The Latest on Innovation &
Entrepreneurship in Maryland
December 2019

Attila Security , a TEDCO portfolio company, announced its advanced security solutions have achieved the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) Common Criteria certification.

Attila Security, a leader in IP security, announced today that two of its advanced security solutions have achieved the National Information Assurance Partnership ( NIAP )  Common Criteria   certification.

The Common Criteria certification validates that a product meets strict security requirements for U.S. National Security System procurement. NIAP is the U.S. Scheme within the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA), which is mutually recognized by 31 member countries.

RECENT NEWS FROM DATAKWIP

Datakwip wins Pitch Competition at the BuiltWorlds Fall 2019 Demo Day at Venture West

10 incredible technology startups came to compete for the title last week, and we are happy to announce that our very own TEDCO Seed company, Datakwip, is this year's winner. Congrats Cory Purdue and the entire Datakwip team!

BuiltWorlds is an exclusive member network that gathers c-suite, owners, investors, startup, innovators and tech leaders.
Datakwip opens New Office in Frederick, Maryland

Neil Davis , TEDCO’s Senior Director of Entrepreneurial Services, has recently announced his retirement at the end of 2019. Neil joined the TEDCO team in April 2014, bringing with him nine years as the VP of Operations at Baltimore’s Emerging Technology Centers (ETC) and 31 years in the private sector.

During Neil's tenure at TEDCO, he was instrumental in many initiatives including:
  • mdPACE Program
  • Executive Exchange Program
  • Incubation Challenge
  • Rural Business Innovation Initiative (Pre-Seed Investments and I-Corps)
  • and many more...

Best of luck and well wishes in your retirement, Neil!
" I participated in this comprehensive program in the early summer. It is certainly not a walk in the park. BUT, compared to other 2hr or half day programs that do nothing but show you a few websites, pat you on the back, and collect money, this is a WAY WAY better use of your time! Airgility is now enjoying the benefits of a Phase I NSF SBIR Award (no short change at $225k), and the hard work paid off! Their review process and feedback as the writing takes places is pure SBIR writing gold whether a novice or skilled proposal writer. GO OST AND TEDCO! "
- Evandro Valente, Founder and CTO, Airgility
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TEDCO's Start-up Orientation Forum
Thursday, December 5, 2019
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
TEDCO Office

Perspective on Leadership in Biotech
Thursday, December 5, 2019
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
RoosterBio

Preparing an SBIR Commercialization Plan
Friday, December 6, 2019
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Germantown Innovation Center

TEDCO Seed Open Forum
Monday, December 9, 2019
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
TEDCO Office

EAGB 2019 Annual Meeting
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
M&T Bank Stadium, North Club Lounge

HUBZone Industry Awards Gala
Friday, January 17, 2020
6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Morgan State University

Sonavex , a TEDCO portfolio company, raises $3 million, preps for national product launch

Baltimore's  Sonavex  Inc. has raised $3 million in new equity funding as it gears up for a nationwide launch of its medical devices.

The financing round included both new and existing investors, including Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center, the company said Tuesday.

Sonavex, headquartered in the Canton neighborhood, is backed by a total of $6.8 million in venture funding to date. The company has also previously earned about $5 million in grant funding from various sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO). The latest  $3 million in grant funding  was awarded to Sonavex through the NIH earlier this year to support additional clinical testing of its tech.

NextStep Robotics' Brad Hennessie shares why he chose to live and grow his TEDCO Portfolio Company in Maryland

When Brad Hennessie isn't running his tech startup, he's spending time with his family in Columbia, Maryland. The city, directly between Baltimore and Washington D.C., is known for its diversity and top-notch education system. And that's why the Hennessies love living there.

Congratulations to Carolyn Yarina of  Sisu Global  for being named one of Forbes Under 30 for health care!

This year, Yarina's company, Sisu Global, launched its first product designed to tackle the problem of chronic blood shortages for transfusions in certain parts of Africa. This device, called Hemafuse, can replace or augment donor blood in emergency situations. The company has won multiple awards for its work and has raised over $3.2 million in financial backing so far.

Curbio , a TEDCO portfolio company, partners with D.C.-area luxury real estate brand

Curbio Inc., the rapidly expanding Potomac startup that pays for home renovations to boost sale prices, said Monday it has partnered with local luxury real estate company TTR Sotheby’s Realty.

The move comes after Curbio  raised $7.1 million in fresh funding  and added Camber Creek Managing Partner  Casey Berman  to its board, alongside  Darren Bechtel , managing director of Brick & Mortar Ventures. Founded in 2016 by former Vocus Inc. CEO and Chairman  Rick Rudman , Curbio has already expanded beyond the D.C. area to cities including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and Chicago, as well as Orlando, Tampa, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale in Florida. The company said it intends to enter "dozens more" markets in the coming months.

EliteGamingLive , a TEDCO portfolio company, in the news

EliteGamingLive, or EGL, is an esports league tailored to K-12 students that combines the burgeoning field of esports with educational programming to help parents and educators introduce students to STEM fields, said the company’s founder Kerwin Rent.

BioBuzz: Five Female Investors Who Are Making Their Mark in Life Science

Less than 10% of decision-makers at U.S. venture capital (VC) firms are women and a whopping 74% of U.S. VC firms have no female investors at all, according to TechCrunch. While the number of female VC decision-makers has increased over the last few years, progress has been painfully slow. 

The life science industry, and the venture capital ecosystem that supports it reflects this broader U.S. gender gap. A 2017 Lifestream study found that only 10.9% of publicly-traded biotech board seats were held by women and less than 8% of public biotech CEOs were female. (The survey included 177 biotech companies that were publicly listed between 2012 and 2015.) 

BioBuzz: If You Want to Raise Venture Capital These are Two Often Overlooked Factors That Investors Want to See

If you are an entrepreneur, there is no better place to sharpen your pitch, gain valuable connections and learn from veteran business leaders and investors than the annual Entrepreneur Expo hosted by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation’s (TEDCO). In it’s 9th year the Entrepreneur Expo attracted approximately 900 attendees from across the Biohealth Capital Region (BHCR) and beyond who came together to share ideas, collaborate and network. 

Success Breeds Success: How A $250M Acquisition Catalyzed Baltimore’s MedTech Ecosystem

One company gets absorbed into a larger brand and a host of companies flower as a result. The Biohealth Capital Region’s (BHCR)  cycle of creative destruction   has continued with Harpoon Medical. This was the story shared at the  TEDCO Entrepreneur Expo’s  session titled, “Success Breeds Success.” 

Liftoff PGH 2020 efforts continue full steam ahead through the fall

Work continued briskly through October on preparation for  Liftoff PGH 2020 , with a second advisory committee meeting and the public announcement that Liftoff PGH will merge with the Pittsburgh's Life Sciences Week next year.

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