The Newsletter of the MTTC for the Massachusetts
entrepreneur & tech transfer community
August 15, 2016
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Welcome
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Dear MATTO Members and Friends,
We are used to seeing Fortune 500 companies set up scouting teams or open research facilities in Massachusetts to make sure they can access both the talent and the technology in the region. But now there are two new initiatives to help foster closer links to the Federal Government.
In late July, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter formally opened the Department of Defense's second innovation hub. The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, or DIUx, is one way the Pentagon is investing in innovation and a model for outreach to the United States' innovative technology communities. The Cambridge DIUx hub is strategically placed in a position to access leading-edge technologies, scientists and other experts.
The second initiative is the Massachusetts Innovation Bridge - located in the downtown Boston CIC. With support from the Baker-Polito Administration, the Innovation Bridge connects local businesses, non-profits, and academic institutions with federal opportunities. The Innovation Bridge will support opportunity identification and matching, technical exchanges, educational resources, and networking events. And through their relationships with local and federal agencies, the Innovation Bridge will assess and identify federal agency challenges and programs that are relevant to Massachusetts companies and research institutions.
The MTTC welcomes these two new additions to the ecosystem and looks forward to introducing our institutions, inventors and entrepreneurs to these new resources.
The MTTC Team - Abi, Julia, Michele and Barbara
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MTTC Update
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The Baker-Polito Administration announced $280,000 in funding for seven researchers and companies developing innovative clean energy and water technologies across the Commonwealth via Catalyst program. The Catalyst program, which is funded by MassCEC and managed by the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC), provides funding to early-stage researchers and companies as they work towards bringing promising products and technologies to market.
The following awardees each received a $40,000 grant:
- Dr. Chul Park (University of Massachusetts) - Amherst - Dr. Park's team is developing a biological wastewater treatment process that will dramatically reduce operational energy costs at wastewater treatment plants, while also allowing plant operators to recover and use otherwise-wasted energy.
- Wright Electric Airplanes (Jeff Engler) - Boston - Wright Electric Airplanes is developing electric-powered passenger aircraft, with funding supporting data acquisition and in-air experimental flights.
- Dr. Alan Hatton (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) - Cambridge - Dr. Hatton's team is developing an energy-saving water purification system focused on the removal of contaminants and heavy metals.
- Dr. Marc Hodes (Tufts University) - Medford - Dr. Hodes is developing a technology to lower the amount of energy needed to cool computing data centers, large consumers of energy.
- Battery Resourcers, LLC (Dr. Eric Gratz) - North Grafton - Battery Resourcers is developing a recycling process using materials from spent batteries in new lithium-ion batteries.
- NewGrid (Dr. Pablo Ruiz) - Somerville - NewGrid is developing software to help electric transmission operators re-route electricity on the grid in times of system congestion, potentially saving billions of dollars in congestion costs and allowing for uninterrupted transmission of renewable power.
- CoolComposites, Inc. (Alan Ransil) - Waltham - CoolComposites is developing an additive for foam insulation that would absorb heat, lowering the amount of energy needed to cool a building.
The next solicitation for the Catalyst Awards will be announced in mid-September - please check our website for details.
Save the date! MATTO New Venture Showcase 2016
When: November 3, 2016, 1:00-6:30pm
Where: The University of Massachusetts Club, One Beacon Street, 32nd Floor, Boston MA, 02108
The Massachusetts Association of Technology Transfer Offices (MATTO) is showcasing start-ups emerging from Massachusetts research institutions, hospitals and universities.
A select number of new ventures will pitch to an audience of angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate investors, and family offices.
The forum will showcase start-ups from various fields, including Ocean and Marine Sciences; Food and Nutrition; Cyber Security; Big Data; Clean Tech; Manufacturing; Materials; IT/Communication; Health Tech.
Application submission and registration are open soon at mttc.org
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Funding Opportunities
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Johnson & Johnson Innovation is Looking for the Best Idea, Technology or Solution to Award $500,000
Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Janssen Research & Development are bringing together the consumer, medical device and pharmaceutical sectors to award a prize or a series of prizes to the person or team(s) who submits the best idea, technology, or solution that will address a critical health need for the world's population.
MassTLC Advanced Manufacturing Futures Program Grant
MassTLC, in collaboration with MassRobotics and MassMEP, was awarded a grant from MassDevelopment's Advanced Manufacturing Futures Fund Program to facilitate growth and competitiveness in the field of manufacturing.
Need local manufacturing support? Be part of our initiative to match local entrepreneurs and technologist to local supply chain vendors. To participate in this program, please fill out the Robotics and IoT Company survey: Survey link
If you have any questions please contact Joyce Sidopoulos at joyces@masstlc.org
Meet with leaders from the National Cancer Institute's SBIR program
When
: August 31, 2016 12:15pm
Where
: JLABS @ LabCentral, 700 Main Street, Cambridge, MA
The National Cancer Institute Small Business Innovation Research (NCI SBIR) Development Center is coming to JLABS @ LabCentral! Program directors Jonathan Franca-Koh and Christie Canaria will be presenting funding opportunities and other resources for startups in cancer technology. Learn about 15 new targeted funding opportunities in cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment in high priority areas of research for the NCI.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
CARB-X, the new international partnership funding research
CARB-X, the new international partnership funding research to tackle the threat posed by untreatable bacterial infections. MassBio will help identify promising startups working in the antimicrobial resistance field and provide business support and mentoring services to CARB-X companies as an extension of MassBio's successful startup mentorship program, MassCONNECT
MassBio will host an information session on CARB-X on September 7th, 2016 where companies can apply for individual meetings. Beginning in September, CARB-X will begin reviewing applications to determine the most promising products to fund. Decisions will be made by the Scientific Advisory Board, with input from the agencies, including BARDA and NIAID, and the funders. Applicants should check the website (www.carb-x.org) for updates.
Learn more about the CARB-X initiative and its partners in the CARB-X announcement here
and at MassBio's website here.
Submit U.S.- Israel Joint Proposals to the BIRD Foundation
Project proposal should include:
- R&D cooperation between two, unrelated companies, one registered in the U.S. and the other in Israel. The companies should jointly apply for BIRD support
- Research and development topics within the scope of this call include but are not limited to: Agrotechnology, Cleantech and Environment, Communications, Electronics, FinTech, Gas, Homeland Security and Cyber Security, Life Sciences, Software, etc.
- The jointly developed technology or product(s) must have considerable innovation
- Significant commercial potential
BIRD funds up to 50% of the R&D costs associated with the joint project. The maximum conditional grant per project is up to $1 million.
Timetable and deadlines:
Executive Summaries (using BIRD's template) - September 12, 2016
Full Proposals (following BIRD's detailed instructions) - October 13, 2016
Decisions - December 13, 2016
For further inquiries please contact Andrea Yonah, andreay@birdf.com, Tel: 609-356-0305
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Spin-off and Start-up News
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Cellanyx Recognized as Best Prostate Cancer Biomarker Poster Presentation
at 2016 American Urological Association Annual Meeting. Cellanyx has expanded is platform applications beyond prostate diagnostics and will be sharing data on its breast cancer diagnostic and compound discovery & therapy validation / selection applications later this year and into 2017. Cellanyx Diagnostics is developing a proprietary living cell phenotypic cancer diagnostic platform to aid clinical decision making. Learn more at www.cellanyx.com.
UMass licenses "excipient food" technology that enhances absorption of drugs and vitamins. UMass Amherst and business development firm Kayon Partners are forming a new company to commercialize a unique food technology developed by a university researcher. The technology surrounds the use of "excipients," or materials that can be used to increase the absorption of drugs and vitamins by the body. It is well known that some foods, such as grape juice, can interfere with the absorption of certain drugs and vitamins. UMass professor D. Julian McClements discovered a way to make foods that do the opposite - enhance absorption.
Read more
Third Rock Ventures announced committing $55 million to launch Fulcrum Therapeutics, a Cambridge startup whose name summarizes its mission to restore balance to the regulation of gene mutations that cause disease. Fulcrum has a combination of approaches to drug development, which includes using disease tissue from a patient's own cells, screening tools such as CRISPR/CAS9 and chemical probe libraries and publicly-available data on gene regulation. The end goal is a regulatory on-off switch that can turn on a gene's ability to make a certain protein in some cases or turn it off in others.
Read more
Editas licenses CRISPR technology from Mass. Hospital
. Editas Medicine signed a license agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital to gain access to technology and intellectual property associated with high-fidelity Cas9 nucleases and Cas9 protospacer adjacent motif variants. The technology was developed by one of Editas' consultants, Dr. J. Keith Joung, who is also an associate chief for research at Massachusetts General. Read more
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| Events of Interest |
NEWIN Water Pitch Night
When
: Wednesday, August 17, 2016 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Where: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center - 63 Franklin St 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02110
Please join New England Water Innovation Network (NEWIN) and the local water industry startup community for an evening of water technology pitches and networking. Theme: Nitrogen Removal and Coastal Water Quality. Keynote - Eric Stoermer the CEO of EOSi will share key learnings from his 12 years commercializing a suite of proprietary, non-hazardous, green-chemistry solutions for denitification. Entrepreneurs, academics, technologists and investors are all welcome to join to get a glimpse of local innovation and connect with other water professionals.
Water Pitch Night is a FREE event for NEWIN Members and our Academic and Government Friends.
Contact
mgay@newengland-win.org
to request a promocode for a free ticket
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For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Drug Discovery and Therapy World Congress 2016
When
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August 22nd - Thursday, August 25th, 2016
Where: Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, 900 Boylston St, Boston, MA
This conference will host leading scientists from the academia and industry worldwide, to discuss the latest developments in drug discovery and therapy and promises to be a large event with up to 400 lectures in 40 thematic sessions with an allied poster presentation. The major topics of discussion related to drug, discovery and therapy will include: Pharmaceutical Research & Development, Translational Medicine, Regenerative Medicine, Enabling Technologies, Structural Biology, Drug Delivery & Targeting, Antiinfectives, Biologics, CNS Drug Discovery & Therapy, Diabetes and Obesity Drug Discovery & Therapy, Women's Health Drug Discovery & Therapy, Drug Discovery in Preclinical Research, Cardiovascular Drug Discovery & Therapy, Oncology, Process Chemistry and Drug Manufacturing, Pulmonary Drug Discovery & Therapy, Academic CRO/Industrial collaborations in drug discovery, and more.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
MassTLC: Comprehensive Security - A 360 Degree View of your Security Program
When
: Wednesday, August 31st, 12:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Where: Microsoft NERD, 1 Memorial Drive, 1st Floor, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
Join for a day of preparation and readiness as speakers walk through a simulated breach providing best practices at every escalation point throughout. Topics include: The cost of a breach on your bottom line; What steps to take at each level of escalation and who needs to be involved; How you balance your legal obligations with your overall marketing and brand efforts; and What you need to know about securing 3rd parties in a connected world.
For more information and to register please visit the
Event website
RESI Boston 2016
When
: Tuesday, September 13, 2016 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM EDT
Where
: The Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116
The Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) Conference
is an ongoing conference series that will be establishing a global circuit for early stage life sciences companies to source investors, create relationships, and eventually, get funding. The RESI conference focuses on the diverse breadth of early stage investors that LSN tracks, including Family Offices, Venture Philanthropy Funds, VCs, Angel Groups, Corporate Venture Capital Funds, and more. Through an expansive series of panels and workshops, attendees will have the chance to hear firsthand accounts from investors explaining their current investment mandates and process for identifying and qualifying candidates. Panels include: "Early Stage Therapeutics Investors" and "Elevating an Ecosystem - Incubators, Accelerators, and New Models".
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
BioPharm America™ 2016-9th Annual International Partnering Conference
When: September 13, 2016 - September 15, 2016
Where: Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Ave,Boston , MA
BioPharm America™ is where biotech industry partnerships get started. Beginning its ninth year as an industry event, BioPharm America™ creates a robust exchange among hundreds of executives from venture capital firms, major pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and biotechnology companies of every size from mature to startup. To help bring attention to early stage projects and small entrepreneurial companies BioPharm America features a full Biotech Startup Day program. This is specifically designed for early stage projects and young companies to get on the radar of the global life science community.
For more information and to register please visit the
Event website
Cleantech Energy Storage Finance Forum
When: September 15, 2016, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, 63 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA
The forum will feature short "pitches" from several startup companies in the clean energy storage market space, a panel presentation, and a diversified networking session. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from and network with others members of the cleantech community, investors, industry experts and strategic partners. For more information or to pitch, contact Paul Aresta at (860) 291-8832 or Tom Ollila at (781) 789-6160
The AUTM 2016 Eastern Region Meeting
When: September 29 - 30, 2016
Where:
The Westin Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Attendees will gather to discuss best practices and strategies for industry-academia partnerships that culminate in successful product commercialization through company formation or licensing and other agreements.
- Discover new approaches - from making the most of your gap funding to low-cost, high-impact guerrilla marketing of technologies.
- Gain tips from experts - learn how MakerSpaces tap new sources of innovation.
- More networking opportunities - connect with colleagues over lunch, session breaks and this year's special evening reception.
- Learn how to manage and maximize your intellectual capital and partnerships to ensure liberty and the pursuit of happiness for your university and researchers.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
HUB Presents: Demo Day
When:
September 30, 2016
Where: Hynes Convention Center,
900 Boylston St
Boston,
MA
02115
Imagine yourself in a room with some the most impactful people and companies in this region. Join us in celebrating and recognizing companies in Boston making the greatest impact in this city. At Demo Day, visionary companies from the leading local startup incubators, accelerators, corporate innovation labs, who are fueling the change here in Boston will pitch, share and demo their work for recognition of their impact.
The event is free but you need to register.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Meet with the National Institute on Drug Abuse
When
: October 27, 2016 10:30am -1pm
Where: TBD, Cambridge, MA
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is the leading federal agency providing funding to support and advance the science on the causes and consequences of drug use (including nicotine) and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health. NIDA supports the activities in neurobiological, behavioral, and social fields and, through its Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR), assists US-based small business to develop new drug discovery and development-enabling technologies, useful research tools for conducting basic research, medical devices and mobile health applications.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
MassMEDIC's 17th Annual MedTech Showcase
When:
October 28, 2016, 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Where:
Westin Hotel, 70 3rd Ave, Waltham, MA
MassMEDIC will host its 17th Annual MedTech Showcase on Friday, October 28 at the Westin Hotel in Waltham. This is the region's premier event for entrepreneurs, potential investors and partners to gather and learn more about the technologies and business plans of over 20 select emerging medtech companies.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
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MTTC is based at UMass and facilitates technology transfer from all research institutions, public and private, in the Commonwealth. The Center is financially supported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and MTDC. www.mttc.org MATTO is the Massachusetts Association of Technology Transfer Offices www.masstechtransfer.org
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