Connecticut Technology Council

State's Quest To Be 'On The Bioscience Map' Progresses

FARMINGTON — Walking through the University of Connecticut Health Center campus Tuesday, George Karsanow, the health center's director of construction, pointed out markers of progress.

The 307,000-square-foot ambulatory care building is scheduled to be completed by fall 2014. The new tower for the hospital — which will include more than 160 new beds, a new emergency department and a new operating room — is on schedule to be done by 2016.

And nearby, the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, under construction and more than a year from completion, already has hired about 70 people.

That all these projects are on pace is important: The state has put a lot of money into them. The various UConn Health Center construction projects are part of the state's $864 million Bioscience Connecticut Initiative. To entice the Maine-based Jackson Laboratory to build a genetics research facility at the UConn Health Center campus, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy pushed the state to lend Jackson $291 million.

"We are on the bioscience map in a big way," Malloy said Tuesday, citing the work going on at UConn, the progress Jackson is making, as well as research at Yale, Wesleyan and various independent startup companies.

The next challenge, Malloy said, is to make sure that the state can take advantage of the innovations that come out of all this research. The Bioscience Innovation Act, which Malloy is scheduled to sign Wednesday, is designed to help in that regard. It will fund $200 million to various bioscience projects over the next 10 years, beginning next year.

"What we're trying to do is capitalize on existing strength in bioscience in Connecticut and build on that," he said.

There will be a lot of great ideas coming out of the universities and private sector in the next several years, he said. The trick will be bringing them to market.

"If you're at MIT, Harvard or any major academic institution, there are going to be people knocking on your door, trying to get your idea into a bottle," Malloy said. "And that's what we're trying to do."

An advisory committee will choose the projects that the Bioscience Innovation Act will fund — awarding $10 million the first two years, $15 million for the third and fourth years, and $25 million for years five through 10, to projects that show commercial promise.

Anyone, from individuals and small independent companies to universities in Connecticut, will be able to compete for the funds. It's the kind of commitment, said Michael Hyde, vice president of Jackson, that has helped Jackson recruit some of the top scientists from around the world. About 50 of the people the company has hired are already doing research in temporary space on the UConn Health Center campus. The company has also leased some lab space from the university.

In July, UConn and Jackson Laboratory made their first joint academic appointment: Dr. Reinhard Laubenbacher was hired as the co-director of the health center's new Center for Quantitative Medicine. Over the next several years, the two institutions expect to bring in nine more joint recruits.

Frank Torti, the health center's vice president of health affairs, said Tuesday that the new facilities and renovations will also help attract some of the best research talent to UConn. Physical space can affect how scientists work together, he said.

Torti said several floors of laboratories on the campus are being renovated and redesigned to cut down on closed spaces. That, he said, will encourage more conversations among the scientists. Chance encounters and casual conversations, he said, are often more conducive to innovations than formal meetings.

"We think these informal settings are where the creativity happens," Torti said.

 

Follow this link to read William Weir's original article and view a slideshow of related pictures at the Hartford Courant.

Connecticut- Coworking Towards the Future

Finding ways for great ideas and innovative solutions to evolve from brain cells to the store shelves is one of our biggest preoccupations. A recent workplace trend blossoming in Connecticut is looking to provide the facilities, atmosphere, and spirit to assist entrepreneurs in their most basic task- simply getting the work done.

This new paradigm in business workspace, known as coworking spaces, offers standard office staples- tables and chairs, electricity and internet, printing and scanning, and of course coffee- the sort of things you need to function as a budding business, but also a unique community of others in the same situation you’re in. Coworkers by a degree of separation.

Working side by side with other entrepreneurs, freelancers, thinkers, and tinkers allows for a highly fertile and powerfully productive ambiance in which to do, create, change, and sell. Coworking allows you the opportunity to get out of your home, or out of a crowded coffee shop, and become more productive in a real office setting at a fraction of the price. It works on a subscription basis, or alternatively, on a pay-as-you-come system.

Think of it like a gym membership- it makes more sense, for most people, at least, to pay a little bit per month or per year to share the tread mill and the dumbbells with your neighbors at the fitness center than it does to buy your own equipment. The same principle applies to a young company, who wants to have functional business space, yet is unable or unwilling to use precious capital resources to invest in an office of their own, stocked with furniture, rent, and insurance.

Joining a coworking space has been working for many individuals and teams throughout the state. If it sounds like it might be the right fit for you, here is a list of the active coworking spaces available in Connecticut at this time. Check them out to discover more about how the system works, and details on their particular facilities. And if you find a coworking space we don’t know about yet, please let us know! 

Good luck on your entrepreneurial journey!

 

B:Hive Bridgeport	Bridgeport	203-873-2008
reSET Incubator & Coworking Space	Hartford	860.560.9120
Axis901	Manchester	860-647-6029
The Grove	New Haven	203.654.9676
The Bourse	New Haven	203.980.8202
group88	Simsbury	860.658.9777
SONO Spaces	South Norwalk	203 838 5555
Stamford Innovation Center	Stamford	203.226.8701
The Soundview Club	Stamford	203.359.9333

Connecticut’s Entrepreneurial Community Wants Your Ideas

      


The following is a press release from Connecticut Innovations, the Department of Economic and Community Development, and CTNEXT:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Connecticut Innovations (CI) and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) are seeking creative ideas to improve and strengthen the state’s effort to build a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Connecticut. The organizations have issued a Request for Proposals to help Connecticut further engage in innovation. The RFP is open to individuals, large and small companies, non-profits and consortia—from within and outside the state—with a proven record of success and creative ideas to develop the infrastructure and community necessary to support entrepreneurs. The state will invest up to $5 million over the next year in this initiative, called CTNEXT.

A winning proposal will include ideas to:

• Create pathways for entrepreneurs through which events, ideas, technology, industry expertise, services, skill development, talent and capital are easy to find

• Help innovative companies grow faster

• Improve entrepreneur connections with universities, economic development organizations and other private and public resources

• Engage Connecticut’s larger innovative corporations with the entrepreneurial community

• Help Connecticut increase the volume of the success stories it can celebrate and share

CTNEXT, a public-private partnership, has already established great momentum. To date, it has helped fund 11 entities and engaged dozens more to enhance local networks of support for entrepreneurs and connect those networks strategically statewide. And excitement and activity in the entrepreneurial community has reached new heights. In the past eight months alone, over 5,000 people attended more than 150 entrepreneurial community events, and several new co-working spaces were established or expanded.

Still, CI and DECD recognize that there are great ideas that they haven’t heard about which could strengthen the state’s culture of innovation while supporting a platform for addressing today’s toughest challenges.

“Connecticut is rich with innovative individuals, researchers, inventors, entrepreneurs, companies, investors and the organizations that support them.  We are looking for ways to help this talented population be part of a world-class entrepreneurial community,” said Claire Leonardi, CEO of CI.

“If you have ideas, experience and the commitment to develop the infrastructure and community to support entrepreneurs, we want to hear from you,” said Catherine Smith, Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.

For more information or to submit a proposal, visit build.CTNext.com.

Contact:

Casey Pickett Director of Innovation   Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development   860-729-2210 [email protected]

Chris Penner Director, Investments   Connecticut Innovations     860-257-2163 [email protected]

Looking for Innovative Ways to Find Great Talent in CT?

The HR Leaders Collaborative is hosting a special Human Resources Leadership Summit on Friday, September 27th.  Leaders and talent from throughout the state will be assembling in Westbrook for The People Paradigm: Releasing the Potential for Growth & Innovation to be held at the Water's Edge from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

Come join the event on the shore to discuss and learn about hiring, productivity, community building, and a many other topics that make a huge impact on the work being done here in Connecticut every day.

To sign up for the event at a temporary discounted rate, click here by August 9th.  Regular price tickets will continue to be available after that date, but space is limited, so don't delay in signing up!

 

Realizing Start-Up Potential Requires Patience, Perseverance

The following is an editorial by UConn Ventures President R. Mark Van Allen from the Danbury News-Times.

 

Alexion Pharmaceuticals recent groundbreaking on a new $100 million headquarters is the centerpiece of New Haven's landmark initiative to reconnect the city's neighborhoods. It is also a glimpse at the process of achieving "overnight success" in the technology transfer field -- in this case, a success story that began modestly two decades ago.

We have an opportunity not only to reflect on Alexion's humble formation, but to look ahead to companies that currently reside, or will soon, in the portfolio of UConn Ventures-- now a pivotal player in determining Connecticut's future research-driven entrepreneurial standouts, grown from the labs of our state's flagship university.

Alexion began in New Haven's Science Park in 1992 in the shadow of Yale University. It was little more than an idea of what might be achieved by scientific discovery and an early commitment to guide and grow that potential. Slowly at first, buffeted by setbacks, uncertainties and halting progress, Alexion began to gain ground. They stuck with it. In time, they outgrew their small New Haven space and moved to Cheshire, where during the past decade, spurred by the discovery and development of Solaris, they have spectacularly become among the world's most innovative and successful biopharmaceutical companies.

History could repeat at any moment at UConn, as the university redefines and revitalizes efforts to encourage entrepreneurial discovery. More than anything, we need the collective patience to sustain an effective pathway to commercialize scientific discovery and stay the course. Such cutting-edge efforts rarely hit paydirt overnight, but as Alexion demonstrates so dramatically, solid growth and new ground can, overtime, be achieved.

UConn Ventures, aligned with the University's Office of Economic Development, creates business start-ups by seeking out university-based research innovations, guiding the development process, soliciting funding and recruiting management. It is a subsidiary of the UConn Foundation. Financial benefits achieved by the resulting start-up companies accrue to the individuals whose research innovation is at the core of the start-up, and UConn.

Just two months ago, the university named Alphachromics as the "Top UConn Start-Up Company" at annual awards ceremonies attended by state business, academic and government leaders, reflecting a revitalized university-wide commitment to commercialization initiatives.

Alphachromics was formed in 2010 by UConn Ventures to commercialize the electrochromic innovations developed in the lab of Greg Solzing, professor of organic and polymer chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and the Institute of Materials Science. The technology changes the light transmittance properties of a substrate by the application of voltage and/or current.

The company's low-cost color-changing conductive polymers can be applied to products as diverse as energy-efficient windows, tunable eyewear (goggles and sunglasses) and high-performance switchable fabrics. Alphachromics is currently working with development partners in industries including eyewear and apparel to develop and adapt their technology for use in a range of high-volume consumer, commercial and military applications.

And just last month, LambdaVision Inc., a bio-tech start-up launched by UConn Ventures, received a pre-seed funding commitment of $110,000 from Connecticut Innovations.

LambdaVision is developing a high-resolution, protein-based retinal implant intended to restore sight and improve the quality of life for the millions of people who have been blinded by photoreceptor degeneration in the outer retina -- specifically, individuals affected by age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.

The company's core technology was developed by Robert Birge, Ph.D., a UConn professor of biological and physical chemistry, who, along with students in his lab, founded LambdaVision in 2009.

There are other examples in the UConn Ventures portfolio, at various stages of development. Led by a distinguished and experienced Board of Directors with significant industry background and entrepreneurial expertise, the staff of UConn Ventures works closely with faculty to evaluate their research. It is an exacting task, fraught with perils but brimming with potential.

Working together, we navigate each stage of development, as UConn Ventures provides structure, direction and momentum to the evolving process in critical areas: developing the business model, aligning the intellectual property assumptions, raising the necessary capital, and recruiting key management personnel. Beyond start-up guidance, UConn Ventures also provides back office support, in areas including accounting, legal, tax, and human resources.

Every aspect matters, and integrating effectively and efficiently can be the difference between a near-miss and a solid start.

In accepting well-earned accolades, Mark Bertolami, CEO of Alphachromics, observed that the company "hopes to establish a performance track-record that rivals the UConn women's basketball team." Just the day before, they had won their eighth national championship.

There was a time when such accomplishment was seen as remote at best, more than likely impossible. As with Alexion, by staying the course, investing wisely, and methodically putting in place the necessary talent, admirable success has been achieved.

As UConn Ventures and the would-be entrepreneurial enterprises that turn to it for direction respond in the years ahead, patience and perseverance with our collaborative endeavors will similarly prove to be virtues in the pursuit of realizing great possibilities.

R. Mark Van Allen is president of UConn Ventures.

Watch the Relaunch of New Haven's MakeHaven

 

For more, check out their website.

CCAT Expands Office Space in East Hartford

The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technologies is a mixed-setting work space, with offices, laboratories, conference rooms, and other business infrastructure geared towards tech start-ups and related organizations.  Their facilities, located in East Hartford near the base of Founders Bridge, where we at the Connecticut Technology Council make our home, announced Wednesday that they're expanding.

After a restructuring and reorganizing endeavor, CCAT is ready to offer an an additional 2,500 square feet of office and work space on Pitkin Street.  Their press release outlined a plan to add 10 more offices to the more than 30 it boasts now.

CCAT is also the facilitator of the State's Small Business Incubator Grant Program, which can award nascent tech companies with a sum of up to $30,000, if they qualify.

For more information, visit their website and this related article in the Hartford Courant.

Related articles

CCAT Expands Offices for Tech-Based Start-ups

OP-ED on Innovation Ecosystem

Matthew Nemerson, President and CEO Connecticut Technology Council

Thursday's official launch of a coordinated effort to perfect and manage a state Innovation Ecosystem marks an important step towards increasing levels and success of entrepreneurial activity and new company formation in Connecticut.  What's more, by addressing the subtle but critical role of networks and ongoing attention to the needs of the community of high potential firms it represents a sophisticated appreciation by  Governor Malloy's economic development team about the need for a comprehensive plan to grow jobs with support for innovation at its center.
 
From Eli Whitney in the 1970s to Jonathan Rothberg today  Connecticut has a rich legacy of innovative minds and companies who have built and been part of networks and whole ecosystems that have brought the state not just one company or invention, but billions of dollars of value and whole industries worth of jobs. 

Throughout our history state businesses have successfully adapted to changing local and global conditions and reinvented their products and their companies thanks to the power of establishing world leadership in broad areas of skills and techniques.  The power of networks and connections has been the secret source of our little place in a big global marketplace. 

The state's new brand, Still Revolutionary, is a not so quiet reminder that, while some places are inventing themselves for the first time, Connecticut, from hardware, to clocks, to carriages, to bikes, to aircraft, to new medications has reinvented itself as a global leader in the nation’s key industries in every half century for the past 250 years.
 
But this strength, a clear competitive advantage for Connecticut, has not been fully capitalized on in any meaningful or strategic way over the past few decades. The post-industrial decline of great industries stripped our key cities and the state of key parts of our rich and deep innovation traditions and connections.  The best path to return Connecticut to sustainable growth includes establishing strong networks that align our resources with the digital and information based industries – biotech, finance, insurance, aerospace, media and information systems - that we know can flourish here.  

This is the goal of the new innovation ecosystem effort. This new model is a blueprint for how a state can partner with many parts of the private, educational and institutional sectors to create a dynamic, entrepreneur-responsive environment where innovators can tap into the resources they need to grow and thrive. 

Here’s how it works:

Four hubs will be established in Stamford, Storrs, New Haven and Hartford that will assess all local resources and then work on a case by case basis to connect startups and existing firms with the potential to grow with the people, services, funds and attention they need, when they need it.  The hubs will also share and compare what they have and what they need with the other hubs.  All of this activity – still powered and led by the energy and initiative of Connecticut’s native and attracted entrepreneurs – will be monitored and fine-tuned by the efforts of a team our organization will lead along with the state’s Economic Resource Center.  Nothing and no one will fall through the cracks and scarce resources will be applied where they are most needed.

Studies that our group conducted in 2010 showed that the lack of strong and helpful networks was one of the most sought after conditions among our most successful high growth CEOs. The ecosystem programs will create a true public-private partnership to benefit and drive innovation.  It is a great sign that the Governor and his team have the confidence to allow this to be an organic, learn as you go, bottom-up, innovation community-based effort.

The bottom line for the state and its citizens will be over time an increase in Connecticut’s innovation “output” – the number of new startups and the number of mid-size firms that will be able to invest in innovation to stimulate growth.  Firms from all industry areas will be impacted. This is not picking winners, but laying out a red carpet for those that have the highest likelihood of rapid growth.

This will strengthen the state’s global reputation as a home for innovation.  In today’s world the key is to have companies and people who are destined for success to choose to come or stay here. Only one out 50 firms will be a true fast grower. We need to increase the number of these who want to and can grow in Connecticut.

Finally, it is good to see that Governor Malloy clearly recognizes that a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development does not work. The First Five/Next Five program focuses on large companies and the Small Business Express program provides financing for the state’s small, established businesses.  Now the innovation ecosystem will target our becoming a leader in high growth startups and fast growing smaller firms.  Ironically, Connecticut today has what is probably the finest state supported venture capital program in the country, Connecticut Innovations. The ecosystem will deliver a stream of new opportunities that will be worthy of this key state resource to invest in.

For those of us in the in tech community, the understanding by the Governor and his team that networks and relationships as well as agile and quick signs of support are the currency of growing a modern economy is very good news.  Eli Whitney chose Connecticut to start his business here, as did Oliver Winchester and Igor Sikorsky.  They each saw and said that the environment – the ecosystem – was the best for their big plans.  Together they created networks and relationship we still feel today.  So the networks and connections made now will still be reverberating in Connecticut 200 years into the future. These are the stakes we are playing for today.

Startup Weekend Hartford - September 21-23, 2012

The next Startup Weekend Hartford event is scheduled for September 21-23 at the Hartford Public Library.  The topic for this session will focus on Health & Wellness, with an emphasis on medical devices and new medical technology.

For more details, visit:  http://hartford.startupweekend.org/

Bob Dorf Speaking at FairCo TEEM on Wednesday, June 20.

…or maybe it's you. Maybe you or your friend should just start coding or hiring people to code, forge, build, weave or do whatever needs to be done to get to market fast.

Or maybe you should consider an approach where you really apply customer research to discover the Minimum Viable Product.  So that you launch with something that meets an unmet need and doesn't add anything unnecessary.  And maybe there’s a book that can help you, step by step, discover a product that customers really, really want.

Oh yeah, there is a book.   It's called The Startup Owners Manual and it was written by Steve Blank and Stamford’s own Bob Dorf, founder and CEO Dorf and Stanton Communications, 1to1/Peppers + Rogers Inc., etc.

Bob Dorf will be speaking at FairCo TEEM on Wednesday, June 20.  Bob has a great deal to share and everyone will learn a lot at this event. So please forward this note to your friend with that great startup idea. Or just come on down to the Stamford Innovation Center at 175 Atlantic St, Stamford, CT. Register here.

FYI, Parking is free in downtown Stamford after 6.  If you park at the Stamford Mall and walk over, it only costs $4.00


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Bob Dorf is an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Columbia Business School and the co-author, with Steve Blank, of The Startup Owner’s Manual. Sign-up here.