Posts Tagged ‘North Carolina’
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
 NC IDEA, an organization committed to supporting business innovation and economic advancement in North Carolina, is hosting Office Hours for Entrepreneurs every Friday morning.
NC IDEA representatives will meet with technology entrepreneurs to advise them and their young companies on applying for a grant and to offer guidance for general business concerns. Since its inception in 2006, NC IDEA’s grants program has awarded over $2.3M to 62 companies across the state.
Office Hour appointments are intended for NC-based entrepreneurs and companies focused on software, information technology, medical devices or material sciences.
Ask questions, get guidance
Entrepreneurs can use these sessions to learn more about the grants process and eligibility requirements; however, it is also an opportunity to ask general business questions and get advice and guidance from experienced mentors that understand the challenges of startups. Appointments are made in 30-minute time increments between 10:00am and 12:00pm every Friday.
NC IDEA hosts these sessions at their office in the American Underground on the American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham. Sessions are available starting this Friday, January 6th and are by appointment only. To reserve a time, please visit www.ncidea.org and click the ‘Office Hours’ link found on the homepage.
“This is an opportunity for us to meet companies, have a conversation and get a chance to know one another in advance of seeing their application which is an added benefit for both parties,” said David Rizzo, President and CEO of NC IDEA.
“Office Hours are intended to give entrepreneurs a chance to discuss their eligibility and what they can do to strengthen their application. But even beyond discussing grant-specifics, entrepreneurs can ask questions, bounce off ideas and share their concerns without feeling any pressure.”
NC IDEA’s grants program is a catalyst for technological breakthroughs developed in North Carolina that have a significant potential to successfully transition into commercially viable high-growth enterprises.
The grants, which are up to $50,000 per recipient, support business plan research and development, reduce risk of early failure and advance projects to the point of suitability for angel or venture capital investment.
Grant recipients mentored
In addition to the funding, NC IDEA and its network of seasoned business and technology partners mentor and guide the grant recipients through the complex growth cycles that young companies encounter, while also connecting the startups with other investors, institutions and business leaders to maximize their prospects for commercial success.
The upcoming Spring 2012 grant opportunity for North Carolina based companies will open on February 13th. Learn more about NC IDEA’s grant application process, timeline and criteria atwww.ncidea.org.
Tags: Dave Rizzo, NC IDEA, North Carolina, office hours for entrepreneurs, pitch to NC IDEA, startup funding opportunity
Posted in Carolinas, entrepreneurship, Events, Money, North Carolina | Comments Off
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
 One thing marketers always have to take into account is where their consumers are and more of them moved to the sunbelt last year than to any other states.
Texas gained more people than any other state between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2011 (529,000), followed by California(438,000), Florida (256,000), Georgia (128,000) and North Carolina (121,000), according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates for states and Puerto Rico.
Combined, these five states accounted for slightly more than half the nation’s total population growth.
“These are the first set of Census Bureau population estimates to be published since the official 2010 Census state population counts were released a year ago,” said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves.
“Our nation is constantly changing and these estimates provide us with our first measure of how much each state has grown or declined in total population since Census Day 2010.”
The United States as a whole saw its population increase by 2.8 million over the 15-month period, to 311.6 million. Its growth of 0.92 percent between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2011, was the lowest since the mid-1940s.
“The nation’s overall growth rate is now at its lowest point since before the baby boom,” Groves said.
California remained the most populous state, with a July 1, 2011, population of 37.7 million. Rounding out the top five states were Texas (25.7 million), New York (19.5 million), Florida (19.1 million) and Illinois (12.9 million).
DC led growth
Among states and equivalents, the District of Columbia experienced the fastest growth between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2011, as its population climbed 2.7 percent. This marks the first time it led states and equivalents in growth since the early 1940s. D.C. ranked 35th in percent growth between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.
Following D.C. in terms of percent increase between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2011, were Texas (2.1 percent), Utah (1.9 percent), Alaska (1.8 percent), Colorado (1.7 percent) and North Dakota (1.7 percent). North Dakota was 37th in percent growth between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.
The only three states to lose population between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2011, were Rhode Island (1,300 or -0.12 percent),Michigan (7,400 or -0.08 percent) and Maine (200 or -0.01 percent).
Nevada, the nation’s fastest-growing state between 2000 and 2010, ranked only 27th in population growth between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2011, increasing by 0.8 percent.
During 2012, the Census Bureau will release 2011 estimates of the total population of counties and incorporated places, as well as national, state and county population estimates by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin.
The Census Bureau develops state population estimates by measuring population change since the most recent census. These are the first set of population estimates to be based on the 2010 Census. The Census Bureau uses births, deaths, administrative records and survey data to develop estimates of population. For more detail regarding the methodology see
Tags: California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, states that gained the most population 2010-2011, Texas, U.S. Census
Posted in Government/Defense, Studies, surveys, reports | Comments Off
Friday, September 16th, 2011
 As T-Mobile USA, Inc. continues the rapid expansion of its 4G network, J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study, Volume 2, shows that customers in the Northeast, Southeast and West regions are satisfied with an improved network experience, including call quality and messaging and data performance.
In its study, which compares network performance among the largest U.S. wireless carriers, J.D. Power and Associates recently announced that T-Mobile earned the second highest ranking in these three regions covering 32 states, tied in the Northeast.
T-Mobile ranked second out of four in both the Southeast and West regions, and tied in the Northeast. The Northeast region covers the seven states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. The Southeast region covers nine states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The West region covers 16 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
“T-Mobile’s ongoing commitment to making reliable connections available to more Americans continues to pay off as shown by the results of this J.D. Power study,” said Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer for T-Mobile USA. “In the past six months, we have continued to advance the performance of our 4G service while also driving improvements in call quality, reliability and the overall experience for our customers.”
The J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study measures consumers’ wireless network experience, based on 10 criteria that impact a carrier’s performance. Wireless phone subscribers surveyed were asked about their experiences with dropped calls, static/interference, connection on first try, immediate voice mail notification, message transmission failures and mobile Web and e-mail connection errors. Call quality and data performance were examined in six regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, Southwest and West.
Results of the 2011 Wireless Network Quality Performance StudySM, Volume 2, are based on more than 22,000 Internet survey interviews conducted between January 2011 and June 2011.
Tags: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, J.D. Power Wirelss Network Quality Performance Study 2011, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northeast, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Southeast, T-Moblie, Utah, Washington, West
Posted in Internet/New Media, Mobile, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
By Brooks Adam
 Brooks Adams The Center of Innovation for Nanobiotechnology (COIN) will be a bronze-level sponsor for the upcoming NNI Nanotechnology Innovation Summit, December 8-10 in Washington DC. It wll also help raise the profile of North Carolina’s nearly 40 nanobiotech and about 50 nanotechnology related firms by bringing along their marketing materials even for those that cannot attend.
COIN is a non-profit that promotes commercialization of nanobiotechnology in North Carolina and beyond. COIN’s programs and services are designed to help accelerate innovation management and new product development.
The upcoming conference celebrates the 10th anniversary of the NNI, and is a gathering of the nation’s top Federal Agencies, Innovators and Investors at the National Nanotechnology Innovation Summit. The Nation’s top nanotech leaders will be showcasing their successes and discussing strategic insights into Nanotechnology challenges and opportunities
COIN will be going there to represent the North Carolina nanobiotech industry and forge relationships to grow the nanobiotech community. If you want our team to help raise the profile of your company because you cannot attend the Summit, please contact clare.valcore@nc-coin.org to help facilitate getting your materials there. Otherwise, please come by our booth and meet us, as we will be exhibiting. We hope to see many of you there. –
Tags: Biotech, Brooks Adams, COIN, DC, nanotechnology, NNI Nanotechnology Innovation Summit, North Carolina
Posted in Biotech, Carolinas, Energy, Nanotech, North Carolina | Comments Off
Monday, November 8th, 2010
By Allan Maurer
 SEATTLE – Reports by some media outlets in North Carolina suggest that up to 450 top out-of-state retailers may face audits of their books as the state tries to collect current and back sales taxes from the firms. In late October, however, a federal court judege in Seattle ruled that government requests for detailed information about Amazon.com customers purchases violates their rights of free speech, anonymity and privacy.
The ruling evolved from a lawsuit Amazon filed to stop the NC Department of Revenue (NCDOR) from gathering personally identifiable information about customers that could be linked to their specific Amazon buys.
The case has already disrupted the Internet sector startup community and some established online retailers in North Carolina, who lost their associate status as a result of North Carolina’s attempts to establish “nexus,” a retailer’s physical presence in a state via brick and mortar stores or warehouses and so on, that allows a state to collect sales taxes from the business. North Carolina argued that by having associates in NC, Amazon established nexus. Amazon responded by firing all of its NC associates, spurring some larger sellers to pull up stakes and leave the state.
American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation and ACLU of Washington intervened in the Amazon lawsuit on behalf of several Amazon.com customers.
Judge rules NC request violates First Amendment rights
Recognizing that government requests for expressive information can have an unconstitutional chilling effect on constitutionally-protected behavior, U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman of the Western District of Washington at Seattle wrote:
“The First Amendment protects a buyer from having the expressive content of her purchase of books, music, and audiovisual materials disclosed to the government. Citizens are entitled to receive information and ideas through books, films, and other expressive materials anonymously. …The fear of government tracking and censoring one’s reading, listening, and viewing choices chills the exercise of First Amendment rights.”
Aden Fine, staff attorney with the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project said, “This ruling is a victory for privacy and free speech on the Internet. Disclosing the purchase records of Internet users to the government would violate their constitutional rights to read and purchase the lawful materials of their choice, free from government intrusion, and undermine the very basis of American democracy and our cherished freedoms.”
He concluded, “With this ruling, the court emphatically reemphasized what other courts have found before – that government entities cannot watch over our shoulders to see what we are buying and reading.”
While Amazon, its customers and the ACLU may have won this round, it is likely only one battle in an ongoing war as states nationally scrounge for new taxes to bolster recession ravaged state budgets.
We’ll be making calls to the NCDOR and ACLU to follow up on this story as it unfolds further.
To contact TJS editor/writer Allan Maurer: Allan at TechJournalSouth dot com.
Here’s the court decision.
More information is available here: Amazon.com vs. Kenneth R. Lay
Lawyers battle over Amazon tax (includes links to many background articles).
Tags: ACLU, Amazon tax, North Carolina, ruling protects privacy, Seattle, U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman
Posted in Carolinas, IT, Legal, North Carolina | Comments Off
Thursday, September 16th, 2010
 CHARLOTTE, NC - PureLux Inc., a company selling next generation light sources more efficient than incandescents and fluorescents, has raised $1 million of a $2 million equity raise, according to a regulatory filing.
Investors include Wake Forest University and NanoHoldings of Rowayton, CT. PureLux previously received $100,000 from the NC Green Business Fund in 2009.
The company is a spin-out from the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.
PureLux is using nano-composite polymer films that surpasses the efficiency of commonly installed lighting devices.
Unlike incandescent and fluorescent lights, which lose a significant amount of energy to heat, PureLux lighting is extremely efficient in converting energy directly to light.
PureLux is already 10 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs and 3 times more efficient than common fluorescent bulbs.
The company’s initial product will be a thin-film, plug-compatible replacement for common fluorescent fixtures that not only reduces energy consumption but also produces light of improved color, warmth and appearance.
This new lighting system will be compatible with current electrical circuitry in offices, homes, factories and other facilities.
It disclosed the raise in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
We didn’t find a Web site for the firm.
Tags: Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials, Charlotte, efficient lighting, nanotechnology, North Carolina, PureLux, Wake Forest University
Posted in Carolinas, Energy, Hardware, North Carolina | Comments Off
Monday, August 16th, 2010
 WASHINGTON, DC – Pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies in North Carolina, California, New York and New Jersey are responsible for 192 of the 313 medicines in development today to treat mental illnesses, a new survey shows.
The study “Medicines in Development for Mental Illnesses” compiled by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) shows 62 medicines in development in New Jersey, 57 in California, 43 in New York and 41 in North Carolina.
The medicines, which are in human clinical testing or their applications are being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration, are for addiction, anxiety, dementia, depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders, developmental disorders and insomnia.
“The need for these treatments is abundantly clear,” said PhRMA Senior Vice President Jeffrey A. Bond. “Nearly 60 million American adults today suffer from some form of mental illness, ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to depression and from schizophrenia to addictive disorders, including dependence on alcohol and drugs.
According to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, serious mental illnesses cost the United States more than $317 billion a year in lost wages, health care expenditures and disability benefits.”
The pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies in New Jersey, California, New York and North Carolina are developing 47 of the 71 medicines for depression, 29 of the 38 anti-anxiety drugs, 63 of the 90 dementia treatments and 36 of the 54 schizophrenia medications.
Tags: California, DC, mental health, mental illness drugs, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, surveys
Posted in Biotech, Carolinas, Healthcare, North Carolina, Pharma, Studies, surveys, reports | Comments Off
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
 ATLANTA – Southeast BIO (SEBIO) has selected ten semifinalists in its fourth annual BIO/Plan Competition.
Launched in 2007, the BIO/Plan Competition is a program developed to promote the creation of new life science companies based in the Southeast.
The ten semifinalists were selected from nearly forty total applications. The applicant pool included applications from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
They represent a wide range of technologies including small molecule therapeutics, biologics, diagnostics, and medical devices. Five of the semifinalists selected are from Georgia, three are from Florida, one is from South Carolina, and one is from Virginia.
The technologies emerged from some of the region’s finest research institutions, including Emory University, Florida International University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Medical College of Georgia, Morehouse School of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, University of Florida, University of Georgia, and University of Virginia.
“Despite the funding crunch, the level of scientific innovation at universities and startup companies remains extremely impressive as seen from the BIO/Plan applications, and this bodes well for an outburst of valuable commercial opportunities that will attract investment dollars from firms like ours,” said Carlos Parajon, managing partner, Harbor Island Equity Partners .
“This quality of research and innovation leads to investment and growth, which in turn creates more innovation and positive economic outcomes for the region.”
Each semifinalist is now paired with a small mentoring team and beginning the mentorship phase of the Competition. Each mentoring team includes three or four experienced professionals from active venture funds or angel groups, biotech entrepreneurs and managers, and service providers with relevant start-up expertise.
The mentoring teams directly interact with the semifinalists over a period of 4 months focusing on the strategic development of the business concept and commercial opportunity.
The teams are also supported with additional resources including development plan templates and guidelines, regulatory consultants, and presentation guidelines and examples. The ultimate goal of the mentoring process is the creation of an executable development strategy and associated written plan. This rigorous mentorship process is the cornerstone of the Competition.
“Every year, our companies brag about SEBIO’s process and the terrific advice they get from the BIO/Plan mentors,” notes Susan Shows, Senior Vice President, Georgia Research Alliance. “This coaching and the visibility to investors is extremely valuable to the region’s early stage companies.”
Following the mentoring process, each of the semifinalists will submit their written development plan to a panel of judges. Four finalists will then be selected to present at the Twelfth Annual SEBIO Investor Forum, November 3-4, 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia. The finalists will present to the full conference audience, which includes more than 400 industry leaders from across the region, and over 100 investors from the Southeast and around the world.
The finalists will be awarded face-to-face, private meetings with top investors in the region at which time they can more fully promote their investment opportunity and development plan. One Southeast BIO/Plan Competition winner will be announced and recognized in a special ceremony at the Investor Forum.
More information about the BIO/Plan Competition, the SEBIO Investor Forum, and sponsorship opportunities can be found on the SEBIO website, www.sebio.org.
Tags: 2010 business plan competition, Alabama, Biotech, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, SEBIO, South Carolina, Virginia
Posted in Alabama, Biotech, Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Other SE, Pharma, Potomac, SEBIO, South Carolina, Virginia | Comments Off
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
 RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences (www.thehamner.org), an independent, nonprofit organization that offers an open, collaborative and cross-disciplinary approach to translational biomedical research, says that recent studies at The Hamner have provided a new method to assess the health of the liver.
The blood tests physicians currently use to monitor liver health are not always accurate. Even when these tests are abnormal, they often do not indicate the cause of the liver problem.
Research reported in the May issue of Hepatology indicates that there may be a new way to analyze blood to view a window into the health of the liver. Small particles produced by the liver and circulating in the blood contain information that may used to better detect liver injury and could provide unique information to diagnose the cause of the injury.
The research was based on observations originally made by scientists at the drug company Pfizer, which has licensed patent rights for the technology to the Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences.
The study can be found at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123271400/abstract
Tags: new liver test, North Carolina, The Hamner Institute
Posted in Biotech, Carolinas, Healthcare, North Carolina | Comments Off
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
 PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – Solar Energy Initiatives Inc. has named David Surette CEO of its Solar Park Initiatives Inc. subsidiary. Surette replaces Michael Gorton, who stepped down July 12.
Surette, founder of Maple Leaf Renewables Group of Raleigh and Texas-based Solar Power Technologies Inc., acted as a consultant to the company previously.
Surette was also previously CEO of Alamo Solar Manufacturing Corp. of Cary, NC.
Solar Energy Intiaitives (OTCBB:SNRY) has inked a letter of intent to lead a $4 million solar project in Georgia.
SNRY Solar is a wholesale distributor of branded photovoltaic and thermal (water heating) systems selling via a network of dealers throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Solar Energy Initiatives also owns SolarEnergy.com, one of the most visited solar websites on the internet .
Tags: David Surette, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Solar Energy Initiatives
Posted in Carolinas, Energy, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, People | Comments Off
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