Innovate New Mexico®, a network of the state’s seven leading technology-transfer organizations, held its annual event featuring representatives and researchers from the state’s major research universities and national labs on Tuesday, March 1.

The showcase was held online via Zoom and featured 12 technology pitches from the University of New Mexico, Air Force Research Lab, Los Alamos National Lab, Sandia National Labs, NASA-White Sands Test Facility, New Mexico Tech, and New Mexico State University.

Jon Clark, Deputy Chair and Secretary at the New Mexico Economic Development Department kicked off the event with opening remarks followed by keynote speaker Abhi Mukherjee, Operating Partner of CerraCap Ventures. CerraCap is a technology venture capital firm that works to build global companies using a “sales and scale™” model, enabling disruption and producing significant value.

Mr. Mukherjee’s keynote, entitled “The Innovation Quotient,” focused on how an innovation framework involving technology, talent, infrastructure, capital, and corporate produces significant and disruptive change. Part of utilizing that framework is determining which individual components are already supplied in one place and filling in, so to speak, the rest. Part of CerraCap’s goal is to understand how they can be a part of the innovation ecosystem already cultivated here in New Mexico to add value to convert dreams into innovations.

Left to right: Abhi Mukherjee and Lisa Kuuttila

Technology Pitches

Throughout the morning there were nine technology presentations in the physical sciences followed by five minutes of questioning by friendly “sharks” from the business community. The morning session “sharks” included Matthias Weber, Venture Partner of Mighty Capital; Julia Davourie, Venture Capital Investor at Phoenix Venture Partners; and John Chavez, Managing Director of New Mexico Start-Up Factory.

Left to right: Matthias Weber, John Chavez, and Julia Davourie

The first morning session was moderated by Lisa Kuuttila, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer of UNM Rainforest Innovations, and presentations included:

• “NASA White Sands Testing Facilities Capabilities,” by Joe Bullington, Commercialization Manager, Jacobs Technology, Inc.
• “High Quality AlSb for Radiation Detection,” by Ganesh Balakrishnan, Ph.D., Director of the New Mexico EPSCoR and Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering; and Adam Hecht, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering, both at the University of New Mexico.
• “Two-dimensional Silicon Carbide: An Emerging Semiconducting Material,” by Sakineh Chabi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of New Mexico.

The second morning session was moderated by Matt O’Brien, Technology Engagement Branch Chief at Air Force Research Laboratory and the technology presentations included:

• “ReTRACe: Verifiable Blockchain Rewrites to Meet Privacy Regulations,” by Roopa Vishwanathan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, New Mexico State University.
• “Novel Spacecraft Heat Pipes,” by Jon Allison, Thermal Trust Lead, Air Force Research Laboratory.
• “ASSESS: Faster Inspections, Faster Launches,” by Ian Cummings, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Researcher, Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The third morning session was moderated by David Kistin, Manager of Technology and Economic Development at Sandia National Laboratories and the technology presentations included:

• “Bio-Inspired GeoTechnics,” by Paola Bandini, Ph.D., P.E., Wells-Hath Professor, Civil Engineering Department, New Mexico State University.
• “Revolutionizing Manufacturing through Machine Learning,” by Hojun Lim, Ph.D., Principal Member of Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories.
• “Engineered Carbons for Biomedical Applications,” by Nikolai Kalugin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, New Mexico Tech.

There was a break for lunch followed by six technology presentations in the life sciences.

The friendly “sharks” included Mike Freeman, General Partner at Innosphere Ventures; Kirsten Leute, Partner of Osage University Partners; and Matthew Ongaro, Junior Partner of Cottonwood Technology Fund.

Left to right: Kirsten Leute, Mike Freeman, and Matthew Ongaro

The first afternoon session was moderated by Mariann Johnston, Project Manager at the Feynman Center for Innovation at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the technology presentations included:

• “Transforming Cancer Cells into Microbe Mimetics,” by Rita Serda, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, the University of New Mexico.
• “MycoDelens: a novel, drug-resistance-insensitive and human skin-compatible antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral disinfectant,” by Snežna Rogelj, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Biology, New Mexico Tech.
• “Pignostics: Faster Testing for Better Herd Health,” by Dan Jacobsen, Ph.D., Postdoc Researcher, Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The second and final afternoon session was moderated by Myrriah Tomar, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Office of Innovation and Commercialization at New Mexico Tech and the technology presentations included:

• “GenomicAI: find your next biotech opportunity with an AI lens,” by Shounak Banerjee, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Researcher, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
• “Breezy Robotics,” by Matthew Ennis, Ph.D., Chief Strategy Officer, Build with Robots.
• “Bovine Respiratory Testing,” by Craig Gifford, Ph.D., Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, Department of Extension Animal Sciences & Natural Resources, New Mexico State University.

Innovate New Mexico ended with closing remarks from Jennifer Sinsabaugh, CEO of the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

To learn more about Innovate New Mexico, visit https://www.innovatenewmexico.com/.

A recording of the event will be available on YouTube.

Local startup OptiPulse, Inc. is developing their breakthrough optical wireless technology and are seeking public investment through their new crowdfunding campaign launched on WeFunder.

The company was founded in 2015 and their patented technology addresses current connectivity issues relating to last mile wireless connections and long-distance infrastructure. Their technology uses a high-power chip to beam wireless data across a new type of network which can span long distances at high bandwidths without the use of fiber-optic wires. This technology has the potential to provide affordable high-speed internet access to all and work to close the digital divide.

Visit their crowdfunding page on WeFunder at: https://wefunder.com/optipulse

See below Kevin Robinson-Avila’s February 24^th article, “OptiPulse launches crowdfunding campaign,” on the Albuquerque Journal Website at https://www.abqjournal.com/2362871/optipulse-launches-crowdfunding-campaign.html

OptiPulse launches crowdfunding campaign

By Kevin Robinson-Avila / Journal Staff Writer

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque-based startup OptiPulse Inc. is inviting public investment in the company’s breakthrough wireless technology through a crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder.

The company has developed novel optics technology that uses proprietary high-power laser chips to beam wireless data across a new type of network in urban and rural areas at speeds potentially up to 100 times faster than most current commercial services, according to the company. OptiPulse has already proven the technology in a pilot project at Central New Mexico Community College’s main Albuquerque campus.

It’s now seeking $1 million through WeFunder to finish developing and deploying its first “minimal viable product” for commercial use. The crowdfunding campaign will go live on Wednesday, March 3.

Minimum investments start at $100 to buy OptiPulse stock priced at $2 per share, said company CEO John Joseph.

“Assuming we reach the $1 million target, we could raise the goal to $5 million later on,” Joseph said. “This WeFunder campaign reflects our vision of inviting direct public participation in the development of a totally new type of network communications rather than a small number of high-wealth investors directing things.”

Unlike today’s wireless communications through cell phone towers, OptiPulse uses compact transceivers, or nodes, mounted across cities or communities that directly beam high-speed internet back and forth. Any end user who wants to can then hook into the node network.

The transceivers are powered by OptiPulse’s proprietary laser chips, which provide low-cost but lightning-fast optical communications between the network nodes starting at 10 gigabits per second. That, in turn, would allow end users to access the network at speeds of 1 GBPS or more.

The company will first offer its network nodes to telecommunication providers to help them lower costs when constructing their networks, by leapfrogging over environmental obstacles like rivers, highways or train tracks when laying fiber-optic lines. Those first sales will raise revenue for OptiPulse to begin more broadly deploying its technology in urban and rural areas for direct public access to new community wireless networks built with company technology, said OptiPulse Chief Operating Officer Mathis Shinnick.

OptiPulse, which launched in 2015, previously raised $3.6 million from institutional and angel investors. But other companies have had significant success through WeFunder, encouraging OptiPulse to try crowdfunding too, Shinnick said.

To date, nearly 600 companies have collectively raised about $230 million through WeFunder, according to the crowdfunding site. The Meow Wolf artists collaborative in Santa Fe, for example, raised $1.3 million in August 2017.

“Crowdfunding has taken on a whole new dynamism to raise equity,” Shinnick said.

For more information, see OptiPulse’s WeFunder investor pitch at https://wefunder.com/optipulse .

Innovate New Mexico is a collaborative event featuring representatives and researchers from seven major research institution across New Mexico to highlight the latest research and technology opportunities, startup companies and economic development resources. The research institutes include the University of New Mexico, the Air Force Research Lab, Los Alamos National Lab, Sandia National Labs, NASA, New Mexico Tech and New Mexico State University.

Just one year ago, the seventh Innovate New Mexico event took place at the Event Center at Sandia Golf Club. That was before COVID pandemic which has impacted the way in which we now host events. Moving to an online format, the 2021 Innovate New Mexico was spread over two-days and included six technology and company presentations running simultaneously over two tracks via Zoom. Attendees could jump between technology presentations to company presentation seamlessly. All presentations were recorded and are uploaded to the UNM Rainforest Innovations’ YouTube channel.

The first day kicked off with opening remarks by Jon Clark, Deputy Chair Secretary at the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Then the technology and company presentations took place relating to physical sciences. See below for links to the recordings of their presentations.

The moderator of the technology presentations was Mary Monson, Senior Manager of Technology Partnerships and Business Development at Sandia National Laboratories and company presentations were moderated by David Kistin, Manager of Technology and Economic Development at Sandia National Laboratories. After the presentations, closing remarks were given by Jennifer Sinsabaugh, Chief Executive Officer at New Mexico MEP. The last hour included virtual networking where attendees could chat with the presenters.

Physical Science Technology Presentations

• Fluid-Infused Elastomers for Improved Resistance to Degradation in High Temperature Applications – Erica Redline (Sandia)
  
• Pressure-Induced Synthesis of Highly Uniform Metal Nanostructures – Hongyou Fan (Sandia)
  
• Adaptimize: Smarter and Faster UAV/drone Radiation Mapping for Enhanced Decision Making – Tony Shin (LANL)
  
• Integrated Trigger PCSS – Joseph Teague (AFRL)
  
• Separation Unit for Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Remediation – Dr. Reza Foudazi, Associate Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering (NMSU)
  
• In-line Angular Optical Multi-Point Scatterometry for Nanomanufacturing Systems – Juan J. Faria-Briceno, Post-Doctoral Fellow (UNM)
  

Physical Science Company Presentations

• Osazda Energy – Sang Han, Chief Technical Officer
  
• NASA White Sands Test Facility Technology Update – Joe Bullington, Commercialization Manager, Jacobs Technology
  
• Build with Robots, Inc. – Chris Ziomek, CEO and Matthew Ennis, CSO
  
• Identification of Volatile Organic Compounds using Tandem Differential Mobility Spectometry – A. Eiceman, President, GP Ionics, LLC
  
• SoniView: See the Unseen in your Production Processes – Eric Davis, LANL
  
• OptiPulse – Mathis Shinnick, COO
  

The second day kicked off with opening remarks by Myrriah Tomar, Director of the Office of Science & Technology at the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Next came the technology and company presentations relating to life sciences. See below for links to the recordings of their presentations.

The moderator of the technology presentations was Matt O’Brien, Technology Business Specialist at the Air Force Research Laboratory and company presentations were moderated by Mariann Johnston, Project Manager at the Feynman Center for Innovation at Los Alamos National Laboratory. After the presentations, closing remarks were given by Lisa Kuuttila, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer of UNM Rainforest Innovations. Her speech highlighted the many ways in which New Mexico is achieving high rankings in innovation and entrepreneurial areas. The last hour included virtual networking where attendees could chat with the presenters.

Life Science Technology Presentations

• EnPeel: High Yield Recovery of Plastic Waste – Tatyana Elkin (LANL)
  
• Inhibition of Cellular Uptake to Treat Bacterial Infections – Larry Sklar (UNM)
  
• Multifunctional Central Pattern Generator-Based Neuromimetic Control Systems – Jeremy Wojcik (AFRL)
  
• Bio-inspired Cancer Vaccines – Rita Serda (UNM)
  
• Novel Vascular Access Device – Sam Pedrotty and Gus Pedrotty (UNM)
  
• ScFv Antibodies as Non-opioid Therapeutic for Pain Management – Karin High (UNM)
  

Life Science Company Presentations

• Nob Hill Therapeutics – Yun Li, CEO
  
• BennuBio, Inc. – Matthew Hess, COO
  
• Just Breathe Free, LLC – Antonio (“Tony”) García, Ph.D. and George W. Lucky, Professor of Chemical Engineering (NMSU)
  
• GPER G-1 – John Elling, CEO
  
• RS21 – Angelica Bruhnke, Division President, RS21 Health Lab
  
• BioSafe Defenses – David Whitten, CEO & Scientific Advisor
  

To learn more about Innovate New Mexico, visit https://www.innovatenewmexico.com/

View all of the presentations on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvSGf0aK1KNJ358sYJ8_IRQ/videos

Innovate New Mexico, a network of the state’s seven leading technology-transfer organizations, held its annual spring event showcasing innovative technologies from the state’s research universities and national labs on May 7, 2019.

The showcase—the organization’s sixth gathering—was held at Sandia Golf Club in Albuquerque and featured 11 technology pitches by inventors from the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, Sandia National Labs, Los Alamos National Lab, the Air Force Research Labs, and new member NASA Technology Transfer & Commercialization Office to a crowd of approximately 125 investors, entrepreneurs, industry reps, and local business members.

The day’s events included welcoming remarks from Jon Clark, deputy secretary of the NM Economic Development Department and keynote remarks from Mara Aspinall, co-founder and managing director of BlueStone Venture Partners, LLC. 

Ms. Aspinall, also a member of the AZBio Board of Directors and President & CEO of Health Catalysts, is a healthcare industry leader and pioneer in medical diagnostics and in educating payers and policymakers on genomics and personalized medicine. She is the former President & CEO of Ventana Medical Systems, a division of The Roche Group, leading development and commercialization of tissue-based cancer diagnostics and digital imaging, and former President of Genzyme Genetics and Genzyme Pharmaceuticals, the former sold to LabCorp for $1 billion in 2010. 

BlueStone Venture Partners is a premier venture firm that invests in life-science technologies and companies in the Southwest and Health Catalysts invests and advises early-stage life-science companies focused on health information technology and diagnostics.  Ms. Aspinall received the Arizona Biosciences Leader of the Year Award in 2016 from the Arizona Biotechnology Association and was named a “100 Most Inspiring People in Life Sciences” by PharmaVOICE magazine.

Ms. Aspinall’s remarks, entitled “How the Fourth Industrial Revolution Is Changing Our World: Healthcare & Beyond,” focused on how healthcare will be changed by what has been termed the 4^th Industrial Revolution.  This stage of economic development, preceded by urbanization (1^st IR), factory automation (2^nd IR), and computerization/digital (3^rd IR), concerns integrating and connecting physical and biological systems into the digital age.  Ms. Aspinall stated that the 4^th IR is focused on healthcare and is having its greatest impact on precision medicine. 

Investor and startup-company formation trends dominate the digital healthcare market.  Funding has grown from $1.1 billion to $8.1 billion between 2011 and 2018.  In 2018, eleven $100 million+ mega deals were done with healthcare companies.  Also trending are more acquisitions of data-based companies vs. physical technology-based companies, the development of more data-enabled devices, and more therapeutic and diagnostic technologies that treat patients based on a genetic understanding of their disease.  Industry sectors with the highest value propositions include on-demand healthcare services, diagnosis of disease, fitness & wellness, consumer health information, monitoring of disease, and research & development catalyst (drug discovery, clinical trials). 

The path for precision, or personalized, medicine in the 4^th IR is more than selecting the right drug for each patient.  It also means calibrating precise dosage, measuring drug efficacy/resistance, monitoring disease status, and calculating recurrence risk and disease predisposition, with the ultimate goal of disease prevention.  The tools for this evolution will be data analytics and data integration leading to predictive analytics.  The changes in diabetes treatment is a good example of the trend, moving from urine test strips and blood glucose meters measuring one data point accurately to devices that use sensors (skin and contact lenses) to measure multiple data points accurately.

Precision medicine will also be technology agnostic but data integrated, combining the latest innovations in diagnostics with patient data and leading to the emergence of a new field of data interpreters.  Hospitals in the future will move from an organ-based treatment paradigm to a mechanism, or genomic-based, paradigm.  Paradigm shifting has already begun with the FDA release of two new cancer drugs (Keytruda and Vitrakvi) that are based on a common biomarker across different types of tumors, and the NCI MATCH (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice) Trial, a precision medicine cancer clinical trial in which patients receive treatment based on the genetic changes found in their tumors.  Medical practice will also evolve from evidence-based to a more precise data mining-based approach, where the shift will be from discovering drugs and finding patients to having patients with a particular DNA profile/disease genome and finding the drug(s) that will be most effective. 

Ms. Aspinall wrapped up her keynote with the following predictions:

• Big tech will enter the precision-medicine and genomics markets
• Digital health roll-ups (consolidations) will happen within the next 10 years
• Data segmentation will create specialized markets
• Payers will be the largest acquirers of data
• Telemedicine will become mainstream and consolidate into 5 big players
• Diagnostics will grow with alternate sample types, predictable reimbursements and increased pharma adoption

The showcase also included exhibit space for 15 New Mexico startup companies and business organizations. Presenters and exhibitors had ample networking sessions to talk with company technology scouts for possible business opportunities.

University and lab inventors pitched the following technologies to the crowd and panel of local sharks who asked market and commercialization questions and offered feedback:

1. Adaptive Space-Time Processing, Khanh Pham, PhD (AFRL)
2. NASA Innovations in Battery Technologies, Walter Ugalde (NASA Johnson Space Center)
3. Non-Destructive, Real-Time Monitoring of Plant Water Status, David Hanson, PhD (UNM)
4. Metasurface Technologies for Fast and Cheap DNA Sequencing, Adam Backer, PhD (Sandia)
5. PYRLnESS: Rare Earth Starting Materials, Ross Beattie, PhD (LANL)
6. Circular RNAs for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Disorders, Nikolaos Mellios, MD, PhD, and Alex Hafez (UNM)
7. Observing Satellites in the Daytime, Scott Milster and Waid Schlaegel (AFRL)
8. DynAmmo Gas Sensors: Less Ammonia, More Profit, Kannan Ramaiyan, PhD (LANL)
9. Bio-Inspired Deep Foundations Piles, Craig Newtson, PhD (NMSU)
10. Paraquat as an Adjuvant for Insecticidal Bednets, Cody Champion, PhD (NMSU)
11. Innovation and Technologies at White Sands, Joe Bullington (NASA White Sands)

To read the technology summaries go to the Innovate New Mexico website at https://www.innovatenewmexico.com/.

The lunch time session, moderated by Carlos Romero, Associate Vice President of Research & Economic Development at New Mexico Tech, featured a panel of New Mexico startup CEOs who discussed their experiences growing their companies in New Mexico. Panel speakers were John Brown, Chairman & CEO of Silent Falcon; Steve Graves, CEO & President of BennuBio; Charles Harb, CEO & President of RingIR, Inc.; Federica Pericle, President & CEO of AgilVax; and David Smidt, Owner of Mother Road Mobile Canning.

The showcase ended with closing remarks from Jennifer Sinsabaugh, CEO of the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and a reception for the attendees.

Innovate New Mexico would like to thank event sponsors:  New Mexico Economic Development Department, New Mexico MEP, Sandia National Laboratories, Arrowhead Center at NMSU, and Richard P. Feynman Center for Innovation at LANL.

Special thanks goes to the lunch panel of startup executives mentioned above and the following shark panelists:  John Chavez, President of the NM Angels; Charles Mendez, CEO of Innobright Technologies, Inc.; Tom Nickoloff, Managing Director of BlueStone Venture Partners; Stuart Rose, Founder of The BioScience Center; and Mathis Shinnick, CEO of OptiPulse, Inc.

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Innovate New Mexico, a network of leading technology-transfer organizations, held its fourth event showcasing innovative technologies from the state’s research universities and national labs.

The October 17 gathering at the Sandia Golf Club in Albuquerque featured 12 technology pitches by inventors from the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Tech, Sandia National Labs, Los Alamos National Lab, and the Air Force Research Labs to a crowd of 150 investors, entrepreneurs, industry reps, staff members from all four of the New Mexico congressional offices, and local business members.

The day’s events included welcoming remarks from Matthew Geisel, cabinet secretary of the NM Economic Development Department and keynote remarks from Louis Berneman, founding partner of Osage University Partners.  Osage invests exclusively in university and research institution technologies, and has $315 million under management with 93 member institutions.  The venture capital firm has formed three funds, invests across all stages of technology development and focuses on launching high-quality startups by identifying high-quality management teams.

The showcase also included exhibit space for 17 New Mexico startup companies and business organizations.

Presenters and exhibitors had ample networking sessions to talk with company technology scouts for possible business opportunities.

University and lab inventors pitched the following technologies to the crowd and panel of local sharks who asked market and commercialization questions and offered feedback:

1. Optical Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard, Kyle Martin (AFRL)
2. Flow Cytometry: New Time-Dependent Technologies, Jessica P. Houston, PhD (NMSU)
3. A Solution for Drug Resistant Skin Infections and Wounds, Danielle Turner, PhD and Snezna Rogelj, PhD (NM Tech)
4. Optimized Surface Dimpling for Commercial Vehicles, Aircraft, and Energy Applications, Sal Rodriguez, PhD (Sandia Labs)
5. Transgenic Approaches to Improving Crop Plants—Increasing Biomass and Yields, Champa Gopalan, PhD (NMSU)
6. Crack-Tolerant Advanced Metallization for PV, Sang Han, PhD (UNM)
7. Compact Environmental Anomaly Sensor, Lt. David Stiles (AFRL)
8. Internet for Everyone Using Air-Buoyant Vessels, Miles Beaux, PhD (Los Alamos)
9. High Sensitivity Bearing Tester, Brendan L. Nation (Sandia Labs)

To read the technology summaries go to Featured Innovate New Mexico Technologies.

The lunch time session, moderated by Jackie Kerby Moore, executive director of the Sandia Science & Technology Park, featured a panel of New Mexico startup CEOs who discussed their experiences growing their companies in New Mexico. Panel speakers were Eric Branson, VP & CTO for Advanced Manufactured Power Solutions, LLC; Derek Doyle, chief engineer & co-founder of Defend Six Corporation; Michael Perrine, director of business development at Agilvax; and Barr Zulevi, CTO & president of Pajarito Powder.

The showcase ended with closing remarks from Jennifer Sinsabaugh, director of the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

Innovate New Mexico would like to thank event sponsors:  Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), platinum level; Air Force Research Lab, Los Alamos National Lab, MEP, gold level; Sandia National Labs, silver level; and NM Economic Development Department, bronze level.

A special thanks goes to the lunch panel of startup executives mentioned above and the following shark panelists:  Mathis Shinnick, CEO, OptiPulse; Wayne Laslie, former president and CEO and current board member, Zocere; Dorian Rader, vice president, New Mexico Angels; Charles Call, CEO, CleanSpot; Charles Mendez, CEO, Enthentica and InnoBright; and Kyle Guin, founder & CEO, Pencil-In.

To read more about the technology showcase, see Kevin Robinson-Avila’s October 17, 2017 article, “Innovate NM flaunts cutting-edge technology,” from the Albuquerque Journal, reprinted below.

By Kevin Robinson-Avila / Journal Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 17th, 2017 at 3:25pm

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico’s national labs and research universities pitched a dozen new technologies to investors and entrepreneurs at the state’s fourth Innovate New Mexico showcase on Tuesday.

The event at Sandia Casino’s Golf Club unites scientists, engineers and technology transfer professionals to build interest among potential funders and corporate partners to take emerging lab and university innovation to market.

The initiative, begun in spring 2016 as a twice-annual event, attracted about 150 participants this time, including angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate technology scouts from the U.S. and other countries.

Presenters unveiled a broad range of cutting-edge advances, such as:

• a topical cream that kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria in skin infections, developed by New Mexico Tech in Socorro.
• a novel genetic engineering technique to improve alfalfa crop growth and yields from New Mexico State University.
• Sandia National Laboratories process to add indentations on the surfaces of vehicles, ships and aircraft to reduce friction from turbulence and increase fuel efficiency.
• a method to make solar cells on spacecraft more robust to prolong operation in harsh space conditions, developed by the University of New Mexico and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Investors said they were impressed by the scope and potential impact of technologies on display, and by the ability of all six New Mexico labs and research universities to work together to promote innovation.

“The raw talent and innovation that exists here is impressive,” said McLain Southworth of San Francisco-based Crosslink Capital. “The way they’ve organized everything together in one event is about the most effective process I’ve seen in these types of lab and university presentations. It’s a winning strategy that could help New Mexico become the next big tech hub.”

Louis Berneman, founding partner of Philadelphia-based venture firm Osage University Partners, said attracting venture investment is extremely difficult given the intense competition among startups nationally.

“We look for transformative, paradigm-shifting technologies,” Berneman told conference participants. “…We’re impressed with what we’ve seen here. Albuquerque and New Mexico have real opportunities coming out of the research institutions.”

One technology, the process for making solar cells on spacecraft more robust, already attracted an initial investment from the New Mexico Angels, which recently formed a new startup to take it to market. That company, Ozasda Energy LLC, emerged from stealth mode for the first time at the conference.

Source: https://www.abqjournal.com/1079222/innovate-nm-flaunts-cutting-edge-technology.html

There’s still time to register for Innovate New Mexico®’s Fall 2017 Technology Showcase, to be held on Tuesday, October 17, at the Sandia Resort & Casino Golf Club.

The special collaborative event will highlight research and technology opportunities, startup companies, and economic development resources from the leading research institutions in the state of New Mexico.   Inventors from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Los Alamos National Labs, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Tech, Sandia National Laboratories, and the University of New Mexico will pitch their technologies to invited industry representatives and investors.  Startups from around the state will be on hand to showcase their company products as well.

The day will include 12 featured technology presentations, a lunchtime panel of local entrepreneurs and their startups, and networking breaks throughout to visit with inventors, entrepreneurs, investors, industry representatives and startup tables.  The showcase begins with registration and networking at 7:45 am, followed by remarks from Matthew Geisel, Cabinet Secretary for the NM Economic Development Department and keynote speaker Louis Berneman, founding partner of investment firm Osage University Partners. Technology presentations and feedback from shark panels will occur throughout the morning and afternoon.  The lunchtime panel includes Derek Doyle, co-founder of DefendSix Corporation, Barr Zulevi, president & CTO of Pajarito Powder, Michael Perrine, director of business development for Agilvax, and Eric Branson, VP & CTO of Advanced Manufactured Power Solutions, LLC.  A dessert and coffee networking reception at 3:00 pm will wrap up the event.

To register go to https://innovateNewMexico.eventbrite.com.

Innovate New Mexico, the state’s network of leading technology transfer organizations, is gaining traction in its efforts to become the state’s united entrance to the innovative technologies coming from New Mexico’s research universities and national labs.  On April 18, the network—STC.UNM, NMSU Arrowhead Center, New Mexico Tech, and the Sandia, Los Alamos, and Air Force Research Labs—held its third technology showcase at the Sandia Golf Club in Albuquerque.

 

The day’s events included welcoming remarks from Lisa Kuuttila, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer at STC.UNM; Mary Monson, Senior Manager of Industry Partnerships at Sandia; Peter Anselmo, Executive Director of  the Center for Technology Commercialization, Terry Lombard, Director of IP & Technology Transfer at the NMSU Arrowhead Center; Ross Munchhausen from the Richard P. Feynman Center for Innovation at Los Alamos; and Matt Fetrow, Tech Engagement Lead at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL).

 

Six researchers from UNM, NMSU, NM Tech, Sandia, and AFRL pitched their technologies (see list below) to 160 attendees  comprised of national and international companies, investors, entrepreneurs, and local business and community leaders.

• Pseudomorphic Glass for Space Solar Cells, David Wilt – AFRL
• Microneedle Sensors to Monitor Health and Human Performance, Ronen Polsky, PhD – Sandia
• DNA-Based Biosensor, Steve Graves, PhD – UNM
• Method and System for Purifying Produced Water, Jianjia Yu, PhD – New Mexico Tech
• Ligand-Directed Targeting and Molecular Imaging Based on In Vivo Phage Display, Renata Pasqualini, PhD and Wadih Arap, MD, PhD – UNM
• ZIF CO2 Capture, Nasser Khazeni, PhD – NMSU

 

The event also featured 18 New Mexico start-up companies and organizations on display:  AEGorsuch Designs, Biophagy, Inc., BioSafe Technologies, Cylenta Pharmaceuticals, Ecopesticides International, Enthentica, EquiSeq, KoolArmor, Michael Wallace & Associates, Osazda Energy, Osazda Materials, PanMuse, LLC, VisionQuest Biomedical, Zeall, Zocere, Inc., New Mexico Start-Up Factory, New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and Northern New Mexico College.

 

Presenters and exhibitors had ample networking sessions to talk with company technology scouts for possible business opportunities.  Meetings were also scheduled and held between companies and start-ups and technology inventors.

 

The lunch time session, moderated by Lisa Kuuttila, featured a panel of New Mexico start-up CEOs who discussed their experiences growing their companies in New Mexico.  Participants were Brian Barnes, Project Manager of Resilient Solutions 21, Mark Fidel, Co-Founder and Head of Corporate Development for RiskSense, David Joseph, Co-Founder and CEO of Avisa Pharma, and Carlos Murguia, CEO of KoolArmor.  Ms. Kuuttila noted that New Mexico is ranked 18^th in the U.S. for its innovation assets and 1^st  in R&D per capita.   The speakers cited several advantages to entrepreneurs who start companies in New Mexico:  access to a tremendous amount of IP in an R&D-rich environment, support from science, technology, and business communities, state government incentives such as job training and tax credits, and low cost-of-living.  Disadvantages included a lack of large institutional investors, not enough private sector development (need bigger companies here), and not enough senior management talent to run new companies.

 

The showcase ended with closing remarks from Jennifer Sinsabaugh, Center Director of MEP, and Julia Wise, Manager of the Office of Science and Technology for the New Mexico Economic Development Department.

 

Innovate New Mexico would like to thank the presenters, exhibitors, and lunch panelists.  A special thanks goes to our shark panelists:  Nyika Allen, President & CEO of the New Mexico Technology Council, Kathleen Gardenswartz, Co-Founder of Surefi, Kyle Gui, Founder of Pencil-In, Robert Nath, Member of the STC Board of Directors, Dorian Rader, Vice President of the New Mexico Angels, and Mathis Shinnick, CEO of OptiPulse, Inc.  Last but not least, Innovate New Mexico is deeply grateful to the following event sponsors:  Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), AFRL, Sandia National Laboratories, MEP, and New Mexico Tech.

 

To read more about the technology showcase, see Kevin Robinson-Avila’s April 18, 2017 article, “Innovation event displays technology from around NM,” from the Albuquerque Journal, reprinted below.

By Kevin Robinson-Avila / Journal Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 18th, 2017 at 2:20pm

There’s still time to register for Innovate New Mexico®’s Spring 2017 Technology Showcase, to be held on Tuesday, April 18^th, at the Sandia Resort & Casino Golf Club.

The special collaborative event will highlight research and technology opportunities, start-up companies, and economic development resources from the leading research institutions in the state of New Mexico.   Inventors from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Los Alamos National Labs, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Tech, Sandia National Laboratories, and STC.UNM/The University of New Mexico will pitch their technologies to invited industry representatives and investors.  Start-up from around the state will be on hand to showcase their company products as well.

The day will include eight featured technology presentations, a lunchtime panel of local entrepreneurs, and networking breaks throughout to visit start-up tables.  The showcase begins with registration at 8:00 am followed by technology presentations and feedback from shark panels.  The lunchtime panel of New Mexico start-up CEOs includes David Joseph, CEO of Avisa Pharma, Mark Fidel, Co-Founder of RiskSense, Inc., Brian Barnes, Senior Planner & Program Manager at Resilient Solutions 21, and Carlos Murguia, Co-Founder of KoolArmor.  A dessert and coffee networking reception will following the event, which wraps up at 3:00 pm.

We extend a special thank you to The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) for their sponsorship of the showcase.  PhRMA represents the country’s leading biopharmaceutical research companies and supports the search for new treatments and cures.

To register go to https://innovateNewMexico.eventbrite.com.

Sandia Resort & Casino Golf Club was the site of the second statewide technology showcase held on October 11th and hosted by Innovate New Mexico®, the statewide collaborative technology- transfer program for New Mexico’s research universities (UNM, NM State, NM Tech) and national labs (Sandia, Los Alamos, and Air Force Research Labs). The panoramic views of the majestic Sandia mountains were matched by an impressive display of innovative technology presentations and home grown start-up companies.

 

Approximately 250 registered attendees comprised of national companies and investors and local entrepreneurs, investors, and business professionals listened to technology pitches from faculty and lab inventors and connected with start-up companies and inventors for possible business opportunities during several networking sessions and an end-of-event reception.

 

The Innovate New Mexico® program, established in 2015, is essentially a network among the leading research institutions in the state that provides easy access for entrepreneurs, investors, and companies to New Mexico’s research and technology opportunities, start-up companies, and economic development resources. The technology showcases, presented in the fall and spring, are but one example of what the budding program plans to offer to fulfill its vision to make New Mexico “The State of Innovation” by 2020.

 

Welcome remarks were again given by Deputy Cabinet Secretary Barbara Brazil from the New Mexico Economic Development Department.

 

“Innovate New Mexico highlights a unique ecosystem of innovation that creates diversity, which leads to a more robust economy. Innovation is stifled when we stay in silos but flourishes when we collaborate. We are reading in the media on a daily basis about how the New Mexico innovation economy continues to grow, helped this year by the New Mexico Technology Research Collaborative’s grants to six start-up companies with follow-on investment, the JTIP job training program, and the new $40 million Catalyst Fund that will soon be investing in New Mexico-based start-ups.”

 

Technology Pitches

The technology showcase portion of the event consisted of 12 short presentations by inventors of technologies from UNM, NM State, NM Tech, and Sandia, Los Alamos, and Air Force Research (AFRL) Labs. Helpful feedback was provided by a panel of “friendly sharks” comprised of local entrepreneurs and investors. Innovate New Mexico wishes to thank Lucrece Borrego (Senior Financial Analyst, Camino Real Capital Partners LLC), Charles Call (CEO, ActiveClean by Clean Spot), John Chavez (President, New Mexico Angels), Wayne Laslie (President & CEO, Zocere, Inc.), Mathis Shinnick (CEO, Allied Photon), and Loraine Upham (Executive Director, ABQid).

 

Below is a brief description of the technologies:

• A next generation green masonry block made from recycled paper – NM Tech
• A synthetic aperture approach (imaging interferometric microscopy) for super resolution images from optical microscopes – UNM
• A graphene-based hybrid material for chemical synthesis and separation – NM Tech
• A high-power microwave zoom antenna using metal plate lenses – AFRL
• A hydrocarbon membrane for energy and electrochemical systems –Sandia
• A structural panel that integrates fluid channels without degrading mass efficiency – AFRL
• A non-invasive molecular imaging probe to diagnose and treat infectious diseases – UNM
• A magneto-inertial fusion reactor using plasma jets – Los Alamos
• An IT security and encryption program uing Huffman coding – NM State
• A low-energy, chlorine-tolerant membrane for desalination – Sandia
• A high efficiency heat exchanger that improves surface wetting for copper, aluminum and brass – New Mexico State
• A novel, data-driven model for geothermal exploration – Los Alamos
  Go to www.innovatenewmexico.com/technologies/ to view the technology summaries.

Lunch Panel – Start-Ups in New Mexico

 

During lunch, attendees were treated to a panel discussion on start-ups in New Mexico. The panel of five New Mexico start-up CEOs discussed the challenges and advantages for start-ups in New Mexico and individual future plans for their companies. The discussion was moderated by Jennifer Sinsabaugh, Center Director, New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

 

Panel participants included Christopher Acton, VP for Operations and Services, RiskSense; R. Terry Dunlay, Founder, President & CEO, Intellicyt (A Sartorius Company); Hunter McDaniel, Founder & CEO, UbiQD, LLC; Murat Okandan, CEO & CTO, mPower Technology, Inc.; and Lucas Smith, Founder & CEO, EcoSeal. The companies represented all stages of growth from regulatory and product beta testing to strategic and customer partnership formation, to national and international sales expansion and acquisition.

 

Big challenges for start-ups in New Mexico continue to be available seed-stage funding and a trained technical work force. Big advantages, however, include the business friendly programs such as tax credits, the JTIP job training, LEDA, NMSBA, grants provided by the state, and the proximity to and close affiliation with the technology-transfer programs at the state’s research institutions. The panelists praised the state’s efforts to nurture the start-up ecosystem.

 

Several other start-up CEO’s were on hand to showcase their companies and network with attendees, including New Mexico Start-Up Factory, Cylenta, Active Clean, Zocere, Inc., Biophagy, Enthentica, BioSafe, Avisa, UbiQD, EquiSeq, MEP, OptiPulse, and ElectroSeq.

 

The day ended with closing remarks by Carlos Gutierrez and Larry Alei. Mr. Gutierrez, is a strategic alliances/innovation ecosystem specialist in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). The MBDA is the only federal agency established solely to create jobs through the growth and global competitiveness of minority-owned businesses in the United States. MBDA coordinates and leverages public and private sector resources to provide access to capital, contracts and markets. Mr. Alei is a board member-at-large on the New Mexico Technology Research Collaborative.

 

See also Kevin Robinson-Avila’s October 11, 2016 article, “NM innovations pique companies’ interest,” from the Albuquerque Journal, reprinted below.

NM innovations pique companies’ interest

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A novel, sustainable construction material made from recycled paper and cardboard piqued the interest of at least one new-technology scout Tuesday morning at the Innovate New Mexico Technology Showcase in Albuquerque.
Nakayama Kazunori of Japan’s Shimizu Corp. said his company — which manages construction, architecture and engineering services –— can see using the material in low-cost sustainable housing or disaster prevention and recovery infrastructure, such as containment walls to protect against tsunamis like the one that battered Japan in 2010.

 

The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, which is commercializing the material, presented it to showcase participants as a low-cost alternative to things like concrete or adobe that can reduce landfill waste.

 

“It’s an innovative material that could address our core business operations by introducing sustainability in building construction,” Kazunori said. “There’s a growing market for that type of thing. I could see many applications for it.”

 

Kazunori was one of nearly 250 local, national and international investors, entrepreneurs and technology transfer professionals who attended the showcase at Sandia Casino’s Golf Club event center. It’s the second such technology showcase this year by Innovate New Mexico, a new umbrella group set up to collectively coordinate technology commercialization efforts by the state’s three research universities and national laboratories.

 

“People are starting to see the value of working together to showcase our state assets,” said Lisa Kuuttila, the University of New Mexico’s chief economic development officer and head of the Science and Technology Corp., UNM’s tech-transfer office. “It benefits everyone.”

 

The event included fifteen-minute presentations by scientists and engineers with new technologies from UNM, New Mexico Tech and New Mexico State University, and from Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base. Presenters discussed a dozen different inventions, such as novel technical designs for microwave antennas to probe deeper into space, changes in lens and laser configurations for optical microscopes to view things more clearly in the nano-realm, a novel coding for secure communications, and non-invasive diagnostics for infectious disease.

 

Barbara Brazil, deputy secretary of the state Economic Development Department, said the showcase brings together the best and the brightest “idea-and-product creators” from the state’s labs and research universities.

 

“We possess a dizzying array of ideas, research, intellectual property and resources,” Brazil said. “The showcase brings attention to the tremendous potential within our ecosystem and strives to turn ideas born here into enterprise.”

 

Kazunori said New Mexico is smart to promote its technology collectively as a state.

 

“This is a great place for research and development in many fields,” he said. “That’s why we’re here. We’re looking for new business opportunities.”

The Innovate New Mexico®’s Fall 2016 Technology Showcase will be held on Tuesday, October 11th, at the Sandia Resort & Casino Golf Club.

This free special collaborative event will highlight research and technology opportunities, start-up companies, and economic development resources from the leading research institutions in the state of New Mexico. Inventors from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Los Alamos National Labs, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Tech, Sandia National Laboratories, and STC.UNM/The University of New Mexico will pitch their technologies to invited industry representatives and investors. Start-up from around the state will be on hand to showcase their company products.

The all-day event begins with registration and networking at 7:30 am followed by a welcome address from NMEDD Deputy Cabinet Secretary Barbara Brazil. Lunch will feature a panel of local entrepreneurs who will talk about their experiences as CEOs of New Mexico start-ups. Closing remarks will be provided by Carlos Gutierrez from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency and Larry Alei from the New Mexico Technology Research Collaborative. A networking reception will following the event at 3:30 pm.