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05/16/08
Forum honors tech startups
Molly Cappotelli
Two area companies are among those receiving special recognition at the Eighth Annual SmartStart UNYTECH Venture Forum in Rochester this week.
More than 160 people attended Wednesday, and 29 emerging technology companies from throughout the state participated.
Companies receiving special recognition at this year’s event include:
• Most Innovative Technology – Lighthouse Biosciences LLC, a Henrietta company developing methods to quickly and accurately diagnose the cause of human infections.
• Most Likely to be Funded – SiMPore Inc., a Henrietta nanotechnology firm that produces membrane filters and filtration products for the nanofiltration . SiMPore also won $100,000 in the annual Golden Horseshoe Business Challenge on Tuesday.
• Best Presentation – ShoptoCook Inc., a Buffalo company that develops and operates interactive in-store media networks for the retail food industry.
• Most Promising Technology – Mezmeriz Inc., an Ithaca company that builds small-scale projectors for use in mobile devices.
UNYTECH is a collaborative effort among 11 leading research institutions in Upstate New York, including Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester, and regional economic development agencies and venture capital firms. The SmartStart UNYTECH Venture Forum is presented by the Center for Economic Growth, a regional economic and business development organization.
Also on Wednesday the Mark Ain Business Model Competition was held at the UR, with presentations of student business team finalists.
Thermal Ventures came in first, receiving $10,000 toward the implementation of its business plan. The company plans tol produce high-performance ceramic coatings.
Handheld Optical Technologies LLC, which focuses on making ocular devices smaller and more accessible to the medical community, won $2,500. TriAD LLC, which uses photodynamic therapy in the treatment of cancer and in dermatologic procedures, won $1,000.
The competition is sponsored by Ain, the Simon Entrepreneurs Club and the UR Center for Entrepreneurship.
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