Building Companies, Changing Lives
Issue 43- June 2016
Transgenex Nanobiotech Inc. Teams with Funakoshi Co. LTD
Transgenex Nanobiotech Inc. (TGN), a nanotech-pharma research and development company has partnered with Funakoshi Co. LTD to begin the sale and distribution of TGN’s Fiber-inspired Smart Scaffold (FiSSTM)-based Tumoroid culture products in Japan, which will include culture disc, plates for drug discovery, biomarker studies, drug efficacy studies and stem cell isolation using cancer cell line cultures, co-cultures, and biopsy cell cultures for research purposes. TGN is commercializing technology developed at the University of South Florida, and received funding from the Institute in June of 2015.
Aviana Molecular Technologies Awarded
STTR Grant from NASA
Aviana Molecular Technologies, (Aviana) a development-stage diagnostic startup company working on an innovative, highly sensitive, and user-friendly platform technology, with an initial interest in developing a point-of-care (POC) diagnostic, received an STTR grant from NASA in conjunction with the University of Central Florida to develop sensors to be used on vehicles in extra-terrestrial missions and repurpose them as biosensors. Aviana received funding from the Institute in September of 2015.
TRCG Advisors Joins Institute Leadership Council
The Institute is pleased to welcome TRCG Advisors, LLC as a Platinum Member to its Leadership Council. TRCG Advisors helps companies identify, capture and support tax credits that can reduce tax liability and often produce refunds. The Federal R&D Tax Credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of federal income tax liability for qualified expenditures incident to the development or improvement of a product, process, software, formula or invention. The credit was recently made permanent by The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (“PATH” Act). In addition to enhancing the R&D credit for later stage companies, the PATH Act can provide a cash benefit to start-up companies as well. Before this change in law, a company had to actually generate a profit and taxable income to utilize the R&D Tax Credit. With this change, startup companies can receive a refund of a portion of their payroll tax payments.
Altavian Featured on NSPS Radio Hour
Altavian, an unmanned aircraft solutions provider that integrates engineering and manufacturing with services for federal, state, local, and commercial clients was featured on the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Radio Hour. Curt Summer, NSPS Host and John Perry Altavian, founder and CEO, discussed drone surveying, engineering and the rising costs. Altavian is commercializing technology developed at the University of Florida and was funded by the Institute in May of 2014. Listen to the podcasthere.
Torrey Pines Selected as Specialized Center in NCIExperimental Therapeutics Program
Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies (TPIMS) announced that the they have been selected as a Specialized Center in the Chemical Biology Consortium in the National Cancer Institute Experimental Therapeutics (NExT) Program, centered at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. The Frederick National Lab, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, is managing the expansion of the Chemical Biology Consortium to 22 sites around the country with world-class expertise in high-throughput screening, structural biology, medicinal chemistry, compound profiling, cancer cell biology, and animal models for oncology. Torrey Pines is participating in the consortium via a research subcontract from Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., prime contractor for the national lab.
Register Today for University Startups Demo Day
The National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer (NCET2) will hold its inaugural University Startups Demo Day (USDD) at the National Press Club and Congress in Washington, DC on September 20, 2016. The USDD provides an unprecedented opportunity for corporate open innovation and venturing groups, VCs, and angels to discover, review, partner with, and fund university startups.
The USDD will showcase thirty-five of the best university startups in specific technology areas. Selected by their universities, and scored by corporates, angels, and VCs, the top scoring university startups will be invited to present at the National Press Club in the first part of the day. During the second part of the day, the companies will meet and have photo ops with their senators and representatives at Congress. More details and event registration may be viewed here.
Call for BioFlorida Annual Conference BioPitch Applications
BioFlorida is now accepting applications from seed stage companies seeking to present at BioFlorida's 2016 Annual Conference taking place October 9-11, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. The BioPitch Application is available and accepted companies will pitch to individual investors on the morning of Tuesday, October 11th. Selected finalists will present to a panel of judges during the luncheon session where the winner will be announced. Companies that meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply, and those selected to participate will be notified in September:
- Developing products in any area of the Life Sciences (includes medical devices, health care IT, etc. to be interpreted broadly)
- Seeking outside investment (pre-A Round but post-friends and family)
- Prior capital raised does not exceed $250,000 (excluding grants)
- Current amount seeking does not exceed $5MM.
Save the Date for 18th Annual HHS SBIR/STTR Conference
The 18th Annual HHS SBIR/STTR Conference will be held on November 15-17, 2016 at the DoubleTree by Hilton at SeaWorld in Orlando, FL. The HHS/STTR Conference helps small businesses in the life science sector learn more about over $870 million dollars of annual HHS funding that is available to forge academic partnerships and build new businesses based on recently developed biotechnology. Attendees will discover how to successfully submit an application; gain tips for approaching partners and investors; discover the types of technical assistance programs HHS offers to awardees; and have the chance to discuss specific questions with HHS SBIR and STTR subject-matter experts. More details and event registration may be viewed here.
About Us
Formed by the Florida Legislature in 2007, the Florida Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research is a non-profit organization that works collaboratively with the technology licensing and commercialization offices of Florida’s state universities and private research institutions to leverage a $2B+ research base and form investable companies that create clean jobs in new industries that are driving the global economy. The Institute provides company building services, and seed funding through the Florida Technology Seed Capital Fund, to promising Florida startups. Fifty companies have been funded to date, and the Institute’s economic impact through June 30, 2015 was $379 million, a return on investment of 14 times to the State of Florida.