The Newsletter of the MTTC for the Massachusetts
entrepreneur & tech transfer community
December 16, 2015
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Welcome
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Dear All,
The MTTC has had a busy close to 2015. The MATTO New Ventures Showcase 2015 was held on November 16in the new UMass Club. The event showcased start-ups emerging from Massachusetts research institutions, hospitals and universities to more than 100 attendees. The 18 presenting companies have already raised almost $20 million and are looking for additional capital for further product research, final product development and for market launch. From new materials and software to new medical devices and drug candidates, the companies represented the broad range of research and innovation that is occurring here.
The Notebook from the conference with information on all of the presenters is now available on our website
We also held two MATTO Seminars: "Filling the Development Gap by Partnering With a Contract Manufacturer" moderated by Fred Reinhart and "Dirty Little Tricks People Play in Licensing - The Advanced Course" by Robert MacWright of UMass Amherst (slides for the seminar are posted on www.mttc.org/news/matto-news)
Save-the-date for the upcoming MATTO seminar on January 13, 2016: "Negotiating Confidentiality Agreements with Pharmaceutical/Biotech Companies."
We would like to thank everyone who has volunteered their time and support for our programs in 2015. And we look forward to working with you in 2016.
Season's Greetings
The MTTC Team - Abi, Julia, Michele and Barbara 
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MTTC Update
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MTTC is pleased to announce the winners of the MTTC Innovation Commercialization Seed Fund for UMass Researchers.
- Trudy G. Morrison, Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, UMass Worcester "Development of Protocols for Large-Scale Production of Virus-like Particle Vaccine Candidates for Respiratory Syncytial Virus"
- Erno Sajo, Department of Physics and Applied Physics, UMass Lowell "Radiation detection and monitoring for radiation safety and medical applications employing self-powered High Energy Current (HEC) nanofilms"
- Daniel Schmidt, Department of Plastics Engineering, UMass Lowell "Bisphenol A (BPA) Free Epoxy Resins for Food Can Liners"
- Yong K. Kim, Bioengineering Department, UMass Dartmouth "Commercial Development of Flocked Energy Absorbing Materials (FEAM) for Sport Apparel and Equipment Applications"
- Xingwei Wang, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UMass Lowell "CBU (Catheter Based Ultrasound) fiber optic temperature distribution measurement system for controlling the radiofrequency ablation"
- Robyn Hannigan, School for the Environment, UMass Boston "Commercialization of a 2-stage peltier cooling cell"
- Sankaran Thayumanavan, Department of Chemistry, UMass Amherst "A Versatile Nano-polymer Platform for Therapeutic Delivery"
- Pradeep U. Kurup, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UMass Lowell "Versatile Electronic Tongue for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety Applications"
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Funding Opportunities
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VentureWell Student Grants
Apply by Wednesday, January 27
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. The E-Team Program cultivates opportunities for collegiate entrepreneurs like yourself by providing early-stage funding, training, coaching, and investment.
The Program offers up to $25k in grant funding; $50k matching investment opportunity for select teams, and more.
NIH New I-Corps Cohort
Apply by or March 21, 2016
Following the success of the 2014 pilot cohort, NIH is offering this entrepreneurial training program across 13 Institute/Centers at the NIH and CDC to support NIH/CDC SBIR/STTR funded small businesses to accelerate the translation of innovations from the lab to clinical practice.
The I-Corps™ at NIH, part of President Obama's Strategy for Innovation is modeled after the successful I-Corps™ at NSF and will be leveraged to support biomedical innovation and translation, with the goal of expediting the development and commercialization of a range of technologies to address the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. I-Corps™ participants will receive lessons on how to build a scalable business model as well as entrepreneurial trainings, and mentorship opportunities. In addition, modest funding will be provided to teams to assist them in translating their ideas from the lab into a viable product on the market and to help them avoid common failure points.
View the funding opportunity announcement and call for applications to apply: PA-16-019
For more information or questions on the I-Corps™ at NIH program, please visit
The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center's SBIR Assistance Program
The Program helps early stage researchers in their pursuit of funding. The services are provided at no charge and to all types of sciences and researchers. The team will assist with identifying potential sources of funding, defining strategies for preparing to apply for funding, commercialization plan creation and proposal review. This comprehensive assistance can help researchers create and submit winning proposals.
For more information or to request assistance, visit http://www.msbdc.org/sbir or contact - Dan Lilly, SBIR Advisor, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center at [email protected] or 508-673-9783
New Co-working space for healthcare technology startups athenahealth's More Disruption Please Accelerator is now offering co-working space at its Watertown headquarters. Co-working companies receive dedicated desks in a newly renovated workspace, access to conference rooms and lounges, high-speed internet, unlimited free coffee and tea, and much more-all at an affordable monthly rate. Check it out at MDPcowork.com
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Spin-off and Start-up News
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Corsair Innovations Receives $250,000 in Head Health Challenge Funding for its Revolutionary FEAM Material. Corsair Innovations is a University of Massachusetts Dartmouth spin-off and presented at the MATTO New Ventures Showcase 2015. Corsair Innovations will use these funds to further refine its revolutionary FEAM technology, a radical new and improved approach to foam padding used in helmets and body armor. FEAM can absorb energy from blunt forces and reduce the risk of trauma by mitigating impact energies. Read more
Tank Utility and EverVest swept the national competition,
respectively winning the National Grand Prize (worth $200K) and the National Runner-Up prize at the Cleantech Open Global Forum in San Francisco.
Both TankUtlility and EverVest (former Cardinal Wind) are MTTC/MassCEC Catalyst Awardees. Tank Utility has developed an innovative technology that monitors propane tank levels to reduce the high delivery costs of delivered fuels. Tank Utility provides a low-cost, easy-to-install, internet-connected smart monitor for fuel tanks. EverVestprovides financial risk analysis and cash-flow modelling software used by renewable-energy investors. The software helps banks, investors, and developers analyze and structure financings for new assets, while also providing enterprise risk-management features for portfolio managers.
Voyager completes IPO
Voyager Therapeutics went public on November 16 and raised over $80 million in new funding through the offering. Voyager, which has licensed technology from UMass Med School, is now Cambridge based, and specializes in the development of gene therapies against central nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Voyager already has a partnership with Genzyme that netted it $100 million up front and the potential for $745 million more depending on the success of programs devoted to Parkinson's disease, Friedreich's ataxia, Huntington's disease and other diseases. Read more
MIT and MGH researchers enable ultra-rapid delivery of drugs to the GI tract
Using ultrasound waves, researchers from MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found a way to enable ultra-rapid delivery of drugs to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This approach could make it easier to deliver drugs to patients suffering from GI disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease, the researchers say.
Currently, such diseases are usually treated with drugs administered as an enema, which must be maintained in the colon for hours while the drug is absorbed. However, this can be difficult for patients who are suffering from diarrhea and incontinence. To overcome that, the researchers sought a way to stimulate more rapid drug absorption. Read more
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| Events of Interest |
The Capital Network's Pitch Perfect
When: December 17th, 2015, 11:45am-2:00pm
Where: General Assembly, 51 Melcher St, Boston, MA 02210
You only have a few minutes to get an investor's attention and convey the essence of your business concisely and convincingly. Don't let a few words (or lengthy ones) trip you up. Join TCN for this intimate, hands-on, peer pitch practice workshop to get polished and ready to talk to investors about your business. TCN give you the lowdown on what to include in a three-minute version of your pitch. Then you will have the opportunity to practice your pitch in front of the group and get real-time feedback from experts and fellow entrepreneurs. You will leave with a better rehearsed story about your company that would make anyone, especially investors, want to hear more.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Conference on Product Information for Medicinal Products in the EU
When: January 21, 2016 - January 22, 2016, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Where: Courtyard Boston Logan Airport, 225 William F. McClellan Highway, Boston
Regular review and monitoring of product information for medicines is important, to support awareness of relevant updates/changes which may affect prescribing, administration or monitoring practices.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
WEST: Annual Effective Transition from Academia to Industry Panel Discussion
When: January 28, 2016, 6:00 - 8:30 PM
Where: Microsoft, One Cambridge Center, 4th Floor, Hawthorne Room, Cambridge, MA
Join WEST for this annual event to hear lessons learned from a variety of individual experiences and to learn the critical skills necessary for a smooth and effective transition. Panelists include individuals that have successfully made the transition from academia as well as an experienced recruiter who has managed these kinds of transitions.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Sandra Glucksmann, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer at Editas Medicine Inc.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
The Capital Network's Life Science Venture Fast Track
When: February 25, 2016 9:00 am - 4:30pm
Where: Nutter McClennen & Fish, 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210
Life Science Fast Track is an intensive, interactive full-day seminar designed to provide entrepreneurs, physicians and innovators an in-depth understanding of what it takes to raise early stage capital specifically for life science startups. You will spend the day learning from and interacting with New England's leading life science investors, entrepreneurs, and early-stage experts through workshops, panels and discussions. You will leave the Life Science Fast Track with concrete materials and knowledge that will help you move your company forward through the various stages of the fundraising process.
For more information and to register please visit the Event website
Meet with Angel Investors
When: February 25, 2016 10:30am-4:30pm
Where: JLABS @ LabCentral, Cambridge, MA
JLABS is bringing together a cohort of angel investors to speak with the early-stage life sciences community to help you get ahead when it comes to angel money.
Angel investors will offer insights, lessons learned, and best practices for seeking angel money. You'll also learn about the differences between these networks, as well as the key differences between angel investing and traditional venture funding. Participating Investors: - Mass Medical Angels
- Sky Ventures
- Golden Seeds
- Mid Atlantic BioAngels
For those companies who apply online and receive advance approval, one-on-one meetings with angel investors will provide a private forum to discuss your company.
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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