Connecticut Technology Council

The Challenges Timing an IPO - An interview with Al Subbloie, Tangoe

Enjoy this video featuring Al Subbloie, CEO of Tangoe Tangoe, the communications software and service management company from Orange, went public after an initial offering price of $8 a share in late July. The stock has been trading between $8 and $12 on the NASDAQ global stock market under the symbol TNGO in its first month.

Canton-based iDevices LLC Receives $150,000 in Pre-Seed Financing

Company offers first grilling/cooking thermometer application for Apple products

Connecticut Innovations (CI), the state’s quasi-public authority responsible for technology investing and innovation development, today announced that it has committed $150,000 in financing to iDevices LLC, located in Canton, Conn., through its Pre-Seed Fund. The company has secured matching funds, as required under the program, from several investors.

iDevices CEO Chris Allen said, “iDevices is extremely excited to receive this round of funding from CI. These monies further strengthen our ability to develop exciting products in the app-enabled accessory space. In addition, they allow us to expand our consulting business and hire key employees to further strengthen the iDevices team here in Canton.” 

iDevices specializes in developing devices that connect wirelessly to smart phones, tablets and computers by leveraging Bluetooth® technology. The company’s first product, iGrill, is the market’s first grilling and cooking thermometer and application for Apple products, including iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. iGrill, which enables customers to monitor temperatures of food being cooked from up to 200 feet away, is revolutionizing the way we cook and grill today. iGrill, which consists of a food probe connected by a heat-safe wire to an external thermometer, communicates with a customer’s Apple product via a secure, long-range Bluetooth® connection.

iGrill is currently being sold across the country in Radio Shack, Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Apple stores, and on Amazon.com. In addition, the company has launched iGrill in Apple Stores in Europe and signed on with two large distributors there, EET Nordic and Softline. iDevices has also signed with Apple Australia/New Zealand and Apple APAC (Asia Pacific) and set up distribution centers there as well.

“It’s exciting that innovation on a well-known technology platform such as the iPhone is occurring right here in Connecticut,” said Charlie Moret, CI managing director, business development. “iDevices’ product has national reach and appeal, and orders are beginning to pour in.”

CI’s $4 million Pre-Seed Fund supports the formation of new Connecticut technology companies. The fund provides loans of up to $150,000 to Connecticut-based startup and early-stage technology companies. Funding may be used for a wide range of startup expenses including accounting, legal, intellectual property development, technology and prototype development, business plan development, technology assessments, market analyses, market entry strategy development, and hiring of advisors and employees. CI’s team also provides mentoring and will help coordinate access to resources.

The Pre-Seed Fund is an important component of the state’s high-tech economic development engine, as it provides an avenue for initial startup funding for companies and entrepreneurs emerging from universities and dovetails nicely with other tech startup resources such as the CTech business incubators, the Connecticut Angel Investor Tax Credit (which stimulates private investments in early-stage companies) and private capital resources.

About Connecticut Innovations Inc.
Connecticut Innovations (CI) is a quasi-public organization dedicated to driving a vibrant, entrepreneurial, technology-based economy in Connecticut. CI stimulates high-tech growth by investing in early-stage Connecticut technology companies, university/industry research collaborations and technology transfer and collaborating with government, business, nonprofit and academic organizations to advance technology growth and promote public policies consistent with CI’s mission. For more information on CI, please visit www.ctinnovations.com.

About iDevices LLC
iDevices LLC, located in Canton, Conn., develops app-enabled products that incorporate wireless connectivity to the Apple and Android platforms. In 2010, iDevices successfully developed and launched the iGrill, a Bluetooth enabled cooking thermometer. The iGrill connects to an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch (soon Android) via a long range Bluetooth connection. The user then controls the iGrill using the custom iGrill App. iDevices is currently developing a variety of new products for its own product line and is working in conjunction with other companies through its iDevices Consulting division. All of these products incorporate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity to the Apple and Android platforms.

iDevices Consulting LLC partners with companies, inventors, and developers to app enable their products and bring new ideas to market in the Apple and Android space. Through its own product development, the company has gained extensive experience in every stage of development, allowing them to bring products to market effectively and efficiently. The product development and consulting divisions work hand in hand in order to share their vast knowledge on both sides of the business, which ensures the fastest possible time to market. In addition, iDevices Consulting is a custom app development company for the middle market. Many of these businesses may have thought apps were out of their reach, but iDevices Consulting is able to give them high quality apps at a great value. 

Partner with the company that is innovating and inventing for the future. www.idevicesinc.com

Annual Meeting & Holiday Party, 12/8/2011

Celebrate the season with Connecticut Technology Council, Crossroads Venture Group and the Inventors Association of Connecticut

Click here to learn more and to register

As one of the fabulous people who create, nurture or support technology businesses in Connecticut,  your presence is requested!   This year, three prominent state organizations - Connecticut Technology Council, Crossroads Venture Group and the Inventors Association of Connecticut - are coming together to celebrate a year of lessons learned and new connections forged.

First we'll recognize some amazing contributors and notable accomplishments during a year that was clearly a challenge.

Then we'll party!  There will be live jazz courtesy of Mark Richards and David Harris for you to enjoy while you sample appetizers and drinks. 

Mingle with the trendy, sophisticated, brainy community that brings new companies to life.  Polish your cocktail conversation and network with business professionals that could be the key to your next big idea.  

Special bonus  - THIS EVENT IS FREE FOR MEMBERS OF CTC, CVG AND THE INVENTORS ASSOCIATION OF CONNECTICUT, BUT YOU MUST PREREGISTER BY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7th at 5:00 PM.   

And since you are getting into this great party for free, how about reaching into your pockets?  The leadership of CVG, CTC and IACT ask you to bring a new , unwrapped toy to donate to the Marines' Toys for Totscampaign.   Toys are collected for children from ages 1 - 17, with toys for infants and teenagers especially needed.   Don't worry if you don't have time to shop.   We'll take cash donations, too. 

When: Thursday December 8, 2011 from 4:45 PM to 7:00 PM EST

Where: Dolan School of Business, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824 

Cost:  
$25.00 General Admission - for those pre-registered by 5:00 pm, Wednesday, December 7
$30.00 ADMISSION ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT FOR ALL ON SITE REGISTRATIONS

 Have you invested in membership? CVG members and sponsors, employees of CTC member companies and sponsors and members of the Investors Association of Connecticut - FREE with pre- registration by 5:00 pm, Wednesday, December 7. Fairfield University Students and Faculty:  FREE with pre-registration by 5:00 pm, Wednesday, December 7. 

 

2011 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summit

Connecticut Technology Council Honors Emerging Technology Companies for Accomplishments, Potential at Fifth Annual Innovation Pipeline Awards

70 "Companies to Watch" Showcase Innovative Technologies in Poster Fair

2011 Companies to Watch List, click here.

View the submissions for our Video Elevator Pitch Competition

Nearly 400 entrepreneurs, investors and service providers gathered on October 27, 2011 at The Omni Hotel in New Haven for the Fifth Annual Innovation Pipeline Awards, a celebration of the most promising early stage and emerging technology companies in Connecticut identified by the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) as having the best potential to be a successful enterprise.

The Pipeline Awards was part of a larger event being held that day called the:
Cantor Colburn/CCAT/ First Niagara Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit, which included the Northeast ACA Angel Summit  sponsored by Connecticut's Angel Investor Forum.
Nearly 100 angel investors from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania attended to hear from five companies presented to fellow angels by one of the many participating angel groups for the sake of deal syndication. As that early day program came to an end, the crowd was joined by nearly another 300 attendees for the late afternoon/ evening program, the Pipeline Awards followed by the Technology Showcase.  70 "Companies to Watch" sharing their technology products and services with attendees in a poster fair.   For the complete list of the 2011 Companies to Watch, click here.

Pictures from the Event 

Video of the Event

 

Keynote Speaker, Watts Wacker:
The keynote address was delivered by futurist Watts Wacker -- a bestselling author, lecturer, political
commentator and social critic.  He gave A Wizards View of 21st Century Innovation.

 

 

Kip Bergstrom, DECD Deputy Commissioner, with a few words on the state of Connecticut's Innovation Ecosystem

 

The 2011 Innovation Pipeline Awards winners:

1. Most Promising Technology Product of the Year  - a tie between Dark Field Technologies, Orange and Autotether, Inc., Chester

  

 




 

2. Most Promising Software Product of the Year - Occams Resources, New Haven

 


 

3. Most Promising New Internet/New Media Company of the Year - SeeClickFix, New Haven

 

4. Most Promising Life Sciences Company of the Year - Biorasis, Inc., Storrs 

 

5. Most Promising New Green Tech Company of the Year - Centritec Seals, LLC, East Hartford

 

Elevator Pitch Competition:

 View the submissions for our Video Elevator Pitch Competition,   the top 3 pitches were chosen from these to compete for a $10,000 web design prize provided by Digital Surgeons - the companies presenting were: Small Talk, Sir Groovy and My Luck Club.

 

 

 

 

And the winner is...

Sir Groovy has asked that we pull the elevator pitch from this post - Sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment - CTC 

 

 

Sponsors:
Presenting sponsors of this year's event were: the law firm of Cantor Colburn, the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) and First Niagara Bank. Supporting sponsors included: the Ambrose Group, CNA Insurance, the Dickstein Shapiro LLP law firm, Digital Surgeons, the Economic Development Corporation of New Haven, the accounting firm of Fiondella, Milone and LaSaracina, Open Solutions Inc., TriNet HR Corporation and Wellstone Insurance.

About Cantor Colburn
Cantor Colburn LLP is one the largest intellectual property specialty law firms in the U.S., providing clients worldwide with the complete range of legal services that allow them to enjoy the greatest value from their intellectual property assets. Cantor Colburn is a leading firm in the preparation and prosecution of patent applications, and our patent professionals are adept in a great diversity of technologies. As well, the firm has extensive practice in other intellectual property areas, such as validity and infringement opinions, reexaminations, interferences, licensing, due diligence regarding acquisitions and divestitures, and technology transfer agreements.  www.cantorcolburn.com

About CCAT
The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. ( www.ccat.us ) helps private and public entities to apply innovative tools and practices to increase efficiencies, improve workforce development and boost competitiveness. CCAT functions as a unique economic development organization that combines expertise in cutting-edge technology with specialized centers of excellence in manufacturing, education, training, energy and entrepreneurialism.  www.ccat.us

About First Niagara
First Niagara, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., is a multi-state community-oriented bank that currently has $31 billion in assets, $19 billion in deposits, 346 branches and 5,000 employees providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

For more information, visit www.fnfg.com .

About CTC
The Connecticut Technology Council is a statewide association of technology oriented companies and institutions, providing leadership in areas of policy advocacy, community building and assistance for growing companies. Speaking for over 2,000 companies that employ some 200,000 residents, the Connecticut Technology Council seeks to provide a strong and urgent voice in support of the creation of a culture of innovation. This includes working to position Connecticut as a leader in idea creation, workforce preparation, entrepreneurial aptitude, early stage risk capital availability and providing on-going support and mentoring to high potential firms. Online at: www.CT.org 

 

Crossroads of Ideas and Capital: Health IT - event 11/15/2011 at Yale, New Haven

Health IT: Challenges and Opportunities - A joint presentation by Yale/CURE BioHaven Entrepreneurship Series and the Crossroads of Ideas and Capital

Health IT is a booming field.  Document management for Electronic Health Records and demands for mobility while ensuring the security of medical records are major concerns for providers.  Entrepreneurs are navigating a regulatory envronment that is more complex than ever before while racing to implement the connectivity required for Healthcare Information Exchanges.   How are providers incorporating clinical decision support into practices? Where are investors putting their money?  An all-star panel of a hospitalist, a regulatory expert, a health IT investor and entrepreneur talk about where this field is trending. Following the panel, join us for networking and a poster session.

A joint presentation by Yale/CURE BioHaven Entrepreneurship Series and Crossroads of Ideas and Capital

Sponsored by:  Yale OCR, CURE and the CVG

Where: Yale Medical School, Anlyan Center
When: November 15, 4:00 pm
This event is co-sponsored by CVG, CURE, and Yale OCR

Click Here to Register–>

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Panel members include:
Michelle Wilcox DeBarge, Partner, Wiggin and Dana

James Staten, Executive VP, Corporate and Financial Services, YNHHS and CFO and Senior VP for Finance, Yale - New Haven Hospital

Matt Walton, CEO, MyCare LLC

Wallrick Williams, Associate, Galen Partners

Moderator: 
Paul Hughes, Partner, Wiggin and Dana

Contact: 
Crossroads Venture Group, [email protected], 860-282-4978 

Innovation Pipeline Pitch Competition 2011

The video pitches are rolling in from our 2011 Tech Companies to Watch! Below are the pitches from which we will choose finalists for the on stage pitch competition.

Innovation Pipeline Awards are sponsored by Dickstein Shapiro LLP and the $10,000 web design prize going to the top pitch company is provided by Digital Surgeons.

The 3 pitches chosen from these to compete, live on stage for a $10,000 web design prize provided by Digital Surgeons - will be: Small Talk, Sir Groovy and My Luck Club.

Attend the Summit - October 27, 2011, Omni Hotel, New Haven, CT, $45. fee
Learn more about the event and register to attend.

Our 2011 Tech Companies to Watch have been announced.
Click here to see the full list

____________________________________________________________________
AgriFuels LLC http://www.agrifuels.com
Paul Hoar, East Hartford, CT    Energy/Environ/Green Tech

__________________________________________________________________________

BRASH Engines Inc.  http://www.brashengines.com
Mike Brookman, Branford, CT     Energy/Environ/Green Tech

__________________________________________________________________________

Centritec Seals, LLC http://www.centritecseals.com
Douglas Rode, East Hartford, CT, Advanced Manufacturing

____________________________________________________________________________

ConnectQuest LLC    http://www.connectquest.com/
David Moldavsky, West Simsbury, CT  New Media/Internet

______________________________________________________________________________

DirectedVision Inc   http://www.directedvision.com
Thomas Love, East Hartford, CT    New Media/Internet/ Telecom

____________________________________________________________________________

Enabling Technologies http://www.sunlenz.com
Tim Dolan, Trumbull, CT, Energy/Environ/Green Tech

_________________________________________________________________________

FedTax   https://www.taxcloud.net
R. David L. Campbell, Norwalk, CT   New Media/Internet/Telecom

__________________________________________________________________

IContain  http://www.i-contain.com

Todd Kleperis, Columbia, CT   New Media/Internet/ Telecom

_____________________________________________________________________________

Innovation Hub 
John Bethune,    Hinesberg, VT   Energy/Environ/Green Tech

____________________________________________________________________________

MEA Mobile http://www.meamobile.com
Bruce Seymour, New Haven, CT   New Media/Internet/ Telecom

___________________________________________________________________________

MGS Research Inc  http://www.mgsresearch.com/
Marek Maryanski, Madison, CT    Other

___________________________________________________________________________

MoxMe!   http://www.moxme.com
Danny Briere, Mansfield Center, CT    New Media/Internet/ Telecom

_________________________________________________________________________________

My Luck Club http://www.myluckclub.com/private_beta
Phyllis Pierce, New Canaan, CT     New Media/Internet/ Telecom

_________________________________________________________________

Queralt, Inc.  http://www.queraltinc.com
Michael Queralt, North Haven, CT   IT Services

__________________________________________________________________

Raditaz   http://www.raditaz.com/
Tom Brophy, South Glastonbury, CT   New Media/Internet/ Telecom

___________________________________________________________

Sharelogical Technologies LLC
Maximilian Lekhtman, Brookfield, CT, New Media/Internet/ Telecom

__________________________________________________________________________

Sir Groovy   http://www.sirgroovy.com
Vic Sarjoo, Mamaroneck, NY          New Media/Internet/ Telecom

____________________________________________________________________________

Small Talk    www.getsmalltalk.com
Andrew Evarts, New Media/Internet/Telecom

______________________________________________________________________________

Technical Consulting & Research, Inc http://www.tcrinc.com
Teresa Piliouras, Weston, CT        IT Services/ Consulting

__________________________________________________________________________________

The White Glove Group, LLC    http://www.theWGG.com
Christopher Miles, New York, NY     New Media/Internet/ Telecom

__________________________________________________________________

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

______________________________________________________

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

_____________________________________________________________________

Watu Research http://www.waturesearch.com
Steve Moses, Mansfield Center, CT    New Media/Internet/ Telecom

_____________________________________________________________________

Axerion Therapeutics Inc. Receives $400,000 Follow-on Investment from Connecticut Innovations

New Haven-based biotech company advances innovative treatments for neurological injuries and diseases

Connecticut Innovations (CI), the state’s quasi-public authority responsible for technology investing and innovation development, today announced that it has made a $400,000 follow-on investment in Axerion Therapeutics Inc. (Axerion) of New Haven, Connecticut, through its Eli Whitney Fund. Utilizing two technology platforms licensed from Yale University, Axerion is developing innovative approaches to the treatment of neurological injuries and diseases.

“CI’s follow-on investment in Axerion will help allow our company to bring forward effective treatments in spinal cord injury and Alzheimer’s disease,” said Sylvia McBrinn, Axerion’s president and chief executive officer. “These funds provide us with the necessary capital to advance our programs to the next step in the development process.”

Axerion’s prion protein (PrP) project is a novel potential therapeutic approach for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Axerion is developing both a biologic and a small-molecule approach to block the binding of amyloid beta oligomers (clumps of a-beta peptides) to PrP in the brain, thereby preventing a cascade of events that result in brain dysfunction. Axerion’s technology, if successful, could help slow or halt cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients.

With its Nogo receptor platform, Axerion is developing treatments that have the potential to stimulate regrowth in axons, which are long cellular fibers that electrically connect one nerve cell to another and play a vital role in supporting neurological function. These potential treatments could help to restore function in patients who are suffering from spinal cord injuries, stroke and other central nervous system disorders.

The combined annual societal cost of spinal cord injuries, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease in the United States alone is a staggering $228 billion.

“Axerion’s progress since our first investment in the company a year and a half ago has been extremely impressive,” said Peter Longo, president and executive director of Connecticut Innovations. “The company’s two technology platforms continue to draw interest and have the potential to lead to multiple products to help patients afflicted with a broad range of neurological conditions.”

Axerion was founded in 2009 by Scheer & Company, Dr. Stephen Strittmatter of the Yale faculty, Sylvia McBrinn and Yale University. New Haven-based Scheer & Company, which has been active in managing Axerion’s startup operations, was also involved in the founding of numerous successful biotechnology companies, including Viropharma, Orapharma, Esperion, Achillion, Sopherion, Aegerion, Tengion and Optherion. 

CI previously invested $600,000 in Axerion.  David Wurzer, CI managing director, investments, will continue to represent CI on Axerion’s board of directors.

About Connecticut Innovations Inc.
Connecticut Innovations (CI) is a quasi-public organization dedicated to driving a vibrant, entrepreneurial, technology-based economy in Connecticut. CI stimulates high-tech growth by investing in early-stage Connecticut technology companies, university/industry research collaborations and technology transfer and collaborating with government, business, nonprofit and academic organizations to advance technology growth and promote public policies consistent with CI’s mission. Additionally, CI supports clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives through its administration of the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority. For more information on CI, please visit www.ctinnovations.com. 

About Axerion Therapeutics Inc.
Axerion Therapeutics Inc. is a private Connecticut-based biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapeutics for neurological diseases and injuries with significant unmet medical need, including Alzheimer’s disease and spinal cord injury. Axerion was established in New Haven to develop and commercialize intellectual property licensed from Dr. Stephen Strittmatter’s laboratory at Yale University. Axerion’s proprietary technology platforms include blockers of a-beta oligomer binding to prion proteins (PrP) on the cell surface of neurons as a novel therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease and Nogo decoy receptor protein for recovery of neurological function in spinal cord injury and other neurological diseases. For more information on Axerion, please visit www.axeriontherapeutics.com

Contacts: Emily Smith

Managing Director, External Relations

Connecticut Innovations

Phone:  (860) 257-2337

 

Nicole Vasile 

On behalf of Connecticut Innovations

Phone:  (860) 839-1589

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Watts Wacker to Keynote the 10/27 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summit

CTC, CVG & AIF are thrilled to announce: Watts Wacker will be our keynote speaker for the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summit, 10/27 in New Haven.

Our 2011 Tech Companies to Watch have been announced.

Click here to see the full list

Event Recap

 

About Watts Wacker

Watts Wacker is one of the most celebrated and influential minds in modern business. Mr. Wacker -- lecturer, best-selling author, political commentator and social critic -- is one of the world's most respected futurists. His uncommon versatility and vision has allowed him to help the world's top corporations and organizations navigate the sea of change that is taking hold in the new millennium. He has been the futurist at SRI International, the legendary Menlo Park think tank, and spent ten years as the resident futurist at the preeminent social research organization, Yankelovich Partners.

 

While Watts' personal client list is a veritable who's who, it is what is said about him that is the most intriguing…

• "One of 21 socially important people we selected to make a prediction for the 21st
  century." ...The Science Channel
• On our list of the 50 most influential business thinkers in the world" ...Financial Times
• "When government gets serious about reinventing, Watts will be in the president's cabinet." ...Fast Company
• "A skilled raconteur" …Fortune Magazine
• "The inheritor of the Marshall McLuhan tradition" …Wired Magazine
• "He is one of the 21 best speakers in America" …Successful Meetings Magazine
• "We featured his wizardry practice on our front page." ...USA Today
• "Time magazine 2006 person of the year"

As founder and director of FirstMatter LLC, Mr. Wacker has focused his attention on creating a new kind of think tank and he describes himself as a twenty-first century alchemist as well as… "a cross between James Brown and the unknown comic, (the hardest working nobody in the business.)" His speaking style has created many references to Mr. Wacker as being one of the best storytellers alive today. His book, The 500 Year Delta was an international bestseller having been translated into ten languages and was an "editors choice" top five selection on the Amazon.com book list for 1997. "The Delta" was also selected for the NASA library. Watts' second book, The Visionary's Handbook is required reading at many of the world's finest business schools and received outstanding reviews. Both books were coauthored with Jim Taylor.

Recent work has included contributing, editing and ghost writing numerous books, broadcast commentary as well as magazine and journal articles. His third book, The Deviant's Advantage received a tremendous reviewer response including from Time Magazine, Fortune, The N.Y. Times, and The Harvard Business Review. His fourth book, What's Your Story? Storytelling to move markets, audiences, people and brands, was a finalist for advertising/marketing book of the year. Both books are co-authored with Ryan Mathews. Mr. Wacker and his "wizardry practice" has been featured in the media the world over. He has been labeled a "must quote" by the Associated Press.

Mr. Wacker was the original consulting pollster to the Fox News Division and directed the Time Magazine Poll, while at Yankelovich Partners he also managed the preeminent trends prediction service in the United States, for ten years. Mr. Wacker's additional previous experience also includes management positions in the health, beauty, toy and food industries, and ownership and operation of two radio stations outside Corpus Christi, Texas.

Mr. Wacker's matriculative background includes degrees from both Tulane University and the University of Texas in Austin as well as a research fellowship at The Institute for Constructive Capitalism. He has lectured at many colleges and universities around the world. When asked to state his most memorable professional accomplishments, Watts responds... "The most memorable work accomplishments? ... the two humbling events in my life... the renowned speaking series I've been privileged to speak at, and, having been selected as a 'Significant Sig' by the national Sigma Chi Fraternity." Watts Wacker resides in Westport, Connecticut with his wife and partner of 31 years and one of their two children.

Mark My Media LLC and Seldera LLC Join CTech Incubator

 

 

 

 

 

Mark My Media LLC and Seldera LLC Join CTech Incubator

New associate members to offer SaaS and energy efficiency solutions 

Rocky Hill, Conn., October 11, 2011 – Connecticut Innovations (CI), the state’s quasi-public authority responsible for technology investing and innovation development, today announced that Mark My Media LLC of Stamford, Conn., and Seldera LLC of Hamden, Conn., have become associate members of the technology business incubator CTech@Science Park at Yale in New Haven, which is managed by CI. 

Mark My Media develops digital media software that empowers job seekers in the field of financial services. The firm's solutions address the gap between academic preparation and the skills necessary for a career as a “Wall Street” professional. 

John Power, the firm's CEO, said, “We are excited to be joining CTech and becoming a part of the innovation economy that is being built in New Haven. We started our operations in Connecticut because of its support of entrepreneurial endeavors, and joining CTech allows us to take the next step in building our business.” 

Seldera provides lightweight monitoring, sensing and control solutions for electricity consumption management in small and medium-sized commercial buildings. Seldera’s technology, which has been prototyped and includes intellectual property developed at Yale University, offers detailed consumption and electric load characterization data that can be used to enhance building energy efficiency. 

“CTech is a stimulating environment where we can share information and access resources and valuable advice that are crucial to help startups navigate through early-stage obstacles,” said Andreas Savvides, Seldera co-founder and chief scientist. “We’re thrilled to be here.” 

To accommodate more entrepreneurs at the CTech facility, which became fully leased in March, CI is offering associate memberships. Associate members may use the facility on a part-time basis, setting up shop in a work station for a few hours or a full day. They enjoy full use of the business resources at the facility and also benefit from interactions with CTech tenants and other associate members. 

“We are delighted to welcome two new associate members to CTech@Science Park at Yale,” said Charlie Moret, a managing director of CI. “They join four other associate members who are benefitting from using our CTech business resources and sharing information and ideas with fellow CTech entrepreneurs. Our activity and momentum demonstrates that CTech New Haven is quickly becoming an innovation hub for tech-based economic development.” 

About Connecticut Innovations Inc. 
Connecticut Innovations (CI) is a quasi-public organization dedicated to driving a vibrant, entrepreneurial, technology-based economy in Connecticut. CI stimulates high-tech growth by investing in early-stage Connecticut technology companies, university/industry research collaborations and technology transfer and collaborating with government, business, nonprofit and academic organizations to advance technology growth and promote public policies consistent with CI’s mission. For more information on CI, please visit www.ctinnovations.com. 

About Connecticut’s CTech Incubators 
CTech hastens the growth of early-stage technology companies in Connecticut by creating a community in which the entrepreneur can succeed. CTech incubators house startup technology companies and provide access to a broad network of resources including other entrepreneurs, investors, business advisors and technologists. Today CTech incubators can be found in Bridgeport, Farmington and New Haven. For more information about the CTech incubators, please visit www.ctech-ct.org. CTech@Science Park at Yale is located at 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut. 

 

Connecticut IT Jobs Report October 2011

October 2011 - The job market for IT specialists in Connecticut continues to deteriorate. While in August the situation seemed to improve a bit, in September employers were less confident about their need for more staff. This has been a trend since May and we expect the IT job market to soften further. Nevertheless, IT occupations remain higher in demand than many others because they enable employers to improve their business processes.

Industries with less demand in September include Banking as well as Insurance and Pharmaceutical. All others kept their job inventories steady.

 

Read the Full Report: Download Skillproof IT Connecticut Report October 2011

View Archive of Connecticut IT Jobs Trends Reports

Click here for a range of data and articles on the economic outlook for Connecticut;prepared by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics

See the data for unemployment among all New England States