Issue 63 – February 2018

Thinking Big with the Extremely Small

Chris Morton, PhD, Founder and CEO of NanoPhotonica, talks with Enterprise Florida about emerging technologies and the reason why he has chosen Florida for his entrepreneurial ventures. Dr. Morton is a member of GrowFL’s Advisory Board and has more than 30 years of entrepreneurial and corporate leadership experience in the communications industry. NanoPhotonica, an Institute portfolio company located in Lake Mary, was the first company funded through the Seed Capital Accelerator Program. More details may be viewed here.


 
Students Given Access to Virtual Mental Health Help

TAO Connect, an Institute portfolio company based in St. Petersburg, was featured on Fox 13 News in Gainesville, sharing the company's positive impact on student mental health. Dr. Sherry Benton, CEO, spoke to reporters regarding the TAO mission and why their tools are vital for increasing access to mental health. TAO Connect services are now offered to adults on a self-help platform for a monthly fee. More details may be viewed here.
 




BioFront’s Anti-Zika Envelope Mab Validated for Immunohistochemistry

In a recent article accepted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), BioFront Technologies’ anti-Zika envelope monoclonal antibody was validated for use in immunohistochemistry assays. The authors, in their article for the Journal of Pathology entitled “Optimization of Commercially Available Zika Virus Antibodies for Use in a Laboratory Developed Immunohistochemical Assay” found that the BioFront anti-Zika envelope antibody BF-1176-56 demonstrated “optimal immunohistochemical staining of cell and case control material.” BioFront Technologies is an Institute portfolio company based in Tallahassee. More details may be viewed here.
 




Shadow Health Presented at the 2018 Florida Venture Capital Conference

Shadow Health, an Institute portfolio company located in Gainesville, presented at this year’s conference. Held in Fort Lauderdale on January 30thand 31st, the event offered networking opportunities, programming featuring top investors and deal makers, and presentations by Florida’s most innovative and fast-growing later stage, private companies.

Shadow Health increases the effectiveness of healthcare practitioners by training them through measured improvement in practical application, patient interaction and personal empathy, empowering them to increase the health of those they serve. More details about Shadow Health may be viewed here.


 


The University of West Florida Center of Entrepreneurship Hosts Commercialization Panel

Institute Entrepreneur-In-Residence, Dr. Lawrence Tinker, moderated a panel discussion on technology commercialization focused on engineering students at the University of West Florida Center for Entrepreneurship on February 7th.  Joining him on the panel were Lloyd Reshard, CEO and Founder of Cognitive Big Data Systems (left), Jennifer Eney-Matzer, IT Professional and Co-founder at Starpoint Screening (middle), and Bob Foster, Program Coordinator for the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurial Training Programs at UWF (right). 


 

 
Register Today for the Business of Biotech Conference 2018
March 2, 2018 || Tampa, Florida

The Business of Biotech Conference brings together biomedical companies, startups, entrepreneurs, investors for networking, partnership discussions and service providers.  The Moffitt Cancer Center’s Office of Innovation and Industry Alliances holds this annual event that aims to achieve excellence in turning discoveries into medical breakthroughs and fueling a local, vibrant biotech cluster. The Moffitt Cancer Center has made a lasting commitment to the prevention and cure of cancer, working tirelessly in the areas of patient care, research and education to advance one step further in fighting this disease. More information may be viewed here.
 

 

 
Save the Date for the South Florida Life Sciences Showcase
March 29, 2018 || Miami, Florida

BioFlorida will be hosting the South Florida Life Sciences Showcase once again at the Miami International Airport on Thursday, March 29th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. This showcase connects life science executives from industry, research and academia. More details may be viewed here.
 

 
 
 
Save the Date for the 5th Annual eMerge Americas
April 23 - 24, 2018 || Miami, Florida

eMerge Americas is the premier technology event connecting Latin America, North America, and Europe. This event will be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center on Monday and Tuesday of April 23 - 24, 2018. It is a unique convening of global enterprises, leading startups and government leaders focused on innovative digital solutions transforming industries. Pre-registration prices end at midnight of April 8th. More details 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 $2.5B+ 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. Seventy-two companies have been funded to date, and the Institute’s economic impact through June 30, 2017 was $970 million, with an annual return on investment of 26 times to the State of Florida.