UNYTECH Holds 4th Annual Venture Forum
Emerging companies from upstate New York’s universities present business plans to investors
Eleven colleges and universities throughout upstate New York have joined together to host UNYTECH06, the fourth annual venture forum. The event which connects university-based start-up companies with potential investors that can help grow their business will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 19 and Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006 in Rochester, NY.
“UNYTECH helps to bridge the funding gap for start-up companies on our upstate campuses,” said Robert J. Genco, Ph.D., D.D.S., Vice Provost and Director of the University at Buffalo Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach. “The pathway to commercialization requires different sources of investment to bring a product to market. UNYTECH has been successful in helping our spin-off companies raise $20 million in funding and grants. We expect continued success of the venture forum in reaching out to potential investors and entrepreneurs.”
UNYTECH06 is designed to give venture capitalists, seed and angel investors access and insight into technologies and companies being developed on the university campuses of Upstate New York. A planning committee consisting of university technology transfer officers and investors pre-screen and select the presenting companies based on their market opportunity, development stage and intellectual property protection. The presenting companies will be selected later this summer.
“Our upstate universities are a tremendous source of intellectual capital,” noted Genco. "At UNYTECH, we will be showcasing companies with proven technologies that represent the strongest growth opportunities.”
This year, UNYTECH has secured Kevin Parker, Ph.D., Dean of the University at Rochester School of Engineering and Applied Sciences as the luncheon keynote speaker. He was the inventor of a technology called the "Blue Noise Mask" which allows for increased speed and quality of images created by printers and fax machines. This technology has been licensed to almost all of the big computer equipment companies. Parker is also a founder of Virtual Scopics, Inc., a university start-up that recently went public. His talk will focus on his experiences in commercializing his research.
Participating schools include: Alfred University, Binghamton University, Cornell University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, State University of New York Research Foundation, University at Albany, University at Buffalo, and University of Rochester.
UNYTECH06 is sponsored in part by the New York State Science and Technology Law Center, include Nixon Peabody, Harris Beach, Phillip Lytle, and Hodgson Russ, LLP.
Attendees can register online at http://www.unytech.org/registration.html for a fee of $75. For more information please contact Lorraine Stinebiser at 716-636-3651 or info@unytech.org.