilities fourfold with its new Silicon Valley-based headquarters and
production facility in 2012. The company received The Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award
and was selected by AlwaysOn as a GoingGreen Silicon Valley Global 200 Winner. In 2006, it placed first in
the Rice Business Plan Competition. ATDynamics is a founding member of the North American Council
for Freight Efficiency and plays a key part in the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Super Truck initiative.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Auditude
The University of California, Los Angeles | 2005 Competitor | www.auditude.com
Auditude was the leading video advertising technology and monetization partner for premium content
owners and distributors. It maximized the value of video content while decreasing operational cost and
ensuring a positive advertising experience for consumers anywhere they view video. Auditude worked
with marquee broadcast and professional content companies including Comcast, Major League Baseball,
starz, and Fox News.
In 2011, Auditude spun out a new social TV app business called IntoNow. Based on the SoundPrint
platform, IntoNow gives users the ability to almost instantly recognize TV content and then helps them
share and discuss those shows with friends, both within the product and through social networks such as
Facebook and Twitter.
In November 2011, Auditude was acquired by Adobe Systems. The company is based in Palo Alto with
offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and London.
Aura Biosciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2008 Competitor | www.aurabiosciences.com
Aura BioSciences is developing a novel technology based on the discovery of pseudo-viruses that selectively target tumors and metastases while sparing normal epithelium.
Aura’s technology has been discovered and patented in partnership with the National Cancer Institute.
Aura is building a pipeline of drug therapies based on the loading of pseudo-viruses with different types of
drugs.
In 2011, Aura Biosciences was listed as one of the 25 Women-Run Startups to Watch. Additionally, the
company won the Tech Pioneers Program at The World Economic Forum 2010 and was featured in Time
magazine as a Top Technology Innovator of the Year. Aura’s headquarters are located in the biotech cluster of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Avanti Metal Company
Harvard Kennedy School | 2006 Competitor
Avanti Metal produced titanium to sell at one tenth of the current price, using one half of the current capital, and with one hundredth of the hazardous waste and pollution of other producers. This lightweight,
white metal is used in aircraft, ships, and spacecraft. Avanti’s technology is based on Sadoway processes
developed by Dr. Donald Sadoway, a world-renowned expert in electrochemistry at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. The small startup’s early capital was funded through a grant from the Deshpande
Center for Technological Innovation at MIT.
Avanti Metal Company was sold to an international company specializing in metal production.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Avello Bioenergy, Inc.
Iowa State University of Science and Technology | 2009 Competitor | www.avellobioenergy.com
Using technology licensed from the Iowa State University Research Foundation, Avello Bioenergy transforms conventional biomass fast pyrolysis products into low-cost and profitable feedstocks for renewable
energy, soil, chemical, and material applications. (Pyrolysis is the thermochemical decomposition of organic matter.) Compared to conventional pyrolysis oil, Avello's products are less corrosive, more stable,
and easily upgraded.
One of Avello’s products is a Bioasphalt® binder. Made from wood-based, fractionated pyrolysis oil,
Avello’s bioasphalt is currently being tested on a bike trail near Iowa State University. In addition to producing pyrolysis oil for asphalt, Avello is producing Biofuel Oil, a stable, low carbon liquid fuel oil for direct
fossil fuel replacement or blending; biochar, used as an additive to soil, as a renewable fuel, or as a potential carbon sequestration agent; and chemical feedstocks for specialty markets.
The Iowa Power Fund awarded Avello a grant to build a 2.5 ton per day demonstration unit for its bio-oil
separation technology. The company has been featured in publications such as Biorefining Magazine and
Canadian Biomass Magazine.
The company occupies office and laboratory space at the BioCentury Research Farm in central Iowa.
BabaLung Apnea Monitor
Part of Rice 360 | Formerly InfantAIR | Rice University | 2010 Competitor
Team Breath Alert has developed an apnea monitor specifically designed for use in the developing world.
The system is composed of a size-adjustable strap with a stretch sensor, as well as an onboard microcontroller. The controller reads the output of the stretch sensor, and is able to detect the expansion and contraction of the infant’s chest and abdomen that accompanies air entering and leaving the lungs. This allows the device to monitor breathing in real time. If 20 seconds elapses with no breathing detected
(suggesting an apneic event is occurring), the device activates a vibrating motor that is intended to stimulate breathing to resume. If no breathing occurs within five seconds of the motor’s activation, an alarm is
sounded notifying nurses or other healthcare workers in the area that the child requires attention. A second component has been developed that also allows the electronics to transmit information about the
patient’s respiration, including any apneic events, to a central station using a low-cost, low-power Bluetooth transmitter.
InfantAIR participated in the 2010 RBPC as a social venture. The technology is no longer being advanced
by a company, but instead, it is being developed by Rice 360, Institute for Global Health Technologies.
Proof-of-concept testing has been carried out in a controlled setting in Houston, Texas. More of the devices were assembled for use in field testing of the technology in Malawi and Lesotho throughout the summer of 2012.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Bazo’s Fresh Mexican Grill
Formerly Taco Tikka | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 2004 Competitor |
www.bazosgrill.com
Bazo's Fresh Mexican Grill serves fresh, high quality Baja-style Mexican fare in a fast and casual setting.
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, the company currently operates three corporate locations with over $1 million in annual sales.
Bazo's Fresh Mexican Grill has begun franchising operations, and it is currently exploring opportunities
throughout Kentucky and surrounding areas. The company is debt free.
Bennu, LLC
Baruch College | 2010 Competitor | www.bennuworld.com
Bennu is a green business development company that makes sustainability fun and profitable. It is the
leader in green social media marketing. The company's sustainability solutions increase enterprise value
by aligning clients’ business objectives with consumer demand and environmental resources. Its service
suite includes sustainability strategy consulting, campaign development, tactical execution, social media
management, measurement and tracking, and gamified applications.
Bennu’s inspiration originated from the disturbing amount of waste – particularly plastic bottles – being
sent to landfills as trash. With tens of billions of potentially useful bottles wasted each year, Bennu
launched by developing recycled promotional products that prevent landfill dumping, save energy, and
serve practical consumer needs. At the same time, its goal was to educate people about the environmental, social, and economic value of sustainability. Social media presented the ideal communication channel
to engage a community who shared Bennu’s values and beliefs.
Bennu reached profitability in 2010 and acquired multiple FORTUNE 500 clients. Currently the company is
developing the Green Business Bureau, the number one online green business certification program for
small businesses. It also powers the supplier sustainability network for Intuit.
In 2012, Bennu ‘s founders spoke at a number of conferences including SXSW, Gamification Summit, Social
Media Week, Sustainable Brands, and the GreenBiz Forum. Bennu has been featured in major press outlets including VentureBeat, Forbes, Fast Company, and C-SPAN. Founded in 2010, Bennu is headquartered
in New York, New York.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Biogas & Electric LLC
University of California, Los Angeles | 2010 Competitor | www.biogasandelectric.com
Biogas & Electric is developing NOXRX, an air pollution control device for stationary biogas engines.. NOXRX
is a low-cost solution to nitrogen oxide emissions from biogas engines operating at anaerobic digesters at
wastewater treatment facilities and large concentrated animal feeding operations.
The biomass industry is under considerable pressure to reduce emissions such as NO X, a greenhouse gas
that is 300 times more damaging to the atmosphere than CO2. In 2010, Biogas & Electric established proof
of concept for NOXRX. This represented a significant achievement for the industry since competing NO X
reduction technologies are expensive and have difficulty meeting the stringent NO X regulations set forth by
regional air quality boards.
The San Diego-based Biogas & Electric was issued a United States patent in September 2011. In 2012,
Biogas & Electric was awarded Honorable Mention at the American Chemical Society Showcase West. The
company was accepted into EvoNexus, the business incubator of CommNexus™, a leading nonprofit hightech trade organization based in San Diego.
BiologicsMD, LLC
University of Arkansas | 2010 Competitor | www.biologicsmd.com
BiologicsMD is based in Fayetteville, Arkansas and was formed in 2010 to accelerate the development of
academic discoveries into new medications that will enhance people's lives.
The company's lead compound, PTH-CBD, is focused on helping patients avoid the devastating effects of
osteoporosis. The next steps in the PTH-CBD development program include manufacturing process development; preclinical toxicology testing, preparation, and submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND)
application; and the completion of a Phase I clinical trial. PTH-CBD promises five times the efficacy of
available bisphosphonate treatments with fewer side effects. According to the National Osteoporosis
Foundation, one in two women and one in four men will be diagnosed with osteoporosis in their lifetime.
In June 2012 BiologicsMD awarded a manufacturing contract to Cytovance Biologics that will lead to the
development of the PTH-CBD manufacturing platform, a pivotal key step in the process that will allow BiologicsMD to conduct Phase I studies.
The company was awarded a significant grant through the U.S. Department of Defense Peer Reviewed
Medical Research Program in 2011 to continue research on its innovative osteoporosis compound. In
2010, BiologicsMD won the grand prize at the 2010 Rice Business Plan Competition. It is headquartered in
Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
BlackLocus
Carnegie Mellon University | 2011 Competitor | www.blacklocus.com
BlackLocus developed a SaaS price optimization platform, offering powerful and affordable e-commerce
competitive pricing analysis to customers ranging from small businesses to those on the Internet Retailer
500.
Powered by collaboration with industry experts and human-computer interaction researchers, BlackLocus
deployed sophisticated machine learning and revenue management techniques in a pricing-as-a-service
model, enabling small and mid-sized online retailers to compete with larger and/or more established players.
BlackLocus was named Startup to Watch by Inc. in 2012, and the company was featured in publications
including The Wall Street Journal, Tech Crunch, and GigaOM.
In December 2012, BlackLocus was acquired by Home Depot, a mere 20 months after competing in the
2011 Rice Business Plan Competition. BlackLocus has become The Home Depot's Innovation Lab and will
remain in Austin, Texas.
Bladepad
Brigham Young University | 2012 Competitor | www.bladepad.com
Bladepad is developing a slide-out gamepad for the iPhone. The thin, detachable gamepad attaches to a
mobile device and adds controls similar to those on a console controller. It is portable, fun, and easy to
use.
Versions tailored to iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPod Touch 5th gen will be available early in 2013.
Blue Nano Inc.
Formerly Filigree Nanotech | Wake Forest University | 2008 Competitor | http://bluenanoinc.com
Blue Nano is a nanomaterials manufacturer, developing high quality, cost effective, and reliable nanofocused industrial solutions in the highest volumes available anywhere. Its process produces higher quantities of nanomaterials that are of higher qualities and at lower cost than current manufacturing methods.
It serves universities, independent research labs, and original equipment manufacturers across the globe
in a wide variety of sectors ranging from automotive to energy to healthcare. In particular, Blue Nano has
placed an emphasis on cutting edge clean energy products for solar cells, lithium ion batteries, and a variety of chemical and fuel cell catalysts.
Blue Nano continues to add new customers, many of whom are FORTUNE 100 companies. It has also added Seika Corporation, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, as its distributor in Japan. The company
is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
BOSS Medical, LLC
Johns Hopkins University | 2011 Competitor | http://boss-medical.com
BOSS Medical LLC is a medical device startup developing new orthopedic technologies. Currently, the company is developing its first product, the BOSS Harvester, a novel, intuitive system which will enable surgeons to harvest autologous bone graft (autograft) utilizing a minimally invasive approach. Current bone
graft solutions are suboptimal in terms of efficacy, safety, and cost.
In December 2012, Boss received funding from the Maryland Innovation Initiative to develop a device for
minimally invasive bone graft surgery. It has been awarded additional grants from the Johns Hopkins Technology Accelerator Fund, Coulter Translational Partnership Award, the Maryland TEDCO University Development Technology Fund, and the NCIIA.
Based in Baltimore, Maryland, BOSS Medical was founded in 2011 by a group of biomedical engineers from
the Johns Hopkins University Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design and leading spinal surgeons
from Hopkins Medical Institute.
C3Nano, Inc.
Stanford University | 2010 Competitor | www.c3nano.com
C3Nano has developed solution-coated, transparent, conductive materials that compete directly with indium tin oxide (ITO). Produced for flexible display, touch screen, solar cell, and smart window applications,
C3Nano’s inks and films are poised to meet the industry’s growing demand for a viable, low-cost alternative to the predominantly used, but increasingly scarce, indium tin oxide.
Beginning with its recently completed pilot line, C3Nano is optimizing its ink formulation and expanding
production capabilities, scaling up its materials for larger customers and partner activity. With a roll-to-roll
coating partner in Asia, C3Nano is positioned to be a complete solution provider to the flexible display,
touch panel, organic light-emitting diode, and solar industries.
Founded in January 2010 based on research and technology developed at Stanford University, C3Nano is
an early-stage, venture-backed startup based in Hayward, California.
CamGaN
University of Cambridge | 2011 Competitor
A spinout from the Department of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge, CamGaN developed
low-cost, gallium nitride (GaN) white LEDs (light-emitting diodes) for use on standard and readily available
silicon substrates.
In 2012, CamGaN was acquired by Plessey Semiconductors. Plessey Semiconductors develops and manufactures semiconductor products used in sensing, measurement, and control applications. The company
will produce LEDs based on CamGaN's proprietary 6-inch GaN-on-silicon technology at its processing facility in Plymouth, England.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
CaptainU
University of Chicago | 2009 Competitor | www.captainu.com
CaptainU is the leading provider of Web-based recruiting software for high school athletes seeking to compete on the university level. CaptainU users register to build a profile that includes the student athlete’s
statistics, team affiliations, training camp attendances, and GPA. The site also provides templates for
tracking statistics and displaying highlight videos used by college coaches.
The CaptainU Web site is used by more than 400,000 athletes, 50,000 youth teams, and 1,000 events. The
company’s tools and videos have helped athletes land spots on many of the best teams in the country like
UCLA, Michigan, and Arizona State; and many of the best academic institutions in the country like Harvard,
the University of Chicago, and University of California, Berkeley. CaptainU has a national network of professional cameramen making it easy for students to get filmed anywhere they play.
In 2012, CaptainU partnered with Naviance, equiping high school staff and administrators with the skills to
help students navigate NCAA eligibility requirements. CaptainU has been featured in The New York Times,
CNN, and Fox Business News. Founded in 2008, the company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
CEON Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior | 2004 Competitor | http://
ceon.in
CEON is the pioneer and leading provider of integrated education process management solutions and consultancy to educational institutions. CEON offers accurate real-time information and knowledge management systems to parents, teachers, students, and management.
Its flagship products, iSchool and iCampus, are uniquely aligned to meet the needs and budgets of diverse
schools and colleges. iSchool believes that each child has potential and can be groomed to excellence.
iSchool modules are designed to help educators and parents manage, analyze, and assist in the multidimensional growth of students over the years.
An extension of iSchool, iCampus provides automation software for colleges and universities across India.
It is a fully-integrated online software solution, enhancing the quality of education and strengthening the
institute’s ability to deliver a global standard in an academic environment.
CEON Solutions is currently operating across India and in three additional countries. The company was
named one of the top hottest entrepreneur startups of India by Nen Technologies. Because of its success,
CEON has been featured in the Indian national dailies such as the Times of India and The Business Standard. CEON maintains offices in Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Patna, India.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Certo Labs Inc.
University of Toronto | 2007 Competitor | www.certolabs.com
Certo Labs Inc. is a Toronto-based biotech company providing high throughput kits for the extraction of
lipids, vitamins, pesticides, and antibiotics from food, tissue or blood samples. Certo's mandate is to
streamline and de-skill the processes involved in nutrient, residue, and pesticide extractions from biological samples.
A pioneer in extraction science, Certo Labs has discovered a novel, patent-pending, chemically-modified
filter enabling the isolation of compounds such as lipids, pesticides, and residues from homogenized biological samples. The Certo Extraction Method is simpler, faster, more accurate, and less costly than conventional techniques currently used by laboratories to extract samples. It also uses a significantly lower
volume of chemical solvents, allowing laboratories to cut down on waste management costs while being
environmentally friendly and socially responsible.
Certo Labs has received funding from the Ontario Centres of Excellence, the Health Technology Exchange
Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, BioEnterprise, the MaRs Discovery District,
and by winning several business plan competitions in Canada and the United States.
Release of Certo’s Fatty Acid Extraction Kit and its Sterol (Cholesterol) Extraction Kit is targeted for April
2013.
Chipotle Business Group, Inc.
The University of Texas at Austin | 2004 Competitor | www.chipotlegroup.com
Chipotle Business Group, Inc. (CBGI) is a creator of innovative global water testing solutions. CBGI's
cutting edge technologies offer fast, accurate water testing solutions that are cost-effective and easy to
use. Working in concert with state, national, and international agencies and philanthropic organizations,
along with best-in-class researchers, developers, and service providers, CBGI helps to ensure industrialized
and remote communities worldwide can have safe drinking water and clean recreational water supplies
Derrick Charbonnet, the company’s COO and inventor, was a Tech Titan Finalist in the Technology Inventors category in both 2011 and 2012.
CBGI completed biological and chemical assays, and university researchers finished a comprehensive market analysis in 2011. The company’s working prototype to quantify chemical contaminates in water was
completed in August of the following year. It anticipates its product launch in late 2013; CBGI will go to
market as Lumion Laboratories.
Chipotle Business Group is a privately-held firm incorporated in Texas; they maintain offices in Texas and
Mississippi.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Cleanoventions
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur | 2012 Competitor | http://www.cleanoventions.in
Cleanoventions is a venture by IIT, Kharagpur students internally driven by the passion to make India energy self-sufficient. Cleanoventions has a strong portfolio of products ranging from breakthrough solar innovation to algal biofuel technology to portable magnet-based energy generators.
Cleanoventions was awarded the Most Promising Technology by the Ministry of External Affairs, India and
recognized by Entrepreneurial Magazine Feb 2012. Its innovations were represented at the Dell Social
Innovation Challenge in Boston, Massachusetts. It has won a number of Asian business plan competitions
including Concipio, Kshitij, India Future of Change, and Empressario. Cleanoventions is a subsidiary of
Bidon Services Private Limited.
ClearCount Medical Solutions
Carnegie Mellon University | 2004 Competitor | www.clearcount.com
Pittsburgh-based ClearCount Medical Solutions develops and markets a radiofrequency identification
(RFID) tracking system for the surgical operating room. It has assembled an extendable RFID-based
platform to improve efficiency while preventing medical errors. ClearCount’s SmartSponge and SmartWand-DTX systems are the only RFID-enabled systems for counting and detecting surgical sponges.
ClearCount Medical Solutions has recently announced that the University of California, Irvine Medical Center will use its products to prevent sponge-related incidents. The company’s product line is available
through Medline Industries, Inc., the nation’s largest privately-held manufacturer and distributor of
healthcare supplies. Poised to begin distribution in the European Union, the SmartSponge product line is
the first and only RFID-based surgical safety and efficiency technology bearing a CE mark.
ClearCount’s technology was recognized by Popular Science as one of the top 100 innovations of 2009 and
received The Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award and the International Design Excellence
Award (IDEA). The company has received additional recognition from Time and WIRED magazines.
ConjuGon®
ConjuGon, Inc.
University of Wisconsin | 2002 Competitor | www.conjugon.com
ConjuGon, Inc. is developing fundamentally new products to eliminate bacterial infections. The company
is developing and commercializing a conjugation-based antibacterial technology discovered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Its products will prevent and eliminate antibiotic-resistant, bacterial infections
of the skin and soft tissues including traumatic injury, surgical, and burn wounds.
Presently, ConjuGon performs most of its research and development operations at its corporate headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. Funded in part by equity financing and grants from the U.S. Department
of Defense, it contracts with leading pharmaceutical, manufacturing, clinical research, and regulatory experts nationwide to advance its products.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
CorInnova, Inc.
Texas A&M University | 2005 Competitor | www.corinnova.com
CorInnova is developing a breakthrough technological platform for patients with congestive heart failure.
The CardiacSTAR is a minimally invasive, direct cardiac compression device that restores normal cardiac
motion to the heart through the application of gentle pressure. The CardiacSTAR will be the first heart
assist device on the market that promotes healthy cardiac motion rather than simply heart ejection or
blood flow. This restoration of normal cardiac motion enables the reversal of muscle damage, allowing
the heart to remodel itself back to a normal, healthy state. In addition, the device is bi-ventricular, does
not contact the blood, and can be turned on and off safely, thus overcoming inherent left ventricular assist
device complications of bleeding and stroke.
Currently in preclinical development, the company successfully completed proof of concept testing in
large animals using STTR grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, CorInnova was
awarded a National Science Foundation SBIR grant for stress tests on the device. It has four approved U.S.
patents. CorInnova is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
cycleWood Solutions
Formerly cycleWood Plastics | University of Arkansas | 2011 Competitor | www.cyclewood.com
cycleWood Solutions has developed a patent-protected technology. The company creates a viable, biodegradable, and compostable thermoplastic alternative to plastic bags.
Offering retailers and consumers a cost-comparative, environmentally friendly alternative, the XyloBag
utilizes an abundant natural resource and biodegrades in 150 days once it reaches the natural environment. cycleWood’s thermoplastic can be applied in a variety of commercial plastics including cups, plates,
and bags.
The XyloBag is a 2012 Edison Awards finalist for the Safety & Sustainability category. In 2011, cycleWood
Solutions was the South Central Regional Winner of The Cleantech Open and placed fourth overall in the
2011 Rice Business Plan Competition.
cycleWood is currently working with a research lab to finalize the development of its product. The company has received media coverage by Harvard Business Review Today, Reuters, FORTUNE, and Ecopreneurist.
It is headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Cytex Therapeutics
Duke University | 2006 Competitor | http://cytextherapeutics.com
Cytex Therapeutics is developing bio-artificial devices to treat orthopaedic diseases and improve patients’
quality of life. The company’s bio-artificial cartilage mimics the mechanical and biological properties of
natural cartilage. It will be used to replace arthritic hip cartilage through minimally invasive surgery.
In September 2012, Cytex was awarded a National Institutes of Health Phase I SBIR grant to study the
effects of biochemical crosslinking. The following month, the company was invited to participate in showcase of select companies receiving SBIR/STTR grants. In 2011, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center
issued a public-private partnership award to Cytex and the Duke University School of Medicine to study
the creation of living cartilage to replace a damaged joint surface. Cytex is headquartered in Durham,
North Carolina.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Datafiniti
Formerly 80legs | Rice University | 2009 Competitor | www.datafiniti.net
Datafiniti is the world's first search engine for data. The company compiles data from the entire Internet
and brings it all together to be searched easily and quickly. If it's on the Web, it's in Datafiniti.
Datafiniti indexes an extraordinary amount of data from the Web. It serves business data, people data,
and product data to customers including Barnes & Noble, hoppit, and DealersLink.
Its data is compiled from millions of online sources, scanning the entire Internet for publicly available content and pushing that content through a sophisticated data pipeline to produce structured data. Every
record that comes out of this pipeline is then validated against its entire database to correct any inaccuracies and fill in gaps. This process allows Datafiniti to verify every record against millions of other data
points. The end result is a comprehensive and accurate database.
The company was a finalist at the 2009 Rice Business Plan Competition. In 2012, it launched a public beta
of its search engine. Datafiniti is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
DeepScan
Thammasat University | 2011 Competitor
DeepScan is developing affordable, high-performance cancer detection devices to reduce the global death
rate from cancer.
The first version of its product targets cervical cancer. Cervical cancer kills 300,000 women a year. Eighty
percent of these deaths occur in developing countries due to lack of access to early detection. Currently,
less than 10 percent of all hospitals in Thailand can perform a complete cancer check and analysis. In addition, the current process may require several hospital visits and take months.
DeepScan has finished a in hospital, clinical test, and completed its first operating prototype of its device.
The company hopes to launch soon.
DIAGENETIX, Inc.
University of Hawai’i | 2011 Competitor | http://diagenetix.com
DIAGENETIX, Inc. is a molecular diagnostics company. Its Smart-DART platform is a gene-based solution,
highly sensitive, accurate, and adaptable. Smart DART is based on an isothermal amplification method.
When combined with the company’s patent-pending molecular probe, hardware, and a smart phone or
tablet, the technology results in one of the only truly mobile, real-time detection platforms. It is well suited for in-field detection and diagnostics.
DIAGENETIX and its Smart-DART platform helps agricultural producers and processors easily and accurately test on-site for costly food borne and agricultural pathogens, reducing their liability and saving cost and
time.
The company is currently working with producers, processors researchers, and regulatory agencies. In
2012 DIAGENETIX was awarded a Phase I SBIR grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support
the application of its Smart-DART platform to detect three costly agricultural pathogens: Salmonella, citrus
greening, and fungal pathogens. The DIAGENETIX DART platform was developed by its founders while at
the University of Hawaii.
15
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
DiagNano
Georgia Institute of Technology | 2008 Competitor | www.nanohc.com
DiagNano is a biotechnology company focusing on quantitative in vitro diagnostics for the clinical market.
Using micro and nanotechnologies, the company provides clinicians with next generation tools for quantitative molecular profiling and personalized medicine.
DiagNano’s core technology, nanoparticle surface coatings, was developed from research at Georgia Tech
and Emory University. The surface coating technology allows quantum dots and other metal nanoparticles
to be used in a number of biological applications including in vitro diagnostics.
DiagNano recently advanced to the top 10 of the Southeast Bio/Plan competition. The company was featured in Georgia Trend and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Differential Dynamics Corporation
Columbia University | 2005 Competitor | www.ddmotion.com
Based in Owings Mills, Maryland, Differential Dynamics Corporation (DD Motion) has developed an all
mechanical green technology called infinitely variable motion control (IVMC). A new type of turbine, IVMC
has applications for power generation, compression and air conditioning, and vehicle transmissions. By
converting variable input into constant output, IVMC realizes dramatic cost efficiencies across each of
these platforms.
In 2010, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) awarded DDMotion a grant to validate IVMC’s ability to convert variable wind speed into constant output. This will allow for wind power
generation that is more robust, more efficient, and capable of capturing a greater portion of the available
energy. The TEDCO funds will enable DDMotion to demonstrate that its technology can: 1) increase the
power generated by at least 15 percent, 2) reduce failures caused by complexity and down time by 26
percent or more and 3) increase revenues by at least $50,000 annually for each 1.5 megawatt generator
with no additional costs in manufacturing. In February 2011, DD Motion was awarded a grant from the
Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program to further the development of its wind turbine.
Digital Proctor
The University of Texas at Austin | 2010 Competitor | www.digitalproctor.com
Digital Proctor was founded in 2009 to combat cheating in online tests. Working with academic partners,
it developed three unique tools to help with verifying student identity in online or hybrid courses, rooting
out cases of blatant collusion, and addressing a new, pervasive form of plagiarism termed 'Plagiarism 2.0'.
Digital Proctor's unique, data rich platform allows for other applications such as helping institutions detect
financial aid fraud schemes. Its latest project is using its data set to help improve student retention rates,
designing an early intervention system for students with falling grades.
As the U.S. Department of Education continues to ramp up pressure on institutions to verify student identities in online or hybrid courses, Digital Proctor has positioned itself to be a top selection among some of
the world’s largest and most prestigious institutions.
In November 2011, Digital Proctor was awarded District Administration Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products
of 2011. The Austin-based company has been featured in The Huffington Post, the Austin Business Journal,
and Market Watch.
16
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
DMF Medical Inc.
Formerly Purisorb Inc. | Dalhousie University | 2011 Competitor | http://dmfmedical.com
DMF Medical has developed a revolutionary CO2 absorption device which provides a ready solution to the
problem of toxin creation in anesthetic circuits. DMF Medical will refine and optimize ZEROSORB, a prototype CO2 removal device for anesthetic circuits. The device uses membrane technology rather than absorbent chemicals. The product will fit into existing anesthesia equipment, will avoid issues of hazardous
waste disposal, and will expel less anesthetic vapor into the air (reducing the cost of vapors as they will be
contained and reused).
In 2012, DMF Medical received funding from the Atlantic Innovation Fund to develop its device. DMF
Medical is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The company is planning to launch in the near future.
D-Orbit
Santa Clara University | 2010 Competitor | www.deorbitaldevices.com
D-Orbit develops smart propulsive devices to destroy obsolete satellites. The device is installed on satellites before launch and is capable of deorbiting or re-orbiting them in a quick, safe and controlled manner,
avoiding collision with other spacecraft in space or falling onto people and asset on Earth.
D-Orbits’ device provides a sustainable access to space. The company offers satellite owners a reliable
and cost-effective product to increase the operating life of satellites, control insurance costs, and avoid
the costs of collisions with other spacecraft or assets on Earth.
Having successfully tested its prototype, D-Orbit Inc. founded a California-based subsidiary in February
2012 to address the American market. Currently, the company is working on risk mitigation and space
qualification. Space testing is planned for the end of 2013. The company has received numerous awards
and honors including being named the Most Responsible Business 2011 (Italy), winning second place at
StartCup Toscana 2011, and becoming a finalist at the Mind The Bridge competition. Additionally, D-Orbit
has been featured in various articles and interviews in the primary Italian newspapers. The company’s
operating office is in Florence, Italy.
DSGM Systems
Drive Safe Glucose Monitoring Systems | Kennesaw State University | 2010 Competitor |
www.dsgmsystems.com
DSGM Systems is commercializing a breakthrough technology to produce the first-of-its-kind, noninvasive
glucose meter that continuously tracks blood glucose levels and trends painlessly using a wristwatch format.
Over the past decade, diabetes experts have learned that providing a point in time reading, while necessary for medication dosing, was not as effective at keeping overall HbA1c levels in check as is monitoring a
patient’s glucose trending data and preventing unwanted changes in glucose levels. In fact, recent studies
have shown that tight blood sugar control increases the risk of death in type-2 diabetics. By utilizing DSGM
Systems’ proprietary technology, the GluSonic Alert™ will allow users to keep their sugar levels on a more
even keel, facilitating better overall health, and avoiding the serious complications that high blood sugar
causes.
DSGM has optimized its sensor technology for portable, miniaturized operation. The company’s headquarters are in Waco, Georgia.
17
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Dynamics Inc.
Carnegie Mellon University | 2009 Competitor | www.poweredcards.com
Dynamics Inc. produces and manufactures intelligent powered payment cards and advanced payment
platforms. Focused on introducing fast-cycle innovation to top card issuers, the company's first commercial application is the world's first fully card-programmable magnetic stripe for use in next-generation
payment cards.
The company has won many of the world's most prestigious international business plan competitions,
including the Rice Business Plan Competition, Carnegie Mellon McGinnis Venture Competition, and the
University of San Francisco Business Plan Competition. It won DEMOgod and the $1M People's Choice
Award at DEMO Fall 2010, Best of Show at FinovateFall 2010, FinovateFall 2011, FinovateEurope 2012,
Best of Show at Cartes 2011, and Best of Show at BAI Retail Delivery 2011. Dynamics won Best in Show for
Personal Electronics and Technology Honors at the 2012 International CES show.
Founded in 2007, Dynamics is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dynamo Micropower
Duke University | 2012 Competitor | www.dynamo-micropower.com
Dynamo Micropower is a small power products company developing a unique generator with proprietary,
novel micro gas turbine architecture. Its generator (<30kW genset) is significantly smaller, longer lived,
and more efficient than conventional diesel generators.
The initial target market will be the energy industry. Dynamo Micropower’s generator will lower the energy costs of marginal gas wells through reduced maintenance and fuel costs; however, there are several
additional niches where a Dynamo genset will command a premium price. Dynamo also sees its technology enabling new markets such as robotics and bringing clean power to six billion people.
A recent recipient of several grants, the company was one of the winners of the Mass Challenge and a
semifinalist at the Clean Tech Open. Dynamo Micropower is located in Boston, Massachusetts at Greentown Labs, a regional clean energy incubator.
EcoHarvester
Formerly E&M Devices | University of California, Berkeley | 2009 Competitor | www.ecoharvester.com
EcoHarvester develops miniature scale, power generators that can replace or supplement batteries for
mobile devices and small electronics. The company’s EcoSwitch is designed as a self-generated power
source for wireless switches.
EcoHarvester is the winner of the 2008 University of California, Berkeley Venture Lab Prize and the 2009
NASA Innovation prize at Rice Business Plan Competition. The company has been awarded a SBIR grant
from the National Science Foundation. Founded in 2008, EcoHarvester is headquartered in Berkeley, California.
18
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
EcoLight
Formerly Cirquility & House Inc | Dartmouth College | 2012 Competitor | www.ecolightnh.com
EcoLight installs and manages energy efficient systems for residential and commercial businesses. By
calculating return on investment, tracking returns, providing financing, and enabling microloans between
customers, the company allows customers to build a portfolio of home energy investments. This gives low
income customers access to high-return technologies for their homes while enabling wealthier customers
to make socially responsible, high return on investment decisions.
After competing in the 2012 Rice Business Plan Competition as House Inc, the founders reorganized, first
as Cirquility and then as EcoLight. The company has recently signed a partnership with Dartmouth College
to install energy efficient systems in the Thayer School of Engineering; it is also negotiating similar contracts with two other major universities. The company has been the topic of a number of articles by the
Dartmouth media.
EGG-energy
Formerly Sulico | London Business School | 2011 Competitor | http://egg-energy.com
EGG-energy helps low income consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa gain access to clean, affordable energy
using a unique strategy based around portable, rechargeable batteries. Currently based in Tanzania, its
goal is to one day use its model to provide power throughout the developing world.
It takes power from a grid or off-grid power station and packages it into portable, rechargeable, and
affordable batteries. Each battery is about the size of a brick and lasts about five nights in a typical household. The batteries are rented to a customer in exchange for a subscription fee. Customers exchange
their depleted battery for one fully charged one, paying a only small swapping fee at a nearby EGG-energy
charging depot.
EGG-energy was selected as one of eight investment targets by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund’s
Renewable Energy and Adaptation to Climate Change. The organization won the Grand Prize of the
Wipro/Knowledge at Wharton Innovation Challenge and was invited to present at the World Engineers’
Convention’s Best Energy Practice poster session.
EGG-energy’s first local subsidiary was established in 2009 near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The company is
continuing to expand its network of charging and distribution stations in Tanzania. It hopes to reach other
East-African countries in the future.
19
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Electronic Shipping Solutions
Formerly eShipping Solutions | University of Pennsylvania | 2004 Competitor | www.essdocs.com
Established in 2003, Electronic Shipping Solutions (EES) provides eDocs services for international trade
participants to better manage the documents required for operations, legal, compliance, and customs
purposes.
The company owns and operates the ESS-Databridge eDocs Exchange which guarantees instant delivery of
legally effective, original, electronic trade and shipping documents. The CargoDocs offered include trading
documents such as bills of lading, certificates of quality, and cargo manifests; compliance documents such
as safety data sheets; and customs documents such as electronic administrative documents. The ESS-Data
Bridge Platform replaces the current paper flow, eliminating cost and risk.
Its customers include many of the world’s largest companies including leading oil companies, commodities
traders, trade finance banks, ship operators, surveyors, and shipping agents. ESS is an independent corporation headquartered in Valetta, Malta.
Elemental Enzymes
University of Missouri | 2012 Competitor | http://www.elementalenzymes.com
Elemental Enzymes is commercializing a patent-pending bioprocess to manufacture enzymes for a variety
of environmental, industrial, and biomedical applications. Its technology reduces the process steps and
energy costs of enzyme production and yields enzyme products with greater stability and potency than
those currently on the market. The initial focus is on soil remediation and water decontamination for the
biofuel, fracking, carbon capture, and farming (animal waste) markets.
Having previously licensed its technology from the University of Missouri, Elemental Enzymes has renegotiated for better terms as well as for additional applications of the technology. It is planning to file several
patents in the next few months. Elemental Enzymes is based in Columbia, Missouri.
20
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Elevate K12
Formerly Elevate Learning | University of Michigan | 2007 Competitor | www.elevatelearning.net
ElevateK12 is a comprehensive, result-oriented and research-based one-to-one online tutoring program.
The company helps currently struggling students and bridges the achievement gaps in schools. Elevate
pairs each student with a dedicated, personal tutor who is present in the learning process from start to
finish. It offers solutions for elementary, middle school, and high school math and reading, high school
readiness, state assessments, and ACT/SAT test preparation.
Elevate K12 challenges the boundaries of typical online learning models through the extensive use of innovative technology. The team pursues the newest and best technological avenues, providing the most
personalized one-on-one instruction possible. Instead of ‘click and submit’ questions, Elevate’s E-Write
virtual whiteboard technology requires students to write out and solve problems step by step. This visual
record helps tutors to analyze students' thinking and logic patterns and to identify misconceptions in real
time. Most recently, Elevate has moved "to the cloud" and can now provide its cutting-edge instruction
from anywhere, to anyone, at any time.
Elevate has won several social impact awards including the University of Michigan Dare-to-Dream grant
and the ILIR Social Impact Award. Today, Elevate K12 serves the math needs of thousands of at-risk, special needs, and gifted students across the country with a network of tutors, project managers, and implementation specialists. Elevate has also led the way in educational job creation and has since become the
number one math resource choice for school administrators across the country. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
eMotion Group, Inc.
Illinois Institute of Technology | 2009 Competitor | http://emotioncorporation.com |
www.bffgemz.com
The eMotion family is dedicated to connecting people emotionally using technology while promoting human-to-human interactions.
BFF Gemz is the company‘s founding product, made especially for girls nine years and older. It is an innovative technology-oriented necklace, a modern day, best friends forever charm, where real friends share
secret messages in person and a private social networking experience online. Through the combination of
fashion, wireless technology, and social networking, BFF Gemz provides a fun and innovative way for girls
to enhance real world relationships. BFF Gemz is made for girls, by girls. eMotion’s tween advisory
group, called the Tribe Council, regularly provided feedback as BFF Gemz took its journey from conception
to production. BFF Gemz represents the next generation’s gateway to a social networking experience,
fostered by real-world relationships.
eMotion Group and its product have received broad media coverage in The Huffington Post, CNNMoney.com, the Houston Chronicle, and the Chicago Tribune. It is based in Chicago, Illinois.
21
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
EternoGen
University of Missouri | 2011 Competitor | www.eternogen.com
EternoGen is a medical biotech company designing and manufacturing a novel collagen scaffold for soft
tissue therapeutic applications. Lasting longer than traditional collagen fillers, EternoGen’s skin filler can
be used to replenish the volume of facial features and lessen the appearance of wrinkles and scars. Its
product will also have wound-healing and orthopaedic reconstructive applications.
Primarily a research and development company, EternoGen utilizes expertise in clinical market evaluation,
material science, applied nanotechnology, and biological engineering to execute its clinical development
model. Its three phase process provides full evaluation of market opportunity; in-vitro product safety and
toxicity profile; and preclinical product efficacy.
In January 2013, EternoGen was selected to present at the Annual International Master Course on Aging
Skin Conference; the IMCAS gathering is the premier conference for plastic surgery and dermatology. The
company was named winner of the University of Missouri’s 2012 Enterprise Investment Program, which
was established to fund and support startups developing UM technologies. EternoGen is located in Columbia, Missouri and operates from the Missouri Innovation Center situated in the Life Sciences Business
Incubator.
Feed Resource Recovery Inc.
Babson College | 2007 Competitor | http://feedresource.com
Feed Resource Recovery Inc. provides the food industry cost-effective waste disposal solutions. The company captures and reuses valuable nutrients and energy from previously discarded food waste, mirroring
nature’s regenerative cycles.
The company provides grocery stores and restaurants onsite waste conversion systems that produce renewable energy and organic fertilizer from their own food waste. Feed Resource Recovery is based in
Boston, Massachusetts.
Gaea Naturals Ltd.
Lancaster University | 2010 Competitor | www.thegaeanaturals.com
Gaea Naturals Ltd. has developed a biological wastewater recycling technology to remove organic and
metal contaminants from wastewater.
Its product, TAG (Thermophilic Aerobic Granulation) stands for a patent-protected, cell immobilization
technology to biologically treat waste water. Its energy efficient, sustainable, and cost saving products
can be used to efficiently utilize water in the paper and pulp, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, oil refineries, and chemicals manufacturing industries.
Gaea’s first product using TAG technology is PaperTAG, a patented, biological process specifically designed
for the paper and pulp industry.
Gaea Naturals has been awarded several government grants to further develop its technology and is the
winner of the January 2011 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award. The company has been featured in The
Independent and Business Because. Gaea Naturals is co-founded by students at Lancaster University and
incubated at the Lancaster Environment Center.
22
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Global Cell Solutions
University of Virginia | 2004 Competitor | www.globalcellsolutions.com
Headquarted in Charlottesville, Virginia, Global Cell Solutions provides three-dimensional cell culturing
tools and cell-based assays to biotechnology, drug discovery, therapeutic, and pharmaceutical researchers.
The University of Virginia named co-founder Robin Felder the 2012 Edlich-Henderson Innovator of the
Year. The award recognizes an individual or group whose research is making a major impact. Additionally, Global Cell Solutions and its partner Vivo Biosciences developed a device to grow and culture tumors;
the device placed 10th in Scientist magazine’s Top 10 Innovations of 2012. Global Cell was awarded a STTR
Phase I grant from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, supporting the research and development of Global Cell’s microcarriers and automation platforms for various cell culture
applications.
Global Cell is positioned to be an integral partner to the next generation of scientific breakthroughs in
medicine, research, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and the emerging field of orthobiologics.
Global Paradigmz LLC
Carnegie Mellon University | 2012 Competitor | www.globalparadigmz.com | www.globatrek.com
Global Paradigmz is a software development company. It provides tools for small and medium businesses
to compete in global commerce.
The company’s first paradigm is the GlobaTrek. This platform provides a resource planning system to
build and manage global sales and marketing distribution networks.
Harmonie
Fomerly Sahara Botanicals | University of Oxford | 2011 Competitor | http://saharabotanicals.org
Harmonie is a social enterprise working with conflict-affected communities to produce all-natural skincare
products. Its first project will provide jobs to women and refugees in Goré, Chad by producing shea
butter for export. The production of the skincare products is finalized in the United States.
The company chose to work in conflict-affected communities because it believes that the people living
there have the same right to use their skills and resources to support their families as anyone else in the
world. Harmonie not only creates jobs but protects the environment by establishing the world’s first commercial shea butter orchard.
Harmonie was featured in the Financial Times.
23
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Hemova Medical
Johns Hopkins University | 2011 Competitor | www.hemovamedical.com
Hemova Medical is a medical device firm developing solutions for more effective treatment and management of end-stage renal disease.
The company's primary product, the Hemova Port, is an alternative vascular access device for ESRD patients requiring hemodialysis treatment. The system harnesses the natural patterns of high-flow vasculature to minimize the hemodynamic footprint and cardiac impact of the implant. A novel subcutaneous
port system and cleaning capability serve to drastically reduce infection and simplify access site maintenance.
Hemova’s provisional patents covering the original design have been converted to full utility filings and are
scheduled to be reviewed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office within the year. Hemova has performed multiple rounds of large animal trials and is currently staging a longer term, multiphase efficacy
and reliability trial. The company hopes that positive trials later this year will bring it closer towards an
IDE filing and additional investment to fund human pilot studies.
Hemova won the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Annual Conference, Innovation Showcase of
2011 and placed in the top three spots of several other competitions. It has received grants and awards
through the Johns Hopkins University and Johnson and Johnson Technology Accelerator Fund, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, and the Coulter Foundation.
Hemova was founded in 2010 as a spinout from The Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design at
Johns Hopkins University. The company is currently headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland with its main
research facilities based within the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Husk Power Systems
University of Virginia | 2008 Competitor | www.huskpowersystems.com
Husk Power Systems is a rural empowerment enterprise, using electric power as the backbone of inclusive
rural development.
Husk Power Systems designs, installs, and operates biomass-based power plants. Each plant uses proprietary gasification technology to convert abundant agricultural residue (procured from local farmers) into
electricity. It is then distributed to rural households and micro-enterprises through a microgrid system,
providing a better quality, cheaper way to meet energy needs.
In just four years HPS has installed 84 mini power plants, providing electricity to over 200,000 people
spread across 300 villages and employing 350 people operating across the state of Bihar. Each plant
serves around 400 households, saving approximately 42,000 liters of kerosene and 18,000 liters of diesel
per year, significantly reducing indoor air pollution and improving health conditions in rural areas. By extending village life beyond daylight hours, HPS promotes economic development by enabling businesses to
stay open after dark and allowing children to study at night.
Husk has received funding from venture capital groups and from the IFC, the private investment arm of
the World Bank. In 2011, the company won the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund Award and the Ashden
Award for Sustainable Energy. HPS continues to receive a great deal of positive attention from the media
and has been featured in publications including The New York Times, the Daily Beast, and most recently,
the Voice of America, The Washington Post, and PBS NewsHour.
24
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Hybridtronics
University of Chicago | 2007 Competitor | http://hybridtronics.com
Hybridtronics is a Chicago-based commercializing hybrid electric technology for buses in Asia.
Hybrid electric technology saves fuel and is effective on both diesel and compressed natural gas buses. In
a typical Indian city, this proven technology increases fuel economy between 15 to over 22 percent.
The company is currently conducting field trials with multiple original equipment manufacturers and bus
fleet operators in India. Its first client is India’s largest automobile manufacturer – Tata Motors. Tata has
agreed to take the Hybridtronics system towards production. Hybridtronics will provide five hybrid systems for testing: three for vehicle testing and two for component level tests. Hybridtronics maintains a
corporate office in Bartlett, Illinois and a sales office in New Delhi, India.
iLumi Solutions, Inc.
Formerly iLumi Lighting Solutions | The University of Texas at Dallas | 2011 Competitor | http://
ilumisolutions.com
iLumi Solutions has made the world’s most intelligent light bulb. iLumi is an LED light controlled wirelessly
through a mobile application. Through its patent-pending computing, wireless, and HyperluxTM LED technology, iLumi offers over a million hues, pays for its self, and provides a wireless and programmable
lighting control system that is as easy to use as screwing in a light bulb.
Incorporated in June 2011, the company has raised capital through a successful crowdfunding campaign.
It has been featured in TechCrunch, CNET, and in a business section cover story in the Dallas Morning
News. iLumi was named a Most Promising Company at both the 2012 Rice Alliance Web and IT Venture
Forum and the 2012 Rice Alliance CleanTech and Energy Venture Forum. Additionally, the company was a
semifinalist at the SXSW Eco Startup Showcase and at the CleanTech Open Accelerator and Competition.
iLumi is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
ImagineOptix Corp.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 2007 Competitor | www.imagineoptix.com
Founded in 2004, ImagineOptix (IO) is a development, licensing, and manufacturing company, commercializing patented optical thin-films and related products.
One initial application area is in improving video projector devices. It will enable the world’s smallest,
lowest cost, and most battery efficient projectors to be imbedded in consumer electronics devices such as
cell phones and laptops. IO is also applying its technologies to revolutionize telecommunications markets,
other optical consumer electronics markets, and military and industrial equipment markets.
The company signed its first major development contract in November 2012. IO executed its first strategic investment in December 2012 and achieved its first sales in the middle of 2012. The company expects
to become profitable this year. ImagineOptix is one of North Carolina State University's Fast 15 startup
companies launched by the campus research community.
IO placed fourth in the 2007 RBPC and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.
25
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Impel NeuroPharma
University of Washington | 2009 Competitor | www.impelneuropharma.com
Impel NeuroPharma is clinical-stage drug delivery company. Its proprietary Pressurized Olfactory Delivery
(POD) device technology enables entirely new categories of drugs, including biologics, to be delivered
directly into the brain and central nervous system using a cost-effective, disposable, noninvasive intranasal
drug delivery device. This process reduces systemic exposure in the plasma, resulting in greater drug concentrations in the central nervous system and improved drug performance. It can be used to treat Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and orphan diseases. Impel intends to out-license the technology to pharmaceutical
and biotech partners.
Impel NeuroPharma has successfully completed its human proof of concept studies and has entered into
multiple research and development collaborations with large pharmaceutical partners. In December
2012, the company was awarded a SBIR Phase II grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s chemical
and biological defense program to apply the POD technology to treatments for exposure in chemical and
biological warfare.
Based in Seattle, Washington, Impel NeuroPharma has secured funding from top pharmaceutical companies, the U.S. Department of Defense, Washington’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund, the National Institutes
of Health, and the Wings medical device network.
Inanovate
Babson College | 2005 Competitor | www.inanovate.com
Inanovate is developing and commercializing a new category of protein screening technology for clinical
diagnostics and therapeutics. Inanovate's first product was the i-Slide, a high performance protein microarray surface. This surface technology has since been combined with unique screening and analysis methods to create the Bio-ID: a new and holistic solution to protein screening with applications in protein research, drug development, quality control, biomarker profiling, biomarker validation, and clinical diagnostics.
Inanovates’s nanoscale, surface fabrication technology was developed at the Nanoscale Physics Research
Laboratory at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Inanovate owns an exclusive license
on patents issued in the United States, the European Union, and Japan for its nano-structured, substrate
manufacturing system. It has filed comprehensive patent applications on the core technology underpinning the Bio-ID. The company also owns exclusive licenses to patent filings covering protein biomarkers
for the clinical diagnosis of prostate and ovarian cancer.
Inanovate has been awarded government grants through the National Institute of Cancer and the U.K.’s
Technology Strategy Board, and it has been accepted into prestigious loan programs through the North
Carolina Biotechnology Center. It maintains collaborations and strategic partnerships with institutions
such as Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Dana Faber Cancer Institute, Thermo Fisher Scientific, the University of Birmingham, Johnston Matthey, and Teer Coatings. Founded in 2005, Inanovate has offices in Birmingham, England and in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Incept BioSystems
University of Michigan | 2005 Competitor | www.inceptbio.com
Incept BioSystems developed innovative microscale technologies to provide fertility specialists with breakthrough capabilities. Its technology improved in vitro manipulation, performance, and viability of high
value cells.
Like many specialized cells, human embryos typically behave much differently while in vitro than they
would in the body, and this performance gap can limit their developmental growth and potentially their
viability. Incept’s System for Microfluidic Assisted Reproductive Technology (SMART) platform was the
first to deliver unique control of in vitro cell culture environments so that fertility specialists can offer
patients new hope in starting a family.
In 2011, Incept BioSystems was acquired by ORIGIO, a Danish company specializing in assisted reproductive technologies. Market launch of Incept’s SMART technology is expected in 2016.
InContext Solutions, LLC
University of Chicago | 2009 Competitor | www.incontextsolutions.com
InContext Solutions is an award-winning technology and market research firm specializing in online 3-D
environment simulations for virtual store research, collaborative store planning, and e-commerce. Its
research delivers highly accurate behavioral and attitudinal insights into shopper behavior. The company’s collaborative software tools allow companies and its partners to make more effective product and
store planning, environment design, and promotional business decisions. As an e-commerce platform,
InContext drives online sales through engaging audio-visual experiences.
InContext recently partnered with Tobii Technology to add eye tracking solutions to its research systems.
The company was named one of the Midwest’s growing technology companies, was listed as one of the
Top 50 Employers of 2012 for Gen Y Talent in Chicago, and was named One of America's Most Promising
Companies by Forbes.com. InContext Solutions rang the opening bell at NASDAQ, has been featured on
the Today Show, CNBC's Inside Business Report, FORTUNE, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Crain’s Chicago
Business.
Headquartered in Chicago, the InContext Solutions also maintains offices in St. Paul, Minnesota and in
Fairfield, Connecticut.
Innovostics
Johns Hopkins University | 2012 Competitor
Innovostics is a medical device startup providing point of care diagnostic technologies to save patients’
lives around the globe. Using a unique microfluidics platform and design, its tests will provide accurate,
inexpensive, and rapid results with only a finger prick of blood.
The company is currently developing the InfectDx, a diagnostic test to differentiate between bacterial,
viral, and parasitic infection. Innovostics is preparing to launch.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Intellidemia
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 2009 Competitor | www.intellidemia.com
Intellidemia develops a syllabus content management platform for higher education. It works with
schools to streamline workflow and enhance collaboration with smart solutions that address accreditation, compliance, and retention.
As the experts in syllabus management, Intellidemia supports higher education with Concourse, an easy-to
-use platform that improves student performance, faculty productivity, and administrative efficiency.
Originally a concept conceived in a marketing class, Concourse has transformed into the world's first commercial syllabus system. It enables syllabi to be put online fast, making it easy to organize, share, and
analyze course information.
Clients include Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Webster University, Bucks County Community College,
Oregon Health & Science University, and the University of British Columbia. The company was founded in
2007 by two MBA students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Intellidemia is headquartered in Troy, New
York.
IOMI Technologies
University of Illinois at Chicago | 2012 Competitor
IOMI Technologies develops innovative, sustainable, and socially responsible water remediation and reclamation solutions to improve public health and environmental welfare.
IOMI Technologies is an Illinois-based venture leading the technological advancements of heavy metals
segregation, removal, and recovery from water. The company will usher in a new era of green technology
enabling both water purification and recovery and reuse of valuable metals resources. The co-founders
are focused on full market realization of platform scalability and versatility.
iShoe
Harvard University | 2009 Competitor | www.i-shoe.net
iShoe, Inc. is an early-stage consumer health company, developing balance diagnostic technology and
algorthms for fall prediction. The company is commercializing NASA technology originally used on astronauts upon return from space flight.
Balance is a crucial sensory perception in humans, very much like vision and hearing. And just as vision and
hearing deteriorate with age, so does a human's ability to balance. In fact, poor balance directly leads to
catastrophic falls, which is the surprising leading cause of death in the elderly, far exceeding cases of cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases.
iShoe holds three nonprovisional pending patents on proprietary technology to deliver the first allencompassing human balance biometric. The company has entered into a partnership with Kissito
Healthcare. It was featured on CNN, the Discovery Channel, and in special reports by the President of the
AARP. iShoe’s first target market is the elderly consumer population; subsequent products in the pipeline
may target athletic and clinical markets.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Ix Innovations
Formerly PocketPico & Audiallo | University of Michigan | 2009 Competitor | www.pocketpico.com
Ix Innovations makes semiconductor test equipment, enhancing the usability of electrical test and measurement instrumentation through continual product innovation.
The founders of Ix Innovations competed in the 2009 Rice Business Plan Competition as Audiallo, a manufacturer of fabless, IC (integrated circuit), analog semiconductors. Using that core technology, it created
the PocketPico, which became Ix’s first product to market. The PocketPico picoammeter is a sensitive
instrument that quickly and accurately measures electrical current down to trillionths of an ampere. Ix’s
work on this product earned the company the prestigious Best in Test award from Test & Measurement
World magazine in 2011.
Ix Innovations is growing by developing additional low power instrumentation under the PocketPico brand
as well as products for the broader test and measurement industry. The company is headquartered in
Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Jet Yi Holdings
Formerly Jet Red | University of Michigan | 2004 Competitor | www.jetyi.com
An investment and consulting company, Jet Yi is focused on aviation and related areas in the rapidly developing Asian market and particularly in China. Jet Yi Holdings is the largest foreign investor in a proposed
new Chinese low-cost airline in western China. The group is managed from Beijing with an international
network with significant experience in Chinese, Asia-Pacific, American, and European aviation and in direct foreign investments in China.
Apart from its Chinese aviation work, Jet Yi also addresses opportunities across the broader Asian continent particularly where there are synergies with the Chinese market. Occasionally, the company is involved with overseas prospects where cross-border cooperation or investments strategically fit with China's and Asia's aviation development.
Jet Yi has developed a charter tourism business in Asia and has provided a major aerospace manufacturer
with Chinese-based research and strategic analysis. Jet Yi is also a member of the Aviation Cooperation
Program, a unique partnership between China and the United States developing Chinese civil aviation that
is administered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Jola Venture
Northeastern University | 2012 Competitor | http://jolaventure.com
Jola Venture is developing an agricultural platform, providing the resources for small scale Cameroonian
farms to become more productive and profitable. Such resources include better technologies, capacity
building, and market access.
With the help of Northeastern’s mechanical engineering department, the company has designed a solar
food dehydrator called the Solpod. The patent-pending technology is an effective, low-cost solution for
the food spoilage common in developing nations. Using solar energy to dehydrate all types of food, the
Solpod extends the shelf life of perishable food, giving users a simple and cost effective means of food
preservation. SolPod dries food 100 times faster than traditional methods and preserves it 20 times longer.
Jola Venture was a semifinalist in the 2012 Dell Innovation Challenge, the Global Social Entrepreneurship
at the University of Washington, and the Venture Challenge at San Diego State University. The company
has received grant funding from the NCIIA.
Kentucky Chia
University of Louisville | 2012 Competitor | www.kychia.com
Kentucky Chia will become the premier producer and distributor of domestically grown chia seeds for the
equine industry. Rich in fiber, antioxidants, and protein, and with the highest concentration of plantderived Omega-3s, chia seeds are instrumental in preventing colic and laminitis, the two leading causes of
premature death among horses.
Having planted its first commercial crop in January 2013, the company’s founders are currently working to
bring the first domestic chia seed crop to market in the fall of 2013.
Founded at the University of Louisville in 2011, Kentucky Chia is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
Klymit
Formerly Argon Technologies | Brigham Young University | 2008 Competitor | www.klymit.com
Klymit is a noble gas technology company based in Ogden, Utah. The company develops and licenses variable insulation technologies. The gasses used by Klymit are inert, meaning they are nontoxic, nonflammable, and completely safe for both the user and the environment.
Currently marketed for use in outdoor gear, Klymit’s system uses flexible, airtight chambers filled with
argon gas instead of down or other fiber insulations. NobleTek insulation is thinner, warmer, and lighter
weight than fiber insulators. The gear is heat-welded making it strong and lightweight. Klymit’s markets
its technology through its vests, shells, base layers, camping pads, and frames. The company’s products
can be found at outdoor gear stores throughout the United States and Canada or on Klymit’s Web site.
In 2011, Business Week touted Klymit’s vest as one of “This season’s coolest snow gizmos and gadgets.”
Klymit won the Thermolite Hardware Summer Award at the ispo BrandNew Competition. The company
and its founder Nate Adler have been featured on Forbes.com as well as in publications such as Popular
Science, Backpacker, and Outside Magazine.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
KnowCharge Inc.
University of New Bruswick | 2010 Competitor | www.knowcharge.com
KnowCharge (KCI) is a paper technology company based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The company’s
patented technology brings together market-leading static protection with sustainability, providing electronics manufacturers and component distributors with a new electrostatic discharge (ESD) packaging
solution that not only protects sensitive electronics but lowers cost.
KnowCharge’s packaging products consists of ESD paper boxes, ESD paper void fill, and ESD moisture or
shielding paper bags. The company’s ESD products lower costs by decreasing the labor, overhead, and
disposal costs associated with nonrecyclable foams and plastic packaging during the electronic manufacturing process.
As part of its global product launch in 2012, KnowCharge introduced the first patent-pending ESD moisture paper bag and ESD shielding paper bag at the electronica trade show in Germany. To support the
international launch, the company established production and distribution partnerships in both North
America and Asia. In 2013, KCI will initiate a commercialization project for a radio frequency identification
(RFID) application using its patented, conductive paper technology.
lark technologies
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2010 Competitor | www.lark.com
Founded in 2010, lark technologies is a consumer electronics company that makes wearable wellness
monitors for sleep, exercise, and diet. Its products include larklife, lark, and lark pro. The company takes
a holistic approach to developing its products that includes innovative hardware, intuitive software and
expert-backed content.
The company was named one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Consumer Electronics Companies by Fast
Company. It has received broad coverage by the national press including The Wall Street Journal, The
New York Times, InStyle magazine, Oprah Magazine, VentureBeat, ABC News, Tech Crunch, and CBS News.
lark is a venture-backed company based in Mountain View, California.
Lemm Technologies
Purdue University | 2012 Competitor | www.LEMMTechnologies.com
LEMM Technologies is a diagnostics company developing a system to detect complex blood analytes. The
company has a patent-pending process to measure blood analytes laterally across the nail with light. A
direct light path across the nail increases the signal and reduces the interference caused by measurement
techniques involving skin penetration. Feasibility studies of blood glucose detection through the nail have
been conducted, and LEMM has been evaluating the technology for other analytes.
Having placed third at the 2012 Rice Business Plan Competition, LEMM is currently operating in Minnesota
and seeking a development partner for additional validation and further development.
31
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Ligadon
The University of Utah | 2012 Competitor | dollyholt@gmail.com
Ligadon provides a simple and more effective device for ligament and tendon recombination. Ligament
and tendon injuries involve lacerations that are treated with sutures, but, as the tendon or ligament
stretches, high tension often tears the sutures and often requires repeated surgeries. Ligadon’s device
equally distributes tension along either end of the ligament or tendon, preventing the tissue from tearing
under strain.
Ligadon has filed its provisional patent application and is in the process of submitting its nonprovisional
application. The company has developed a fully functional prototype and has conducted some preliminary
mechanical tests showing the efficacy of the device. Ligadon seeks to license its technology to a major
medical device company.
The company will exhibit its prototypes and compete at NCIIA Open Minds in March 2013. Held at the
Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Open Minds is an annual exhibition of cutting-edge
innovations from NCIIA's best student teams.
Lumedyne Technologies Incorporated
Formerly Omega Sensors | San Diego State University | 2007 Competitor |
www.lumedynetechnologies.com
Lumedyne Technologies specializes in high performance MEMS (micro-electrical-mechanical systems)
based intertial sensors. The award winning, patented technologies behind its AcXel accelerometers and VPower energy harvesters operate on unique principles that allow performance not previously possible.
Now licensed exclusively to Lumedyne, these technologies were developed by the U.S. Navy. The Time
Domain Switched (TDS) technology is applicable to accelerometers, gyroscopes, MEMS clocks, and analogto-digital converters.
In 2012, Lumedyne was awarded Phase II of an EOIR contract for MEMS Accelerometers and Gyroscopes.
The company has expanded its technology portfolio and raised additional funding. It was given an award
for Outstanding Commercialization Success for its successful transfer of technology developed at a federal
laboratory. Lumedyne’s CEO, Brad Chisum was named a semifinalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs
of the Year 2011 Award for the San Diego region. Lumedyne Technologies is headquartered in San Diego,
California.
LyoGo
Formerly GlucoGo | Indiana University & Purdue University | 2010 Competitor | www.lyogo.com
LyoGo is a design and development company of primary package containers for lyophilized therapeutics.
In partnership with experienced medical device development companies and primary package component
suppliers, LyoGo has created a proprietary, dual-chamber cartridge which stores a lyophilized active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in one chamber and its reconstitution diluent in the other. The LyoGo Reconstitution Cartridge (LRC) brings the API back into the solution in one step, ready for administration for the
patient.
In 2010, LyoGo won third place at the Rice Business Plan Competition, and has been featured in FORTUNE
and on the Big Ten Network. The company is based in El Segundo, California.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Medtric Biotech
Purdue University | 2012 Competitor | www.medtricbiotech.com
Medtric Biotech provides clinically robust and economically sensible wound care solutions. Developed
collaboratively at leading research and medical institutions, its nanoscale-based therapy was specifically
engineered to protect wounds against infection and advance the healing process.
Medtric is currently developing its core product, Osmotec, for an array of products including traditional
gels for everyday cuts and scrapes, foam pads for larger complex wounds, and disinfecting sprays for onthe-go protection. Its product line represents the perfect solution for topical antiseptics, wound dressings, and cosmetics.
Medtric won second place at the 2012 Rice Business Plan Competition and has taken top honors at other
competitions. The Layfayette, Indiana-based company has received grants from Purdue’s Trask Innovation
Fund, Indiana CTST for project development, BIOMEDSHIP, and Purdue’s Emerging Innovations Fund.
Mi Viejita
London Business School | 2005 Competitor | www.miviejita.com
Founded in 2003, Mi Viejita in an online retailer selling chilaquiles, salsas, and frijoles.
Mi Viejita’s products are cooked according to traditional recipes. Its recipes are prepared with 100 percent natural ingredients and no chemical preservatives. Mi Viejita’s products are increasingly popular
products that help save time without sacrificing taste and quality.
Microfluidic Innovations LLC
Purdue University | 2010 Competitor | www.microfluidicinnovations.com
Microfluidic Innovations has developed the first multipurpose, software-programmable microfluidic LoC
(SPLoC). Instead of designing assay specific chips, developers will be able to use a single chip, simply
writing or downloading a program for each experiment. Example assays using Microfluidic’s platform
have been developed for glucose level testing, particle sorting, enzyme kinetics, and bacteria culturing and
synchronization.
Microfluidic‘s system can cater to wide market segments including contract research organizations (CROs),
pharmaceuticals, and academic research.
Headquartered in West Lafayette, Indiana, Microfluidic Innovations has been awarded two SBIR Phase I
grants. The company also received a grant from Purdue’s Emerging Innovations Fund in March 2013.
33
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
MicroGREEN Polymers, Inc.
University of Washington | 2003 Competitor | www.microgreeninc.com
Founded in 2002, MicroGREEN Polymers was created to transform the plastics industry by developing and
licensing economically and ecologically viable advanced plastics technologies to promote sustainable living
across many industries and countries.
MicroGREEN has commercialized its patented technology to manufacturer its InCycle branded, microcellular, PET food packaging products. An InCycle sheet is recyclable, printable, plastic sheet stock made from
recycled water bottles. MicroGREEN unveiled its first food packaging products made from its InCycle
sheet in November 2011.
The company recently launched a line of hot beverage cups for airlines and casinos. MicroGREEN has won
a number of awards including the Dupont Award for Packaging Innovation in May of 2012, the Green
Washington Silver Award, and The Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award. The company was
voted one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Washington. MicroGREEN is a privately-held company headquartered in a 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Arlington, Washington.
Microlution Inc.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | 2005 Competitor | www.microlution-inc.com
Microlution Inc. is a Chicago-based machine tool manufacturer specializing in building high performance,
CNC (computer numerical control) machine tools that have been optimized to fabricate small high precision parts.
All Microlution machines have been developed on the concept that small parts should be manufactured
on small machines specifically designed for micro scale manufacturing. Every machine is fully equipped to
maintain micron level accuracy through the rigors of harsh production environments. A wide variety of
businesses are currently operating Microlution machine tools including automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, electronic, medical device, defense, and contract manufacturing companies.
Microlution has been featured in a number of trade publications including Micro Manufacturing Magazine, Commerical Micro Manufacturing, and Engineering TV. With its partners, Microlution has been
awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop an energy efficient method for micromachining complex shapes using ultrafast laser technology. Located in Chicago, Microlution proudly designs
and builds its tools in the United States.
34
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
MicroTransponder Inc.
The University of Texas at Dallas | 2008 Competitor | www.microtransponder.com
Spun out from the University of Texas at Dallas, MicroTransponder Inc. is a medical device company developing therapies for treating tinnitus and stroke patients.
The company has developed a neurostimulation system designed to stimulate the vagus nerve in the
neck. MicroTransponder’s therapies feature a pairing of vagus nerve stimulation with rehabilitative activities.
In June 2012, the company completed a proof of concept study providing feasibility information on the
clinical use of vagus nerve stimulation for tinnitus; the FDA approved a second study two months later.
MicroTransponder has recently been awarded grants from the National Institutes of Health and from the
U.S. Department of Defense. In 2013, the company will have four clinical trials underway for the treatment of both tinnitus and stroke.
MicroTransponder published a paper in Nature magazine on the ability of nerve stimulation therapy to
eliminate tinnitus. It is the recipient of many awards and accolades including the Tech Titan Award in
2010 and the Frost & Sullivan Early Stage Investment of the Year Award in 2011. Founded in 2007, MicroTransponder is based in Austin, Texas.
Midway Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
University of Chicago | 2005 Competitor | www.midwaypharma.com
Midway is developing proprietary drugs for the treatment of gastrointestinal and systemic diseases. These bacteria-related diseases in the GI include radiation enteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable
bowel syndrome, neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, febrile neutropenia, traveler’s diarrhea, and other
infectious diarrhea (including those in the developing world).
Licensed from the University of Chicago, Midway’s platform technology capitalizes on the finding that
certain high molecular weight polymers, taken orally but not systemically absorbed, can inhibit the pathogenic behavior of bacteria in the GI tract, enhance gut barrier function, and promote gastrointestinal healing.
Midway is also developing a compound to be used as a component in human food to assist with certain
medical conditions. The company spun out its Midway Food Animal Sciences, a startup developing products to replace antibiotics used in food animals. Midway Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately-held pharmaceutical company located in suburban Philadelphia.
35
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Miret Surgical
Stanford University | 2009 Competitor | http://miretsurgical.com
Miret Surgical is a medical device startup spun out from Stanford University's Biodesign program. The
company designs and develops trans-abdominal, minimally invasive, surgical tools for laparoscopic surgical
procedures. These tools allow extremely small incisions that leave no visible scars by enabling the assembly of complex tools inside the patient’s body. Existing scar-free techniques are burdened by steep learning curves and high costs, but Miret’s device, called ENGAGE, requires minimal surgeon retraining and
aligns with current insurance reimbursement plans.
Miret Surgical has just completed two animal studies, and it is poised to launch its Web site. In March
2012, Miret’s co-founder participated in an Entrepreneurship Week panel hosted by StartX, Stanford’s
student run startup accelerator program.
MODX
Formerly Enterprise Theory | Southern Methodist University | 2009 Competitor | www.modxcms.com
MODX makes software that gives companies and users total creative freedom and control over Web sites.
MODX provides businesses around the world with a scalable foundation for web content and intranet
applications based on four key facets: total creative freedom, improved productivity, future readiness,
and security.
MODX was founded in 2004 and bootstrapped by building Web sites in its software. Today the company
focuses on the ongoing development of the MODX content management platform, the Solution Partner
Program, and MODX Commercial Support. The company now has a user and developer community of
more than 31,000, and its core software has surpassed a million downloads. It has been translated into
over 20 different languages.
Based in Dallas, Texas, MODX’ operations are supported by employees and contractors in the United
States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
MoMo Scientific
Now part of Jhpiego | Johns Hopkins University | 2012 Competitor | www.jhpiego.org
Momo Scientific developed a medical device to prevent cervical cancer. The patent-pending CryoPop uses
dry ice to treat precancerous, cervical lesions in women living in developing countries. Routine tests such
as pap smears are often financially out of reach for many women in the developing world. Dry ice, used to
freeze cervical lesions, is readily available.
The technology was featured on National Public Radio, Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry Magazine,
and the medical device blog Medgadget.com. The device was named the Best Medical Device 2012 at the
NCIIA BMEIdea Competition.
MoMo Scientific participated in the 2012 RBPC as a social venture. The technology is no longer being advanced by the company, but instead being developed under the auspices of Jhpiego. Jhpiego is a nongovernment organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University; the organization focuses on women’s
health.
36
Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Nano Precision Medical
University of California, San Francisco | 2009 Competitor | http://nanoprecisionmedical.com
Nano Precision Medical is a startup company developing implantable drug delivery systems. Its technology enables constant rate, low-cost delivery of a wide variety of therapeutics. The biologics are delivered
from a subcutaneously implantable device, improving patient outcomes for chronic diseases.
Nano Precision Medical has raised financing from angel investors and has negotiated exclusive licensing
agreements for its key intellectual property. It is preparing to launch and incubating at the QB3 East Bay
Innovation Center.
NanoFex
Tulane University | 2010 Competitor | http://nanofexllc.com
NanoFex Is a materials engineering company specializing in innovative namomaterials for the environmental remediation industry.
Its technology utilizes cellulose nanospheres made from sugar, resulting in a product with a significant
cost advantage over current competitors. Injected into the ground, NanoFex particles travel with groundwater, breakdown chlorinated solvents dissolved in groundwater, and partition bulk phases of chlorinated
solvents. NanoFex specializes in product development and manufacturing with field deployment partnerships targeting the industrial and private soil and the groundwater remediation markets.
NanoFex has received support through the New Orleans BioInnovation Center, The New Orleans Idea
Village, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Science Foundation. It won New Orleans
Entrepreneur Week‘s inaugural Water Challenge in 2011 and has been covered in The Huffington Post and
Inc. Magazine. A spinout of Tulane University, NanoFex is incubated at the New Orleans BioInnovation
Center.
Natural Composites, Inc.
Formerly Whole Tree, Inc. | Baylor University | 2010 Competitor | www.naturalcompositesinc.com
Natural Composites, Inc. creates bio-based plastics and natural fiber composites for commercial applications from agricultural waste.
Its two currently available innovations are bio-based functional fillers made from coconut for plastics and
natural fiber composites. Agricultural waste from coconuts is often discarded. Natural Composites’ natural functional filler made from coconut shell provides an engineered solution to create partially bio-based
plastics. The company’s natural fiber composites are made with renewable resources such as coconut
fiber. These composites are currently being used in the production of the 2012 Ford Focus Electric.
Natural Composites owns its production facilities to ensure responsible sourcing, quality, consistency,
traceability, scalability, and price. It has production facilities in Asia and Central America with research
and development staff and labs located in College Station, Texas.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
NextRay
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 2009 Competitor | http://nextray.com
NextRay is developing a new medical imaging technology called Diffraction Enhanced Imaging (DEI).
Developed at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Brookhaven National Laboratories,
DEI uses a patented technique utilizing x-ray refraction instead of absorption by the body. It produces
images superior to those produced by current x-ray imaging absorption techniques while exposing the
patient to less than 1 percent of the conventional radiation dosage. NextRay’s proprietary crystal configuration enables it to detect minor deviations (refractions) in the x-ray beam. This allows the imaging of soft
tissue, including tendons, cartilage, and muscle which cannot be seen with the same clarity or detail on a
standard radiograph.
NextRay believes that DEI can ultimately reduce the amount of radiation patients receive in a CT scan to
one-one thousandth of current levels, greatly reducing their chances of over exposure.
NextRay placed second in the 2009 Rice Business Plan Competition.
NGen Corporation
Formerly Stanford Nitrogen Group | Stanford University | 2012 Competitor
The Stanford Nitrogen Group has developed a new wastewater treatment process. Its CANDO process
removes and recovers renewable energy from waste nitrogen and has a potential to lower the cost of
treating nitrogen by 50 percent.
Nitrogen discharge regulations require many municipal treatment facilities to meet discharge limits that
are beyond their current capacity. The company’s patented CANDO process makes nitrogen treatment
more efficient by lowering the top two operational costs of wastewater treatment, aeration and biosolid
disposal. It is the first wastewater treatment process of its kind that enables energy recovery from waste
nitrogen.
After participating at the RBPC, NGen won the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Energy Prize, Western
Region. It has three patent applications pending and has entered into a partnership with a San Francisco
Bay area municipality to build a pilot scale system to convert wastewater nitrogen into electricity. The
system should be operational within the year.
The company’s founder, Yaniv Scherson, was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Energy for 2012 and
recently published an article in a peer-reviewed journal. He was interviewed, and the pilot plant was
videoed for Bloomberg.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Novira Therapeutics
Formerly Molecmo Nanobiotechnologies | Harvard University | 2007 Competitor |
www.noviratherapeutics.com
Novira Therapeutics is an antiviral drug company discovering therapeutics for the treatment of chronic
HBV and HIV infections, two global diseases with high levels of unmet need.
Novira's antiviral drugs bind to and disrupt the function of a virus protein called the capsid. The oral drugs
target the capsid and offer a promising treatment option both as monotherapy and in combination with
current standards of care. The company’s antivirals potentially address limitations in treating chronic HBV
infection, a disease for which the only class of oral drugs available, polymerase inhibitors, is rarely curative
and often requires lifelong treatment. Novira’s drugs may also be used to treat HIV infection, a disease
for which the continued ability of the virus to mutate inevitably leads to drug resistant viral strains.
Based in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Novira expects to enter into human safety and efficacy studies in 2013.
NuMat Technologies, Inc.
Northwestern University | 2012 Competitor | http://numat-tech.com
NuMat Technologies is a cleantech company that computationally designs and synthesizes high performing nanomaterials for natural gas storage and separation.
NuMat has developed an advanced computational tool that rapidly identifies, screens, and tests novel
Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for specific clean energy applications. Using proprietary algorithms,
NuMat can screen a large database of chemical building blocks to identify MOFs with desired performance
characteristics such as the ability to store gas molecules. In tandem, NuMat has developed a complementary approach to synthesize, purify, stabilize, and experimentally evaluate optimal MOFs.
NuMat recently licensed its entire MOF patent portfolio from Northwestern University. Featured in FORTUNE, the company won both the 2012 RBPC and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Clean Energy
Business Plan Competition. Co-Founder Chris Wilmer was named to the 2012 Forbes List of 30 Under 30
in Energy.
OrthoAccel Technologies, Inc.
University of Illinois at Chicago | 2006 Competitor | www.acceledent.com
Based in Houston, Texas, OrthoAccel Technologies, Inc. is a privately owned medical device company developing, manufacturing, and marketing products to enhance dental care and orthodontic treatment.
OrthoAccel developed and sells AcceleDent, the first FDA-cleared clinical approach to safely accelerate
orthodontic tooth movement by applying gentle micropulses (SoftPulse Technology) as a complement to
existing orthodontic treatment. Used daily by patients for approximately 20 minutes, it can reduce treatment time by 50 percent.
Having received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to sell AcceleDent in November 2011,
the company now distributes its product in over 20 countries. Canada was the most recent nation to approve the product in March 2013. OrthoAccel and its product have been featured in various news outlets
including The BusinessMakers show and ABC News.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
OrthoIntrinsics Inc.
Rice University & The London School of Economics | 2010 Competitor
OrthoIntrinsics Inc. is commercializing innovative medical devices designed to diagnose and rehabilitate
neuromuscular diseases affecting the upper extremities. Its inaugural device, PRIME, provides the first
method that can directly and accurately measure internal hand strength. As a breakthrough measurement tool, PRIME significantly improves clinical practice and promotes evidence-based medicine.
OrthoIntrinsics placed fourth overall in the 2010 Rice Business Plan Competition. The company’s research
has been accepted for publication by the top journal in its field.
OsComp Systems
Harvard University & Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2010 Competitor | www.oscompsystems.com
OsComp Systems is finding technology solutions to help enable a natural gas economy. Its breakthrough
compressor technology enables wet gas compression and decreases the energy required to compress
natural gas. The company also provides a unique end-to-end transportation solution for transporting natural gas with a virtual pipeline system, making it easy for customers to switch to natural gas as a primary
energy source.
In June 2012, the company received research funds from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America. Forbes named Chief Executive Pedro Santos to its 2011 list of 30
Under 30 in Energy. Recently, OsComp announced an agreement with Global Partners LP to provide compressed natural gas to customers in New England, reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency of the
trucked CNG system.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, OsComp has two world-class facilities in Houston and in Boston. Each
has ample lab space to develop technology, grow ideas, and build and test compressors.
Perfuzia Medical
Babson College | 2009 Competitor | www.perfuzia.com
Perfuzia Medical a clinical-stage medical device company developing the next generation of medical devices for the treating chronic wounds. The company is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island.
Perfuzia is currently focused on the clinical development of its ActiveFlow platform technology for chronic
wound healing. ActiveFlow is a nonbiologic, noninvasive medical device that harnesses the therapeutic
stimulation of blood flow and transforms the way chronic wounds are treated and managed.
In May 2012, Perfuzia Medical, in collaboration with Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University School of
Medicine, was awarded the very competitive STAC collaborative research grant by the state of Rhode Island. Perfuzia’s application was one of only eight selected from 85 applications. The announcement was
covered in the Providence Business News. Over the coming 12 to 18 months, the grant proceeds will fully
fund an exciting pilot study in burn patients; sham-controlled, randomized, and double-blinded. An additional study in venous ulcer patients is pending funding.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
PhoneSoap
Brigham Young University | 2012 Competitor | www.phonesoapbox.com
PhoneSoap is a device built to safely sanitize and clean cell phones with powerful, germicidal, ultraviolet
sanitizing light.
PhoneSoap is a small box that simultaneously charges and sanitizes cell phones using UV-C light. UV-C
light is electromagnetic radiation used in hospitals and clean rooms around the world. This short wavelength of light penetrates the cell wall of the bacteria and disrupts its DNA, effectively killing it. It is 99.9
percent effective in killing bacteria and virus. Best of all it is completely safe. The UV-C light is only on for
three to five minutes at a time, and there is no heat or liquid involved so there is no risk of damaging a
phone. There is a UV-C light on the top and on the bottom of the box so that the UV rays surround the
phone for complete sanitization.
The company has completed its product development and is preparing to launch. In 2012, it completed a
successful funding campaign on Kickstarter. PhoneSoap is also finalizing its official Web site.
PiezoPowerTech
Wayne State University | 2012 Competitor
PiezoPowerTech is an early-stage company developing an energy harvesting device based on piezoelectric, asymmetric, air-spaced cantilevers. Its patent was developed in the laboratory in Wayne State University. This technology will effectively address the two critical challenges of vibration energy harvesting
devices for tire pressure monitoring systems: power and reliability.
The company has prototyped and is preparing to manufacture its vibration energy conversion device. The
device will convert the wasted vibration energy into usable electricity to power small electronics. PiezoPowerTech’s batteryless technology is perfectly suited for powering electronics from ambient vibration.
PiezoPowerTech is a spinoff company from a laboratory at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. It
plans to launch soon.
Pink Gold Aquaculture
Formerly Blue Revolution Sea Farms & Two Fish Fish Farms | Rice University & University of Miami |
2010 Competitor
Pink Gold Aquaculture is an aquaculture company providing sustainable ocean grown seafood products.
Its first focus is developing a sustainable shrimp ecosystem in Panama.
The business has launched and has recently completed its first round of funding. Its founder was interviewed on The BusinessMakers show in February 2013. Pink Gold Aquaculture is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Pixel Velocity
University of Michigan | 2002 Competitor | www.pixel-velocity.com
Pixel Velocity has developed an open architecture, video surveillance product that easily layers in advanced imaging hardware and software developments. Its technology grew out of work conducted at the
Environmental Research Institute of Michigan. With engineering expertise in the areas of video automation, sensor fusion, and system integration, Pixel Velocity is continuously striving to deliver the world’s
most innovative and effective security solutions.
In March 2011, Pixel Velocity announced that it formed a technology partnership with CNL Software, a
world leader in physical security information management software. The partnership will allow Pixel Video
Fusion to be managed through CNL’s software-based integration and management platform.
Pixel Velocity was recognized as one of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch in 2009. Founded in 2001,
the company is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
PK Clean
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2011 Competitor | www.pkclean.com
PK Clean has developed a patented catalytic depolymerization process to convert landfill plastic into hydrocarbon fuels. The company has 100 percent ownership over its catalytic depolymerization process.
After successful runs on multiple pilots, it is now building its first commercial scale facility in Salt Lake City,
Utah.
Founder & CEO Priyanka Bakaya was named to the 2012 Forbes list of 30 Under 30 in Energy. The company placed third at the 2011 Rice Business Plan Competition and was one of the three finalists at the 2011
CleanTech Open, Northeast Region. PK Clean has been frequently featured in publications including FORTUNE, CNN Money, and the Harvard Business Review.
Polytorx, dba Helix Steel
Formerly Torx International | Georgia Institute of Technology | 2003 Competitor | www.polytorx.com
Polytorx manufactures and sells Helix, a steel fiber additive used in varying dosages to reinforce construction concrete. Subjected to over 10,000 tests both in laboratories and in the field, Helix has been proven
to meet or exceed rebar performance in every application of concrete. Originally designed at the University of Michigan for applications in earthquake and blast resistance, Helix is now used in a broad spectrum
of projects including industrial and commercial structures, roads, bridges, homes, and airports.
The company has garnered major entrepreneurial awards including the Michigan Technology Tricorridor
Award and was featured on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. As noted on the CBS Evening News,
Helix is being used to rebuild homes in Joplin, Missouri destroyed by the 2011 tornedo.
Helix is manufactured in the United States but sold worldwide from offices in the U.S, Canada, Mexico,
Brazil, Australia, and Singapore. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the company operates two manufacturing facilities, using its own proprietary, high speed machines to manufacture Helix.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Power2Switch
University of Chicago | 2010 Competitor | www.power2switch.com | www.interactivebill.com
Power2Switch uses design, data, and technology to help consumers make responsible decisions about
their energy usage and expenses. The company helps residents and businesses reduce energy costs
through an online comparison of competitive rates and an automated switching process to new electricity
suppliers. The service is provided free of charge. The company also delivers greater awareness of energy
deregulation, creates a competitive landscape for suppliers, and promotes the use of renewable energy.
Operating in Illinois since 2010, Power2Switch now offers the same services for the residents of New Jersey.
The company recently launched a new product, an interactive energy bill. The interactive bill provides
customers with information about their home energy consumption. It allows the consumer to control
home energy usage, obtain rebates from their utility provider, and purchase products to further reduce
energy expenses.
Power2Switch, part of the 2011 class at Excelerate Labs, was selected as one of five U.S. startups to participate in President Clinton's 2011 Clinton Global Initiative. The company was chosen as one of the Top 10
Up and Comers at the Chicago Innovation Awards. It has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Fast Company, Mashable, and on the Chicago affiliates of both ABC and NBC.
PowerMundo
Colorado State University | 2009 Competitor | www.powermundo.com
Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, PowerMundo is a clean technology distribution company. It builds and
manages a network of customers, retailers, and suppliers to design, develop, and disseminate a suite of
appropriate technology products for people in emerging markets.
PowerMundo first listens to the needs of people and then displays a suite of cleantech products that may
fit their needs. The company connects people in developing and developed countries to improve everyone’s economic wellbeing, create health benefits, and conserve natural resources. It organizes social marketing campaigns to educate people about healthy products. If clients or sales people cannot afford the
initial product price, PowerMundo provides support through partnering with micro finance organizations.
PrepMe Corporation
Stanford University | 2005 Competitor | www.prepme.com
PrepMe was an education company dedicated to bringing high quality, customized learning to students. It
launched the first open adaptive learning platform, Coursification. Over the years, the company garnered
significant press coverage in publications such as FORTUNE Small Business Magazine and CNN.com.
In 2011, PrepMe was divided and sold. The company’s adaptive learning platform for higher education
was acquired by Providence Equity-backed Ascend Learning. PrepMe’s college test prep and adaptive
learning platform for grades K to 12 was acquired by Naviance in February 2012.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
PulmoCADx, Inc.
Formerly PulmoCAD | Washington University in St. Louis | 2011 Competitor | www.pulmocad.com
PulmoCADx is developing a computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) system for early, noninvasive diagnosis of
lung cancer. Its imaging software analyzes thoracic CT scans and assists radiologists to detect and diagnose malignant lung nodules. The PulmoCADx system enables better diagnostic decisions for earlier treatment and improved outcomes. It also reduces the number of unnecessary invasive procedures and follow
-up CT scans.
The company has completed proof of concept studies in 27 patients; the work was published in a peerreviewed journal. It is expanding the studies on an additional 100 patients. PulmoCADx was a finalist at
the St. Louis County Economic Council Business Plan Competition where it was among the top six finalists
chosen from nearly 120 submissions. PulmoCADx is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Qcue
The University of Texas at Austin | 2008 Competitor | www.qcue.net
Qcue is the world's first dynamic pricing engine for live entertainment events. Using a scientific approach
to pricing, Qcue combines computational analysis and external data sources to allow organizations to adjust pricing multiple times per day.
Sophisticated algorithms analyze real time sales data and other external factors to generate sales and
revenue forecasts based on various price recommendations. Once approved, price changes are automatically pushed to ticketing systems which process the changes at the point of sale and across all channels.
Clients include leading franchises across Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, and the International Speedway Corporation.
In 2013, the company was named one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company. Qcue was
additionally recognized as the third Most Innovative Company in Sports, outranked only by Nike and the
NBA. It has been featured in major publications including The New York Times, Forbes, The Economist
Magazine, and on National Public Radio. Qcue is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
Quantitative Insights, Inc.
University of Chicago | 2011 Competitor | www.quantinsights.com
Quantitative Insights is harnessing the power of cutting edge research and advanced imaging solutions to
create the most intuitive breast MRI workstation ever – QuantX. QuantX is the industry’s first fullyintegrated, multimodality breast MRI solution, providing real time, advanced functionality, analytics, and
image handling.
The company was founded in 2010 and is based on technology created at the University of Chicago. It has
submitted a 510(k) application to the Food and Drug Administration for the QuantX system.
The company is an alpha participant in the Chicago Innovation Mentors Program and part of the National
Science Foundation’s Innovation Accelerator.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Rebellion Photonics
Rice University | 2010 Competitor | www.rebellionphotonics.com
Rebellion Photonics is commercializing its unique ‘snap shot’ hyperspectral imaging technology invented
at Rice University. Its platform technology allows users to decipher an object’s chemical composition
while simultaneously taking a traditional visible picture or video. Snapshot hyperspectral imaging (HSI)
technology can be used for a variety of groundbreaking chemical imaging products in the biological research, drone, and gas leak detection markets.
Rebellion has launched its first product line, the ARROW, for biotech research. The ARROW offers researchers breakthrough imaging capabilities providing real time chemical signature analysis for liquids,
solids, and live cell samples.
In 2012, the company earned the R&D 100 Award for the ARROW; it was a finalist for the 2011 Prism
Award. Placing second in the 2010 Rice Business Plan Competition, Rebellion has been featured in Vision
Systems Design Magazine, FORTUNE, CultureMap Houston, and on the cover of BioOptics World. The
company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
ReGenerate Solutions, LLC
University of Michigan | 2011 Competitor | www.regenerate-usa.com
ReGenerate Solutions is developing and commercializing on site waste management technologies that
lower the cost and environmental impact of organic waste disposal.
Its product, the Compact Organic Waste System (COWS), is a microscale, high solids anaerobic digestion
solution for managing and reducing the cost and environmental impact of organic waste disposal. Organic
waste is fed into the COWS and digested in the absence of oxygen. This process generates methane, or
natural gas, which is combusted in a small, efficient boiler. The boiler heats water for buildings through a
closed loop heat exchange system, similar to those used to heat water in solar thermal systems. The compost is picked up by local waste haulers once a month, refined at composting facilities, and sold as a local
cradle-to-cradle product through home improvement centers or used on a client’s own site.
ReGenerate was runner up in the 2012 U.S. Department of Energy’s Eastern Midwest Region Clean Energy
Business Plan Competition.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Remedium Technologies
University of Maryland | 2008 Competitor | www.remediumtechnologies.com
A University of Maryland-based startup, Remedium Technologies is creating versatile and inexpensive
products to control severe hemorrhage. The principals of Remedium Technologies have created a proprietary lifesaving technology called Hemogrip™ which stops traumatic bleeding rapidly. As the active component in a suite of pipeline products under development, Hemogrip™ is a uniquely user friendly hemostat
able to orchestrate the self-assembly of a clot-like seal upon contact with blood. It can be used effectively
by a surgeon, by a soldier, or by an unskilled “buddy.”
Remedium is incubated at the Venture Accelerator within the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute at
the University of Maryland. The company is working under grants awarded from the National Science
Foundation, the United States Army Research Lab, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation,
and the Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program. Remedium has been featured in publications including CNN Money, CBS News (Washington, DC), WJZ-13 (Baltimore), and the Washington Business Journal.
reNature, Inc.
Arizona State University | 2012 Competitor | www.renatureinc.com
reNature reprocesses organic waste into high value commodity products such as highly concentrated natural fertilizers. While industrializing the natural processes of decomposition to provide sustainable alternatives to land filling food waste, the company simultaneously creates alternatives to petrochemicalbased agricultural products. reNature’s utilizes man-made technology to promote the natural process of
decay. It is reNature’s core belief that the planet already knows what it is doing; it is simply for humanity
to innovatively cooperate rather than impose.
Based in Tempe, Arizona, reNature competed in the regional semifinals of the 2012 CleanTech Open. The
company’s first fertilizer output from the early prototype of its bioreactor has been validated by third party laboratories. reNature has the funding to build its next pilot scale reactor system at a new incubator's
manufacturing space.
Reveal Design Automation
University of Michigan | 2010 Competitor | http://reveal-da.com
Reveal Design Automation is an electronic design automation (EDA) startup developing software tools and
technologies for verification of complex semiconductor designs.
With fully automated solutions enabling highly scalable architecture validation, formal verification runs
that take days with competing solutions can now be completed in hours with Reveal. Where a typical
verification cycle for a new chip design requires dozens to hundreds of such verification runs, Reveal can
save chip designers millions of dollars in verification expense, reduce time-to-market by months, and significantly improve confidence in chip design correctness.
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Reveal is currently a member of the University of the Michigan’s Venture
Accelerator. Reveal was a finalist at the 2010 Rice Business Plan Competition.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
RhoMania
Carnegie Mellon University | 2011 Competitor | www.rhomania.com
RhoMania creates and provides iPad-based wine, spirits, and beer menus for restaurants, retail stores,
and events. Its product, The Grail is an innovative platform that helps demystify the process of choosing
and buying alcoholic beverages in a restaurant. The Grail provides tableside assistance to restaurant goers with accessible and trustworthy information.
Recently, the company introduced YourGrail. With all the features of Grail, the new product also includes
social media features, allowing customers to rate, review, and share what they're drinking from any
smartphone or tablet.
Founded in 2010, RhoMania is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was recently
profiled in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Grail is used by a number of restaurants in and around Pittsburgh.
Salveo Vascular
Johns Hopkins University | 2012 Competitor | www.salveovascular.com
Salveo Vascular is developing innovative solutions against the mortality and morbidity associated with
catheter infections and occlusions. Catheter-related bloodstream infections account for 90 thousand
patient deaths and over $2.3 billion in unreimbursed expenses to the healthcare community each year.
Salveo Vascular is developing the Sonicade, a patent-pending technology that is the first to address infections and blockages associated with central venous catheters.
Finalists in the 2012 Rice Business Plan Competition, the company has since made significant strides in
development and testing. Salveo Vascular won the Coulter Grant in 2012. It is based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Samplesaint, Inc.
University of Chicago | 2006 Competitor | www.samplesaint.com
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Samplesaint, Inc. is an interactive mobile media company that provides consumer packaged goods companies and retailers with both mobile and internet platforms for delivering
coupon offers and multimedia messages to the consumer. Samplesaint offers fraud proof mobile technology to help consumers facilitate the decision process and to ensure brands increase awareness, trial,
and perceived value.
Consumers access digital coupons online or at the mobile website, downloading offers onto mobile device
to be redeemed at checkout. A barcode appears on the mobile device which the consumer then presents
to the cashier to be scanned, and the consumer is awarded the same savings as a conventional coupon.
Manufacturers and retailers benefit from this technology even more so than the consumer. When the
consumer redeems the bar-coded coupon, Samplesaint and the retailer immediately know the customer’s
identity and where and when it was redeemed. This platform supports real time, in depth advanced analytics. It works with retailer's current point-of-sale scanning hardware, which is invaluable when managing
a coupon campaign or cultivating relationships with customers.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Sanergy
Babson College & Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2010 Competitor | http://saner.gy
To combat the lack of sanitation in the ever expanding slums of Nairobi, Kenya, Sanergy is developing a
comprehensive sanitation infrastructure that has significant environmental, health, economic, and social
impact. Sanergy franchises high quality, low-cost toilets to local entrepreneurs. It creates an efficient,
equitable, and sustainable sanitation cycle by building a dense network of small scale sanitation centers
across the slums, providing a low-cost containerized waste collection infrastructure, and converting this
waste at its central processing facility into electricity, fertilizer, and other high margin products.
Through its network of almost 90 operators, Sanergy has opened 160 sanitation facilities serving 8,000
people daily. Its waste collectors pick up about 20 tons of waste each week with no spills and a perfect
daily collection record. The solid waste is converted into a nutrient rich organic fertilizer, lab-tested and
approved for mineral content and safety levels. The liquid waste is sold to coffee farms as a high nitrate
fertilizer.
In 2012, Sanergy received a number of international sustainability awards, including the Reed Elsevier
Environmental Challenge and the Siebel Scholars Impact Award. The company has received global media
attention from Forbes, Voice of America, Businessweek, and Scientific American.
Sarentis Opthalmics, Inc.
Formerly Bombyx Technologies | Cornell University | 2009 Competitor
Sarentis Ophthalmics is an ophthalmic medical device company developing a silk bandage for corneal regeneration and presbyopia. The product caters primarily to the growing elective photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) procedure market. It also addresses blast wound injuries received on the battlefield.
The company has licensed its technology from Cornell University, and its founders are Cornell alumni and
faculty. Sarentis works with the Margaret M. Dyson Vision Research Institute and the Belfer Gene Therapy
Core Facility of Weil Cornell Medical College and is based in New York, New York.
SasaAfrica
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2012 Competitor | www.sasaafrica.com
SasaAfrica connects offline artisans in emerging economies to online consumers everywhere using a simple mobile phone.
Sasa's platform leverages the mobile phone to create a new global marketplace. This mobile technology
enables direct trade between artisans and consumers in radically different geographies, economies, and
technology ecologies. Using Sasa's e-commerce platform, small scale producers are able to independently
create sustainable microenterprises enabling more equitable and distributed international trade.
Sasa is currently focusing on hand-crafted jewelry which can be seen on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram,
and Tumbler. The company is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Scan
Formerly QR Code City | Brigham Young University | 2011 Competitor | http://scan.me
Scan creates web and mobile applications. Through QR code, NFC, and other technologies, Scan brings
social media, lead generation, and mobile commerce to life through real world "like," "follow," and even
"buy" buttons.
Scan offers a variety of services and features that enable small to enterprise level businesses to benefit
from mobile-optimized QR code experiences and other mobile transactions. These benefits include more
of what businesses value: likes on Facebook, followers on Twitter, check-ins on Foursquare, leads, and
sales.
Founded in 2011, Scan has had over 25 million downloads and received funding from top San Franciscobased venture capitalists. The company maintains offices in San Francisco, California and Provo, Utah.
Semprus BioSciences
Formerly SteriCoat | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2007 Competitor | www.teleflex.com
Semprus Biosciences was a venture-backed biomedical company designing new tools to prevent infection
and thrombus-related complications in patients with implanted medical devices. Semprus Sustain™ Technology is a permanent, nonleaching, biomaterial modification that chemically bonds to the surface of the
implant device. The technology vastly improved patient outcomes by preventing serious medical complications such as infection, blood clots, improper healing, and cell overgrowth.
In June 2012, Semprus BioSciences was acquired by Teleflex Inc., a Pennsylvania-based medical device
company.
Sensulin, LLC
The University of Oklahoma | 2008 Competitor | www.sensulin.com
Sensulin is developing a true once-a-day glucose-responsive insulin that may mimic a healthy human pancreas. It may eliminate the need for basal and meal-time insulin, offers a substantial improvement in the
standard of care, and most importantly, gives people with diabetes a chance at a normal life.
The company’s proprietary drug delivery platform, called Agglomerated Vesicle Technology (AVT) is covered by one issued U.S. patent and one U.S./PCT patent application. Sensulin has recently formed a scientific advisory board and was named a Most Promising Company at the 2013 Rice Alliance Life Science Venture Forum.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Silicon BioDevices
Formerly Integrated Diagnostics | University of California, Berkeley | 2009 Competitor |
www.siliconbiodevices.com
Silicon BioDevices is a biotech semiconductor company developing a new generation point-of-care technology. The company is commercializing a disposable, flashdrive-sized device. It has an integrated display
that measures multiple analytes directly from a finger stick of blood and instantly transfers the results to a
mobile device or wireless, server-accessed, electronic medical record system. This innovation will help
integrate in vitro diagnostic test information into patient care workflow and allow many more blood tests
to be performed in nonmedical settings.
Silicon BioDevices has established a state of the art lab in the QB3 Garage@Berkeley. It has demonstrated
the feasibility of the technology and built a solid IP portfolio and supplier network. Currently, the company is in the process of developing a fully functional device for trial use.
Silicon Solar Solutions
University of Arkansas | 2009 Competitor | www.siliconsolarsolutions.com
Silicon Solar Solutions is a research and development company commercializing a technology to reduce
the cost of silicon-based solar cells.
Its technologies utilize abundant, nontoxic materials that minimize negative environmental impact and are
recyclable. Silicon Solar Solutions is commercializing a process to crystallize amorphous silicon into large
grain polysilicon with unparalleled grain size and ease of processing. The process is protected by five issued patents with three additional patents pending. Prototype solar cells have been created that demonstrate the technology on a full-sized device. In December 2012, the company received a grant from the
National Science Foundation to further advance its technology.
Douglas Hutchings and Seth Shumate of Silicon Solar Solutions were named as two of five Nation's Top
New Inventors by Inventors Digest. In 2011, Silicon Solar Solutions was a South Central Region Finalist at
the Cleantech Open. Silicon Solar Solutions is a Genesis Technology Incubator client at the University of
Arkansas and an Innovate Arkansas client firm. The company is based in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Simprint Nanotechnologies
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2009 Competitor | http://simprintnanotech.com
Bristol, England-based Simprint Nanotechnologies provides software tools and simulation services to users
of nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Nanoimprint lithography is a revolutionary technique that reduces the
manufacturing costs of semiconductors and data storage. Conventionally, designs are transferred to microchips using projected light; in nanoimprint, the design is mechanically stamped onto the chip.
Simprint Nanotechnologies offers an extremely fast way of simulating the nanoscale transformation of
material involved in NIL—a sorely needed capability that will allow semiconductor, photonics, and data
storage manufacturers to use nanoimprint reliably with greatly reduced development costs.
In October 2012, the company launched the latest version of its product, Simprint Core v2.11, with both
UV-NIL and thermal nanoimprint lithography simulation capabilities.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
SmarterShade
University of Notre Dame | 2011 Competitor | www.smartershade.com
SmarterShade’s proprietary smart glass technology allows windows to tint on command.
SmarterShade is an aftermarket window treatment solution, more durable and far less expensive than
“smart windows.” The first generation of SmarterShade is an in-window film sealed between the panes of
insulated glass unit. This film is designed to selectively tint a window with the push of a button. SmarterShade not only gives the user the ability to tint the window but also to control the level of tinting. A window can go from clear to dark or anywhere between the two. The products can be applied to windows
that are positioned in difficult places or where a traditional blind or shade is not practical including windows in walls, doors, and skylights.
In November 2012, SmarterShade won third place in the NOVA Innovation Competition at the Greenbuild
International Conference and Expo. SmarterShade was a finalist at the 2011 Rice Business Plan Competition and has been featured in several magazines and articles. The company is headquartered in South
Bend, Indiana.
SolidEnergy
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2012 Competitor
SolidEnergy is developing cutting-edge lithium battery technologies to meet the world’s growing energy
storage demand, improving the safety and energy density of rechargeable batteries. The company was
founded by two Harvard graduate students based on technology from MIT.
With applications for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, biomedical devices, and the military, its first
market is the oil and gas industry. SolidEnergy’s product is the first rechargeable battery able to be recharged while drilling downhole.
Recently, SolidEnergy founder Qichao Hu was named to the 2012 Forbes’ list of 30 Under 30 in Energy.
The company is building its commercial prototypes and sending them to customers for testing and validation. It placed fourth in the 2012 RBPC and was a finalist in the U.S. Department of Energy's National
Clean Energy Business Plan Competition.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Soltage, Inc.
Yale University | 2006 Competitor | www.soltage.com
Soltage, Inc.’s founders viewed the solar energy capital cost barriers as both a challenge as well as an opportunity. They have harnessed the financial, technical, and operational expertise to create a business
model providing clients with the energy strategies that they want connected to the cost structure and
ease of implementation.
Soltage is a full service renewable energy company that develops and operates solar energy stations on
client sites across the United States. Using proven technology and on-site generation, the company can
supply a significant portion of a client’s long term energy needs at a cost below retail rates.
Soltage launched a 150 kilowatt solar panel array at St. Luke’s Lifeworks, a Stamford nonprofit. Other
recent installations include the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation’s facility in Stamford, Connecticut and a solar
energy farm in Imperial Valley, California,
In May 2012, the United Nations invited Soltage co-founder and COO Vanessa Stewart to speak on Opportunities in the Renewable Energy Sector & Lessons Learned from Solar. Soltage co-founders Stewart and
Jesse Grossman were named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® New Jersey finalists in 2011. Soltage is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey and has a satellite office in Hartford, Connecticut.
Sproxil, Inc.
Formerly mPedigree Logistics | Dartmouth College | 2009 Competitor | www.sproxil.com
Through software that works through mobile phones, Sproxil, Inc. provides world-class brand protection
and anti-counterfeiting strategy for pharmaceutical companies in emerging markets.
Sproxil delivers automatic protection, simple labels, and robust backend analytics with its Mobile Product
Authentication (MPA) technology. It enables consumers to text message an item-unique code for a rapid
response that confirms a brand's authenticity. Sproxil’s technology also helps companies connect directly
to its consumers through customized text message responses such as health management tips and advertisements that specifically target those demographics with known buying behaviors.
In February 2013, Sproxil was named the number one company in healthcare and number seven overall on
Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of the World. In June 2012, Sproxil received the World Business and Development Award at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
Sproxil’s early roots protecting drugs in Nigeria has expanded into various countries across Africa and Asia
and well into other industries. In addition to offering its Mobile Product Authentication solution, the company offers supply chain management consulting, market analytics, and custom solutions for brand owners in emerging markets. Sproxil is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Taxcient
Formerly vAudit Group, Inc | San Diego State University | 2004 Competitor | www.avalara.com
In business for six years, Taxcient was a sales and use tax compliance software provider. The company
was founded with the intent of relieving corporate tax departments of the time consuming and costly
effort required to report sales and use tax across multiple jurisdictions. Designed by former state tax auditors, the software provided an alternative to the administrative burden of state and local tax compliance.
The software was trusted by some of the leading companies in the world to provide accurate sales tax
compliance with minimal cost.
In 2010, Taxcient merged with Avalara, the leading provider of web-based sales tax automation. The merger marked a major milestone in the companies’ common quest to revolutionize the sales and use tax
management industry via the application of leading-edge technology and top flight tax knowledge and
expertise.
TeleEMG
Boston University | 2005 Competitor | www.teleemg.com
TeleEMG is an educational Web site and forum for practicing physicians, residents, and healthcare professionals interested in understanding medical tests used for evaluating nerve and muscle diseases. Its Web
site furthers the understanding of electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies by providing
anatomical, technical, and clinical descriptions of the EMG procedure. It markets high quality EMG and
nerve conduction training material with superior scientific value and high technical quality to improve the
quality of care of patients suffering with neuromuscular disorders. The site is intended as an educational
forum for practicing physicians, residents in training, and healthcare professionals who are interested in
the peripheral nervous system and the means of investigating it.
Headquartered in Woodburn, Massachusetts, TeleEMG provides healthcare professionals with EMG manuals, anatomical charts and graphs, EMG case studies, discussion forums, and high quality educational
materials.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
The Eye Tribe
Formerly Senseye | IT University of Copenhagen | 2012 Competitor | http://theeyetribe.com
The Eye Tribe software makes it possible to control a mobile device just by looking at it. By combining eye
control with existing means of control such as touch, tilt, and key press, The Eye Tribe will change how
mobile devices are controlled.
The image captured by the front facing camera of a smartphone or tablet is analyzed using computervision algorithms. The Eye Tribe’s software determines the location of the eyes and accurately estimates
where the user is looking on the screen. The software is unique because it relies only on standard lowcost components that are easily integrated into next generation smartphones and tablets.
Currently, The Eye Tribe is establishing connections and partnerships with mobile manufacturers and carriers to bring this technology to the market. The first device with the software is expected to hit the market
in 2013.
Since competing at the 2012 RBPC, The Eye Tribe has earned a number of awards including Best Nordic
Startup 2012 at Arctic15 and Best Company at the Accelerace Program. It won first prize at the eHealth
Innovation Contest. The company received funding from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
TheraNova, LLC
Duke University |2003 Competitor | www.theranova.com
Located in San Francisco, California, TheraNova is a medical device company developing solutions for large
markets with unmet needs. This is accomplished by internal concept generation and development and by
external project support.
Essentially TheraNova is an intellectual property holding company that files patents and incubates a variety of medical device technologies that include an endoscopic obesity therapy, an implantable shunt to
remove chronic abdominal fluid, and a noninvasive incontinence therapy. TheraNova also supports external projects through traditional research and development. The company has successfully spun out several venture capital backed companies including BAROnova, novashunt, velomedix, Channel Medsystems,
and EMKinetics .
All of TheraNova's technologies have a common element: each was designed based on the observation of
a definitive need identified by one of the founders through clinical practice. Once the need has been defined, TheraNova works to develop proprietary technologies to fill that need and the resulting technology
is either licensed or becomes the centerpiece for a viable spinout.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Thin Air Nitrogen Solutions, LLC
Colorado State University | 2010 Competitor | www.thinairnitrogen.com
Thin Air Nitrogen Solutions is an independently owned company dedicated to natural, energy efficient
fertilizer production.
The company is currently engaged in research and development efforts to make its biofertilizer a reality.
In the lab, it is currently working with cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria transform the nitrogen in the air into
fixed nitrogen, the kind that plants can use, without using fossil fuels. Additionally, Thin Air Nitrogen Solutions is developing an on-farm biofertilizer production and utilization system with two markets in mind:
organic farmers in the USA and smallholder farmers in Africa. The company is also building a collection of
nitrogen-fixing bacteria from around the world. These bacteria are then screened to determine how fast
they grow, how much nitrogen they fix, and under what conditions these abilities might be enhanced.
Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, the company’s research and development efforts are focused in Colorado
and Ethiopia.
Thin Air has received funding and support from the NCIIA, USAID, Western SARE (Sustainable Agriculture
Research & Education), and Colorado State University. In May 2012, the company was among six leading
innovators participating in a USAID showcase.
Think Innoventions
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur | 2012 Competitor | www.thinkinnoventions.com
Think Innoventions is an innovation, research, and development firm providing ground-breaking technology solutions for existing industrial and consumer needs.
The firm has developed a patent-pending, Intelligent Image Capture Technology (IICT) to detect motion
over any surface with high accuracy rate. The company’s flagship product, WriteShare, is a digital pen
technology which can record and communicate handwritten information instantly and conveniently. It
does not require specially designed paper. It offers wireless connectivity and is less expensive than existing products. WriteShare caters to both individual consumers as well as to a wide range of enterprises,
saving time and operational expense.
TiFiber
University of Arkansas | 2011 Competitor | www.tifiber.com
TiFiber is commercializing the production of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) in sheets of nanofibers. Developed at
the University of Arkansas, TiFiber's process converts TiO2 powder into long nanofibers that can form a
pulp-like material. The material can be shaped for a variety of applications including filtration and lightweight thermal media. The inorganic, freestanding membranes can readily be made into macroscopic
vessels and tools for important applications at high temperatures and in the harsh environments encountered during cleaning, chemical manufacturing, and other similar situations.
TiFiber™ was a finalist at the 2011 Rice Business Plan Competition. It is a Virtual Incubation Company
portfolio company based in Arkansas.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Titin
Georgia Institute of Technology | 2011 Competitor | www.TITINtech.com
TITIN designs and manufactures the world's first weighted compression gear for athletes. Its heavy duty
weighted gear features a zippered inner shirt with 14 strategically placed pockets that evenly distribute
eight pounds of hydrogel inserts across the upper body’s major muscle groups.
TITIN’s apparel is being distributed throughout the United States and in seven other countries. The company’s client list includes athletes such as Eric Berry, Tim Tebow, and Peyton Manning, a four star General,
and the executive team at Under Armour. Its international clients range from the British Royal Air Force to
the Springboks, the national rugby team of South Africa.
The company is in the process of launching a new line of weighted shorts. In 2012, TITIN was issued a
patent on all weighted apparel and won the Under Armour Innovation Challenge. It is headquartered in
Cumming, Georgia.
TNG Pharmaceuticals
University of Louisville | 2011 Competitor | www.flyvax.com
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, TNG Pharmaceuticals is researching and developing its patented vaccine,
FlyVax. FlyVax is a revolutionary veterinary vaccine that is expected to inhibit the horn fly's ability to effectively feed on cattle. It counteracts the horn fly's anti-clotting agent by triggering an immune response
that clots the blood at the point of the wound. The horn fly's inability to feed thus directly affects reproduction capabilities, leading to the potential systematic eradication of horn fly populations. This, in turn,
translates into fewer infestations per cow, leading to lower stress, more weight, and higher milk yield.
TNG Pharmaceuticals is beginning to convert its provisional patent to a fully executed patent. It has secured all available international patents. The company has hired a new chief executive officer, signed an
agreement with a contract research organization, and established board members, both directors and
advisory.
TNG Pharmaceuticals won first place at the 2011 Rice Business Plan Competition and, in 2012, was selected as a finalist for the Vogt Invention and Innovation Award. The company was named one of Louisville's
Hot Dozen startups and one of Global Entrepreneurship Week's 50 Most Innovative Companies with the
Greatest Growth Potential. TNG Pharmaceuticals has been featured in articles published by FORTUNE, Inc.
Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.
Translate Abroad
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | 2010 Competitor | www.translateabroad.com
Translate Abroad has created the Waygo Visual Translator (formerly the Waigo Chinese Translator). Using
an iPhone camera, Waygo provides instant Chinese to English translation that can be used for most menus
and signs in Chinese. It is available in the App Store and will soon be available for androids.
The company built the first iteration while in the Betaspring Accelerator in Providence, Rhode Island during the summer of 2011. It has received media attention from Tech Crunch, GigaOM, and Forbes. Currently Translate Abroad is part of the 500 Startups Accelerator located in Mountain View, California; it maintains an office in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
Traycer Systems, Inc.
Formerly Traycer Diagnostic Systems, Inc. | The Ohio State University | 2008 Competitor |
www.traycer.com
Traycer Systems supplies terahertz (THz) imaging and spectrometry components, subsystems, and systems for custom THz research. Traycer strives to be a leading component provider to researchers and
application developers in imaging, detection, and the generation of THz light.
Like X-rays, T-rays penetrate a wide range of materials, but T-rays are not harmful and reveal much more
information about the imaged materials. Traycer’s THEIA camera is the world’s first real time, broadband,
cost effective terahertz camera. By leveraging the entire current supply chain developed for the IR industry, THEIA is able to deliver unprecedented performance for the same cost.
Since 2008, the company has been a leader in developing unique IP for the detection, imaging, and creation of THz light while gaining the attention of organizations such as Ohio Third Frontier, the National Science Foundation, and the Air Force Research Labs. Tracyer has received STTR and SBIR grants from the
U.S. Department of Defense. The company is located on the TechColumbus campus in Columbus, Ohio.
Veran Medical Technologies
Vanderbilt University | 2003 & 2004 Competitor | www.veranmedical.com
Veran Medical Technologies, Inc. is a privately-held, image-guided medical device company developing
the next standard of care for minimally invasive delivery of interventional oncology therapies.
Veran provides proprietary 4-D registration capability for precise targeting of lesions, via its FDA-cleared
ig4 platform. It allows physicians to easily biopsy and place markers for planned procedures. With the
Veran suite of products, the company will reduce procedure times and increase accuracy, enabling clinicians to cost effectively treat patients with reduced co-morbidity risk.
In January 2013, Jupiter Medical Center became the nation’s first hospital to offer patients Veran’s Total
Navigational Oncology Solution. Veran Medical Technologies placed third in the 2003 Rice Business Plan
Competition and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Vipani, Inc.
Stanford University | 2003 Competitor | www.vipani.org
Vipani, Inc. enables even the poorest of farmers to permanently overcome poverty by helping them make
sustainable incomes from farming.
By helping farmers access the right loans, crops, and technology, Vipani has touched the lives of 600 farmers and increased their baseline income by 200 percent. Vipani has added 150 water pumps to local communities and helped create 150 new jobs.
Currently operating in Kenya, Vipani is a not-for-profit organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Its board and advisory board consist of experts in human development, economics, agriculture, and business including Douglass C. North, the 1993 Nobel Laureate for Economics.
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Success Stories of Past RBPC Competitors
WiPower, Inc.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2007 Competitor | www.wipower.com
During its four years in business, WiPower, Inc. was widely recognized as the technology leader in the
wireless power marketplace. WiPower developed and commercialized the world’s first wireless charging
systems capable of extended range charging and insensitive to the position and orientation of receiving
devices relative to a charging station. WiPower distributed its commercial and industrial product solutions
across the United States and in Japan.
WiPower filed 17 United States patents related to wireless power technology and counted numerous FORTUNE 500 companies among its customers.
In 2010, WiPower, Inc. was acquired by Qualcomm for an undisclosed amount.
Ziosk
Formerly TableTop Media | Southern Methodist University | 2006 Competitor | www.ziosk.com
Ziosk is a Dallas-based media technology and content management company that has created the first
digital promotion and pay-at-the-table device for the casual dining restaurant market. The technology,
featuring a 7 inch touchscreen and credit card reader, resides on each table and enables the guests to see
promotions, play games, view news, order food and beverages, and pay on demand. With its interactive
capabilities, the Ziosk creates a digital media platform for partners to create engaging experiences at the
point of purchase.
Founded in 2008, the company is the recipient of the 2009 National Restaurant Association Technology
Innovation Award, the 2010 Hospitality Technology Breakthrough Award. It was named one of 100 Brilliant Companies by Entrepreneur in 2011.
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