2010 – Page 3 of 78 – Concentrate

A2’s Discera adds 9 positions, quintuples revenue

By Newsroom

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December 8, 2010

Discera is ramping up its business model through customer service rather than product improvement, although both are playing key roles in their growth strategy.The California-based business that specializes in semi-conductor technology maintains its research & development operations in Ann Arbor. It changed its sales strategy about a year ago, adding system maintenance service for customers. That change allowed the company to grow its sales every quarter since, quintupling its revenue in one year."We really see this sales strategy working for us," says Wan-Thai Hsu, CTO for Discera. "At the same time we're expanding to a higher-end market where there is better pricing."Discera added nine jobs in 2010, expanding its staff to 42 people. That includes five people in the Ann Arbor office. The company expects its revenue to continue growing at that pace, and in turn to add another 5-10 positions in 2011. Discera is also a semi-finalist for the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, where it is not only showing off its product but looking for the next innovations it can capitalize on.Discera develops and markets a micro-electrical mechanical system that can replace traditional quartz crystals and oscillators. This product has the size, cost, and reliability typically associated with integrated circuits but offers more features, such as shorter lead-times and operation over a wider temperature range. The company spun this technology out of the University of Michigan nine years ago and moved to California a few years ago to be closer to its investors. It also became a campaign issue in Michigan's gubernatorial campaign because Gov.-elect Rick Snyder was an early investor.Source: Wan-Thai Hsu, CTO for DisceraWriter: Jon Zemke

NanoBio scores $6M grant from Gates Foundation, adds 10 positions

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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December 8, 2010

NanoBio just got a little bigger, thanks to a big investment ($6 million) from a big name, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.The foundation controlled by the founder of Microsoft and his wife awarded the seven-figure grant to NanoBio for vaccine development. The money will help support the development of the Ann Arbor-based company's intranasal vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a common causes of bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Most children contract the virus early and it's particularly dangerous for premature babies, children with other health conditions and the elderly.NanoBio is receiving the grant on the heels of some significant growth in 2010. It went from 20 employees at the beginning of the year to 30 and three interns today. Most of those hires brought in people to help develop NanoBio's vaccine portfolio. "We expect the same type of growth or better," says John Coffey, vice president of business development for NanoBio.NanoBio spun out from the University of Michigan's Center for Biological Nanotechnology a decade ago. The biopharmaceutical company develops dermatological products, anti-infective treatments and intranasal vaccines from its NanoStar platform. Its products treat herpes labialis, onychomycosis, acne, cystic fibrosis and it offers a number of intranasal vaccines.Source: John Coffey, vice president of business development for NanoBioWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Advanced Battery Control developing prototype for longer lasting energy source

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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December 8, 2010

Does it come with batteries? It's a required question for most electronics purchases, however, buyers of the new electric-hybrid vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt have a different version of that question. How long will the batteries last?A number of startups are working to improve the answer to the question, including Advanced Battery Control. The University of Michigan spinout is developing a battery management technology that extends the life of the newer and bigger lithium-ion batteries in these vehicles. "Battery management is the key to making the whole battery pack operate long enough, say 15 years," says Hahnsang Kim, co-founder of Advanced Battery Control. "Current technology barely lasts for a 10-15 year warranty."Advanced Battery Control, started in May in Ann Arbor, is in the early stages of developing this technology and creating a prototype. It recently placed in the Clean Energy Prize contest and is a semifinalist with the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. The five-person team is now fundraising so it can finish building its prototype within six months. Source: Hahnsang Kim, co-founder of Advanced Battery ControlWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Ann Arbor’s EJustice Solutions expands into Texas

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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December 8, 2010

Ann Arbor-based EJustice Solutions is finding considerable success south of Michigan's border, specifically in Texas.The Lone Star State has proved to be a fertile growth area for the recently reformed company. EJustice Solutions has hired about half a dozen people in 2010, thanks to 30-plus new customers, many of which are from Texas."That's a big growth area for us," says Dennis Blanchette, CEO of EJustice Solutions.EJustice Solutions creates and manages electronic record systems for law enforcement agencies and incarceration facilities. It is one of three companies working with the equivalent of the Texas State Troopers to provide a record management system. Blanchette has high hopes for the new partnership and expects "more aggressive and significant growth" in 2011.That growth should allow EJustice Solutions to add a few more jobs next year. It currently has a staff of 25 people and 5-10 independent contractors. Those jobs are located at the company's Ann Arbor headquarters, and in Colorado and Texas.Source: Dennis Blanchette, CEO of EJustice SolutionsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Monarch Antenna to launch ‘smart’ antenna tech

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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December 8, 2010

There isn't much technology they can't make smart these days. The latest example is Monarch Antenna, a company that is marketing a 'smarter' antenna.The Ann Arbor-based company is commercializing technology spun out of the University of Michigan for military, industrial and consumer electronics markets. The technology alters the electronic properties of an antenna so it can maximize signal quality.Monarch Antenna is three years old and has received a variety of seed capital infusions to develop the prototypes of its technology, including one from Automation Alley. The company is in the process of hiring a CEO and expects to commercialize its technology by next summer. Its current prototype is being installed on sensors that monitor wear and tear on a bridge on I-94.In the mean time, Monarch Antenna's team of five people is gearing up for the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, where it is a semifinalist. Its founders like their odds of scoring the $500,000 top prize, considering the wide reach of their technology."We have a good chance," says Tayfun Ozdemir, CTO for Monarch Antenna. "It's a unique product that cuts across many industries. As far as market potential is concerned, it's big. That prize money would allow us to penetrate those markets."Source: Tayfun Ozdemir, CTO for Monarch AntennaWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti start-ups score $145K in microloans

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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December 8, 2010

Three promising startups from the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area have received microloans from the Michigan Microloan Fund.FamilyMint, Fusion Coolant Systems and Shepherd Intelligent Systems will split $145,000 in loans. The division of that money was not released, but average microloans from the fund come to about $50,000. The money will help the startups continue to develop their technology and move their businesses forward.Ypsilanti-based Fusion Coolant Systems is developing a new lubrication system that will streamline the manufacturing process and make it more environmentally friendly. The CHiP Lube system is used during the cutting process and is not toxic like most other cutting lubricants.The two Ann Arbor-based companies are FamilyMint and Shepherd Intelligent Systems. The people behind FamilyMint created an online budgeting tool that helps kids learn how to manage and save money with parents acting as the bank. Shepherd Intelligent Systems is commercializing software developed at the University of Michigan that helps better manage mass transit, particularly bus systems. The software, which the Ann Arbor Transit Authority tested last year, provides real-time information on bus location, arrival predictions and other information directly to riders' smartphones. The Michigan Microloan Fund is managed by Ann Arbor SPARK. It has $1.8 million under management and has made loans to 45 businesses across the state. The fund, created to help fill seed capital gaps created by the financial crisis, makes anywhere between 24-48 loans annually.Source: Ann Arbor SPARKWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

The Whole Brain Group reinvents biz model, doubles team size

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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December 8, 2010

Marisa Smith's company changed its name three years ago and its business model last year. Today what is now The Whole Brain Group is bigger and more lucrative after a year of growing in Ann Arbor."We really transformed ourselves 100 percent," says Smith, president of The Whole Brain Group. "We went from a bad 2009 to triple what we had in 2010. Switching gears has been really a go for us."The Whole Brain Group focused primarily on software development when the recession hit. It lost a lot of that work, forcing it to take on a broader range of projects. Today it handles Internet marketing, social media management and mobile application development. It's also looking into expanding its product offerings to include software as a service. Pair that with its new partnership with Adaptive Materials and SRT Solutions to develop alternative energy technology for military vehicles, and the question starts to become, is there anything The Whole Brain Group doesn't do?"That has been a really good project for us," Smith says. "We added another person for that project."All of that new work has allowed the 8-year-old company to double its team to 12 people, including interns and independent contractors. It plans to add two more jobs in 2011 as it focuses on becoming more efficient so it can cross the $1 million company threshold.Source: Marisa Smith, president of The Whole Brain GroupWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

A Mighty Wind: Q&A with Jen Baird

By Jon Zemke

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Entrepreneurship

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December 8, 2010

While the U.S. is just starting to accept that wind power can help us move toward a more sustainable future, Ann Arbor-based Accio Energy is already reinventing the technology that harnesses it. Concentrate chats with Jen Baird, the company's CEO, about Wind Power 2.0, entrepreneurship, and what's next for Michigan's new economy.

Concentrate Speaker Event: Going Homegrown

By Concentrate Staff

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Arts and Culture

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December 7, 2010

What you eat is important - where it comes from, how it's grown, and what you know about it. Concentrate's speaker event moves into the A.M. hours for December as Jeff McCabe and his wife Lisa Gotleib, the founders of SELMA breakfast salon, talk about growing and eating local. We'll be offering up yummy conversation and local treats on Thursday, December 16th at 8am. Sign up today!

Green design firm Architectural Resource receives awards, plans hires

By Newsroom

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Arts and Culture

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December 1, 2010

Architectural Resource knows it's more than a leader when it comes to green, residential architecture. The Ann Arbor-based firm is responsible for the first, second, and third platinum-level LEED homes in Michigan and is starting on its fourth."Its going to be pretty stunning," says Michael Klement, principal of Architectural Resource. "We're going to have it open for tours during construction."The 19-year-old firm has held its own during a near nuclear winter for architecture firms in recent years. Architectural Resource's staffing stands at five employees and independent contractors. It is looking to add one position now and another two within the next year."I hire very slowly," Klement says. "It takes me about a year to find somebody. I have been looking for a designer for the last six months."Klement thanks mostly repeat business for his firm's growth, plus a number of awards received over the years, including mentions in Detroit Home Design and Best of the Midwest Design.Source: Michael Klement, principal of Architectural ResourceWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.