Tech Companies to Watch

About “crowdfunding” legislation – The Democratizing Access to Capital Act: Creating A Nation of Venture Capitalists Through Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding "would allow small companies to offer shares of stock directly to ordinary investors through established and vetted peer-to-peer platforms. “Crowdfunding” is just a new term for an old idea: offering small-dollar investors the chance to invest in new ideas."
Great article in Wired by Sen. Scott Brown: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/11/scott-brown-next-steve-jobs/all/1

Startup Weekend New Haven gives 'rapid start to new businesses'

City resident John Fitzpatrick has an idea for a business that would get adolescents with diabetes to check their blood sugar frequently.

Fitzpatrick is among several entrepreneurs participating this weekend in the new "Startup Weekend New Haven," an event aimed at helping people with an idea for a business venture turn it into reality.

Those attending the event that began Friday, packed The Grove on Orange Street Saturday. The event is focused on people who want to create a web or mobile application which could form the basis of a business, according to the event's web site.

Participants listened to advice and met in groups to get input from a variety of experts and mentors. Winners will be selected today.

Fitzpatrick's idea is to develop a mobile app to help adolescents with diabetes. It would provide incentives to test one's blood sugar, such as blocking text messaging capability until a test has been completed, or providing rewards like cheat codes for games, he said.

"Diabetes is a serious disease with serious complications, and the first step in management is managing blood sugar," Fitzpatrick said.

His wife has diabetes, which got him thinking about how to help others with the disease, he said. On Saturday, Fitzpatrick met with experts in software development and psychology to get advice. "I'm just learning how to start a business and I hope to get started out of this weekend," Fitzpatrick said.

Candace Klein, guest speaker at the event, is an attorney and has her own business, Bad Girl Ventures, a nonprofit that provides loans to women who want to start businesses. Klein gave advice on a variety of topics entrepreneurs must know to be successful, such as how to pitch an idea to investors, research one's market, build a management team, and secure patents.

"There is a really good mix of business ideas, and it has been good to see people who don't know each other forming teams," said Derek Koch, event organizer and the founder and CEO of the city-based Independent Software. "The weekend gives people a rapid start for their new business." The local entrepreneurs' ideas included start-ups involving coupons and sports communities, for example.

"It is a judged competition, with winning the goal, but going through the weekend helps people start the business they have been working on and dreaming about," Koch said.

According to the event's website, the plan is to keep the momentum going with continued events in the community, workshops and more Startup Weekends like the current one. Visit the website, http://newhaven.startupweekend.org/ for more information and updates.

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at 203-789-5707.

___ (c)2011 the New Haven Register (New Haven, Conn.) Visit the New Haven Register (New Haven, Conn.) at www.nhregister.com Distributed by MCT Information Services 

Why Science, LLC

Why Science designs, develops, and delivers platforms in manufacturing educational technologies, web-tools and interactive software. The resulting technology products (web-tools and interactive software) will be used by WHY SCIENCE and its partners to deliver online training and enhance current onsite training. The company's goal is to create educational technologies that inspire teachers to train tomorrow's leaders, discoverers, and innovators in science today using engaging science curricula, films, multimedia and web-based applications.

Why Science, LLC
New Haven, CT
Dr. Yvonne Akpalu, Founder & CEO
http://www.whyscience.com

 

This company has been selected as a 2011 CT Tech Company to Watch, for more information visit,http://www.ct.org/Innovation_Pipeline.asp.

Click here for the year's event recap--> http://bit.ly/tdNqwc

Watu Research

Watu is a revolutionary new way to perform data collection and surveying in emerging market populations. We give a job to anyone with a phone by paying them in phone credits for collecting information around them. We gather data faster, more affordably and more comprehensively, for market research firms interested in insights from developing countries -- enabling whole new populations a voice and for many, to afford a phone for the first time.

Watu Research
Mansfield Center, CT
Steve Moses, CEO
http://www.waturesearch.com

 

This company has been selected as a 2011 CT Tech Company to Watch, for more information visit,http://www.ct.org/Innovation_Pipeline.asp.

Click here for the year's event recap--> http://bit.ly/tdNqwc

Volvensa

Volvensa is a company based in Connecticut that offers a proprietary optimized fuel injection system for fossil fuel burning within IC engines. Engines will be able to burn at the same current performance level using less fuel and increasing gas mileage efficiency by up to 10X. Volvente will revolutionize the modern engine and will become the new industry standard for any manufacturer or company using internal combustion engines.

Volvensa
Avon, CT
Hemal Shah, Founder

 

This company has been selected as a 2011 CT Tech Company to Watch, for more information visit,http://www.ct.org/Innovation_Pipeline.asp.

Click here for the year's event recap--> http://bit.ly/tdNqwc

Virtual Procurement Services

VPS uses proprietary technology (VVI©) and processes to evaluate and renegotiate technology maintenance contracts. VPS is earning back this money for our customers without affecting vendor relationships or service level agreements.

Virtual Procurement Services
Fairfield, CT
Scott Robins, CEO
http://www.vprocurement.com

 

This company has been selected as a 2011 CT Tech Company to Watch, for more information visit,http://www.ct.org/Innovation_Pipeline.asp.

Click here for the year's event recap--> http://bit.ly/tdNqwc

Umbie Health Corp.

We are creating a web-based and mobile application for the healthcare industry. Our first product is Umbie Office (www.umbieoffice.com), which is currently in development. Other applications in research/prototype are Umbie HomeCare and Umbie HospiceCare. We also create custom web and mobile applications for providers, payers, and other healthcare organizations.

Umbie Health Corp.
East Hartford, CT
Jeremy Hamel, President
http://www.umbiehealth.com

 

This company has been selected as a 2011 CT Tech Company to Watch, for more information visit,http://www.ct.org/Innovation_Pipeline.asp.

Click here for the year's event recap--> http://bit.ly/tdNqwc

Type-U

Type-U is a vibrant, invitation-only health and wellness platform that combines in-person and on-line interactions with a distinct set of resources and member benefits to help people with diabetes live happier and healthier. 

Type-U
Norwood, MA
Mike Norwood, CEO
http://www.type-u.net

 

This company has been selected as a 2011 CT Tech Company to Watch, for more information visit,http://www.ct.org/Innovation_Pipeline.asp.

Click here for the year's event recap--> http://bit.ly/tdNqwc

TTB Technologies, LLC

Our business model is to capture the synergies between Vrfy.me and MeetingWave.com.  Vrfy.me makes online transactions safer.  MeetingWave.com helps members arrange targeted networking meetings with the exact type of people they want to meet... new clients, customers, business contacts or fellow alumni - while traveling or near home or work.  

Ultimately, we will allow members to meet nearby potential clients, customers, new business or social contacts or fellow alumni wherever they are. Features include...

    -Members can simply describe the type of people they would like to meet.

    -Meetings are only confirmed if everyone agrees to meet and names and contact information are private until members are ready to exchange business cards. 

    -Double-blind messaging is provided to facilitate meeting planning.  Moreover, members can have their work or alumni email addresses "verified" by MeetingWave and display an indication of that verification (e.g., @ibm.com or @brown.edu) on their profile.   This allows members to verify to other members where they work and went to school.

TTB Technologies, LLC
Ridgefield, CT
John Boyd, Founder
http://vrfy.me

 

This company has been selected as a 2011 CT Tech Company to Watch, for more information visit,http://www.ct.org/Innovation_Pipeline.asp.

Click here for the year's event recap--> http://bit.ly/tdNqwc

Triplefy

The mission of Triplefy is to help locally owned, independent businesses thrive by providing them with another way to reach out to and connect with customers. By providing small businesses with an easy way to offer Deals and sell eGift Cards online, Triplefy enables them to attract and compete for customers that might have otherwise opted to spend their hard earned money at a large, national retailer or service provider.  Triplefy empowers small businesses by giving them full control over the whole process. They do not need to negotiate terms of Deals or when they're available to their customers. They simply create a Deal on their terms and can then Pause or Activate them on demand. It's all about building customer loyalty and relationships, not drive-by traffic.

Triplefy - A RecDesk LLC Company
New Haven, CT
Mike Morris, Founder
http://triplefy.com

 

This company has been selected as a 2011 CT Tech Company to Watch, for more information visit,http://www.ct.org/Innovation_Pipeline.asp.

Click here for the year's event recap--> http://bit.ly/tdNqwc