Archive for March, 2010
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
 ATLANTA – Noro-Moseley Partners (NMP), a Southeast venture capital firm focused on growing IT and healthcare companies, says Spence McClelland has joined the firm as vice president.
McClelland will play an active role in reviewing investment opportunities in technology and healthcare and in working with entrepreneurs within NMP’s portfolio to help drive growth, the firm says.
“Spence is a great addition to our team as a whole,” said Mike Elliott, Noro-Moseley Partners managing partner. “His background will be especially helpful in our healthcare and technology practices where the pace of change is creating tremendous opportunities. Spence’s expertise is a natural fit.”
McClelland previously served as the director of strategic and corporate development for Healthways Inc., a leading provider of specialized, comprehensive solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health.
Since its 1983 beginning, NMP has funded more than 170 companies in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, NMP invests in Southeastern-based early and early-growth stage companies.
Tags: Atlanta, Noro-Moseley, People, VC firms
Posted in Georgia, People | Comments Off
Monday, March 29th, 2010
 MEMPHIS, TN – Cagenix, a company that makes precision-fitted dental implant frameworks, has raised a $1 million debt and options financing from 14 investors, according to a regulatory filing.
The company uses a proprietary system to scan, design and make the Cagenix AccuFrame, a custom framework system for dental implants it says has fit properties unmatched in today’s market.
The company was founded in 2005 to develop and deploy and research news devices for dental implants.
It’s main focus is on providing superstructures for mulitple dental implants used to restore both function and appearance.
Carl W. Schulter, DDS, FACP and Past-President of the American College of Prosthodontists joined with his son, Drew Schulter, Denis J. DiAngelo, Ph.D.
We hear that dental implants are already replacing dentures in some patients. While expensive, they offer an experience much more like real teeth than dentures, we’re told.
We wouldn’t be surprised to see more advanced technology being applied to this field.
The company disclosed its financing in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Tags: dental/medical device, financing, TN
Posted in Hardware, Medical Device, Money, Other SE, Tennessee | Comments Off
Monday, March 29th, 2010
 Jeffrey Hoffman, President, CEO, webslingerz Not so long ago, many companies did not really know what a Web site content management system (CMS) was, but today, clients frequently come to webslingerz asking for it specificially, says CEO and President Jeffrey Hoffman.
What’s the main reason firms come to you for a CMS?
Hoffman: The most popular reason customers want a CMS is to take over managing and updating their site. Most firms dealing with static sites have to go back to the developer for even simple text updates and they may not like the time it takes to get those updates posted. They don’t have their vendor on standby to do it immediately. It may also require ongoing costs to make updates. So they do it to make updates more immediately and to get rid of ongoing costs.
What should a potential customer think about before approaching you about a CMS?
Hoffman: We encourage customers to think about how they can move parts of their business to the Web and how they can build workflow around a Web-based system. A CMS can provide an excellent basis to do that. You need a commitment and a plan within the organization on how to get content from people in your organization to the Web. We see companies come in with good ideas but then look at its site later and the last press release was published three months ago and the last product update four months ago.
What type of workflow would they do online?
Hoffman: It often involves managing information and communication between the company and its partners and customers, any process that involves getting information back from customers to the business. That’s a core piece of a lot of our customers’ business. You can build those apps into a CMS. In addition to things such as press releases and blogging, think about how to make parts of your business more accountable, more trackable, and more open to your customers and vendors.
Do sites still require a Web Master?
Hoffman: In many companies a Web Master, in terms of someone technically sophisticated in system administration, is not necessary. Now they need someone who is in charge of managing the website – someone who deals with content, schedules updates, and regularly interacts with an organization’s subject matter experts.
Someone does need to manage security, updates to the software and so on. Whether it is someone in the firm or the vendor depends upon the size of the company and the IT tradition within the company. In some, there is a mindset that it needs to be managed in-house. Others want to stick to their core competency and outsource it.
What is the biggest security risk?
Hoffman: The biggest risk in any organization is its own employees. Not necessarily from the perspective of an evil employee who wants to bring the company down (although that is a risk),but rather that they have not had sufficient education to know what they should and shouldn’t do.
An employee with an iPhone may pick up something his kid put on a PC at home, come into the office and put it on a computer at work. That type of thing is more dangerous than anything coming from the Web, although I don’t want to minimize that.
A company needs to be aware of that as well. But many security risks could be diminished with good education in the organization about changing passwords and not using personal hardware on company networks. That’s the most significant way to minimize security risks.
Do companies need a full-blown CMS, or will open source systems meet most needs?
Hoffman: We find the best CMS systems are the more developed open source ones, but it depends in part on the flavor of the technology used in the organization. If it’s a Microsoft shop, they’re going to steer toward Sharepoint. If they’re open source, you’ll see systems such as Drupal at the Enterprise level or WordPress for blogging and a rudimentary CMS.
Is anything really game-changing coming up in the CMS space?
Hoffman: The paradigm is fairly well set now. People will see more and more off the shelf features to handle things and they’ll continue to get easier to use, but it’s a well defined space.
Jeffrey Hoffman, President and CEO of webslingerz, is responsible for business development, marketing, and strategic planning at webslingerz. He has served in this capacity since founding the company in 1995. During this time he was also a founding partner at the law firm of Lockhart + Hoffman where he oversaw client strategy until the firm was acquired by Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice in 2002. www.webslingerz.com
Presented by webslingerz
Previous articles in this series:
Building Subject Matter Expert Communities Using Social Media
Five steps in choosing a content management system
Tags: content managment systems, Jeffrey Hoffman, Security, Web development, Webslingerz
Posted in Business advice, Carolinas, Internet/New Media, Marketing, North Carolina | Comments Off
Monday, March 29th, 2010
 RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – Lenovo says that its ThinkStation workstations and ThinkPad mobile workstations are powering the North American Eagle team’s attempt for the title of “fastest vehicle on the planet” with a land speed record of over 800 mph.
The team relies on the workstations for fast, reliable data and graphics-crunching to improve the design of the vehicle before making physical adjustments, helping save valuable time and resources as they race against global competitors to be the first to break the record and claim the international title.
“These workstations are not only helping to engineer the fastest car on the planet, they are developing a design that is safe for the driver inside.”
Saves huge amount of engineering time
“Creating the world’s fastest vehicle requires innovative design, and that challenge can’t be overcome without the use of a powerful workstation, like the ThinkStation workstation,” said Ed Shadle, owner and driver, North American Eagle.
“We can now obtain our test results faster by using a ThinkStation D10 workstation coupled with CATIA software, making it a perfect hub for redesigning parts, evaluating large and complex assemblies, running analyses and assessing multiple designs quickly to save huge amounts of engineering time.”
Ed Shadle created the North American Eagle in 1998 by converting a 1957 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter jet into a vehicle capable of breaking the sound barrier. His team has optimized the vehicle’s design to reach maximum speeds, with a record so far of 400 mph. With the next test run, they expect to reach speeds of 550 mph. For more see this Youtube video.
Extreme speeds generate engineering needs
Going to extreme speeds generates a variety of factors that his volunteer team of engineers and scientists must consider. For example, the degree of aerodynamics can make the difference between crashing into the ground and bulleting into the air.
The North American Eagle team uses the Lenovo ThinkStation D10 workstation for all aspects of the car design, including wheels, brakes, steering and suspension. A 3-D modeling program helps them determine the right materials composition and placement for the wheels to reach speeds of up to 15,000 rpm and for braking that won’t damage the engine. This kind of intensive modeling also helps ensure the steering remains strong and the suspension stays stable at high speeds.
Lenovo’s global headquarters are in Morrisville, NC. The company was formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division.
Tags: Hardware, landspeed record, Lenovo, NC
Posted in Carolinas, Hardware, IT, North Carolina | Comments Off
Monday, March 29th, 2010
 KNOXVILLE, TN – Provetcus Pharmaceuticals (OTC BB: PVCT) has raised $8 million of a projected $10 million mixed securities private placement. The company is developing small molecule drugs that selectively target cancer cells and has ongoing clinical trials of treatments for metastatic melanoma, recurrent breast cancer and severe psoriasis.
Peter Culpepper, the Company’s CFO and COO said in a statement at the close of the first $7.5 million of the investment March 10 that ” We believe we have now raised enough capital to fully finance existing clinical trials through to completion, and do not anticipate the need for any further capital in order to bring our existing metastatic melanoma therapy to completion of clinical trials.”
We think the company has one of the more unique treatments for cancer currently in the pipelines of drug development companies. It may prove useful, the company notes, as a weapon against many forms of cancer.
Finding treatments that target cancer cells directly, thus avoiding the side effects such as nausea and hair loss that accompany many of the chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatments, is one of the “Holy Grails” of oncology research.
Provectus’ PV-10 is based on a proprietary injectable formulation of Rose Bengal, a compound that has been used for nearly fifty years by ophthalmologists and optometrists to assess damage to the eye, and has also been used to detect ailments of the liver.
Provectus has discovered a novel use for Rose Bengal based on the observation that it is selectively toxic to cancer cells via a process called chemoablation whereby cells undergo a form of cell death.
It’s PH 10 treatment for psoriasis is also based on the Rose Bengal formulation although in a less concentrated topical formulation.
The company says its has also developed groundbreaking biotechnologies to augment vaccine production and detect viruses (including an innovative “virus hunter” method); preparing to spinout the subsidiary that contains its over-the-counter skin care products; and seeks to license patented technologies for therapeutic and cosmetic medical devices.
By Allan Maurer
Tags: Biotech, cancer therapy, Pharma, private placement, Tennessee
Posted in Biotech, Money, Other SE, Pharma, Tennessee | Comments Off
Monday, March 29th, 2010
 RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC – Google reports that more than 1,100 communities have responded to its request for information from those who want a shot at hosting the company’s experimental ultra high speed broadband project. It also received more than 194,000 responses from individuals. On a map Google issued showing the government and individual responses, the Southeast shows considerable hunger for the Google project.
Only four Southeast efforts actually generated a noticeable amount of buzz on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, however, according to Steketee Greiner and Company, which tracked those communities generating “voice,” through their efforts.
Those making the firm’s top ten list on its ranking of “share of voice,” Sarasota, FL, ranked 5, Memphis, TN, 6, Ashville, NC, 7, and Greensboro, NC, 9.
Duluth, MN, ranked 1 on the list, followed by Grand Rapids, MI, Topeka, KS, and Fresno, CA. Portland, OR was 10.
The Southeast didn’t lack its share of stunts aimed at grabbing Google’s attention, however. Raleigh City Councilman Bonner Gaylord, in a video that includes other Raleigh officials, said he would name his unborn children after Google’s co-founders. It was only one of many widely reported stunts nationally.
On the map above, each small dot represents a government that responded to Google’s request for information and each large dot is an area where 1,000 or more individuals responded.
Google says its next step is to review the responses, visit sites, consult with third parties of interest and consult with officials in cities of interest.
The Google plan to install 1/Gbs broadband in the selected municipality would deliver broadband service about 100 times faster than what most Americans are receiving. It intends to reach from 50,000 to 500,000 people with the experiment.
Tags: Asheville, FL, Google broadband experiment, Greensboro, Internet, Memphis, NC, Sarasota, TN
Posted in Business Briefs, Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Internet/New Media, Maryland, North Carolina, Other SE, Potomac, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, DC | Comments Off
Friday, March 26th, 2010
 ATLANTA – SocialVest Ventures, which says it is founded to invest in businesses that share its principal that profits and social responsibility can go together, has raised $150,000 of a targeted $2 million equity round, according to a regulatory filing.
The company lists Shop4Change as one of its projects on its Web site. Shop4change is a customer loyalty program in which participating retailers will contribute from 2 to 5 percent of a purchase into an individual savings account that consumers can use to contribute to any cause.
The company disclosed the investment in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which cites one investor in the round so far.
Tags: Atlanta, financing, Shop4change, SocialVest Ventures
Posted in Georgia, Internet/New Media, Marketing, Money | Comments Off
Friday, March 26th, 2010
 DURHAM, NC – Nitronex, a company developing and making high performance radio frequency power transistors for commercial and military markets, has raised nearly$16.5 million in new equity, according to a regulatory filing.
The company raised $4 million in debt financing in 2009.
It has raised at least $46.6 million in venture-backing since its founding in 1999 from Alloy, ARCH, Intersouth Partners, Diamondhead Ventures, VantagePoint Venture Partners and Contender Capital.
The company disclosed the current funding in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Nitronex develops and manufactures a wide range of gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) RF power transistors for commercial and military communications markets.
Its patented technology provides significant performance and cost advantages for a number of important markets including cell phone towers, car dashboard displays, DVD lasers, military communications and other applications, the company says.
The technology is based on research at North Carolina State University. The company was founded in 1999.
Online: www.nitronex.com
Tags: financing, NC, Nitronex, semiconductors
Posted in Carolinas, Hardware, IT, Money, North Carolina | Comments Off
Friday, March 26th, 2010
 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Commodities Online LLC, a company that holds seminars and sells informational products such as DVDs to train people in investing in commodities, has raised $2.23 million of a $10 million equity offering, according to a regulatory filing.
The company helps show people how to invest in commodities such as rice, sugar, wheat and gold.
It also allows people to create a trading account to invest in those and other physical commodities. It appears to require a minimum of $5,000 in an account.
According to its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 82 investors contributed to the raise so far.
We looked, but could not find a Web presence for the company.
We did find this, which appears to describe COLLLC.
Tags: Commodities Online, financing, Florida
Posted in Florida, Internet/New Media, Money | Comments Off
Friday, March 26th, 2010
 MCLEAN, VA - Avectra, aprovider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) association management software has named Richard Davis the company’s new CEO.
Current CEO Barry Malek will remain with the company and serve as the chairman of the board of directors, providing strategic guidance as the company continues to grow.
Davis most recently served as president and CEO of Ultimus, Inc. In this role, he was responsible for strategy, operation planning and managing the senior executive team that helped Ultimus become a leader in the business process management (BPM) enterprise solution market.
Prior to Ultimus, Davis also served as CEO of desktop virtualization software provider Ardence, Inc., where he oversaw introduction of new software products and online services, and publishing company Rand McNally and Company, where Richard created an internet business unit and launched www.randmcnally.com.
Tags: Avectra, IT, People, Viriginia
Posted in IT, People, Potomac, Virginia | Comments Off
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