CONNECT eNews - September 14, 2012
Qualcomm exec to keynote World's Best Technology Marketplace; CONNECT CEO leads financing session
The three-day 2012 World's Best Technologies Innovation Marketplace (WBT) agenda is action packed. In less than six weeks, 130 companies leading innovations will present. Attendees can sit in on a half-day of multi-track sessions aimed to be educational and informative on topics that range from investment strategies to new innovation programs. The conference culminates on day three with an Awards Luncheon and which will be keynoted by Qualcomm's Senior VP of Engineering, Dr. Rajesh Pankaj.
A session on new models for early stage financing will be moderated by CONNECT CEO Duane Roth and will feature a panel of experts who will discuss alternative financing vehicles for early stage companies. CONNECT's VP of Business Creation and Development, Ruprecht von Buttlar, will share his expertise as part of another session focused on incubators, accelerators and boot camps. A special double session on the Jobs Act Legislation will be sponsored and presented by CONNECT members KPMG LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP and ROTH Capital Partners. The San Diego Regional EDC, co-host of the WBT, will lead a discussion panel on international investments.
In parallel to the ongoing technology presentations and multi-track sessions will be a business plan competition hosted by UC San Diego's Rady School of Management and open to MBA and graduate students. You don't want to miss this event! There is still time to take advantage of the standard registration rate until October 12.
To see the agenda, click here.
For more information and to register, click here.
To see the list of CONNECT's mentored companies and their presenting technologies, read the press release here.
To take part in the UC San Diego Business Plan Competition, please contact Barbra Blake.
Improvements to Springboard better prepare investment-ready companies to participate in Springboard Capital Competitions
Over the last several months, a group of CONNECT board members, community leaders, mentors and senior staff have re-evaluated the Springboard and Capital Competition programs to ensure that companies that present to investors are ready and suitable. Benefits include far greater industry engagement in the Springboard program and a better fit between mentors and companies. Companies enrolling in Springboard first participate in an initial pre-screen review of their application and executive summary from a group of CONNECT Business Advisors (formerly known as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence/EIRS) with C-level experience. Coachable companies with a promising business proposition companies will have the opportunity to present to a panel of industry leaders who will provide feedback on what issues can be addressed through further Springboard mentoring. Program exits will be determined based on the company's needs and development stage. Companies considered suitable and ready for investment by angels, venture capital and/or corporate investors will then participate in one of the Springboard Capital Competitions in the areas Life Sciences, Digital Life, IT/Information Dominance, Healthcare Innovation or Productivity, Connectivity & Delivery Solutions. Industry leaders will judge and the winners will present at Deal Network on Roadshows and at key high profile CONNECT and community investor events.
For more information, click here.
Springboard website now features Resources for Entrepreneurs page
Check out the new Resources for Entrepreneurs page for information and guidance designed to help start-up companies from the beginning stages of the business plan to potential funding from angel and venture capitalist investors. Valuable tools and templates offer assistance in creating engaging PowerPoint presentations and concise Executive Summaries - two crucial pieces to a dynamic business proposal. Also featured on the resource page are investment preferences and profiles from the Tech Coast Angels and marketing tips from the CONNECT staff and Business Advisors in a "go-to-market" strategy workbook.
To check out these and other valuable resources for your start-up, click here.
SME CONNECT
The Future Looks Bright for Tech CFO's
The SME CONNECT Roundtable, in partnership with Moss Adams, recently convened in a live benchmarking event to gauge the pulse of CFO's. Companies are showing positive trends suggesting optimistic futures with a leap of 55% to 100% of finance executives anticipating paying out bonuses this year. The good news continues for finance and IT executives as despite the movement towards outsourcing some of these functions, the consensus was that staffing levels would either stay the same (44%) or grow (56%) over the next year with well over 50% of attendees planning on adding employees.
A surprising find was that only 33% of companies were seeking funding in the next year with many companies being able to self-fund their near term future growth.
"The information in this report is consistent with what we've seen in the market - those companies that made some tough choices and maintained or built cash reserves are well-positioned for growth, even without additional financing. At the same time, companies are still acting conservatively, and working towards modest growth," said Carisa Wisniewski, Managing Partner for Moss Adams San Diego office.
Kevin Carroll, Executive Vice President, SME CONNECT, cautions, "The optimistic outlook of the finance execs could change very quickly depending on external factors including upcoming elections, European Debt Crisis, and even Middle East Tensions. We should not take for granted the job creation that Small and Mid-size companies represent."
Carroll went on to mention the continued heavy regulatory burden that Small and Mid-size companies bear. "For SME Companies, regulatory mandates hit them especially hard. Our elected officials should take this into account when proposing new regulations or eliminating current ones."
To read the full press release, click here.
To read the CFO Benchmarking report, click here.
STEM EDUCATION
National Science Foundation to Launch Incubator in San Diego around Art/Science Based Learning - The Huffington Post
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced that its latest grant, called the "Integrated Informal STEM and Arts-Based Learning to Foster Innovation," will launch incubators hosted by the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership (San Diego), the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) and the EcoTarium (Worcester, Mass.).
By using a variety of "innovation incubator" models, the incubators will investigate a range of approaches for stimulating the development of 21st Century creativity skills and innovative processes integral to STEM learning. The project is designed to foster and accelerate innovation and creativity in STEM education through art work, play, and demonstration or lab experiments.
Last year, NSF funded the Art of Science Learning to produce three conferences in San Diego, Chicago and Washington, D.C. to look at how business, education and communities across the U.S. merged art and science. Harvey Seifter, founder of the Art of Science Learning firm, proposed a learning framework incorporating creativity and innovation in schools that was in turn proposed for execution in this project.
Read more at The Huffington Post.
To learn more about the Integrating Informal STEM and Arts-Based Learning to Foster Innovation project, click here.
CONNECT PORTFOLIO COMPANY WINS
Springboard graduate Malama Composites Announces Official Launch of Studio Biofoam
Malama Composites, Inc., a graduate of the CONNECT Springboard program, has announced the launch of the first bio-based rigid polyurethane foam made specifically for artists, sculptors, and the industrial design community. The foam is quite versatile as it is compatible with virtually all resins, glues, coatings, and laminates. It is dimensionally stable under high temperature conditions, and is easy to produce and safe to recycle.
"Our proprietary formulas utilize agriculturally grown, renewable polyols and water as the blowing agent," says David Saltman, CEO. "These new high performance two and four pound foams hand carve and machine shape accurately, surface beautifully, and generate no toxic emissions in the process."
A new YouTube video features artists Sean Hendry, Hannah Welter and Kevin Williams putting Studio BioFoam through a series of tests at Gothic Moon Studios in Southern California. During the filming Hendry said, "The BioFoam outperformed competitive materials and exhibited no noxious odors or irritating dust commonly generated by other foams. Most importantly, it shaped and surfaced quickly and accurately, a must in our fast business." This is why Malama is truly GREEN TO THE CORE.
For more information about Malama Composites, click here.
To watch the YouTube video, click here.
Global Bridge Company Karus Therapeutics Secures Funding
Karus Therapeutics, a UK-based leader in the development of innovative medicines used for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases is the first CONNECT Global Bridge participant company to secure funding. Recently, the company announced closing of its Series B investment, which includes a first tranche of $7.6 million. Financing was led by New Leaf Venture Partners, SV Life Sciences and Novo A/S, joining existing investors, IP Group and a number of Angel investors.
Companies that participate in Global Bridge receive expert onsite and remote mentoring in creating a plan to support expansion to the U.S. or California market.
To read the press release, click here.
PARTNER NEWS
Deputy Director of Innovation & Emerging Technology for GO-Biz Appointed to GO-Biz Executive Team
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. recently announced appointments to his Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) executive team. Louis Stewart, who has served in multiple positions with GO-Biz since 2010 and assists CONNECT with coordinating the San Diego iHub, was one of those appointed.
IHub San Diego, which encompasses the combined area of San Diego, Imperial County, and Inland Southern California along the I-15 corridor, builds upon the region's existing innovation infrastructure and strong culture of collaboration to create three convergence clusters: mobile health, biofuels and solar energy, energy storage and biomimicry.
To read more, click here.
Tech Coast Angels Quick Pitch Finalists Announced
Have you heard? The Quick Pitch finalists have been selected! San Diego Tech Coast Angels invite you to come see the exclusive finalists present on Thursday, October 4th, at the sixth annual Quick Pitch competition, showcasing talented entrepreneurs seeking funding. This highly anticipated competition is a fun and interactive experience for both the finalists and the audience, all while enjoying gourmet food and beverages. Quick Pitch is a must-attend event for entrepreneurs looking to jump-start their ventures, and for investors interested in learning about the latest innovations in Southern California. Finalists will present two-minute pitches to a expert panel of judges who assess investment potential and presentation quality to an audience of more than 500 leaders of San Diego's entrepreneurial community.
To reveal the finalists, click here.
MEMBER NEWS
Two CONNECT Members Make Fortune's List of Fastest Growing Companies
Fortune has released its list of the top 100 fastest growing companies in the U.S. - three of which are San Diego-based companies, and two are CONNECT members. The companies include Bridgepoint Education, a provider of online college courses, at No. 16, and Cymer Inc., a maker of laser equipment used to make semiconductors, at No. 68.
Bridgepoint Education and Cymer Inc. met the criteria of having a market capitalization of at least $250 million, annual revenue and net income of at least $50 million and $10 million respectively for the four quarters ended before April 30, and had annualized growth in both revenue and earnings per share over three years of at least 20 percent. In terms of revenue growth alone, Bridgepoint Education increased by 57 percent and Cymer Inc. by 21 percent.
To see Fortune's List of Fastest Growing Companies, click here.
To read the article in the San Diego Business Journal (for subscribers), click here.
MEMBER SHOUT-OUTS
Agilent Technologies Signs Exclusive Supply Agreement to Provide Components for LipoScience's Vantera Clinical Analyzer
To read more, click here.
Agilent Technologies to Demonstrate Test and Measurement Solutions in Coherent Communication at ECOC
To read more, click here.
Agilent Technologies Prices $400 Million of Senior Notes
To read more, click here.
Amgen Names Ray Jordan Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
To read more, click here.
Avalon Ventures raises $202M
Read more in The North County Times.
Avalon Ventures Founder Profiled in North County Times article "FINANCE: The perpetual motion venture capitalist"
Read more in The North County Times.
Battelle Unveils User-Centric Simulation Lab to Accommodate Demand for Usability Studies
To read more, click here.
California Bank & Trust Debuts Mobile Banking for Businesses
Read more in American Banker.
Cymer Celebrates Its Seventh Year As Presenting Sponsor Of San Diego Zoo Food & Wine Celebration
Read more in Herald Online.
Cymer Donates $300,000 to San Diego State University's Advanced Physics Lab
To read more, click here.
DexCom Assigned Patent for Oxygen Enhancing Membrane Systems for Implantable Devices
To read more, click here.
D&K Engineering Inc. - An Innovative Product Realization Engine
US Business Executive Subscribers read article here.
To read press release, click here.
Ernst & Young Publish CEO Study: Opportunity and optimism: How CEOs are embracing digital growth
Read more in Financial Post.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Demonstrates NATO Interoperability of Predator-Class ISR Aircraft Systems at Unified Vision 2012
To read more, click here.
Intuit's Data APIs Opened To Outside Developers
Read more in Investor's Business Daily.
KPMG LLP Managing Partner and CONNECT board member David Down Featured in San Diego Business Journal's Professional Profile
San Diego Business Journal subscribers read article here.
ROTH Capital Partners Acts as Sole Placement Agent for Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: CPRX) in its $6 Million Registered Direct Financing
To read more, click here.
ROTH ROTH Advises Macadamia Natural Oil on its Investment from Star Avenue Capital
To read more, click here.
Scripps Health names new chief medical officer
Read more in UT San Diego.
UC San Diego Researcher Wins Top Ph.D. Award in Multimedia Computing
To read more, click here.
Six UC San Diego Stem Cell Researchers Funded by CIRM
Read more in UC San Diego News Center.
UC San Diego's new chancellor takes reins, envisions more diverse campus
Read more in La Jolla Light.
UC San Diego Program Focuses on Designing Medical Devices
Read more in California Healthline.
EVENTS
CONNECT Events
September 20
SME CONNECT Marketing & Sales Roundtable present: Breakthrough Multichannel Marketing
October 17
MIT Enterprise Forum San Diego
October 23
San Diego Tech Coast Angels present Early-Stage Valuation Workshop
October 24-26
2012 WBT Innovation Marketplace hosted by San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation and CONNECT
October 29-31
Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine presents: Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa - Registration now open!
November 8
CONNECT FrameWorks Workshop present: Business Aspects of Patents: A Primer for the Non-Patent Lawyer
December 7
Save the Date! CONNECT 25th Annual Most Innovative New Product Awards (MIP)
UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS
September 14
UC San Diego's annual Dinner in the Library fundraiser
September 18
SDSI Chalk Talk: Manufacturing and Sourcing Overseas sponsored by Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
September 18
City of Murrieta host "Doing business with Malaysia"
September 18
Continuing Education & Career Showcase presented by UC San Diego
September 18 & 24
National Science Foundation Webinar 12-605: Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I Solicitation FY-2013 (SBIR) Webinar
September 19
East County Economic Development Council presents a Workshop on New Partnering Tool with America's Voice.
If interested, contact Gladys Selfridge at 619-258-3670
September 22
Exhibit at SD Entrepreneur Day
October 2
UC San Diego Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation Course
October 4
San Diego Tech Coast Angels sixth annual Quick Pitch Competition
October 7-10
UC San Diego's Beyster Institute at the Rady School of Management present Employee Ownership Management Program
October 11-21
Tijuana Innovadora 2012
October 15-18
Global Marketplace Meeting hosted by Exploit Technologies in conjunction with TECHVENTURE 2012
October 18
AITP Hosts Fourth Annual Cloud Computing Conference
November 9
Military Health 2012: Small Business Clinical Needs & Funding Opportunities
November 15
BIOCOM's Annual Dinner
at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla
December 5
Innovation Night at La Jolla Playhouse
CONTACT
CONNECT Newsletter Editor: Julia Scholl
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CONNECT has assisted in the formation and development of more than 3,000 companies in the San Diego region and is widely regarded as one of the world's most successful organizations linking inventors and entrepreneurs with the resources they need for commercialization of innovative products in high tech and life sciences. The program has been modeled in more than 50 regions around the world. CONNECT has been recognized by Time, Inc. and Entrepreneur magazines and in 2011 won the national State Science and Technology Institute's 2011 Excellence in Tech Based Economic Development Award for Building Entrepreneurial Capacity. In 2010 CONNECT was the recipient of the Innovation in Economic Development Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce for creation of Regional Innovation Clusters. CONNECT manages the San Diego, Imperial Valley, Inland SoCal Innovation Hub (iHub) designated by the state of California Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development in 2010. Key to our success has been the unique "culture of collaboration" between research organizations, capital sources, professional service providers and the established industries.
For information on CONNECT or its programs, contact us at (858) 964-1300 or visit www.connect.org