COLUMBIA, Md. (June 16, 2010) – The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED), the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), RSM McGladrey Inc., and Saul Ewing LLP announced Tuesday evening the winners of the tenth annual Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards during a reception at the Center Club in Baltimore. The awards, chosen by a selection committee comprised of venture capitalists and government and business leaders, recognized the achievements of eight companies currently located in Maryland’s incubators and one graduate company. The awards were presented by Barbara Dreyer, president and CEO of Connections Academy, and Benjamin Wu, Technology Policy Advisor at DBED. Christian Johansson, secretary of DBED, provided opening remarks.
“The finalists and winners of this year’s awards program demonstrate the success that can be achieved through Maryland’s Incubator program,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “I congratulate the winners and thank all participants for playing an integral role in keeping the State of Maryland at the forefront of the U.S. technology marketplace.”
“To ensure that incubator companies continue to grow, the Governor has introduced Invest Maryland, a new initiative to promote jobs and spur innovation, and invested in job-creating tools like the Biotech Tax Credit, which has been increased to $8 million this year, created a Hiring Tax Credit to help businesses both large and small put Marylanders back to work, and developed a Small Business Loan Guaranty fund to help push small business lending.These award winners demonstrate the success of those State programs,” said Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development Secretary Christian S. Johansson.
The winning companies were selected based on the organization’s goals and its success in achieving their objectives. Judges considered factors such as technology or product development; proprietary intellectual property; increase in employee numbers; growth in revenue or earnings; engagement of significant customers and strategic partners; receipt of awards or grants; attraction of outside investors; innovation; self-sufficiency; impact on the region; and usage of the incubator’s services.
“The Incubator Company of the Year Awards is a proud night for Maryland’s technology and economic development community,” said John Wasilisin, acting president and executive director of TEDCO. “This awards program allows the industry to reflect on where we have been and where we are going. Despite an uncertain economy, this year’s participants made significant contributions to technology development and R&D initiatives and are very deserving of these recognitions.”
“The 2010 finalists and winners serve as a great source of inspiration and direction for aspiring entrepreneurs in Maryland, “said Konstantina Katcheves, a partner at Saul Ewing LLP. “The talent and innovation demonstrated in their products and technologies is exceptional and we look forward to their continued contributions to the Maryland marketplace.”
“From a company that is helping to keep cyberspace safe, to a company that is making patient access to health records more accessible, these products and innovations provide real life applications that will improve the quality of everyday life,” said Brian S. Merrit, a managing director with RSM McGladrey. “We are fortunate to have these promising companies in our state and RSMMcGladrey congratulates this year’s winners.”
The categories and award winners are:
Life Science Company of the Year – CSA Medical Inc. (Emerging Technology Center, Baltimore) Created the CyroSpray Ablation System,a novel, Food and Drug Administration(F DA) cleared energy based medical system that allows physicians to have the ability to quickly and easily freeze, destroy and remove unwanted tissue, freeing patients from discomfort and worry. www.csamedical.com
Information Technology Company of the Year – Moodlerooms, Inc. (Emerging Technology Center, Baltimore) Created the world’s most widely used open-source learning management system (Moodle) that offers educators fully supported, feature-rich learning management tools at a fraction of the cost. www.moodlerooms.com
Technology Service Company of the Year – B&D Consulting, Inc. (Technical Innovation Center, Hagerstown) A veteran, Small Business Administration (SBA) certified 8(a) small disadvantaged business founded by security engineers and information security professionals with more than 20 years experience in providing security services and solutions for both government and Fortune 500 organizations.
New Incubator Company of the Year – Kempbio, Inc. (Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc.) Specializes in the production of recombinant protein expression services which is used in the areas of drug discovery, vaccine research and diagnostic assays. http://www.kempbioinc.com
Technology Transfer Company of the Year – FlexEl, LLC (Technology Advancement Program, University of Maryland College Park) Commercializing a low-cost, high energy density power source for use in devices that require thin, safe, lightweight and flexible batteries. www.flexelinc.comHomeland
Security Company of the Year – Looking glass Cyber Solutions (Emerging Technology Center, Baltimore) A cyber security software company delivering vision awareness and intelligence beyond the traditional boundaries to protect enterprise networks and critical infrastructure. The company’s core product, ScoutVision™, monitors impacts to critical communications networks during cyber attacks, power outages, terror attacks and natural disasters. www.lgscout.comGraduate
Company of the Year – Get Real Consulting (Graduate of Shady Grove Innovation Center) Provides customized solutions to make cutting-edge technology user friendly through a cooperative approach to project management. The company has worked with clients such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society,Planned Parenthood and Kaiser Permanente to develop web applications that give patients more control of their personal health records. http://getrealconsulting.com
Green Company of the Year (new category for 2010) – Clean Currents (Rockville Innovation Center) Provides area businesses, residents, and institutions with innovative green solutions to today’s most pressing environmental and energy challenges. www.cleancurrents.com
Robert A. Spar Hall of Fame – Ception Therapeutics (Shady Grove Innovation Center) A biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes novel products to address areas of unmet medical needs. It offers Reslizumab for eosinophilic inflammatory conditions. The company also provides Anti-TNF, a class of small molecule anti-TNF receptor agents with the potential to be orally administered. As of April 5, 2010, Ception Therapeutics, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Cephalon Inc. http://www.ceptiontx.com