Spam Dressed as Filet Mignon may end up looking like a good burger: Incoherent messages, blogs and websites with the sole purpose of supporting a commercial interest such as selling various drugs and enhancements are a dime a dozen – so it’s nice to see those with perhaps less than pure motives at least putting a little hustle behind their efforts. For example, as pointed out on Redtape blog, the site Econ4U.org seems to provide reasonable – if basic – personal finance information and advice – that is until you get to the Payday Loan section. While much caution is urged if considering student or car loans, payday loans are far preferable to bouncing a check and only charge the bargain price of $15 in interest for two weeks on a $100 loan. Redtape did some digging and behind the site and found it is supported (through a non-profit) by Washington lobbyist Rick Berman, affectionately known as “Dr. Evil” due to his penchant to represent unpopular industries.
Eagle versus Shark: June marked the publication of Chris Anderson’s Free, a hardcover book espousing the digital law that products or services comprised primarily of ideas (music, news, hardcover books) will eventually succumb to Stewart Brand’s aphorism that “information wants to be free.” Anderson, editor of Wired magazine and author of The Long Tail, believes that creatives should make money “around” that which is being given away, like charging for concert merchandise while writing off the songs. Malcolm Gladwell, best selling author and commercializer of open source sociology, weighed in with a review of Anderson’s book this past week in the New Yorker. While initially offering Anderson some kind words (“His advice is pithy, his tone uncompromising, and his subject matter perfectly timed…”), Gladwell points out two flaws in Anderson’s thesis. First, producing something for ‘practically nothing’ will still cost a fortune if a billion people adopt the product (see YouTube). Second, while a small aspect of production might fall to negligible cost, oftentimes a product is rooted in a larger system that cannot operate without hard currency. In this the software community should take a lesson from the drug industry: ‘The second pill to be manufactured cost less than a cent, while the first cost about $750 million.’
ARCA biopharma Inc.(Nasdaq: ABIO) announced that Richard B. Brewer will resign as CEO and assume the role of Chairman of the Board. Michael R. Bristow will retake the helm as President and CEO, roles he served in prior to Brewer joining the company. Bristow will step down as Chairman of the Board but maintain a seat on the board. All these changes will be effective on July 10, 2009. This announcement comes a month after the FDA requested significantly more data than was provided in ARCA’s initial NDA for experimental chronic heart failure treatment Gencaro. According to Brewer, “Today ARCA must balance its cash resources with the continued prosecution of the Gencaro New Drug Application.” Based in Broomfield, Colorado, ARCA is focused on the development and commercialization of genetically targeted therapies for cardiovascular conditions.
“People are always asking, ‘Where is the device, where’s the box that goes with it?” says Fred Mitchell, CEO of Beacon Biotechnology, on the reaction of people the first time they see the BrightSPOT System. Observers assume that the microscope-slide sized device must be inserted into a larger docking station where the analysis is completed, as is the standard approach with most medical diagnostics. With the BrightSPOT System, however, all the analysis – for up to 112 simultaneous tests - takes place on the chip at the center of the small rectangular apparatus. The device must eventually be plugged into a computer’s USB port in order to read the output, but the heavy lifting has already been accomplished by a machine not much larger than a matchbook.
Read More »
June’s Colorado Cleantech Initiative began with an overview of the Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open (CTO) provided by Wes Schrader who serves as the competition’s Contestant Chair. 2009 marks the first year of Clean Tech Open’s expansion outside of California where the competition has gone on for three years. This year, regional competitions will take place in California, the Rocky Mountain Region, and the Pacific Northwest with finalists selected from each to compete at the national level. According to Schrader, where the Clean Tech Open differentiates itself from other business competitions is through “work[ing] more proactively with contestants.” This proactive approach includes a 3-day accelerator program (“business school in a weekend”), several business symposiums and pairing with mentors. CTO alumnae have a track record of success with the 125 competitors from the previous three years raising $140M in capital.
Read More »
Fort Collins, Colorado based Solix Biofuels, Inc announced the completion of a $16.8M Series A round. Participating in the round were Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd. (SAIL), I2BF Venture Capital, Bohemian Investments, Southern Ute Alternative Energy LLC, Valero Energy Corp., and Infield Capital. This announcement marks a $5.3M addition to the original Series A close in November of 2008. Solix’s AGS(TM) Technology is designed to enable cost-effective and scalable production of biofuel from algae. The AGS Technology is a closed-system bioreactor designed to maximize algal growth through providing optimal access to sunlight. The proceeds of the round will be used to complete construction and commence operation of the company’s Coyote Gulch Demonstration Facility with full scale commercial operation expected by late summer of 2009.
ION Engineering, LLC and the University of Colorado (CU) have finalized an exclusive license for a technology to capture CO2 from emissions at natural gas wells and coal-fired power plants. Based in Boulder, ION had previously optioned the rights to the invention in December 2008 and received a $100K proof of concept investment from the CU Technology Transfer Office and the CU-Boulder Energy Initiative. The licensed technology, developed in the CU-Boulder Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, uses ionic liquid solutions as the solvent, instead of water, to enable more efficient capture of carbon and other contaminants. ION has demonstrated the feasibility of its strategy in the laboratory and is currently working on optimizing the solvents for specific gas composition and scale up.
The TechStars office, sitting below street level in downtown Boulder, is affectionately referred to as “the Bunker” by those working inside. With its open floor plan and cheerful aesthetics the actual space belies the nickname, yet there is a garrison aspect to the organization as a whole, where the public watches as young startups begin the summer as relative innocents and exit the thirteen week program with the confidence and scar tissue of veterans. To gain some insight on this entrepreneurial metamorphosis RockyRadar spoke with Micah Baldwin, mentor to the program and VP of Business Development for Lijit Networks. Baldwin, a nationally recognized speaker on the subjects of startups and digital identity, provided perspectives on the practical, romantic, and hidden drivers that position each TechStars company for potential success.
Read More »
Sharklet Technologies announced that it has closed a $1.5M Series A round. The largest investor in the round, which also included several private investors, was Limestone Ventures of Austin, Texas. Sharklet will use the proceeds of the round to continue development of Sharklet surface technology. The Sharklet surface contains a microscopic pattern, which mimics a pattern found on shark skins, that inhibits bacterial growth. The company is about to begin a field trial in a California hospital to test the technology, which has already proven effective at preventing bacterial and biofilm growth in a laboratory setting, as a surface covering. The technology presents a wide variety of potential medical applications, including directly printing the pattern onto medical devices like urinary catheters, as well as opportunities to play in marine markets where the Navy is currently evaluating it to prevent the fouling of boat hulls. Sharklet Technologies research and laboratory operations are based in Achalua, Florida while its commercial operations are centered in Denver, Colorado. For a more in-depth look at Sharklet Technologies, check out the RockyRadar profile.
The week leading up to Independence Day is a relatively quiet one. Tuesday sees two CORE events, one discussing how to benefit from the stimulus package and a Colorado Cleantech Initiative, and a TIE Rockies event entitled “Confessions of an Entrepreneur.” Thursday features the 5th edition of Ignite Boulder. The following week begins with a Night with a Futurist focusing on Smart Grid energy systems.
Read More »
CSIA’s breakfast event hosted at the Denver offices of Holland and Hart brought together experts to discuss “Cloud Computing – Perspectives and Applications.” The discussion featured Alan Gin, CEO of ZeroNines, and Jake Smith of Intel. While both offered glimpses into their deep technical knowledge, both of the presentations focused more on the business demands, requirements and limitations that will likely fuel the rate and extent of adoption of cloud computing at the enterprise level.
Read More »
