Technology and Innovation

U-M students sample their possible future in tech business and culture

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November 7, 2012

From Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey to Yelp to the Walmart-sponsored 48-Hour Mobile Apps Hackathon, U-M students get a taste of what's waiting for them in the ever-changing tech marketplace. Excerpt: "Yelp is an aggressive player in the increasingly expensive recruiting wars to find the next tech superstar. “Having a second event today is a great way to have people come back and get a little bit more information,” says Chess. “When you’re at the career fair, there’s a really long line of people, you only get a minute or so to talk to each individual person. You can only communicate so much information in that time.” The solution: Lure students back with a tech talk from experts, four-star Indian food and fairly good odds at leaving with an iPad. The scene almost makes one forget the real reason they’re here." Read the rest here.

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U-M researchers develop heartbeat powered battery

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Healthy Communities

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November 7, 2012

One word: Piezoelectricity Researchers at the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan have developed a battery prototype that can take the motion generated by a heartbeat and use it to recharge pacemakers. Excerpt: "For the latest study the team measured heartbeat-induced vibrations in the chest. They then used a 'shaker' to reproduce the vibrations in the laboratory and connected it to a prototype cardiac energy harvester they had developed.Measurements of the prototype's performance, based on a wide range of simulated heartbeats, showed the energy harvester generated more than 10 times the power required by modern pacemakers." Read the rest here.

Real Time Farms partners with NYC-based Food52

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Economic Development

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November 7, 2012

Real Time Farms has struck a strategic partnership with Food52, a popular cooking website. The Ann Arbor-based food transparency start-up sees their partnership with the New York City-based company as a way to build national recognition. "It's a much bigger thing," says Cara Rosaen, co-founder of Real Time Farms. "It's one of the top cooking sites around. It's really a natural fit to partner with a nationally known cooking site." Real Time Farms got its start a couple of years ago as a combination social media tool for foodies and online directory of farmers markets and their vendors. Users can share pictures of local markets and farm stands by posting them on the site, along with product information and handy tips for other patrons. Rosaen co-founded Real Time Farms with her husband Karl, a former Google employee who moved back to Michigan to start the venture. Partnering with Food52 provides more capital to continue Real Time Farms' growth and add more farms, farmers markets and food artisans to its data base. It's currently shooting to expand the number of those food producers to 5,000-7,000 across the country over the next year. Roseaen expects the partnership with Food52 will allow them to do that. "We're not worried about business models anymore," Rosaen says. "We're just worried about doing good." Source: Cara Rosaen, co-founder of Real Time Farms Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Pure Visibility moves into old Menlo space to make room for new staff

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Innovation News

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October 31, 2012

Pure Visibility is all about change in 2012. The search-engine-optimization firm has transitioned its leadership earlier this year, is executing a move to a new space and revamping its business model over the next year. "It's the year of change in a very positive way," says Linda Girard, president & CEO of Pure Visibility. Pure Visibility made its home in the First National Building in downtown Ann Arbor for a number of years. It is now relocating to the former offices of Menlo Innovations in Kerrytown, a move that is expected to take place in mid to late November. Girard not only welcomes the additional open space, with fewer walls and hallways, but more opportunity for her staff to communicate. "I always wanted an open collaborative space where we are all in one room," Girard says. "We're in sections right now." The move will also help accomodate the company's growing staff. It has hired three people this year, expanding to 20 people and one intern. It's looking to add one more staffer, a sales director, right now. Pure Visibility is expecting the new staff, home and leadership (one of the company's co-founders left earlier this year) will allow it to revamp its business model and enable it to offer more product and service offerings. "We want to be buzzing with energy in our new space," Girard says. "I want the company to be highly energized. Sky is the limit around here." Source: Linda Girard, president & CEO of Pure Visibility Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting adds staff in Ann Arbor

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Economic Development

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October 31, 2012

What was once Biotechnology Business Consultants is now BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting, a new name for a longtime staple of Ann Arbor's tech scene. The 22-year-old consulting company specializes in helping bio-tech start-ups develop their technologies and nurture their business. Stability and growth often take several years of work and millions of dollars in investment to bring new bio-tech innovations to the market. BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting has been there for a lot of that evolution. And its growing. BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting has increased its staff from five employees and an independent contractor last January to seven employees today. Lisa Kurek, BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting's managing partner, credits the federal government's recent reauthorization of the federal research funding, like Small Business Innovation Research grants, as the driving force of growth in the bio-tech space. "Once we had that long-term commitment we picked up some steam because we have a solid national reputation," Kurek says. BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting recently received a FAST grant from the federal and state governments that clocks in at the low six figures. She sees more more like that in the marketplace as the reason why her sector will continue to grow and why she is looking at adding more staff in the not-too-distant future. "I would love to add someone else," Kurek says. Source: Lisa Kurek, managing partner with BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Toyota Tech Center celebrates 35 years of R&D

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Community Development

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October 31, 2012

Toyota's North American research and development facilities found not one but four homes in Michigan. To celebrate their three and a half decades here they handed out grants to local non-profits like 826Michigan, Ele's Place, The hope Clinic, and Growing Hope. Excerpt: "Toyota Technical Center (TTC) has been the driving force behind Toyota's North American engineering and research & development (R&D) activities since 1977. Headquartered in Michigan, TTC has R&D facilities in Ann Arbor, Saline, Plymouth and Livonia. In California," Read the rest here.

EXO Dynamics creates bio-tech device that helps lessen back pain

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Innovation News

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October 31, 2012

A group of five University of Michigan students are turning PhD work into a new back brace and a business called EXO Dynamics. EXO Dynamics is developing an electro-mechanical back brace for medical professionals that prevents injury and lessens pain without reducing mobility. It has developed a couple of prototypes and plans to begin testing the technology in hospitals over the next year. "This means users pain and suffering in their back is reduced," says Jorge Sanz-Guerrero, CEO & co-founder of EXO Dynamics. "It also means the need for surgery is also reduced." The group of innovators have been developing the back brace this year at TechArb, a small-business incubator geared toward student-led start-ups run by the University of Michigan. EXO Dynamics plans to transition to the Venture Accelerator in the university's North Campus Research Complex later this year. The start-up plans to continue testing its product over the next year and hopes to launch its product next year. The firm is looking to nail down some seed funding before the end of this year. "This year we are raising $250,000 through microloans, pre-seed funds and local investors," Sanz-Guerrero says. Source: Jorge Sanz-Guerrero, CEO & co-founder of EXO Dynamics Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

U-M student start-up Youtrivia graduates from TechArb

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Economic Development

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October 31, 2012

Youtrivia learned some valuable lessons from its time at TechArb, and plans to leverage those to not only grow its own business model but to create another space for start-ups in Ann Arbor. The 1-year-old start-up was launched by a small group of University of Michigan students who decided to create software meant to help people build up brands through casual video games. The software allows users to create games using feature images, videos, and trivia related to a company's brand. This strategy helps to deliver deep marketing messages to consumers through an entertaining experience. Youtrivia's co-founders realized this wasn't the best business model when they took a closer look at the market while at the TechArb. "We felt the market was very hard to compete in because brands normally trust established marketing firms to handle their brands," says Ricardo Rodriguez, CEO & co-founder of Youtrivia. Youtrivia is now focusing more on end-users, turning itself into a game development company that is focused on producing entertainment products with a focus on music. Youtrivia's founders are also looking to start their own tech hub on the south side of town. The four-person company was having a hard time finding a start-up community it felt comfortable with so it's starting its own. Rodriguez says his company is close to signing a lease for office space on South State Street and expects to share with five other tech start-ups. "We are very excited that we were able to find our own space with other digital companies," Rodriguez says. Source: Ricardo Rodriguez, CEO & co-founder of Youtrivia Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

AMF-Nano leverages microloan to help commercialize tech

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Economic Development

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October 24, 2012

A small Ann Arbor-based bio-tech start-up recently received a little infusion of cash, with which it expects to make a big splash next year. AMF-Nano recently received financing from the Michigan Microloan Fund, where the microloans usually average about five figures in size. The 3-year-old start-up plans to use that money to continue the development of its innovative nano sensor that could help detect heart attacks and be implanted in pacemakers. "There is a need for instruments to be smaller, cheaper and better for the human body," says Rakesh Kapragadda, president & chief scientist of AMF-Nano. The two-person team is working out of the University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Institute where it is developing a smart sensor system. That system could be used by cardiac patients to help self-monitor their own heart for signs of heart attacks instead of habitually visiting medical centers for checkups. Another version of the platform could be used in pacemakers. "All of the funds will go toward the commercialization of these technologies at the University of Michigan," Kapragadda says, adding he expects his start-up to commercialize the technology within six months. Source: Rakesh Kapragadda, president & chief scientist of AMF-Nano Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

$875K fellowship to U-M prof to study ice

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In The News

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October 24, 2012

Greenland is hardly anyone's idea of a celebratory destination but that's where University of Michigan assistant professor Sarah Aciego is headed with her Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering award. Though far from paradise, it is a great place to study what melted ice water can reveal about global climate change. Excerpt: "Aciego is an assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences in the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; and assistant professor of atmospheric, oceanic and space sciences in the College of Engineering. Among the classes she teaches is an undergraduate class in geomorphology, the study of how glaciers, rivers and landslides have shaped the surface of the earth." Read the rest here.