CU-Boulder Technology of the Month:

Sierra Neuro a BusinessWeek Top Startup of 2008
CU licensee Sierra Nueropharmaceuticals, Inc.was named one of BusinessWeek magazine's Most Successful Startups of 2008. The company was founded in 2005 based on drug reformulation technology developed by UC Denver's Dan Abrams, and received a $21.5M VC investment in 2008.

Archemix Forges $1.42B Collaboration with GSK
In late December CU licensee Archemix Corp. inked a deal to collaborate with GlaxoSmithKline to develop new aptamer drugs. Archemix gets $27.5M in upfront payments from GSK, and is eligible for up to $200M in development, regulatory and sales milestone payments for each of seven aptamer therapeutics.

RealD Takes 3D Spotlight at CES
CU licensee RealD showcased its innovations in 3D entertainment at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, including the first live 3D broadcast of the college football FedEx Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title game. In 2007 RealD acquired ColorLink, Inc., a company founded around technology from CU-Boulder, to supply the key technical components for the next generation of 3D movies.

BiOptix: Small Steps to Big Dreams with Biomolecule Detection System
The excitement is evident in Founder and CEO Dr. Misha Plam's eyes when he talks about the 2009 launch of the BiOptix biomolecule detection system, which creates possibilities in many markets - from fast and accurate point of care diagnostics to biological warfare agent detection and forensics.

C2B2 Announces 2008 Seed Grant Funding Awards
The Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2), a partnership of four Colorado institutions headquartered at CU-Boulder, has announced 12 proposals that have been selected for $50,000 grants through its 2008 seed grant program. The seed grant funding is awarded annually with the objective of furthering fundamental understanding and developing new technologies relevant to the commercialization of sustainable biorefining and biofuels processes.

UC Denver Researcher to Receive 2009 Crafoord Prize in Polyarthritis
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recently announced that it will award its 2009 Crafoord Prize in Polyarthritis to Charles Dinarello (UC Denver School of Medicine), along with Tadamitsu Kishimoto and Toshio Hirano (both of Japan's Osaka University), for their pioneering work to isolate interleukins, determine their properties and explore their role in the onset of inflammatory diseases.

Biotech Executive John Collar Named Executive Director of the Colorado BioScience Association
Following an extensive national search, John Collar, Chief Operating Officer of Westminster-based Matrilinex, has been named Executive Director of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA). A seasoned senior executive, Collar has a background of solid corporate experience with a proven track record for strategic planning, managing to metrics, and c-level operational responsibilities. He succeeds Denise Brown, Founding Executive Director of CBSA, who retired from the association in September after six years of dedicated service.

TTO Seeking Summer Business, Law and Technology Interns
TTO offers CU students an exciting internship experience very different from a typical internship with an established company. TTO intern projects may be focused on a start-up company focused or related to the broader duties of TTO such as assessing intellectual property (IP) and securing licensees for CU IP.  Depending on skills, knowledge and interest, interns may be assigned to technologies with "startup potential" or to inventions submitted by CU research investigators. CU student interns are given considerable autonomy and structured mentoring on projects through TTO.  During the course of the summer, interns meet with inventors, TTO licensing staff, business drivers and advisors, depending on the focus of their internship. Most interns are first-year MBA students; however, upper class undergraduate and graduate students in business, law and technology related majors are also encouraged to apply. Interns receive unparalleled exposure to interesting early-stage technologies and the Front Range professional business community.   Some interns will work with technology entrepreneurs who are potential CEOs for new ventures. Interns will work at the TTO offices in Boulder (CU Foundation Building) and Aurora (adjacent to Anschutz Medical Campus).  For more information or to submit your resume and cover letter, contact CU-Boulder TTO Director Kate Tallman or UC Denver TTO Director Rick Silva .

CU Cancer Center DNA Sequencing & Analysis Core Lab
The CU Cancer Center DNA Sequencing Core was established in the fall of 1995, and offers rapid sequencing of DNA to UCCC members as well as to academic and industrial researchers in Colorado.  The Core started with two automated single-lane, four-color fluorescent slab-gel automated sequencers (ABI 373A-XL and ABI 377-XL), which have now been replaced with two automated DNA sequencers; a 16-capillary (ABI 3100) and a 48-capillary (ABI 3730, the only one in Colorado), which can provide over 650 and 900 bp of usable DNA sequence, respectively.  The Core also offers DNA profiling for identification and authentication of cell lines.  In the near future, the Core will start to offer CAP-approved screening of clinical samples for mutations in the exons of specific genes implicated in cancer (e.g., VHL, p53, pTEN, FLT3).

BioBreakfast and Bioscience Day at the Capitol
January 23, Colorado State Capitol, Denver

Join CBSA at the Colorado State Capitol for a day of activities celebrating the bioscience industry. Mingle and listen to state legislators as they discuss their vision for the industry and learn about the accomplishments and discoveries made in our state. A press conference will also be held by the CBSA and the Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) to publicly release the Colorado Bioscience Roadmap 2008 to conclude the day's events.

CU New Venture Challenge Crash Course: Marketing for Web-based Startups
January 27, CU-Boulder
As part of its initiative to further information technology related-innovation and galvanize entrepreneurship in the region, the Silicon Flatirons Center is offering a Crash Course Series for Entrepreneurs to the outside community and students and faculty. This series provides focused discussion on legal and business topics that entrepreneurs will confront when launching new ventures (part of the CU New Venture Challenge.)

Protecting Intangible Assets: Strategies for an Ever-Changing Legal and Business Landscape

January 28, Patton Boggs LLP, Denver

This panel discusison will offer conclusions and proactive strategies for building simple yet effective approaches to identifying, evaluating, protecting and - most importantly - exploiting companies' assets (intellectual, intangible and tangible) in today's climate. The panel will touch on several topics including "freedom to operate" vs. "gotcha" on infringement, as well as license in, license out or cross license.

Feld-Weiser One-on-One: Feld on Finance

February 3, CU-Boulder

Over the next year, Phil Weiser, Professor of Law and Telecommunications, will interview local venture capitalist Brad Feld on topics ranging from financing strategies for start-ups to the nature of innovation to what makes a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem to managing work-life balance. The first interview (immediately preceding the Boulder/Denver New Tech Meetup) will focus on basic questions around the state of corporate finance and what it means for start-ups, evaluating the role of angel financing, venture capital, private equity as well as the public debt and equity markets.

Boulder/Denver New Technology Meetup Group
February 3, CU- Boulder
This ongoing event provides a forum for technologists and entrepreneurs to showcase the new (especially web-based) technology developing in Boulder/Denver tech community. Five companies have five minutes each to demonstrate their new technology, followed by five minutes for Q&A from the audience.

Metro Denver WIRED Initiative Technology Translation Workshop

TBD (February 9 or 16), Location TBA

A key part of taking a discovery, invention or technology innovation to market is overcoming a very real communication barrier. This Technology Translation Workshop will focus on translating the scientific and patent language descriptions of technologies available from federal, university, and private laboratories into the language of business and marketing.

Rocky Mountain Sustainability Summit: Forging Solutions at Colleges and Universities

February 11-13, CU-Boulder
The 2009 Rocky Mountain Sustainability Summit (RMSS) will provide a learning and networking forum for students, faculty, staff, administrators, community members and state leaders from campuses in the Rocky Mountain region learn from each other, replicate successful initiatives and innovate effective programs to make the region's higher education institutions national leaders in campus sustainability and climate action.

Colorado Green Tech Meetup

February 12, CU-Boulder

An ongoing event to support eco-entrepreneurs and others people involved and/or interested in green tech: energy generation, transportation, construction, and efficiency technologies. Businesses and researchers present new technologies, and attendees may announce business news, job openings, fundings, etc.

Entrepreneurs Unplugged

February 18, CU- Boulder

Ongoing networking event hosted by CU's Silicon Flatirons Center, providing faculty, students and community members with technical backgrounds the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship through the experiences of a successful local entrepreneur.

Concentrated Solar Power and Thermal Storage Conference

February 18-19, Westin Hotel, Westminster

Featuring a presentation from New Energy Finance, a recognized world leader in renewable transactions. Learn what has happened to liquidity, players and transactions, find out how deals are and will be done in the future, and learn how to finance your renewable project in today's turbulent financial markets.

Invention to Venture: Colorado Springs

February 27, CU-Colorado Springs

Hosted by the El Pomar Institute for Innovation and Commercialization (EPIIC), this a one-day biomedical technology entrepreneurship workshop will help participants gain insight into the processes necessary for taking medical technology from design to implementation and commercialization.

C-Level @ A Mile High

March 5, Invesco Field, Denver

Hosted by CSIA, this event brings together high-profile CIOs/CTOs/CEOs with technology companies and professionals here in Colorado. For C-Level tech executives, C-Level @ A Mile High is the perfect opportunity to meet and build relationships with your peers as well as be introduced to new technology companies and professionals.

Innovation Figures Prominently In Federal Recovery Plans
Several years of virtually flat and occasionally declining federal funds for the nation's research and economic development communities could end abruptly with passage of an economic recovery plan resembling either of the proposals released by President Obama or Congressional Democrats. Both call for unprecedented public investments to stimulate the economy out of its worst recession since the Great Depression, while at the same time moving the country dramatically toward a national innovation strategy mirroring the priorities of most state and regional technology-based economic development programs across the country.

NIST Technology Innovation Program Seeks Critical White Papers
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Technology Innovation Program (TIP) announces that it is seeking white papers from any interested party, including academia; federal, state, and local governments; industry; national laboratories; and professional organizations/societies, to help identify and select areas of critical national need to be addressed in future TIP competitions.

American Kids Interested in Careers in Innovation, But Lack Role Models
Some 85% percent of kids ages 12-17say they are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to survey results released in January. But nearly two-thirds polled said they may ultimately pursue other professions because they don't have a mentor or understand what's involved in a science, math or engineering career.

Roundup: University, Community, State, National and International Initiatives

Stanford Launches $100M Energy Research Institute
In January Stanford University announced the creation of a $100M energy research institute to focus on sectors including solar photovoltaics and carbon sequestration. The Precourt Institute for Energy is expected to fund seven or eight new faculty positions and create fellowships to support graduate students in the sector.

U of Texas Approves $15M Program to Recognize Tech Commercialization Efforts
The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved details of a $15M initiative that will encourage and recognize extraordinary efforts in undergraduate teaching and commercialization activities at the System's nine academic institutions.

North Carolina Report Calls for State Funding of UNC Technology Transfer
Among seven major recommendations the report calls for "Repurposed UNC technology transfer offices- Offices would focus less on licensing and more on industry engagement and job creation. Estimated cost- $3 million annually."  Download Advancing Innovation in North Carolina at: http://www.ncscitech.com/NCBST_reports.htm.

U of Toledo Forms $10M Fund for Research Commercialization
The University of Toledo has committed $10M to its non-profit regional economic-development and tech-commercialization arm to establish a fund that will invest in promising university technologies, likely through support of federal grant-matching programs and proof-of-concept awards.

J&J, Vanderbilt Ink Rich Partnering Deal
Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceutica is teaming up with Tennessee's Vanderbilt University to discover and develop new schizophrenia treatments. The extensive relationship calls for Vanderbilt to receive $10 million over three years and up to $100 million in milestone payments.

U of Michigan to Buy Pfizer's Former Ann Arbor Property
The Univeristy of Michigan Board of Regents approved in mid-December the purchase of the
Ann Arbor property of pharmaceutical firm Pfizer Inc. The nearly 174-acre site, which includes
almost 2 million square feet of laboratory and administrative space in 30 buildings, is ideal
for the University's growing research activities in health, biomedical sciences and other
disciplines.

OnBioVC: New Colorado Biobusiness Resource
Published by longtime TTO friend Adam Rubenstein (of the now-defunct Colorado Life Science Deal Flow blog) and headquartered in Boulder, OnBioVC provides timely coverage and comprehensive analysis of global bioscience venture capital investment activity. In addition to the free web-based resource, where data can be indexed in myriad ways, Adam's Trend Analysis studies provide cumulative analytical color by month and quarter. (For those who are unaware, the CLSDF banner has been picked up by RockyRadar.com, who have expanded the mission to include Colorado tech startup activity in IT and cleantech, as well as bioscience.)

University Spin-out Veteran Shares Experiences in New Book
Professor Graham Richards, former head of the chemistry department at the University of Oxford, has authored a new book, "Creating Businesses from University Intellectual Property," to be published on January 19th by Harriman House. Richards has worked with spin-out companies since 1988, when he was involved in the founding of Oxford's technology transfer company, Isis Innovation Ltd, where he served as director for 20 years.

Record 2008 for Cleantech with $8.4B in Investments
The global cleantech sector pulled in $8.4B in investment in 2008, marking a seventh straight year of growth, according to findings released in early January by the Cleantech Group. While fourth quarter deals were down 4 percent from the same period in 2007 to $1.7B in 99 companies, the sector finished the year 38% above 2007 totals.