The Newsletter of the MTTC for the Massachusetts
entrepreneur & tech transfer community
October 6, 2015
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Welcome
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Dear All,
The MTTC and MATTO were saddened to hear of the loss of Mark Chalek who served as Chief of Technology Ventures at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Mark had also served as the President of MATTO for several years and was a great supporter of MATTO and the MTTC's activities. You are invited to join the BIDMC Community as they remember and celebrate Mark's Life on Friday, October 16, 2015 1:30-2:30pm in the Rabkin Board Room, Shapiro 10 at BIDMC.
Please note that the MTTC has two solicitation open at present for the MA Innovation Commercialization Seed Fund and the MassCEC Catalyst Program Awards - more details of the available finding is below.
The MTTC is holding a new event - the MATTO New Ventures Showcase 2015 in collaboration with the Massachusetts Association of Technology Transfer Offices to showcase start-ups emerging from Massachusetts research institutions, hospitals and universities. If you are setting up a spin-off from a local institution and currently seeking investment please consider presenting. Details on this event are also given below.
We have scheduled a MATTO Seminar on November 4 with Fred Reinhart, President of AUTM as one of the panelists - the topic will be "Filling the Development Gap by Partnering With a Contract Manufacturer" - Fred will also give a brief update on current AUTM initiatives.
The MTTC Team - Abi, Julia, Michele and Barbara 
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MTTC Update
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The Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center invites applications for the following funding opportunities:
MA Innovation Commercialization Seed Fund Maximum Award: $40,000The MA Innovation Commercialization Seed Fund is intended to support the demonstration of the commercial viability of a technology developed at a Massachusetts university. Awards could be used to further develop a prototype or to gather additional data in order to show proof of concept or to obtain data that shows how the technology compares to existing technologies and what the competitive advantages are. To be eligible for an award, applicants must be a Principal Investigator with technology disclosed to a MA university. Please note: PIs from UMass are not eligible to apply, as the MTTC Innovation Commercialization Seed Fund has already been launched separately for UMass applicants.
Applications are due on October 30, 2015. MassCEC Catalyst Program Awards Maximum Award: $40,000 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, in partnership with the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center announces the fall solicitation for MassCEC Catalyst Program Awards.
Any Principal Investigator associated with a MA research institution or executive from a MA clean energy startup company is encouraged to apply. We are looking for technologies in all fields of clean energy, as well as water technologies.
November 2, 2015 is the due date for proposals. If you have any questions, please contact Michele Bernier at [email protected] or (617) 287-4088.
MATTO New Ventures Showcase 2015
The Massachusetts Association of Technology Transfer Offices (MATTO) and Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC) are showcasing start-ups emerging from Massachusetts research institutions, hospitals and universities.
A select number of new ventures will pitch to an audience of angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate investors, and family offices.
The forum will showcase start-ups from various fields, including Ocean and Marine Sciences; Food and Nutrition; Cyber Security; Big Data; Clean Tech; Manufacturing; Materials; IT/Communication; and Health Tech.
To be eligible to present at the showcase: you must have formed a company which is a spin-off from a Massachusetts university, hospital, or research institution and which is sufficiently advanced to warrant private, third party funding.
Who should attend: angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate investors, and family offices interested in early stage companies.
For more information about the event please visit http://www.mttc.org/new-ventures-2015/ If you have any questions regarding presenting please contact Julia Goldberg at [email protected].
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Funding Opportunities
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VentureWell E-Team Grant Program
If you're part of a university-based, student-led team developing an innovative technology that solves an important problem and want to move it into the market, consider applying to E-Team Grant Program by Wednesday, October 7, 2015
The E-Team Program cultivates opportunities for collegiate entrepreneurs by providing early-stage funding, training, coaching, and investment.
VentureWell Faculty Grants
VentureWell recognizes that innovation often starts in universities, and that faculty play a key role in inspiring students to be innovative.
The Faculty Grants support that work by offering up to $30k to develop courses and programs that focus on technology invention, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The deadline to submit a proposal is November 4, 2015
DOE Accepting Applications for Small Business Voucher Pilot Program
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it is accepting applications for the first round of its Small Business Vouchers Pilot (SBV) program. Under the SBV program, the DOE will commit up to $20 million in technical and research assistance awards to help small businesses bring next-generation clean energy technologies. Companies may apply for and receive up to $300,000 in assistance from U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories nationwide. Assistance will be offered in nine topical areas and can range from materials development to modeling to prototyping and scale-up, and much more. Read more
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Spin-off and Start-up News
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MassVentures announced the 2015 START Stage III program winners. Each company has received $500,000 to help grow employment opportunities, promote manufacturing and commercialization, and stimulate innovation across the Commonwealth. One of the winners is Boston Engineering, graduate of the MTTC's Platform program. Boston Engineering is a product development and engineering consulting company that is using its START funds to commercialize its underwater vehicle technology, including the BIOSwimmer™. Boston Engineering's unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) systems replicate the dynamics of a biological fish to move rapidly and accurately in areas inaccessible by other vehicles for operations including port security, and underwater search and inspection. Read more
Thrive Bioscience announced a $4.0 million round of seed financing from angel groups, strategic partners and industry veterans to accelerate commercialization of previously unavailable solutions that advance drug discovery, research and delivery of new therapies by improving one of the most important research processes - cell culture. Thrive Bioscience presented an investor pitch at the MTTC's Early-Stage Life Sciences Technology Conference 2015. Thomas Forest Farb, President and Co-Founder of Thrive, stated, "This $4 million financing, and the industry expertise of our investors, supports Thrive's experienced team in the development of its extensive product family, establishment of research collaborations, building a significant intellectual property estate and the launch of the Cell Culture Standardization Consortium. Thrive's instruments will take cell culture from the analog to the digital age and enable better, faster and more cost-effective research." Read more
The University of Massachusetts was awarded a record 65 U.S. patents in Fiscal Year 2015 - the most recent achievement in a research and innovation surge that has vaulted the five-campus UMass system into the top ranks of research universities nationwide. The UMass Office of Technology Commercialization and Ventures (OTCV) noted that UMass has earned more than $530 million in licensing income and stock sales since the University created its system-wide technology transfer program 20 years ago. UMass Medical and Mass Biologics continue to be the major contributor to the University's licensing income stream. In 2014, compared to other reporting universities UMass was ranked 14th in licensing income, 6th among all public universities and 2nd in Massachusetts, behind MIT. Read more
Dana-Farber research plus $55M in VC money creates Neon Therapeutics. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute have been working for years to create a new cancer vaccine that helps teach the immune system to recognize cancer. Now the research has formed the basis of a new company, thanks to a $55 million investment from Cambridge-based Third Rock Ventures and the guidance of half a dozen experts in cancer and the immune system. Read more
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| Events of Interest |
Robins Kaplan LLP: Protecting Your Biotechnology Business
When: Thursday October 8, 2015 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Where: 800 Boylston Street, Suite 2500, Boston, Massachusetts 02199
The biotechnology industry continues to revolutionize the Massachusetts economy. Robins Kaplan LLP protects the rights and interests of indivi duals and entities fueling the growth of the biotechnology industry through a broad spectrum of results-oriented legal services.
Please join us and Robins Kaplan LLP for a cocktail reception and brief interactive presentation. You will have an opportunity to discuss those legal issues that most impact your interests, and explore ways to protect and grow your business.
MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge: 2015 Beantown Throwdown When: October 9, 2015 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM Where: District Hall, 75 Northern Ave, Boston
Entrepreneurship and innovation will be celebrated HUB-style as aspiring business moguls from Boston-metro's top public and private educational institutions gather for the Beantown Throwdown.
The evening will begin at 6 PM with a fireside chat about startups and entrepreneurship led by Scott Kirsner, the Boston Globe's Innovation Economy columnist and founder of Innovation Leader, along with Tom Coburn, CEO, Jebbit, Dip Patel, Co-Founder & CEO, ecoVent, and Katie Rae, Managing Director, Project 11 Winners will be determined by audience vote using play money to "invest" in the most exceptional ideas. More than 200 executives from public and private companies, angel and venture investors, members of the media, top service providers, students and others will be in attendance. In addition to market exposure, winning teams will receive a range of prizes to help launch and build their companies.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds: 10 Intellectual Property Considerations for Protecting Your Company's Innovations When: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Where: Cambridge Innovation Center, One Broadway, 5th Floor, Havana Room, Cambridge, MA 02142 HBSR invites you come for lunch and learn how businesses are reaping rewards by protecting their core technologies/products through strategic procurement and use of intellectual property (IP) rights. Attendees will learn 10 considerations for strategically protecting and using intellectual property. For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Health Sciences Entrepreneurship at Northeastern - innovation and healthcare
When: October 18, 2015 6:00PM - 9:30PM
Where: Northeastern Boston Campus, 291 St. Botolph Street, East Village, 17th floor, Boston, MA 02115
Keynote Speaker: Peter Barrett
Peter is a partner at Atlas Ventures and focuses on investments in therapeutics and medical technologies that significantly change the medical management of patients.
Honorees: Joseph Fleming, Chairman, Health Sciences Entrepreneurs and Infusion Ventures and Christopher Ford, Co-founder, American Renal Associates, Board Member and Mentor, Health Sciences Entrepreneurs
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
TechSandBox Life Sci SIG: Constructing a Solid Provisional Patent
When: Monday, October 19, 5:30pm - 8:00pm
Where: 105B South Street, Hopkinton, MA
Medical device and Pharma and Bioscience Entrepreneurs and Inventors will want to hear these people and learn how to do a provisional patent, on your own, or low budget. TechSandBox will have two life science CEOs who have done a lot themselves: Dr. Kryngle Daly, CEO, KBioSim and KBioBox and Paul Hayre, CEO, Sano. Learn from them first hand and save time, money, anguish
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
JLABS: "Open Sesame" for the investor's door
When: Thursday, October 22, 2015 from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Where: MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Auditorium (Room 76-156), 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142
In this session with world-renowned Communications & Leadership Expert, John Bates, you will learn the secrets behind pitches that succeed. You will leave ready to apply the secrets of PitchCraft to all of your talks. From internal presentations to fundraising and client pitches you will learn not only what works, but why it works.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
MassTLC: Innovation unConference When: Friday, October 23, 2015 Where: Hynes Convention Center It's a one-day conference where hundreds of folks throughout the tech ecosystem -CEOs, founders, investors, developers, marketers, strategists, and more - come together to exchange ideas and get advice to take them - and their business - to the next level. It's about giving help and getting help, in an open and collaborative environment. For more information and to register please visit the Event website
The MassChallenge Awards Ceremony
When: Wednesday, October 28, 2015, 5:00PM-9:00PM
Where: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
The MassChallenge Awards Ceremony is the grand finale of the Boston startup accelerator program, shining a spotlight on the world's most promising entrepreneurs.
Join Innovation A-Listers to celebrate entrepreneurship & the Boston startup community! Entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, politicians, and philanthropists will witness the unveiling of MassChallenge winners and over $1 million in cash awards.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
2nd Annual Drug Discovery USA Congress When: October 29, 2015 - October 30, 2015
Where: The Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, 425 Summer Street, Boston MA 02210 The Congress brings together a host of senior level experts to discuss recent developments in the industry and debate the best strategies and solutions to improve drug discovery going forward. The program features four interactive streams: Target Based Discovery; Screening & Assays: Enabling Technologies; Discovery Chemistry & Drug Design; and Supporting Innovation: Translational Approaches & Informatics Tools. Delegates will also benefit from unparalleled networking opportunities. The two-day congress format combines dedicated networking breaks, pre-organized 1-2-1 meetings and our popular drinks reception. The exhibition hall and poster presentation spaces offer a relaxed and professional environment for discussion. For more information and to register please visit the Event website
2015 Innovators Challenge: Last Call for Demos
When: October 29- 30, 2015
Where: Boston Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center, 1 Seaport Lane, Boston, MA 02210
As part of the 2015 Partners HealthCare Connected Health Symposium, Partners Connected Health is pleased to announce the fifth annual Innovators Challenge. The theme for this year's session is The Internet of Healthy Things: Integrating Connected Health into Real World Care Delivery.
Please submit your application as soon as possible as the application will close once we have received 125 submissions. Preference will be given to physical products that meet the theme and can be demonstrated to the audience.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
MassMEDIC's MedTech Showcase When: October 30, 2015 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Where: Westin Hotel, Boston, MA The agenda will feature 10-minute presentations by select emerging medtech company executives. This has always been an excellent opportunity for members of the region's medical device community to learn more about the business plans and technologies being developed by local medtech start-ups. In addition to the company presentations, program segments include an opening plenary session and luncheon speaker. The Showcase attracts over 300 attendees, including industry representatives and potential investors and strategic partners. For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Brigham and Women's 3rd Annual Hackathon
When: November 6, 2015 - November 8, 2015, 12:00 pm
Where: Brigham and Women's Hospital, 45 Francis St., Boston, MA
The BWH Hackathon in collaboration with Brigham Innovation Hub and MIT Hacking Medicine will bring together inventive, forward-thinking minds to change the status quo and create disruptive solutions in healthcare today. A hackathon is an event in which clinicians, programmers, designers, entrepreneurs, and others collaborate intensively on software projects. This year, our 3rd annual Hackathon, focused on Digital Health, will bring together a diverse, multidisciplinary group to "pitch" problems impacting healthcare, develop solutions over a two-day period, and then present demos of solutions to a panel of judges for recognition and honors.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
MassBio 2015 CRO/CMO Symposium
When: November 13, 2015 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Where: Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, 606 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
In its fourth year, the CRO/CMO Symposium shines a spotlight on the strength and success of the CRO and CMO communities in the Commonwealth.
The Symposium draws more than 300 attendees to discuss and evaluate the best alternatives that have evolved in shortening time to market. A series of case studies, interactive panel discussions, and networking sessions provide ample time to explore the various techniques and approaches being used by both virtual and established companies.
For more information, to exhibit and to register please visit the Event website
Massachusetts eHealth Institute: Gain Insights for Meaningful Use Success Join Massachusetts Health IT leaders, healthcare providers, and other industry professionals this November at MeHI's Meaningful Use Regional Meetings, two free, full-day sessions. Speakers will provide updates on Meaningful Use regulations, attestation requirements, health information exchange and the Mass HIway, best practices, and more. Network with healthcare professionals from around the state who face similar challenges and benefit from the best practices they have to share. The meetings are free for Massachusetts professionals, but you must register to reserve your seat. Eastern Massachusetts The Holiday Inn, Dedham, MA
Tuesday, November 17th, 2015
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Western/Central Massachusetts
The Sturbridge Host Hotel, Sturbridge, MA
Monday, November 23rd, 2015
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Drug Development Boot Camp
When: November 17, 2015 - November 18, 2015
Where: Harvard Club of Boston, 374 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
Drug development is a complex process. Each compound or molecule that enters drug development requires a unique drug development program to be devised by the Project Team. Even after many years of working in drug development, many executives with decision making authority lack in-depth understanding of the drug development process.
The Boot Camp uses accelerated learning techniques to train executives and people working at the cutting edge of new drug R&D, in drug development.
MassLife Sciences members and readers will receive a $50 discount off the advertised price. Please ensure that you mention that you saw the information about the Boot Camp via MassLife Sciences to receive the $50 discount off the advertised price when you contact Dr. Speid to register.
For more information, to exhibit and to register please visit the Event website
11th Annual Personalized Medicine Conference"Entering the Second Decade" When: November 18-19, 2015 Where: Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA As personalized medicine enters its second decade, PMC will recognize a career that has resulted in four of the biggest breakthroughs in the history of personalized medicine at the 11th Annual Personalized Medicine Conference, presenting NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., with its Leadership in Personalized Medicine Award on the second day of the event.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
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MTTC is based at UMass and facilitates technology transfer from all research institutions, public and private, in the Commonwealth. The Center is financially supported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and MTDC. www.mttc.org
MATTO is the Massachusetts Association of Technology Transfer Offices www.masstechtransfer.org
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