Archive for the ‘Maryland’ Category
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
 CHEVY CHASE, MD -The Travel Channel has led a $7.5 million funding for Oyster.com, a destination to research and book hotels. The investment represents Travel Channel’s excursion into the expanding online travel transaction territory. Return investor Bain Capital participated.
Travel sites saw a strong increase in traffic this spring as people prepare for summer vacations, according to recent figures from comScore. Travel is one of the strongest verticals online.
“This is a transformational event for the Travel Channel,” said Laureen Ong, Travel Channel president. “Entering into a strategic relationship with Oyster.com greatly broadens our position as a trusted source for information and allows us to go beyond the inspiration and entertainment we offer on television.”
“We believe in engaging audiences through the power of a strong respected brand and reliable expertise,” added Elie Seidman, co-founder and chief executive officer of Oyster.com. “That’s what we’re building at Oyster.com and we were always impressed with the trust and knowledge that Travel Channel represents, and the large and discriminating audiences it attracts.”
Founded in 2008, New York-based Oyster.com combines exclusive content and commerce all in one online location. The website publishes objective, in-depth hotel reviews written by trained journalists who document their visits through thousands of photographs, and provide expert editorial opinions. Based on a strict set of criteria and ratings, Oyster’s curated content is designed to give users the best way to plan, research, and book their hotels.
“The only way to really know about a place is to actually go there. Everything else is just a guess,” Seidman said. “That’s the basis of our business.”
Under terms of the agreement, Travel Channel and TravelChannel.com will have access to exclusive Oyster.com content. Each brand will also collaborate on future programming and cross-platform promotional opportunities.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
SoutheastVentureConference:
www.seventure.org
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Tags: hotel booking, investment, online travel sites, Oyster.com, partnership, Travel Channel
Posted in Internet/New Media, Maryland, Money, Potomac | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
 Fiberight's technology converts solid wastes to biofuel CANTONSVILLE, MD – Fiberight, a company that converts waste fibers into biofuel, has opened a $15 million equity offering, according to a regulatory filing.
The company, which has operations in Virginia and an ethanol plant in Blairstown, Iowa, has a technology that converts waste fibers to biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol. Its Iowa plant has a six million gallon a year capacity.
This is the third financing for a company that turns waste into biofuels that we’ve reported in a month. Investors obviously see turning solid wastes into biofuels as an opportunity.
Fiberight takes the non-recyclable components of municipal solid and industrial waste and produces biofuel using a highly cost effective biochemical and enzymatic process involving digestion and fermentation.
The company says its technology has the potential to unlock the 85 gallons of biofuel contained in every ton of non-recycled trash. Its technology can be scaled to turn the 170 million tons of excess trash generated each year in the US — contaminated paper, food wastes, yard discards and other organic degradeables — into over 10 billion gallons of renewable biofuel that will providing an important source of cellulosic ethanol to meet federal mandates.
The company landed a $2.9 million grant from the Iowa Power Fund Board in 2010.
Tags: Blairstown, Cantonville, clean energy, converting solid wastes to biofuel, fiberight, financing, Iowa, MD, Virginia
Posted in Events, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
ROCKVILLE, MD – Hilcrest Laboratories, which sells motion control interactive TV applications, has raised $5.54 million, according to a regulatory filing.
The company raised a $25 million D round led by AllicanceBernstein with previous investors New Enterprise Associates, Columbia Capital, and Grotech Captal participating in 2008.
Peter Barris, director of NEA, Frank Adams, director of Grotech, and R. Philip Herget, of Columbia Capital, are all listed as principals in the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing the current raise.
Founded in 2001, the company previously raised a total of $50 million in venture backing, a spokesperson told TechJournal South.
Hillcrest Labs’ patented Freespace motion control technology senses motion in three dimensions and precisely translates human motions into on–screen cursor movement. When embedded in a handheld input device, Freespace allows consumers to simply point and click to navigate content and application choices on televisions, set–top boxes, PCs and a range of other digital media devices. Freespace can also be adapted for use in game controllers.
Hillcrest sells an application creation platform called HoME, which enables consumer electronics
manufacturers and service providers to create unique interactive digital media products for TV and other digital media devices.
Applications made with HoME are controlled by pointing and provide consumers an intuitive way to browse, discover, and interact with large volumes of digital media. It can be used in a wide range of consumer devices including remote controls, PC mice, and game controllers.
The first hardware implementation of Hillcrest’s Freespace motion control technology was The Loop pointer. The Loop pointer is the in-air mouse that moves your cursor with natural hand motion.
Its patented technologies have been adopted by industry leaders such as LG Electronics, Logitech, Broadcom, SMK and Universal Electronics.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
SoutheastVentureConference: www.seventure.org
Internet Summit: www.internetsummit.com
Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
Digital Summit: www.digitalsummit.com
Tags: Columbia Capital, financing, Frank Adams, Grotech, Hillcrest Labs, MD, motion control interactive TV technology, NEA, Peter Barris, R. Philip Herget, Rockville, The Loop, venture capital
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
 Vinay Bhargava CHEVY CHASE, MD – Chevey-Chase-based Mytonomy, a “stealth-mode startup” its founder says is “focused on solving an age old problem in the education space using modern Internet capabilities, has received $195,000 from a $5 million equity offering, according to a regulatory filing.
The company’s founder and CEO, Vinay Bhargava was with Google for seven years, most recently as a development manager.
Bhargava’s LinkedIn profle says, “Stay tuned,” for more information.
The company disclosed the raise in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which notes eight investors contributed to the raise so far.
Tags: Chevy Chase, education, financing, Google, Internet, MD, Mytonomy, Vinay Bhargava
Posted in Education, Internet/New Media, IT, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
 SAN DIEGO–Want to live a longer life? Move to Salt Lake City, the DC-Balitmore area, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, San Francisco, or Austin. On the other hand, Knoxville and Nashville, TN, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, and Tampa and Jacksonville, FL, may make you old before your time. So says and new report by RealAge.
Southeast and western cities are among the top ten on RealAge’s list of the “youngest” cities in America—metropolitan areas with such healthy lifestyles that on average their residents are physically at least two years younger than their chronological age, and many are years younger than that. RealAge analyzed data from the largest 50 metropolitan areas to compile the rankings.
A passion for fitness and a loathing for smoking are key factors in Salt Lake City’s number one ranking. At the other extreme, residents of Knoxville, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, and Nashville are aging faster than they should. (Get an infographic of the 10 youngest and oldest cities here.)
What are the 10 metro areas where you have the best odds of staying young?
1. Salt Lake City, Utah
2. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Calif.
3. Austin, Texas
4. Denver, Colo.
5. Boston, Mass.
6. Washington, DC/Baltimore, Md.
7. San Diego, Calif.
8. Raleigh-Durham/Chapel Hill, N.C.
9. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
10. Seattle/Tacoma/Bremerton, Wash.
Which metro areas are likely to make you old before your time?
1. Knoxville, Tenn.
2. Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C.
3. Nashville, Tenn.
4. Saginaw/Bay City/Midland, Mich.
5. Cincinnati, Ohio
6. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.
7. Oklahoma City, Okla.
8. Las Vegas, Nev.
9. Jacksonville, Fla.
10. Tulsa, Okla.
“Each city’s ranking is more than just a number,” says Keith Roach, MD, Chief Medical Officer of RealAge and a co-creator of its test. “It’s a unique assessment of the healthy lifestyles, or lack of them, in each metro area—of how people live there, what they’re doing right and what they need to change. If you live in one of the 10 oldest cities, take this as the alarm on your body’s aging clock going off! It’s never too late for a fresh start.”
Note that half of the 10 youngest cities are in the Western U.S., from Denver to Seattle.
“Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the mountains, but Western cities have adopted active lifestyles that can slow down the aging process,” says Dr. Roach.
Behind the Rankings
To compile the rankings, RealAge analyzed data for America’s 50 largest metropolitan areas generated by its landmark online assessment, the RealAge Test, taken by over 27 million people. This is the first time the company has analyzed aggregated results on a city-by-city basis.
A random sample of 1,000 RealAge members was drawn from each city. The sample data was adjusted for age differences, so a metropolitan area that’s a magnet for retirees wasn’t penalized, and a city jammed with university students didn’t benefit.
The Test uses a powerful algorithm that combines the latest scientific studies with lifestyle, genetics, and medical history to calculate your RealAge—how old your body thinks you are.
What Makes a City Younger or Older
While multiple lifestyle factors are involved, here are four big ones that help people in Boston (the 5th youngest city), for example, stay younger and healthier than those in Cincinnati (the 5th oldest):
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Getting the right amount of sleep. Six of the 10 youngest cities are among those with stellar sleep habits. And (surprise) New York isn’t the city that never sleeps—the Big Apple ranks second in ZZZ’s; Austin is first. Sleeping six to nine hours a night can make your RealAge as much as 3 years younger. |
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Stubbing out cigarettes for good. Four of the five fastest-aging cities have the highest percentage of smokers. |
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Not sitting around. Six of the 10 youngest cities are among the most physically active in the country. A daily 30-minute walk can make your RealAge up to 3.5 years younger. |
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Controlling your blood pressure. Five of the 10 fastest-aging cities—Knoxville, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, and Tulsa—are among the worst for high blood pressure. Nothing ages you faster. Who has the lowest BP? Residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the 9th youngest city. |
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
SoutheastVentureConference: www.seventure.org
Internet Summit: www.internetsummit.com
Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
Digital Summit: www.digitalsummit.com
Tags: Austin TX, Baltimore, Cincinnati, CO, DC, Denver, FL, Greensboro, High Point, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Las Vegas, MD, Nashville, NV, OH, OK, Oklahoma City, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Realage.com, San Diego, San Fransciso, Seattle, St. Petersburg, Tampa, TN, Tulsa, Winston Salem
Posted in Carolinas, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Other SE, Potomac, Studies, surveys, reports, Tennessee, Washington, DC | Comments Off
Monday, April 4th, 2011
 GregvPapadopoulos CHEVY CHASE, MD – New Enterprise Associates (NEA), the global venture capital firm, has named Greg Papdopoulos, Ph.D., formerly Sun Microsystems CTO, a venture partner.
Papadopoulos will work closely with seed and early-stage companies in NEA’s portfolio to help guide fundamental technology development and define go-to-market strategy.
Papadopoulos began working with NEA as entrepreneur in residence in 2010 on the heels of a highly successful career as a senior executive and serial entrepreneur, including his most recent role as CTO at Sun Microsystems, where he directed the company’s $2 billion research and development portfolio.
“When Greg joined NEA as an EIR last year, we couldn’t wait to see what he would do next,” said NEA General Partner Scott Santell. “We are incredibly fortunate that he’s decided to stay with NEA full time, where he’ll play a critical role in helping growing companies define and refine their strategy at pivotal moments.”
Previously, Papadopoulos worked as a development engineer at Hewlett-Packard and Honeywell, and as architect at Thinking Machines. He has also helped found several companies including: Ergo (high-end PCs), Exa Corporation (computational fluid dynamics) and PictureTel (video conferencing). He also worked as an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he led numerous research activities.
“The value that the venture community brings, aside from capital, is to help fill the gap between recognizing a transformational idea and actually delivering it to market,” said Papadopoulos.
“At NEA, that style of innovation is an integral part of the culture. It’s an incredibly ambitious approach to investing that looks to create not just companies but entirely new segments of the market, and to do that in a way that really makes a difference.”
With approximately $11 billion in committed capital, NEA invests in information technology, healthcare and energy technology companies at all stages in a company’s lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm’s long track record of successful investing includes more than 165 portfolio company IPOs and more than 265 acquisitions, including investments in technology leaders like Data Domain, CareerBuilder, Diapers.com, Groupon, Juniper, Macromedia, Playdom, Salesforce.com, and TiVo.
In the U.S., NEA has two offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and one in Menlo Park, California.
Tags: DC, fomrer Sun Microsystems CTO, Greg Papadopoulos, named venture partner, NEA, New Enterprise Associates, venture capital firms
Posted in Maryland, People, Potomac, Washington, DC | Comments Off
Thursday, March 31st, 2011
 BALTIMORE, MD – TidalTV, a video advertising, optimization, and yield management solutions provider, has raised more than $30 million in financing led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with participation from other existing investors Comcast Interactive Capital and Valhalla Partners.
The company says the new funding will support the aggressive expansion of TidalTV’s technology into new global markets throughout 2011 and the deployment of its proprietary ad decisioning solutions into new multi-screen applications for advertisers, media agencies and publishers.
TidalTV launched as a technology platform in late 2007. It was founded by Advertising.com co-founder Scott Ferber.
The investment nearly doubles TidalTV’s last financing, allowing the company to build momentum in the rapidly growing video advertising category and to deliver advanced capabilities in targeting the right ad, to the right person, at the right time, across platforms. eMarketer estimates that by 2015, 76% of internet users, or 195.5 million people will be watching online video each month. In the same period, it predicts online video advertising spending will surge from $1.97 billion to $5.71 billion.
“Our focus on bringing math and science into the branded advertising space has been well received, and truly illustrates the demand for more efficiency and effectiveness in brand marketing,” said Ferber, chairman & CEO of TidalTV.
“I have never experienced such eagerness to invest into the growth of a company by existing investors, so much so that we could not accommodate all the demand. This infusion of capital will advance TidalTV’s position as a leader in video-based advertising solutions for advertisers and publishers through investments in premier human capital, expansion into new global markets and the development of innovative product suites.”
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
SoutheastVentureConference: www.seventure.org
Internet Summit: www.internetsummit.com
Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
Digital Summit: www.digitalsummit.com
Tags: Advertising.com, Baltimore, Comcast Interactive Capital, financing, MD, New Enterprise Associates, Scott Ferber, TidalTV, Valhalla Partners
Posted in Internet/New Media, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Friday, March 11th, 2011
 Atlanta is 2nd on the list of most socially networked cities. RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC – Washington, DC took the top spot as most socially networked, followed by Atlanta in the number two position in a ranking by Men’s Health magazine, it calls “Twittertowns.” Raleigh ranked 12th, Orlando, 7th, Tampa, 31st, and Baltimore 58th.
The magazine ranked US cities by adding up the number of Facebook and LinkedIn users per capita and overall Twitter use as monitored by NetProspex.It also measured traffic generated in each city by social networks and factored in the percentage of households checking out chat rooms and blogs.
You can meet some of the most wired people in Atlanta at TechMedia’s Digital Summit May 16-17 at the Cobb Galleria.
Here’s the top ten, according to the magazine:
Most socially networked
1 Washington, DC
2 Atlanta, GA
3 Denver, CO
4 Minneapolis, MN
5 Seattle, WA
6 San Francisco, CA
7 Orlando, FL
8 Austin, TX
9 Boston, MA
10 Salt Lake City, UT
Here’s the Full List.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
SoutheastVentureConference: www.seventure.org
Internet Summit: www.internetsummit.com
Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
Digital Summit: www.digitalsummit.com
Tags: Atlanta, Baltimore, DC, Digital Summit, facebook, LinkedIn, Men's Health TwitterTowns ranking, most socially networked cities, Orlando, Raleigh, social media, Tampa, twitter
Posted in Carolinas, Facebook, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Potomac, social media, Washington, DC | Comments Off
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
 CHEVY CHASE, MD – A Maryland-based startup called Pixspan Inc. has raised $803,725 of an equity round aimed at $853,725, according to a regulatory filing.
The company principals include several former executives from Qbit, which specialized in pattern recognition and compression algorithms, but filed for bankruptcy in 2009.
We did not find any specific information aboutPixspan other than the US Securities and Exchange Commission filing disclosing the raise.
Principals cited in the filing include Michael J. Rowny, president, chair of private equity firm Rowny Capital, a former executive with MCI Communications, and formerly CEO of the Ransohoff Co. and Hermitage Holding Co., and a director at DC-based Ciena Corp. and NeuStar Inc.
Others include Daniel Kilbank, who was a co-founder, CEO and president of Qbit; John W. Holaday, a director, CEO of QRxPharma and formerly an advisor to Qbit; and Tam-anh-Chu, who was president of hardware engineering at Qbit. A specialist in lossless video compression, he was formerly he was Chief Digital Scientist at NIITEK Inc. and CEO at Acorn Networks Inc.
Posted in Maryland, Money, Potomac | 5 Comments »
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
 COLLEGE PARK, MD – The Maryland Industrial Partnership Program (MIPS) has authorized 16 high technology and biotech product development grants totlaing $3.7 million.
MIPS, an initiative of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) at the University of Maryland, fosters technology innovation and creates jobs in Maryland by funding commercially promising product development projects that partner Maryland companies with University System of Maryland researchers. Both companies and MIPS contribute money, all of which supports the work of faculty and graduate students.
The projects combine $2.4 million from participating companies and $1.3 million from MIPS. Funding from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Agency and the Maryland Biotechnology Center supported select MIPS projects.
New technologies approved for funding include: a new, biofuel-producing scrubber to remove CO2 from smokestacks, biofouling screen systems that remove harmful nutrients and sediment from the Chesapeake Bay, a variable-torque wind turbine with a speed converter, pest-resistant soybeans, ultra-thin rechargeable batteries, a system that speeds Internet-via satellite communications and more.
Five are in the Baltimore area, four are in College Park, two are in western Maryland, two are in Frederick, one is in Silver Spring, one is in Dayton, and one is on the lower Eastern Shore.
Companies getting grants include:
Frederick-based Cerona Networks ( www.cerona.com ), which gets $268,600 and is developing a broadband Internet-via-satellite system with two-way performance approaching terrestrial Internet connections that saves costs for providers and can be retrofit to existing systems.
Owings Mills-based Differential Dynamics Corporation ( www.ddmotion.com ), $160,000 for developing a new type of wind turbine with a speed converter and a variable-torque generator that can reduce the failure rate and maintenance cost, harness more energy, and reduce unit cost.
College Park-based FlexEl LLC ( www.flexelinc.com ), $141,025, for developing an integrated battery management system for FlexEl’s thin-film batteries incorporating upstream energy scavenging circuitry and downstream load management circuitry to give end-users an ultra-thin, plug-and-play power solution.
The others are biotech related.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
SoutheastVentureConference: www.seventure.org
Internet Summit: www.internetsummit.com
Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
Digital Summit: www.digitalsummit.com
Tags: Baltimore, Blackrock Algae, Cerona Networks, College Park, Differential Dynamics Corp., Frederick, Maryland, MIPs grants, Owings Mills
Posted in Economic Development, Internet/New Media, IT, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Monday, February 7th, 2011
 COLUMBIA, MD – The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), in collaboration with the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, have completed the Ft. Detrick Technology Transfer Initiative (FDTTI) and three final grant awardees.
Through the FDTTI program, 26 startup companies received a total of $1,300,000 for the development of technology solutions used to address medical needs of the U.S. Army. The final companies to receive funding are Oculearn, Fyodor Biotechnologies Inc., and Foxspire.
Each research team received $50,000.
The FDTTI program announced by Senator Barbara Mikulski in March 2005, allowed TEDCO to work with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command to maintain awareness of new and developing technologies and to develop effective strategies for the transition of successful projects to follow-on funding.
The initial phase of the program provided funding for 11 companies, while the second phase of the program awarded funding to 15 different companies.
Oculearn,– Located in Mount Airy, Md., has designed technology to assist victims of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) who have had services for their injuries discontinued due to limitation of benefits or due to the lack of improvement achieved during rehabilitation.
Fyodor Biotechnologies Inc. – Baltimore-based Fyodor Biotechnologies, Inc. collaborated with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) to test, further develop and commercialize its single and recombinant antibody-based urine test for rapid diagnosis of clinical malaria.
Foxspire – Located in Frederick, Md., Foxspire, LCC is working with USAMRMC to design and develop a system that tracks stock of infectious agents.
Tags: Biotech, Columbia, defense, FDTTI, Foxspire, Ft. Detrick Technology Transfer Initiative, Fyodor Biotech, grants, MD, Mt. Airy, Oculearn, TEDCO
Posted in Government/Defense, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Monday, February 7th, 2011
 COLLEGE PARK, MD – Pixelligent Technologies, a company developing nanotechnology applications in optical lithography and nanocomposites for the semiconductor and microelectronics markets, has rasied $425,000 in equity, according to a regulatory filing.
The 2006 former Maryland Incubator of the Year nanotechnology company raised $2 million from angel investors, a West Coast entrepreneur, and the company’s management team in 2009.
Founded in 2000, it has also received $8.2 million in grants from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation, which is very significant federal grant money.
The company says its technologies extend the use of current chip manufacturing technology, promising improved performance and cost savings for chip makers.
It has also developed a process to enhance phtoelectrochemical hydrogen production while increasing the reliability of the process. This breakthrough could result in significantly cheaper fuel that could be used in many applications including, powering vehicles.
Tags: chip tech, College Park, financing, hydrogen fuel, MD, nanotechnology, Pixelligent Technologies
Posted in Maryland, Nanotech, Potomac | Comments Off
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
 BALTIMORE, MD – Ontario-based Open Text Corp. has agreed to a merger of Baltimore-based Metastorm and one of its subsidiaries in a deal worth $182 million.
Metastorm sells business process management, analysis and enterprise architecture software.
Metastorm stockholders will get $182 million in cash.
“Metastorm will add complementary technology and expertise that enhances our ECM solutions portfolio,” said John Shackleton, president and CEO of OpenText.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
Tags: acquisition, Baltimore, MD, Metastorm, Ontario, OpenText
Posted in Acquisitions, IT, Maryland, Potomac | Comments Off
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
 ROCKVILLE, MD – Clean Currents Inc., which sells wind and solar power technology and supplies wind-sourced electricity to home owners and businesses, has raised $1.43 million of a $1.75 million offering it expects to complete in the next 30 days, according to a regulatory filing.
The firm has over 7,000 commercial and residential customers.
Residents of Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC, or Pennsylvania, you can choose their electric supplier. Clean Currents provides electricity sourced from clean wind power.
It also does solar installations.
The company’s management team, cited in the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing the raise, are veterans of the green tech field.
CEO Charles A. Sergerman was previously director of Green Development for the Tower real estate company in the DC region. He was project manager for the Rockville Tower building, one of the Potomac region’s first large-scale green structures.
C0-founder Gary Skulnik created the Clean Energy Partnership in 2004 and has worked for Greenpeace, Sierra Club and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
Tags: Charles A. Sergerman, Clean Currents, DC, financing, Gary Skulnik, MD, Rockville, wind and solar power
Posted in Energy, Maryland, Money, Potomac, Washington, DC | Comments Off
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
 NGB's technology makes fuel from plants and other sources COLUMBIA, MD – New Generation Biofuels Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: NGBF), a clean energy company deploying technologies to produce cleaner, renewable biofuels, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with a limited number of institutional investors for the placement of Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Notes totaling $1 million.
Miles F. Mahoney, president and CEO, said, “This new infusion of capital will allow us to take several important near-term steps toward establishing value-added alliances with technology partners, feedstock suppliers and strategic customers.”
He added, “Chief among these are making fuel deliveries under our existing contracts; demonstrating a repeat-delivery cycle with our technology to produce a cleaner burning renewable product; and initiating feasibility studies of new, lower-cost feedstocks that have the potential to result in positive margins regardless of government incentives
Tags: Columbia, Energy, financing, MD, New Generation Biofuels
Posted in Energy, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Thursday, January 20th, 2011
 LANHAM, MD -Lanham, MD-based Optoro has closed a $1.85 million Series A financing from Durham, NC-based SJF Ventures, QED Investors and Phil Pfeffer of Treemont Capital. Optoro sells comprehensive asset recovery solutions for the distressed inventory of retailers, manufacturers and 3rd party providers.
Optoro was founded in 2004 to remarket the idle assets of businesses by leveraging the buying power of millions of online shoppers. It evolved from exclusively an eBay reseller to multi-channel online asset recovery with proprietary software and remarketing algorithms. Currently, Optoro provides our scalable solutions to clients ranging from mid-sized online retailers to large publicly-traded manufacturers.
Optoro specializes in direct-to-consumer remarketing of customer returns, overstock and refurbished products. Its services include reporting & analytics, warehousing & fulfillment, inspection & testing, research & marketing and eco-friendly product disposal.
Optoro says its solution recovers significantly greater value than through a traditional liquidator and is scalable for clients ranging from mid-sized online retailers to large publicly-traded manufacturers.
“Optoro is quickly becoming a leading direct-to-consumer remarketing platform for the reverse supply chain,” said David Griest, managing director at SJF Ventures.
“With over $100 billion of distressed inventory annually in the U.S., Optoro is disintermediating the conventional middlemen and providing higher returns with fully transparent visibility and data analytics for its clients.”
Tags: distressed inventory recovery, Durham, Lanham, MD, NC, Opturo, Phil Pfeffer, QED Investors, retail, SJF Ventures, Treemont Capital
Posted in Carolinas, Internet/New Media, Marketing, Maryland, Money, North Carolina, Potomac | Comments Off
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
 ATLANTA – The 2011 Southeast Venture Conference (SEVC) has disclosed the first round
of companies selected to present at its upcoming conference March 2-3rd at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia.
An estimated 50 showcase companies from the South and Mid-Atlantic regions will present at the 2011 Southeast Venture Conference. Showcase companies will range from the NASDAQ sponsored late stage showcase firms to earlier stage high growth firms in the region.
Presenting companies highlight the present and future of the innovation economy, representing some of the most promising technologies in the region from a diverse range of technology industries.
SEVC 2011 showcase companies will present to a sold out audience of hundreds of venture capitalists, private equity investors, angel investors, investment bankers and senior technology executives and entrepreneurs from around the region.
Early attendee registration discount expires this Friday.
Additional companies will be announced over the next few weeks leading up to the conference.
While the initial presenting company application deadline is expired, there’s still time for those interested in presenting (no cost involved). Presenting information can be found at: seventure.org/featured_cos.html
In addition to showcase company presentations, the conference will feature a number of market-driven topical panels, featured speakers and extensive networking opportunities.
To register or for more information on the SEVC 2011, drop by
www.seventure.org
The first round of announced showcase companies includes:
Argyle Social Durham, NC www.argylesocial.com
Bandbox Nashville, TN www.bandbox.com
BitCauldron Gainsville, FL www.bitcauldron.com
Cardagin Networks Charlottesville, VA www.cardagin.com
Cernium Reston, VA www.cernium.com
ecoInsight Atlanta, GA www.ecoinsight.com
HEALTHeME Charlotte, NC www.healthemedoc.com
Integro Earth Fuels Asheville, NC www.integrofuels.com
Keona Health Durham, NC www.keonahealth.com
LumaMed Johns Creek, GA www.lumamed.com
mailVU Charlotte, NC www.mailvu.com
Nitronex Durham, NC www.nitronex.com
Pardot Atlanta, GA www.pardot.com
StatSheet Durham, NC www.statsheet.com
twitpay Atlanta, GA www.twitpay.com
Valencell Raleigh, NC www.valencell.com
Vertical Acuity Atlanta, GA www.verticalacuity.com
Xanofi Raleigh, NC www.xanofi.com
XinRay Systems Research Triangle Park, NC www.xinraysystems.com
TechJournal South’s parent company presents the SEVC.
Tags: Atlanta, Buckhead, presenting companies, Ritz Carleton, SEVC, Southeast Venture Conference
Posted in Carolinas, Events, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Potomac, Virginia, Washington, DC | Comments Off
Friday, January 14th, 2011
 COLUMBIA, MD – Merkle Group Inc., one of the nation’s largest database marketing agencies, has closed on a $2.8 million equity round, according to a regulatory filing.
The customer relationship marketing firm raised a whopping $87.2 million in three equity offerings in 2010. Investors include Palo Alto, CA-based Technology Crossover Ventures.
Merkle provides customer strategy, business intelligence and analytics, data sourcing, media targeting and measurement, and marketing technology solutions to Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations. With over 800 employees, the privately held corporation is headquartered near Washington, D.C. in Columbia, Maryland with additional locations in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Little Rock, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Hagerstown, MD and Shanghai.
Company clients include such marquee names ad Bank of America, Dell, General Electric, Samsung and the Arthritis Foundation.
The company employs more than 1200 people. It disclosed the raise in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
–Allan Maurer
To contact TechJournal South Editor & Writer Allan Maurer: Allan at TechJournalSouth dot com.
Tags: CA, Columbia, CRM, financing, Hagerstown, MD, Merkle, Palo Alto, Technololgy Crossover Ventures
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Marketing, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
 WOODBINE, MD – The Web-based home and garden data aggregator 10-20 Media has raised $800,000 in a debt offering, the latest in a series that totals $1.8 million, according to regulatory filings. The company collects home and garden data for retailers, brands, breeders and publishers.
The company publishes the GardenPilot web site and iPhone app, which gives industry retailers and brands online marketing tools.
Industry verteran and Internet marketing guru Steve Cissel, CEO, founded the company in 2000. He is frequent speaker on topics such as covers such topics as web site design, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing and Effective Internet Advertising.
The “10-20″ in the company name refers to police radio code for location.
Tags: 10-20 Media, financing, home & garden data aggregator, Internet/New Media, MD, Woodbine
Posted in Internet/New Media, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Monday, January 10th, 2011
 ROCKVILLE, MD – RegeneRx Biopharamceuticals (OTCBB:RGRX) has sold $1.4 million in common stock to affiliates of its largest shareholder, the Sigma-Tau Group and new investor the Lincoln Park Capital Fund, which has also committed to buy an additional $11 million of the company’s stock over a 30 month period.
RegeneRx is focused on the development of a novel therapeutic peptide, Thymosin beta 4, or Tâ4, for tissue and organ protection, repair and regeneration. RegeneRx currently has three drug candidates in clinical development and has an extensive worldwide patent portfolio covering its products.
RGN-352 is an injectable formulation to treat cardiovascular and central nervous system diseases, as well as other medical indications. RegeneRx is initially targeting RGN-352 for the treatment of patients who have suffered an acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Recent pre-clinical efficacy data suggests that RGN-352 may also benefit patients with multiple sclerosis, stroke and traumatic brain injury.
RegeneRx has successfully completed a Phase 1 clinical trial with RGN-352 in which the drug candidate was found to be safe and well-tolerated. The company has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial and expects to enroll the first patient by early 2011.
It also has a topical gel formulation for an orphan skin condition and a topical eye drop fro ophtalmic indications in development. It received a $675,000 US FDA grant to support the a clinical trial of the orphan skin condition treatment.
Tags: eye drops, financing, Lincoln Park Capital Fund, organ protection, regeneration, RegeneRx Biopharmaceutical, Sigma-Tau Group
Posted in Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
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