Selected startups
Mimetic Solutions, LLC
A technology developed by Dr. Nicholas Peppas, an engineering professor at The University of Texas at Austin, allows the delivery of drugs to specific places in the body where the drug will be most effective.
The chemically engineered smart polymers can bind specific "trigger" molecules, such as a key biomarker in a patient's blood, and subsequently release a drug or other agent under pre-programmed conditions.
The technology was licensed to Mimetic Solutions, an Emergent Technologies Fund IV portfolio company.
"I have explored many academic areas of drug delivery and smart release chemistry, and am excited to apply this strong scientific foundation to some very important commercial applications," Peppas said. Mark Byrne, Ph.D., and Zach Hilt worked with Peppas to develop the technology.
| At a glance: Mimetic Solutions LLC | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2006 |
| Headquarters | 2508 Ashley Worth Blvd., Suite 200 Austin, TX 78738 |
| Key people | Thomas Harlan, CEO Nicholas Peppas, Sc.D., Chief Scientist |
| Contact info | info@mimeticsolutions.com Phone: 512-263-3232 x202 Fax: 512-263-3236 www.mimeticsolutions.com |
Optive Research Inc.
The process of developing new drugs can be long and expensive. Optive Research Inc. aims to make the search faster and more efficient with software that helps researchers decide which compounds to synthesize and test in finding new drugs.
Robert Pearlman, Ph.D., a University of Texas at Austin professor who developed the computer-aided drug discovery software, created Optive to sell the technology. It is used by pharmaceutical companies around the world. At the university, Pearlman is the Coulter R. Sublett Regents Chair in Pharmacy and the Director of the Laboratory for the Development of Computer-Assisted Drug Discovery Software.
Previously, the university licensed the technology to Tripos Inc., a life science company based in St. Louis. It was one of the most lucrative of the university's licensing agreements. Tripos bought Optive in 2005.
| At a glance: Optive Research Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2003 |
| Key people | Robert Pearlman, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer Bryan Koontz, Senior Vice President, Tripos |
| Contact info | www.tripos.net Phone: 314-647-1099 |
OrganidID
OrganicID, based on University of Texas at Austin technology, is a developer of printable radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for bar code replacement. The company holds proprietary technology to design and develop low-cost, item-level RFID tags for inventory control and supply-chain applications. The technology is important to the packaging industry as more consumer-product manufacturers and retailers move toward RFID to identify, count, and manage inventory.
The advantages offered by low-cost, item-level RFID tag technology are significant and include the ability to:
- scan multiple objects in a shopping basket with a single action rather than handling each object separately
- identify, count, and manage inventory on shelves automatically, ensuring sufficient available stock at all times
- eliminate or dramatically reduce shrinkage, as items can no longer be hidden in consumers' bags or clothing
On August 30, 2006, OrganicID was acquired by Weyerhaeuser Company.
| At a glance: OrganicID | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2004 |
| Headquarters | 422 E. Vermijo, Suite 409 Colorado Springs, CO 80903 |
| Key people | Ananth Dodabalapur, Co-founder and Chief Scientist Jonah Schnell, ITU Ventures |
| Contact info | info@organicid.com Phone: 719-219-6522 Fax: 303-723-8775 www.organicid.com |
Molecular Imprints, Inc.
Molecular Imprints, Inc. (MII), an Austin, Texas-based nanotechnology company founded on University of Texas at Austin research, was named the fourth fastest growing company in Texas in the 2006 Deloitte & Touche "Technology Fast 50."
MII provides enabling lithography systems and technology for manufacturing nano devices, micro structures, advanced packaging, bio devices, optical components and semiconductor devices. MII has succeeded in producing a device that is so precise it can mechanically produce what formerly could only be performed with light. MII pioneered the market for their patented technique called step-and-flash imprint lithography (S-FIL™).
MII has received recognition as:
- Electrical Engineering Times' "Twenty Most Innovative Technologies 2005"
- a NIST ATP grant recipient
- a company chosen by the state of Texas to receive a $3 million Emerging Technology Fund grant in 2006
MII has more than 80 employees and has raised at least $90 million in funding. In partnership with UT Austin, the company has been granted more than 40 patents and has filed for more than 300 patent applications worldwide related to all aspects of S-FIL™, including intellectual property in the areas of fluid dispense and control, overlay alignment, template fabrication, and imprint materials.
| At a glance: Molecular Imprints, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2001 |
| Headquarters | 1807 W. Braker Lane, Bldg. C-100 Austin, TX 78758 |
| Key people | Mark Melliar-Smith, Ph.D., CEO S. V. Sreenivasan, Ph.D., CTO and Founder C. Grant Willson, Ph.D., Chairman of the Technical Advisory Board |
| Contact info | info@molecularimprints.com Phone: 512-339-7760 Fax: 512-339-3799 www.molecularimprints.com |
Additional startups
| Advanced Laser Materials, LLC | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2003 |
| Headquarters | 900 Industrial Park Rd. Belton, TX 76513 |
| Key people | Bruce Thornton Scott Evans Donnie Vanelli Chris Schaefer |
| Contact info | Phone: 254-939-5873 Fax: 254-939-0736 materials@alm-llc.com |
| BioRen, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2004 (purchased by Pfizer in August 2005) |
| Headquarters | 100 Glenn Way, Suite 1 San Carlos, CA 94070 |
| Key people | Peter Matlock, President |
| Contact info | Phone: 650-654-5811 Fax: 650-654-5811 www.pfizer.com/pfizer/are/mn_investors_news.jsp |
| Botanical Scientific LLC/UNUS | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2005 |
| Headquarters | 2800 Highland Court South Birmingham, AL 35205 |
| Key people | Stephen Chazen, CEO Jason Avent |
| Contact info | Phone: 205-933-9668 Fax: 205-933-9137 |
| Cambrios Technologies Corp. | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2002 |
| Headquarters | 2450 Bayshore Parkway, Suite 100 Mountain View, CA 94043 |
| Key people | Michael R. Knapp, Ph.D., President and CEO |
| Contact info | Phone: 650-450-5100 info@cambrios.com |
| CardioSpectra, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2005 |
| Headquarters | 11 Royal Gardens San Antonio, TX 78428 |
| Key people | Thomas Milner, Ph.D., Co-Founder Marc Feldman, M.D., Co-Founder |
| Contact info | Phone: 512-471-1332 |
| Conductance Technologies, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2004 |
| Headquarters | 11 Royal Gardens San Antonio, TX 78248 |
| Key people | Marc D. Feldman, M.D., President |
| Contact info | Phone: 210-479-0502 Fax: 210-479-9882 |
| Dermaluscent LLC | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2006 |
| Headquarters | 6221 Edwards Mountain Cove Austin, TX 78731 |
| Key people | Tom Milner, Ph.D., President |
| Entercel Ltd. | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2004 |
| Headquarters | 2508 Ashley Worth Blvd., Suite 200 Austin, TX 78738 |
| Key people | Brian Windsor, Ph.D., Managing Director and Chief Scientist |
| Contact info | Phone: 512-263-3232 Fax: 512-263-3236 info@entercel.com |
| Fabrate LLC | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2006 |
| Headquarters | 1363 The High Road Austin, TX 78746 |
| LabNow | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2004 |
| Headquarters | Barton Oaks Plaza Two 901 S. MoPac, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78746 |
| Key people | Rick Hawkins, Chairman and CEO |
| Contact info | Phone: 512-329-9998 Fax: 512-329-5525 info@labnow.com |
| MC NanoTissues, LLC | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2006 |
| Headquarters | 41 Inverrary Lane Sugar Land, TX 77479 |
| Key people | Chris Wasden, President and CEO |
| Contact info | chriswasden@mcnanotissues.com Phone: 832-886-5187 Fax: 281-966-1852 |
| Medetech LLC | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2006 |
| Headquarters | 3940 259th Way NE Redmond, WA 98053 |
| Key people | Simon Johnston, President Yuyu Sun, Founder |
| Contact info | |
| Neurosys Games, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2006 |
| Headquarters | 310 S. Almont Dr., Suite 112 Los Angeles, CA 90048 |
| Key people | Chris Daniels |
| Contact info | Phone: 310-562-9308 Fax: 310-247-0182 |
| Virosys Pharmaceuticals | |
|---|---|
| Startup date | FY 2004 |
| Headquarters | 1455 Adams Drive, Suite 2036 Menlo Park, CA 94025 |
| Key people | Dr. Vijay Ramakrishnan, President and Founder |
| Contact info | Phone: 650-444-5066 |
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