TechJournal South introduces you to its 2008 Tech 50 list of innovative Southeastern technology and biotech companies. They are listed alphabetically. Today, the first 15.
Advanced Liquid Logic, RTP, NC – www.advanced-liquidlogic.com
Advanced Liquid Logic’s “Digital Microfluidics” is a revolutionary approach to liquid handling. There are no pipes, pumps or valves. Instead, discrete droplets are manipulated electrically – using electrodes to independently control each droplet. Digital microfluidics enables extremely flexible Lab-on-a-Chip devices that can be configured in software to execute virtually any assay protocol. Founded in 2004, the company has over 80 issue and filed patents.
Altea Therapeutics, Atlanta – www.alteatherapeutics.com
Altea Therapeutics is developing and commerciualizing pharmaceutical products based on a new class of transdermal (through the skin) patches that deliver therapeutic levels of water-soluable small drugs, proteins and carbohydrates in a painless, easy to use manner. The company’s insulin transdermal patch provides an alternative to repeat insulin injections, tapping into a growing $7 billon global market. The company has raised $47 million in venture backing.
Argos Therapeutics, Durham, NC – www,argostherapeutics.com
Argos Therapeutics is developing a therapy that holds promise for enlisting the immune system in the fight against cancer, HIV and infectious disease. The company’s dendritic cell therapies can kick start the immune system, targeting it to specific tumors or infections. It expects to mount three major clinical trials by the end of 2007. Argos has raised more than $92 million in venture funding, most recently a $35.2 million C round in April.
Aplicor. Boca Raton, FL – www.aplicor.com
Founded in 2000, Aplicor has won 18 awards for its hosted customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning software, making it the most awarded software as a service provider in the CRM industry. Its applicatons sell for $89 a user per month.The company is self-funded but may seek from $5 million to $10 million if finds a venture backer offering the right terms. Founder and CEO Chuck Shaeffer has 21 years experience in the CRM sector. Although the company has marquee U.S. clients such as Intel and the U.S. Department of Commerce, 70 percent of its customers are foreign.
Aurora Flight Services, Manassas, VA, – www.aurora.aero
Aurora Flight Sciences manufactures state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems and components for the scientific research, defense and homeland security markets. Aurora’s unmanned aircraft are distinguished by their daring designs and record-breaking performances. John Langford started Aurora Flight Sciences in 1989. Langford had recently managed the world record breaking Daedalus human powered aircraft project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Throughout the mid-1990s the pace of aircraft development at Aurora was rapid, and several landmark achievements, including a world altitude record set by the Perseus B, were accomplished. The new Aurora Flight Sciences of West Virginia facility enables Aurora to provide cost-effective, high-precision manufacturing services to large defense contractors. In addition to acquiring the manufacturing facility, Aurora developed strategic relationships with leading defense companies such as Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon and Sikorsky. Aurora has been a major supplier to the RQ-4 Global Hawk program since 1995, providing the primary composite flight structures for the high altitude long endurance UAS.
AxoGen, Gainesville, FL –
AxoGen is commercializing technology that repairs peripheral nerves. Its Avance product is a human allograft nerve that supports axon regeneration along the repaired nerve. The company says its technologies may help people who lose strength, movement and muscle mass due to a traumatic injury to the arm, lose the ability to smile due to a facial injury, or lose sexual function due to prostrate surgery or suffer other injuries or surgical damage to peripheral nerves. AxoGen raised a $12.1 million C round at the end of 2007. The company expects to sell $30 million worth of Avance Nerve Grafts by 2010.
Biolex Therapeutics, Pittsboro, NC – www.biolex.com
Biolex Therapeutics focuses on producing hard to synthesize proteins via the aquatic plant Lemna (Duckweed). Its first products are monoclonal antibodies and it has trademarked the term “plantibody.” Biolex withdrew it IPO registration in February this year. The company has raised about $100 million in venture funding.
Calyptix, Charlotte, NC
Calyptix manufactures AccessEnforcer, an all-in-one network security appliance that cuts costs, boosts productivity and protects networks for small and medium businesses such as financial, healthcare, accounting, and legal, manufacturing, nonprofit and other service organizations. All features are available through a single user interface for a single price without any integration, seat licenses or hidden charges. Calyptix Security’s expertise is evidenced in several industry-wide vulnerability discoveries and in DyVax, the company’s proprietary inspection engine, that dynamically filters email traffic, executable files and Microsoft Office files from true zero-day threats without reliance on signatures. Calyptix’ flexible authorized partners program accelerates sales cycles and increases customer satisfaction while generating generous partner margins. CEO, Ben Yarbrough. The company is seeking $1 million to $2.5 million in funding.
Camero, Tyson’s Corner, VA -www.camero-tech.com
Camero 3D “Through–Wall Vision” products open doors for the military, law enforcement organizations, and search and rescue operations. The 5-year business plan delineates three initial markets for Xaver 800 products: the military, law enforcement organizations, and search and rescue operations. This Tyson’s Corner-based firm was founded in 2003 has raised over $19 million to date.
Cernium Corp., Reston, VA – www.cernium.com
Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan named Cernium the 2008 North American Emerging Company of the Year for its efforts in developing and promoting real-time, content analytics-enabled products for video surveillance. Cernium’s analytics engine, called the “P-Core,” performs advanced event analysis with a fraction of the processing power required by comparable systems. It can process multiple, concurrent video streams in real time for any number of event types, providing greater ability to extract useful information from the video at less cost. The company has raised 17.5 million thus far.
Clearleap, Atlanta – www.clearleap.com
Clearleap develops technologies it says will expand viewer options for “what’s on TV,” creating a new model that brings the breadth and diversity of internet video to the convenience and quality of TV. Clearleap was co-founded by Braxton Jarratt and John Vecchio, veterans of venture funded N2Broadband, a video pioneer acquired by Tandberg for $120 Million in 2005. “The system we’re building takes video from different sources in different formats worldwide and processes the video and data so it can play on existing networks, whether broadcasters, IPTV or satellite,” says Jarratt. The company raised $9 million in March.
Damballa, Atlanta – www.damballa.com
Damballa protects businesses from targeted attacks used for organized, online crime. Its global approach rapidly isolates the command-and-control needed to launch multi-network attacks. These signatureless solutions improve security both inside and outside the network perimeter, to stop threats other technologies miss and restore control to legitimate owners. Damballa helps stop the “bot armies” that spammers, identity thieves, and denial of service attackers use by hijacking PCs. The company raised $6 million in August last year and $2.5 million in 2006.
EnerTech Environmental, Atlanta – www.enertech.com
EnerTech’s patented technology, the SlurryCarb process, economically produces a renewable fuel from biosolids and other high-moisture wastes. EnerTech closed $160 million financing for its first commercial SlurryCarb facility in Rialto, California. It raised $42 million in a second round in January 2008. “We see the project under construction in California as a springboard for future projects,” said David Nazarian of Nimes Capital, an investor. “What EnerTech has done will transform the biosolids market for many years to come. We see the opportunity not only in California, but elsewhere in the United States and the world.”
ESP Systems, Charlotte, NC – www.espsystems.net
ESP Systems wants to help restaurants keep customers coming back. The number one reason they don’t is customer service problems. ESP, which has raised five rounds of capital, most recently $2.5 million in December last year, makes a wireless communications technology that connects restaurant servers to their customers and the kitchen. Customers can let servers know when they need something. The tech may be relevant to several customer-centric, labor-intensive industries, including gaming, mass retail and healthcare, but the company’s initial focus is on restaurants. It has received quite a bit of publicity from CNN, Business 2.0 magazine, Computerworld, and TV news operations. Devin Green, co-founder of the company tells TechJournal South he came up with the idea after one too many unpleasant dining experiences.
Fishbowl, Alexandria, VA – www.fishbowl.com
Founded in 2000, Fishbowl serves 700 restaurant chains in North America and Europe powering email marketing to over 28,000 locations. Fishbowl’s broader marketing solutions provide restaurants with fully integrated mobile promotion, online ordering and online reservations. The company’s repeat customers encourage its venture backers, who pumped $12 million into the firm in March.
Southeast Venture Conference, February 29 – March 1, 2012 at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, VA – Where Smart Money Meets Smart People.
www.seventure.org
© 2008, TechJournal South. All rights reserved.
