News

Idaho Office of Science & Technology June 2008

June 26, 2008 /

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http://technology.idaho.gov

In this issue:

# R2EV Captures First Place in TechLaunch 5.0 Competition

# Synoptek Acquires The Network Group

# Introducing Simpli Nature Soy Candles

# International Isotopes Plans Fluorine Extraction Plant

# The Federal Government Has R&D Funding Just For You!

# Federal Grant Proposal Assistance

# TenXsys SmartBolusTM Launch

# Ideas Innovations Idaho License Plates For Sale

R2EV Captures First Place in TechLaunch 5.0 Competition

(Garden City) Idaho TechConnect, Inc. hosted its 5th annual TechLaunch event May 29 and 30 at the Double Tree Riverside Hotel in Garden City, Idaho. The event allows entrepreneurs to pitch their business plan to a panel of judges consisting of business professionals, successful entrepreneurs, and seasoned investors. For the first time, the event included a "Next Generation" division for college students.

BSU student Alex Livingston, founder and president of R2EV won a $5,000 prize in the Next Generation division with his business idea for easily replaceable batteries for electric cars. R2EV’s design consists of several small (approximately 25 lb) battery "cubes" which plug into a power package fixture in the car and are exchangeable for freshly charged "cubes" at roadside stations. Cubes can be exchanged individually as they become exhausted, or all at once. This typically results in extended range for the vehicles.

R2EV has won previous entrepreneurial awards at the Undergraduate Bronco Venture Championship and the Northwest Venture Championship.

Alex told the Innovation News, "TechLaunch was a great event! Getting great feedback and new ideas from the individual judges, as well as just learning about what’s going on in Boise’s and in Idaho’s entrepreneur and investment communities was an invaluable experience."

In terms of next steps, he said, "R2EV is pursuing a Department of Defense Small Business Innovative Research grant with help from Idaho TechConnect and Idaho’s GPI fund, administered through the Department of Commerce."

For more information on TechLaunch and other events sponsored by Idaho TechConnect, visit http://www.idahotechconnect.com/Raising_Capital/TechLaunch/

Synoptek Acquires The Network Group

(Boise) On May 5, 2008, Synoptek acquired The Network Group, Inc. (TNG) of Boise, ID. Synoptek provides project management, website and software development, IT infrastructure services and outsourced IT. By providing higher service levels, improved leverage of technology, and reduced overall IT costs, Synoptek improves their client’s results.

Synoptek intends to expand its service delivery capacity and plans to add "a significant number of personnel over the next two or three years in Boise," said Tim Britt, Synoptek CEO. "While many companies are off-shoring IT services, we have found that for services that address challenging business problems and require innovative solutions we get better results using development and IT service teams based in the US," states Britt. Britt will continue to serve as the CEO of Synoptek. Denise Dunlap-Taylor, the current president of The Network Group, will become the General Manager of the Synoptek Idaho operations.

For more information on Synoptek, visit http://www.synoptek.com/.

Introducing Simpli Nature Soy Candles

(Idaho Falls) Simpli Nature Soy Candles® of Idaho Falls is a small business that is getting bigger! When Cheri Reinke and her mother-in-law Karen Reinke started their company three years ago in Cheri’s kitchen, they wanted to produce the best clean burning soy candle on the market but found no soy formula that fit the bill. Their candles had to burn straight across and down instead of leaving a big hole in the middle of the wax. After six months of Internet research and a lot of trial and error, Cheri and Karen developed their own, secret soy wax recipe.

Simpli Nature Soy Candles® are environmentally friendly, use cotton-coreless wicks, and they contain no added chemical dyes, chemical stabilizers or acids. The candles burn clean (no paraffin black soot), use only skin-safe scents and are hand-poured into American glass. Because their candles burn at a lower (120ºF) temperature than other wax candles (160ºF), Simpli Nature candles are soft, and can be used as hand or body lotion.
Simpli Nature moved into a new 5,000 square foot building last fall – its second location in Idaho Falls. With the expanded space came new employees. Simpli Nature has 85 distributors in 16 states and orders are placed via its website. With the addition of new distributors Simpli Nature plans to expand further into the Northwest.

Plans for 2008 include more expansions throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and the western National Park System.

Cheri Reinke projects $500,000 in combined direct and Internet sales for 2008.

For more information go to: http://www.simplinature.com/

International Isotopes Plans Fluorine Extraction Plant

(Idaho Falls) International Isotopes, Inc. (INIS), a company specializing in the production of radioisotopes for the medical industry, announced plans to construct a commercial facility to process depleted uranium hexafluoride (UF6) tails from commercial uranium enrichment operations.

The facility will use INIS’s patented Fluorine Extraction Process technology to convert the DUF6 into readily disposable forms and in the process produce high-value specialty fluoride gases for use in the fabrication of microelectronics and in other applications. By using enrichment plant tails to generate valuable products, INIS’s plant will offer a near-term, economical, and environmentally friendly solution for commercial depleted UF6 management, the company’s press release said.

During the uranium enrichment process, uranium hexafluoride (UF6) is enriched in the isotope U-235 to produce nuclear fuel. Approximately 90% of the UF6 that goes into the enrichment facility is termed "depleted" and emerges as UF6 "tails". Depleted UF6 cannot be disposed of directly, but must be converted into disposable waste forms. There are no facilities in the
U.S. today that can convert depleted UF6 tails. The Company’s facility will fill an important need facing commercial uranium enrichment providers such as
USEC, Louisiana Energy Services (LES), AREVA, and General Electric who have all either announced plans to build, or are building, new nuclear fuel enrichment facilities in the United States.

INIS’s facility will employ a two-step conversion process. The first step involves the conversion of UF6 to UF4 using equipment the Company recently acquired. The UF4 will then be used as the feed stock for the second step, which employs the Company’s patented Fluorine Extraction Process.

The Federal Government Has R&D Funding Just For You!

(Statewide) Over $2 billion and only for small businesses! Congress has mandated that almost 3 percent$2.2 billion in 2007of all extramural R&D funding each year be designated for small businesses through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs. SBIR/STTR is a competitively awarded, set-aside program for entrepreneurs and small businesses to engage in federal research and development. The research must have the potential for commercialization. The program encourages entrepreneurs and small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.
Here’s how it works! Each year, 11 federal agencies are required by SBIR/STTR to reserve a portion of their R&D funds for awards to small businesses, and virtually all scientific disciplines are represented in the various departments and agencies. These agencies designate R&D topics and accept proposals at various times throughout the year. Funding ceilings, R&D topic areas, and length of performance can vary widely for each participating agency.
Three-Phase Program
Following submission of proposals, agencies make SBIR/STTR awards based on small business qualification, degree of innovation, technical merit, and future market potential. Small businesses that receive awards or grants then begin a three-phase program.

Phase I is the startup phase in which the small business works to prove feasibility/proof of concept. Awards of up to $100,000 for approximately six to nine months support exploration of the technical merit or feasibility of an idea or technology.
Phase II awards an average from $500,000 to $750,000, but can go over $1 million with some agencies. This phase may last up to two years and has a focus of expanding Phase I results. During this time, R&D work is performed, the developer evaluates commercialization potential, and prototype development and field testing is conducted. Only Phase I award winners can be considered for Phase II.
Phase III is the period during which Phase II innovation moves from the laboratory into the marketplace. No SBIR/STTR funds support this phase. The small business must find funding in the private sector or through other non-SBIR/STTR federal funding. Highly successful small businesses are eligible to receive sole-source funding from the government during Phase III.
How do I start? If you think a federal R&D grant is right for your business and you are an Idaho company, the Idaho Department of Commerce and its private partner, Idaho TechConnect, can help you through the grant process. You can receive assistance by accessing the Department of Commerce website at http://www.technology.idaho.gov/federal-funding and selecting the Apply for Assistance link, or by contacting Mark Strait, Federal Funding Coordinator, at (208) 334-2650 ext. 2128 or by e-mailing him at [email protected].

Federal Grant Proposal Assistance

(Statewide) If Your Business Has An Innovative Idea, A Federal Grant May Be Right For You! Why apply for a federal grant?

Eleven federal agencies spend approximately $80 billion each year on extramural research and development (R&D). These agencies are looking for companies with innovative ideas and are willing to provide grant funding. If that’s not enough, here are seven additional reasons to include grants in your business plan:
# A federal grant can range from $100,000 to several million dollars.
# Grants are not loans. You do not have to pay back the money.
# Most grants do not require matching funds or equity.
# The intellectual property rights remain with your business.
# You retain all ownership of your business.
# A federal grant award provides validation of your business and idea.
# A federal grant award can be a leveraging tool to attract venture capital.

Here’s how it works! The federal grant process is very competitive. To compete, you must have a truly innovative idea and it must meet needs or solve problems deemed to be vital to our national interests. Fortunately, each agency issues topics that they deem vital. For more information, visit the Department of Commerce website listed below.
State Grant of up to $3,000! Assistance in preparing and developing federal R&D grant proposals – with potential for commercialization – is available to Idahoans statewide through the Idaho Grant Proposal Incentive (GPI) Fund. A small grant, up to $3,000, is available to qualifying businesses to help with the costs of applying for a federal R&D grant. Services include helping to determine the viability of submitting a proposal; assisting in the development of superior proposals; helping to fine tune business and commercialization strategies; and assessment of the final submission package.

For more information concerning federal grants and the $3,000 state grant from the GPI Fund, visit our website at http://commerce.idaho.gov/technology/federal-funding.aspx or contact Mark Strait at [email protected].

TenXsys SmartBolusTM Launch

(Eagle) TenXsys Inc. recently announced its SmartBolusTM product, an electronic pill swallowed by a dairy cow that wirelessly reports health data. SmartBolusTM reports temperature, motion, and can provide an imminent calving alert. By reporting when a cow’s temperature is out of the norm, illness can be caught early thereby avoiding the expense associated with an advanced illness and minimizing the impact on milk production. By monitoring a cow’s motion, the dairy can 1) identify when a cow is in heat and improve pregnancy rate, and 2) catch early signs of lameness. By providing a calving alert, the dairy can monitor a cow more closely and, in the case of a difficult birth, potentially avoid a lost calf.

How is this health data made available to the dairy? The bolus transmits data throughout the day to a repeater that forwards the data to a computer where the data is analyzed and reported.
The SmartBolusTM system is currently operating at several dairies on a trail basis and is scheduled for first shipments in the second half of 2008.

For more information on SmartBolusTM, visit http://www.smartbolus.com/ .

June 2008 Events Calendar
June 5th
Kickstand
Twin Falls
Monthly education and networking for innovators. 6 – 7:30 pm at Pandora’s, Twin Falls. To register for the event, go to http://www.kickstandidaho.com or contact [email protected].

June 12th
Kickstand
Boise
Monthly education and networking for innovators. 6 – 7:30 pm at The Power Station, Boise. To register for the event, go to http://www.kickstandidaho.com or contact [email protected].

June 12th
Eagle Technology Group
Eagle
A committee interested in developing and expanding Eagle’s technology sector and capitalizing on existing strengths. For more information on joining the group or attending meetings, contact Rosemary Regner at [email protected].

June 24th-27th
Association of Idaho Cities Annual Conference
North Idaho Region
This year’s conference themed "Shaping Communities: Working Together…Finding Solutions," will feature a variety of workshops and seminars focusing on issues and topics that are pertinent in supporting the infrastructure and morale of your community.

The AIC Annual Conference is filled with information-packed workshops on how to do more with less, the latest on critical legislative developments and new opportunities that apply to your ever-changing work environment.

Contact Leon Duce at AIC if you are interested in being a vendor and/or a sponsor at the conference at (208) 344-8594 or email at [email protected].

Ideas Innovations Idaho License Plates
Click here to find out more

(Statewide) Specialty license plates that celebrate innovation and support Idaho’s science and technology industry are entering their third year of availability through the Idaho Transportation Department. Continued availability of the plate will depend on total sales.
A portion of the proceeds from each plate sold goes to a fund that is used to develop programs and market the state’s technology sector.
A picture of the license plate, and information on how to purchase one, can be viewed at http://commerce.idaho.gov/technology/license-plate.aspx

Have an Idea/Submission for this Newsletter?

Contact Brian Dickens, Administrator of Idaho Department of Commerce’s Office of Science & Technology at (208) 334-2650, ext. 2103, or at [email protected]

News

Idaho Office of Science & Technology June 2008

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