Allied Minds Announcements

Allied Minds Appoints Omar Amirana, M.D. as Life Sciences Managing Director

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, Mass. — Allied Minds, Inc., an early-stage technology capital investment firm focused on commercializing technologies from leading U.S. Universities and National Labs, today announced the appointment of Omar Amirana, M.D. as Managing Director, Life Sciences. Dr. Amirana is a recognized life sciences leader and investor with more than twenty years of experience in the life sciences industry.

“Omar brings to Allied Minds a tremendous wealth of investing and product commercialization experience,” said Chris Silva, Chief Executive of Allied Minds. “His ability to identify investment opportunities and to work with inventors while building high quality teams in order to commercialize and launch new technologies worldwide is going to help us grow significantly. His technical, clinical, marketing, and business development experience as a leader, entrepreneur and venture capitalist will enhance our team and portfolio significantly.”

Dr. Amirana spent the past six years as a Partner at Oxford Bioscience Partners, a Boston based venture capital firm with ~$1B under management, where he focused on medical device and technology investing. He has helped grow and exit several venture backed medical device companies as a senior executive or board member. He has served on the boards of development and revenue stage companies such as Coherex, SmartPill, Flowmedica, and NFocus Neuromedical. He will retain board seats at Cardiofocus and Cambridge Endoscopic Devices. His previous experience includes Vice President of Business Development at St. Jude Medical, a medical device company with over $5B in revenue, where he also ran a 20 person R&D team. He was Vice President of Marketing at MedicaLogic, a leader in electronic medical records. In addition to being a cofounder of Cardima, an electrophysiology catheter spinout of Target Therapeutics, he has held senior executive positions in R&D, Sales, Marketing, and Business Development and as CEO at several life science companies in Silicon Valley.

“Allied Minds represents a new investment model for early stage investing in today’s economy. Fortified with capital from institutional investors to grow startup companies from the ground floor, Allied Minds is well equipped to enhance shareholder value in a capital efficient and operationally focused model while pioneering ground breaking technologies,” said Dr. Amirana. “It is exciting to be more operationally engaged again while continuing to invest. I am looking forward to working with the team and to spurring innovation within the Allied Minds model.”

Dr. Amirana received a B.S., Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and a Medical Degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School.

About Allied Minds
Allied Minds is a private equity-funded innovation company with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully-integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SciFluor Life Sciences, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

Contact:
Chris Silva
chris.silva@alliedminds.com
(617) 419-1800

SciFluor Life Sciences Appoints Life Sciences Executive Arthur Hiller as CEO

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, MA, June 27, 2011 - SciFluor Life Sciences, LLC, a drug development technology company that provides a revolutionary capability to enable late-stage fluorination of pharmaceutical drug candidates, announced that it has appointed Arthur Hiller, recent CEO of venture-backed cardiovascular device start-up Heartscape Technologies, Inc., and former Senior Vice President at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, as its Chief Executive Officer. The company utilizes patented technology developed by Tobias Ritter, PhD., Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, to provide drug companies with a new tool in their arsenal to increase the likelihood of bringing new drug candidates to market.

“Despite its potential to improve stability, potency, bioavailability and other key attributes that enhance the profile of a drug, the addition of fluorine to underlying structures of new drug candidates has often proved elusive or technically challenging to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies,” according to Hiller. “The patented SciFluor technology offers companies a solution to the challenge of fluorination that has the potential to significantly accelerate and improve the drug discovery and development process, he said. Hiller went on to say that “the platform also gives SciFluor an opportunity to identify fluorinated versions of currently marketed products that may support partnerships with drug companies and ultimately offer physicians and their patients new and enhanced treatment options.”

Hiller brings to SciFluor a strong record of successful leadership and start-up experience across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. Most recently, at Heartscape he raised $22M in B-round funding, built a Management and field team that placed the novel ECG cardiovascular technology in 30 institutions nationwide, and ultimately closed a transaction for the sale of the technology to the medical device subsidiary of a $5B Fortune 1000 company. Prior to Heartscape, Hiller held executive positions in general management, marketing, sales, and business development at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Merck and Co.

“We believe the SciFluor technology platform has the potential to be a game-changer in addressing one of the key challenges in drug development, said Chris Silva, CEO of the private equity company Allied Minds, which recently invested $5 million in SciFluor. “Arthur brings a highly relevant balance of experience, creativity and leadership to the SciFluor organization,” he said.

About SciFluor’s Late-Stage Fluorination Technology
SciFluor’s late-stage fluorination technology has been validated across multiple therapeutic areas, including CNS, Infectious disease, Cardiovascular disease and Oncology, with proofof-concept achieved via fluorinating dozens of marketed compounds. This technology has the potential to add value across the entire drug development process, including: lead optimization, preclinical and clinical development of novel new chemical entities, accessing inaccessible or unexplored therapeutics and lifecycle management of drugs with soon-to expire patents.

About SciFluor Life Sciences, LLC
SciFluor Life Sciences is an Allied Minds-funded company with a late-stage fluorination technology that improves drug properties such as metabolic stability, potency, bioavailability, and blood-brain barrier penetration. The company's late-stage fluorination technology, and its companion portfolio of fluorinated pharmaceuticals, are licensed exclusively from Harvard University. SciFluor's technology enables end-stage or any-stage fluorination of a wide variety of organic compounds. www.scifluor.com

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a private equity-funded innovation company with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SciFluor Life Sciences, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. www.alliedminds.com

RF Biocidics Secures $10 Million Funding Led by Invesco and Allied Minds, Inc.

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, MA, June 16, 2011 – RF Biocidics, Inc. (RFB) formally closed a $10MM round of funding that will be utilized to aggressively drive growth of the firm’s proprietary pasteurization and disinfestation businesses. This expansion stage funding was led by Boston-based Allied Minds, Inc. and supported by Allied Minds’ key shareholders, notably Invesco Asset Management Ltd.

RFB manufactures chemical-free treatment equipment and systems designed to eliminate food related pathogens, pests, and fungi. Treatment is quick and convenient: achieving reliable pathogen control, high throughput efficiency, and cost effective performance with no change to sensory, nutritional or functional values. These systems are not only utilized in RFB’s treatment service business, but they are also leased to customers for on-site use in their own facilities.

“This funding is extremely timely for RFB as both our treatment and leasing businesses have seen increasing interest, revenues and greater opportunities this year,“ stated Dr. Fortunato Villamagna, the company’s Vice President and General Manager. “In addition, our equipment leasing business recently secured contracts for the installation of three additional agricultural commodity treatment systems in the United States and Asia.”

RFB has also recently received Almond Board of California’s Technical Expert Review Panel (TERP) approval for a system installed at a customer’s site. After undergoing extensive validation testing the RFB system consistently achieved higher than the required minimum 4-log pathogen reduction. The TERP report stated, “Under the conditions used, the microbiological data show that a RF process provided more than the required minimum 4-log destruction of E. faecium (and, therefore, salmonellae) on almonds.”

Marc Eichenberger, COO of Allied Minds, added, “We are very happy with the progress achieved by the team leading RF Biocidics. Based on the technical success and sales orders received to date, we plan to expand aggressively now. This funding will allow RFB to accept new customer commitments as well as accelerate product development so we can move into new geographic and treatment markets. This is a very exciting time for RFB.”

About RF Biocidics, Inc.
RF Biocidics is a fast-growing company providing an environmentally friendly, chemical-free alternative for disinfection (pasteurization) and disinfestation of food and other products. This novel, organic technology was originally developed at the University of California, Davis and has a broad range of potential applications, including food safety, agriculture, import/export compliance, wood and waste water treatment. RF Biocidics designs, develops and operates radio frequency systems on behalf of its worldwide customers.

RF Biocidics, Inc. (RFB) is a treatment company focused on making food safer for consumers by eliminating the pests and pathogens commonly found in unprocessed commodities. RFB’s staff of dedicated chemists, biologists, microbiologists and engineers provides our customers with the best chemical free and environmentally friendly treatment options and services available in the industry. RF Biocidics is an Allied Minds company headquartered in California. www.rfbiocidics.com

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a private equity-funded innovation company with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully-integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SciFluor Life Sciences, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

For More Information:

Fortunato Villamagna
Vice President and General Manager
RF Biocidics, Inc.
Tel: (707) 451-2027
fortunato.villamagna@rfbiocidics.com
www.rfbiocidics.com

CryoXtract Secures New Funding Led by Allied Minds, Inc.

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, MA – CryoXtract formally closed a $3MM round of funding to support commercialization of its proprietary Automated Frozen Sample Aliquotter. This innovative robot enables the biobanking and research communities to disseminate biological samples critically important to translational research, molecular medicine and biomarker discovery without exposing them to repeated freeze-thaw cycles that may degrade their molecular integrity and fidelity. Boston-based Allied Minds, Inc. led the financing. The new funds will be used to launch CryoXtract’s first application of this unique robotic solution, thus enabling the successful hands-free extraction of frozen aliquots from frozen plasma and serum samples.

Conceived at Harvard Medical School by Dale Larson and developed in collaboration with Northeastern University, this original technology enables the hands-free extraction of multiple frozen aliquots from one single frozen sample without thawing it -- effectively helping protect sample integrity, standardize sample processing, improve lab efficiencies and reduce operating costs by enabling sample storage in large volume tubes (e.g. 2.0mL). A proprietary robotic probe cores a frozen sample under ultra cold conditions and deposits the still-frozen cores into separate cryotubes for distribution and downstream analyses. Extracted cores remain frozen throughout the process and any sample remaining in the parent cryotube may be returned to storage in its original tube still frozen. Independent evaluations demonstrated that the system can successfully extract multiple frozen, uniformly-sized and consistently homogeneous aliquots from one single cryotube of frozen human plasma. Results were reproducible and showed very low variability compared to control samples when analyzed for common analytes.

Speaking on behalf of Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development, Isaac Kohlberg, Senior Associate Provost and Chief Technology Development Officer, stated that “I am pleased with Allied Minds' continued commitment and support to commercially develop this potentially significant new technology which holds promise to advance the state-of-the-art in biobanking practices ” Chris Silva, CEO of Allied Minds, added that “Allied Minds is very happy with the progress achieved by the team leading CryoXtract. Based on initial sales orders we plan to go to market next year. The current feedback we received deepens our commitment to investing in more technology originating from academia.”

About CryoXtract Instruments, LLC
CryoXtract is focused on developing and commercializing high-quality/high-performance laboratory automation and solutions that help protect the quality and increase the utilization of critical collections of frozen human biospecimens and enhance research, analysis & discovery. Conceived to support the needs of modern biobanking, the first application of Company’s proprietary Automated Frozen Sample Aliquotter makes it possible to disseminate critically important plasma and serum samples without subjecting them to repeated freeze-thaw cycling. CryoXtract was formed by Allied Minds, a capital investment firm, in partnership with Harvard University and Northeastern University. www.cryoxtract.com.

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a private equity-funded innovation company with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully-integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SciFluor Life Sciences, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

About Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development
The Harvard University Office of Technology Development focuses on advancing the development of groundbreaking discoveries by fostering strategic collaborations with industry through licensing, sponsored research and new venture agreements to ensure that society benefits from Harvard innovations by fostering their swift, professional and effective development and commercialization.

For more information: Jorge de Dios
CEO, CryoXtract Instruments, LLC
Tel: 703.875.8777
email: jorge.dedios@cryoxtract.com
www.cryoxtract.com

CryoXtract Secures New Funding Led by Allied Minds, Inc.

Boston, MA, June 15, 2011 – CryoXtract formally closed a $3MM round of funding to support commercialization of its proprietary Automated Frozen Sample Aliquotter. This innovative robot enables the biobanking and research communities to disseminate biological samples critically important to translational research, molecular medicine and biomarker discovery without exposing them to repeated freeze-thaw cycles that may degrade their molecular integrity and fidelity. Boston-based Allied Minds, Inc. led the financing. The new funds will be used to launch CryoXtract’s first application of this unique robotic solution, thus enabling the successful hands-free extraction of frozen aliquots from frozen plasma and serum samples.

Conceived at Harvard Medical School by Dale Larson and developed in collaboration with Northeastern University, this original technology enables the hands-free extraction of multiple frozen aliquots from one single frozen sample without thawing it -- effectively helping protect sample integrity, standardize sample processing, improve lab efficiencies and reduce operating costs by enabling sample storage in large volume tubes (e.g. 2.0mL). A proprietary robotic probe cores a frozen sample under ultra cold conditions and deposits the still-frozen cores into separate cryotubes for distribution and downstream analyses. Extracted cores remain frozen throughout the process and any sample remaining in the parent cryotube may be returned to storage in its original tube still frozen. Independent evaluations demonstrated that the system can successfully extract multiple frozen, uniformly-sized and consistently homogeneous aliquots from one single cryotube of frozen human plasma. Results were reproducible and showed very low variability compared to control samples when analyzed for common analytes.

Speaking on behalf of Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development, Isaac Kohlberg, Senior Associate Provost and Chief Technology Development Officer, stated that “I am pleased with Allied Minds' continued commitment and support to commercially develop this potentially significant new technology which holds promise to advance the state-of-the-art in biobanking practices ” Chris Silva, CEO of Allied Minds, added that “Allied Minds is very happy with the progress achieved by the team leading CryoXtract. Based on initial sales orders we plan to go to market next year. The current feedback we received deepens our commitment to investing in more technology originating from academia.”

###

About CryoXtract Instruments, LLC

CryoXtract is focused on developing and commercializing high-quality/high-performance laboratory automation and solutions that help protect the quality and increase the utilization of critical collections of frozen human biospecimens and enhance research, analysis & discovery. Conceived to support the needs of modern biobanking, the first application of Company’s proprietary Automated Frozen Sample Aliquotter makes it possible to disseminate critically important plasma and serum samples without subjecting them to repeated freeze-thaw cycling. CryoXtract was formed by Allied Minds, a capital investment firm, in partnership with Harvard University and Northeastern University. www.cryoxtract.com.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds is a $250M private equity-funded innovation company with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully-integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include BA Logix, Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, Purtein, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SciFluor Life Sciences, SiEnergy Systems, CryoXtract and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

About Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development

The Harvard University Office of Technology Development focuses on advancing the development of groundbreaking discoveries by fostering strategic collaborations with industry through licensing, sponsored research and new venture agreements to ensure that society benefits from Harvard innovations by fostering their swift, professional and effective development and commercialization.

SciFluor's Scientific Founder Published in Nature

Fri, 27 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Fluorination holds significant promise to improve biopharmaceutical drug properties

Boston, Massachusetts – SciFluor Life Sciences, LLC today announced the publication of a review paper detailing the intricate challenges associated with fluorination and recent advancements in the field to help overcome these challenges. Adding fluorine to organic molecules, such as pharmaceuticals, can significantly improve drug properties. Fluorination also plays an integral role in the development and production of agrochemicals, advanced materials, and as tracers for positron emission tomography. Fluorinated organic molecules, while often valuable, have been generally challenging to synthesize efficiently. Advancements made in fluorination reactions over the last five years, including SciFluor’s late-stage fluorination technology, are now enabling complex fluorinated molecules that previously were not readily available.

The paper, “Catalysis for fluorination and trifluoromethylation,” was published in the May 26, 2011 issue of the journal Nature and includes a discussion of the fundamental challenges of organofluorine chemistry and new bond-forming reactions designed to incorporate fluorine into organic molecules that are not readily synthesized using traditional fluorination chemistry. In particular, the review discusses novel transition-metal-catalysed and organocatalysed C-F and C-F3 bond forming reactions. Recent successes in fluorine incorporation can be attributed to the design of these previously unavailable transition metal complexes, and the merger of modern synthesis techniques, such as organocatalysis, with fluorination chemistry. As a result of these advances, particularly in medicinal chemistry, functionalized fluorinated molecules are more readily accessible now than ever.

Dr. Tobias Ritter, scientific founder and Chief Technical Officer of SciFluor and an author of the paper, commented, “Fluorination of molecules can be beneficial across multiple applications and, in particular, for the development of pharmaceuticals. Despite fluorine’s utility, the fluorination process – particularly late-stage fluorination – is often challenging and expensive in complex molecules. Recent advances in the field have begun to address some of the challenges in fluorine chemistry and may inform the evolving landscape of fluorination going forward.” Dr. Ritter is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard, and is a recognized expert in organo-metallic chemistry and fluorine chemistry.

SciFluor is playing a role in addressing challenges specifically related to late-stage fluorination. The Company’s proprietary fluorine substitution technology, which enables late-or any-stage fluorination of a wide variety of organic compounds, has demonstrated its ability to overcome barriers in fluorination and has been used to make fluorinated analogs of multiple pharmaceuticals. Adding fluorine can improve drug properties, including metabolic stability, potency, binding affinity, bioavailability, and blood-brain-barrier penetration. The Company's technology is exclusively licensed from Harvard University.

About SciFluor’s Late-Stage Fluorination Technology
SciFluor’s late-stage fluorination technology has been validated across multiple therapeutic areas, including CNS, Infectious disease, Cardiovascular disease and Oncology, with proof-of-concept achieved via fluorinating dozens of marketed compounds. This technology has the potential to add value across the entire drug development process, including: lead optimization, preclinical and clinical development of novel new chemical entities, accessing inaccessible or unexplored therapeutics and lifecycle management of drugs with soon-to expire patents.

About SciFluor Life Sciences, LLC
SciFluor Life Sciences is an Allied Minds-funded company with a late-stage fluorination technology that improves drug properties such as metabolic stability, potency, bioavailability, and blood-brain barrier penetration. The company's late-stage fluorination technology, and its companion portfolio of fluorinated pharmaceuticals, are licensed exclusively from Harvard University. SciFluor's technology enables end-stage or any-stage fluorination of a wide variety of organic compounds. www.scifluor.com

Media Contact:
Jennifer Conrad
jconrad@macbiocom.com
(781) 235-3060

SciFluor Life Sciences Debuts with Late-Stage Fluorination Technology, Discovered at Harvard

Tue, 17 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Drug Properties Improved by Fluorination Include Metabolic Stability, Potency, and Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration

Boston, MA, -- SciFluor Life Sciences, LLC today announced that it has secured $5 million in first-round funding from Allied Minds to commercialize a revolutionary technology that enables late-stage fluorination of pharmaceutical drug candidates and other commercial chemicals. Adding fluorine to organic molecules, such as pharmaceuticals, can significantly improve metabolic stability, potency, binding affinity, bioavailability and bloodbrain barrier penetration. SciFluor plans to engage with strategic partners to develop and commercialize new, high-value fluorinated compounds for the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and specialty chemical industries.

SciFluor’s technology is based on fundamental breakthroughs discovered and developed by Professor Tobias Ritter and colleagues in Harvard University’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. The company has an exclusive, worldwide license from Harvard University to various late- or end-stage fluorination methods and to a portfolio of novel fluorinated compounds.

“Late- or end-stage fluorination is a promising strategy to quickly access new drug candidates with potentially improved pharmacological profiles,” said Dr. Ritter, scientific founder and Chief Technical Officer of SciFluor. Dr. Ritter is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard, and is a recognized expert in organo-metallic chemistry and fluorine chemistry.

“Despite the significant benefits of fluorination, the process has been, until now, extremely difficult and expensive in complex molecules, so late-stage fluorine substitution is often simply not done,” said Don Ciappenelli, Ph.D., Senior Executive of SciFluor. “Additionally, fluorination after the lead optimization stage is challenging with existing methods – so the opportunity for the greatest benefit may be lost. SciFluor helps to solve this problem with its breakthrough technology that enables precise, any-stage introduction of fluorine atoms into many important bio-active compounds.” Dr. Ciappenelli has been the co-founder of numerous ventures including ChemDesign, Ariad, Gallia, TranXenoGen, Aprilis, Daiamed, Le@p, and NewCyte. He was also former Director of the Chemical Laboratories at Harvard University.

"SciFluor’s technology will enable the company to develop new, high-value compounds for a variety of industries and applications across the entire drug development process,” said Chris Silva, CEO of Allied Minds. “Initially, the company will focus on partnering with companies in the biopharmaceutical industry, where SciFluor will establish collaborative programs for the synthesis of new fluorinated compounds to initiate, advance or improve preclinical drug candidates efficiently, rapidly and with lower risk at the end stage vs. painful and costly reworking of synthetic pathways.”

"We're pleased that this important technology will be applied to assist the development of new drugs and drug therapies," said Isaac Kohlberg, Senior Associate Provost and head of Harvard's Office of Technology Development. "The license granted to SciFluor exemplifies Harvard’s commitment to serve the public interest--a vital part of our core mission--by ensuring the translation of nascent technologies from Harvard laboratories to the marketplace in appropriate and effective ways that will benefit society."

About SciFluor’s Late-Stage Fluorination Technology
SciFluor’s late-stage fluorination technology has been validated across multiple therapeutic areas, including CNS, Infectious disease, Cardiovascular disease and Oncology, with proofof-concept achieved via fluorinating dozens of marketed compounds. This technology has the potential to add value across the entire drug development process, including: lead optimization, preclinical and clinical development of novel new chemical entities, accessing inaccessible or unexplored therapeutics and lifecycle management of drugs with soon-toexpire patents.

About SciFluor Life Sciences, LLC
SciFluor Life Sciences is an Allied Minds-funded company with a late-stage fluorination technology that improves drug properties such as metabolic stability, potency, bioavailability, and blood-brain barrier penetration. The company's late-stage fluorination technology, and its companion portfolio of fluorinated pharmaceuticals, are licensed exclusively from Harvard University. SciFluor's technology enables end-stage or any-stage fluorination of a wide variety of organic compounds. www.scifluor.com

About Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development
Harvard's Office of Technology Development (OTD) is responsible for all activities pertaining to the evaluation, patenting and licensing of new inventions and discoveries made at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School. OTD also serves to further the development of Harvard technologies through the establishment of sponsored research collaborations with industry. OTD’s mission is to promote the public good by fostering innovation and translating new inventions made at Harvard into useful products available and beneficial to society. www.otd.harvard.edu

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a private equity-funded innovation company with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. www.alliedminds.com

Media Contact
Jennifer Conrad
jconrad@macbiocom.com
(781) 235-3060

MIT Tech Review: Cooling Down Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:00:00 GMT

BY KATHERINE BOURZAC

A startup moves toward thin-film solid-oxide fuel cells suitable for practical devices.

Startup company SiEnergy Systems has overcome a major barrier to commercializing solid-oxide fuel cells with a prototype that operates at temperatures hundreds of degrees lower than those on the market today. Working with Harvard materials science professor, Shriram Ramanathan, SiEnergy Systems, based in Boston, has demonstrated a solid-oxide fuel cell that can operate at 500 degrees Celsius, as opposed to the 800 to 1,000 degrees required by existing devices.

To read the full article, please visit the MIT Tech Review website.

Materials scientists at Harvard demonstrate the first macro-scale thin-film solid-oxide fuel cell

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Strong, nanostructured membrane enables scaling for practical clean-energy applications

Full article can be found at:

Harvard School of Applied Sciences
by Caroline Perry

SiEnergy Systems Demonstrates Scalability of Nanometric Thin Film Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - SiEnergy Systems, an Allied Minds company commercializing thin film solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology from Harvard University, is pleased to announce breakthrough results in scaling up the active area of its nanometric thin film SOFC. Principal Scientist, Masaru Tsuchiya, made this advancement in collaboration with Harvard University researchers, Dr. Bo-Kuai Lai and Professor Shriram Ramanathan.

In a paper published in the April 3, 2011 online issue of Nature Nanotechnology, the researchers presented thermomechanically stable, nanometer scale electrolyte membranes with lateral dimensions on the scale of millimeters to centimeters. A metal grid placed adjacent to the fuel cell provided mechanical stability as well as enhanced electrical conductance. The demonstrated performance includes a power density of over 150 mW/cm² at 510°C with a platinum-free cathode, and a total power output of over 20mW from a single fuel cell chip, the leading performance among nanometric thin film SOFCs.

The breakthrough has practical relevance for the broad commercialization of fuel cells since thin film SOFC s offer three major advantages over conventional SOFCs:
1. They reduce the amount of materials required in making fuel cells, including rare-earth elements such as yttrium and lanthanum, thus significantly reducing the material cost of SOFCs.
2. The grid’s structure reduced the potential of breakage compared to other thin film SOFC.
3. Enhanced conductance across the nanometric thin film electrolytes enables operation at a commercially advantageous temperature of 350-550°C. Conventional SOFC temperatures (600-1,000°C) make them more susceptible to corrosion and requires more materials for insulation.

“Although proof-of-concept nanometric thin film SOFCs operating at 350-550°C have been demonstrated before, their scalability has remained a significant challenge till now. We have successfully demonstrated scalability of nanometer thin film SOFC technology through careful optimization of metallic grid design and oxide deposition parameters,” says Dr. Tsuchiya, Principal Scientist at SiEnergy and the lead author of the paper.

SiEnergy is currently expanding its operations to accelerate the commercialization of its novel thin film SOFC technology.

For more information, contact:
Vincent Chun, General Manager
SiEnergy Systems LLC, an Allied Minds company
vincent.chun@sienergysystems.com
www.sienergysystems.com

About SiEnergy Systems, LLC
SiEnergy Systems is a privately held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize proprietary thin film solid oxide fuel cell technology developed at Harvard University. The technology uses inexpensive micro-fabrication methods to create SOFCs with nanometer scale electrolytes that operate at low temperature, use less material, and are scalable to meet various power requirements. The “Silicon Energy” reduces the cost of SOFCs and creates clean and affordable mobile and small stationary power sources.

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a private equity-funded innovation company with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. www.alliedminds.com

SoundCure Secures $3MM Funding Led by Allied Minds to Commercialize Next Generation Tinnitus Therapy

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:00:00 GMT

San Jose, CA – SoundCure formally closes a $3MM round of funding to help launch the commercialization of a novel sound based tinnitus therapy first developed at the University of California at Irvine. Allied Minds, Inc. led the financing. SoundCure’s tinnitus therapy pioneered by Dr. Fan-Gang Zeng at UCI with research funded by the American Tinnitus Association has shown great success in bringing relief to sufferers of tinnitus. The SoundCure technology utilizes unique tones and sounds customized to an individual’s own tinnitus to help quiet the ringing. The proprietary SoundCure audio stimuli are designed to be presented at a softer level than the patient’s tinnitus to lower the patient’s overall sound burden and reduce or eliminate the perception of tinnitus. The new funds will be used to realize an aggressive commercialization plan that brings with it a new medical device capable of delivering the suite of SoundCure’s tinnitus therapies and directly address tinnitus in an approach to quiet and control the symptoms of tinnitus.
“The university is pleased with Allied Minds' continued commitment to developing this important technology that resulted from academic research into a therapy that has the potential to benefit patients suffering from tinnitus,” says Assistant Vice Chancellor, Ronnie Hanecak, at the Office of Technology Alliances at UC Irvine. CEO of Allied Minds, Chris Silva, cites the development of SoundCure as “yet another example of the Allied Minds model creating value and addressing unmet needs by bringing groundbreaking research at major Universities into commercial reality.”

About SoundCure
SoundCure is focused on developing and commercializing a novel acoustic therapy for the treatment of tinnitus (ringing in the ear). The company will partner with audiologists, MD’s and patient advocacy groups and leverage innovative web-based technologies to treat patients and provide tinnitus solutions. Tinnitus is a debilitating disease that affects an estimated 262 million people worldwide. SoundCure was formed by Allied Minds, a capital investment firm, based on technology first pioneered by researchers at University of California, Irvine who discovered a relation between certain tonal algorithms and specific therapeutic effects.

About Allied Minds
Allied Minds is a private equity-funded innovation company with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SciFluor Life Sciences, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com

About the UC Irvine, Office of Technology Alliances
The UCI Office of Technology Alliances (OTA) exists to foster faculty/industry alliances and commercialization of UC Irvine technology for the broad public benefit. OTA emphasizes accessibility, timeliness, and flexibility in its operations and negotiations to ensure that the federal, state and private investment in UCI research has the greatest possible positive impact on people and the economy.

For more information;

Bill Perry, General Manager
SoundCure Inc., an Allied Minds company
Tel: +1 (408) 938-5745
bill.perry@soundcure.com

Ronnie Hanecak
Assistant Vice Chancellor
University of California, Irvine
Office of Technology Alliances
Tel: +1 (949) 824-1233
rhanecak@uci.edu

Biotectix Announces Acquisition of Assets from Chameleon BioSurfaces Ltd.

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor, Michigan - Biotectix, LLC announced today the acquisition of all significant assets owned by Chameleon BioSurfaces Ltd. (Cambridge, United Kingdom). Financial terms were not disclosed.

Chameleon has been a leading developer of advanced polymer coatings for implantable medical devices. The technology utilizes novel electrically conductive polymer coatings for improved biocompatibility, conformal coverage, electrical performance, and drug release. The assets include several issued and pending U.S. and international patents.

Dr. James Arps, General Manager at Biotectix, commented on the purchase that “the Chameleon technology is highly complementary to the conductive thiophene-based polymer materials we are actively commercializing. Importantly, it further solidifies our leading IP position in this field while giving us additional materials options with our co-development partners in the medical device field.”

Geoffrey Beanland, Chairman at Chameleon, further noted “all of us at Chameleon are very proud of the progress we’ve made in the development and use of electropolymerized coatings for drug eluting stents and other life sustaining devices. We are confident that the resources Biotectix can bring to bear will greatly aid in the advancement of this technology.”

All Chameleon materials technology will now be housed at Biotectix’s facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Biotectix will also continue the performance of active and pending projects for Chameleon customers.

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a private equity-funded innovation company with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SciFluor Life Sciences, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com

About Biotectix
Biotectix is developing a new class of conductive polymer materials and coatings for implantable devices and sensors that improve the safety, longevity, reliability, biological integration, and function of implantable biomedical devices. A number of benefits are driven by this platform technology without changing device size, shape, or implant procedure, including improved electrical performance, biocompatibility, and tissue response.

The technology addresses key limitations faced by the medical device industry including foreign body reactions, component stability, and long-term electrical performance in vivo. The materials are custom-designed for the specialized mechanical, electrical, and biological environments of the body, and provide an extremely high level of functional interfacing for medical electrodes.

Biotectix was formed by Allied Minds, a private equity company, based on technology originally developed at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The founders and inventors continue to develop and validate the technology through research, collaborations, and partnerships with leading companies and research institutions. For more information please visit www.biotectix.com.

About Chameleon BioSurfaces
Chameleon BioSurfaces is a provider of sophisticated surface design technology to medical device companies. Chameleon has worked closely with customers to design and produce unique solutions to specific device challenges and opportunities.

A key specialty has been the use of electro-deposition to apply polymers to the surfaces of medical implants and devices to improve the functionality, performance and reliability of such systems. Proprietary polymers can impart such features as low thrombogenicity, wetability, bio-compatibility and drug-elution. Surfaces have been designed so that drugs have a desired elution profile over time or are retained and presented at the device surface.

Chameleon's patented technology enables on/off switching and control of drug release for certain device configurations. Polymers can be deposited in discrete patterns and gradients as well as uniformly over a device surface. Sophisticated electro-deposition methods ensure complete coverage even of complex and intricate surfaces, and also afford exquisite control of coating thickness, from sub-micron level upwards.

For more information please visit www.chameleonbio.com.
For further questions or additional information please contact:

James Arps, Vice President & General Manager
Biotectix, LLC an Allied Minds Company
734-585-5126
jim.arps@biotectix.com

Precision Biopsy Receives Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – Precision Biopsy, LLC received a $250,000 grant from the state of Colorado and matched it with its own $250,000 fund to help develop a medical device that addresses the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of prostate cancer patients and doctors. The Colorado legislature created the Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program to foster state industry development, supporting both new business development and quality jobs for Coloradans. The program supports technology transfer and commercialization with grants to early-stage companies whose technology is licensed from qualified research institutions.

Precision Biopsy’s technology employs an optical probe at the tip of a standard prostate biopsy needle, uses light spectroscopy measurements at the biopsy site, and a sophisticated tissue classification algorithm that determines the presence or absence of cancer on real-time basis. “Random transrectal prostate biopsies often fail to diagnose clinically important prostate cancer as well as accurate grade and stage this disease,” said Dr. Priya Werahera, Principle Investigator, University of Colorado at Denver. He continued, “The concentrations of natural fluorophores such as tryptophan in prostate tissue fluctuate with disease states; therefore, fluorescence spectroscopy can be used to quantify these fluctuations and thereby identify cancer.”

The Precision Biopsy solution will provide early diagnosis of clinically important prostate cancer, identify patients for definitive therapy, and eliminate unnecessary repeat biopsies. Our technology can be adapted into current urologic practice without any major changes. Physicians will have the ability to probe highly suspicious areas or hot spots within the prostate gland for tissue abnormalities prior to taking a biopsy. “The total cost of diagnostic and therapy for prostate cancer in the U.S. is $7 billion per year and we estimate our solution could save over $1 billion per year in diagnostic and therapy costs,” said Amir Tehrani, executive in residence at Precision Biopsy.

About Precision Biopsy, LLC
Precision Biopsy, LLC is a privately-held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. in cooperation with the University of Colorado to commercialize a revolutionary optical biopsy technology designed to improve the accuracy and reliability of prostate biopsies and the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Website: www.precisionbiopsy.com

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

Cephalogics Receives Discovery Project Grant

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts -- Cephalogics, LLC was awarded a $161,144 grant from the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project program, which is provided under the new section 48D of the Internal Revenue Code enacted as part of the Patient and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This federal grant targets therapeutic discovery projects that show a reasonable potential to:

• Result in new therapies to treat areas of unmet medical need or prevent, detect or treat chronic or acute diseases and conditions,
• Reduce the long-term growth of health care costs in the United States, or
• Significantly advance the goal of curing cancer within 30 years.

“This award confirms Cephalogics’ potential to advance U.S. innovation in meeting unmet needs in healthcare,” said Jeff Caputo, General Manager of Cephalogics.

The company is using an emerging imaging modality called high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) to make portable neuroimaging systems with the combined ability to measure blood oxygenation with the imaging capability of MRI to produce comprehensive and real-time assessment of neurological function. In intensive care settings, the Cephalogics’ system will provide visualization of critical neurologic function, allowing, for example, localized detection of functional deficits, thereby providing diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring information otherwise unavailable with current technologies.

“We have received significant interest from multiple areas of the hospital. For example, Neuro critical care physicians have expressed strong interest in using this technology to continuously monitor stroke and traumatic brain injury patients and help guide treatment. This technology would provide valuable functional data and imaging from multiple areas of the brain which is currently not available at the bedside. Anesthesiologists have also expressed interest in using this technology to monitor collateral flow and perfusion during cardiac surgery and potentially identify neurological deficits like ischemia. We are very optimistic about the strong interest in this technology and are working to further develop the technology to meet the needs of the clinicians,” Caputo explained.

The grant was only available to taxpayers with no more than 250 employees and covers up to 50 percent of a taxpayer’s qualified investment. To provide an immediate boost to U.S. biomedical research, the credit was granted to qualified investments made in 2009 and 2010.

About Cephalogics, LLC.
Cephalogics, LLC is a privately-held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize the high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) neuroimaging technology originally developed at Washington University in St. Louis by Dr. Joseph Culver. For more information, please visit the Cephalogics website: www.cephalogics.com.

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

SiEnergy Systems To Present Recent Breakthrough at the 2010 MRS Fall Meeting

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - SiEnergy Systems LLC, a Harvard spin-off company commercializing a novel solid oxide fuel cell using nanometer scale oxide thin films, is pleased to announce that Principal Scientist, Masaru Tsuchiya, will be presenting at the Materials Research Society’s (MRS) 2010 Fall meeting to be held next week in Boston, MA. Dr. Tsuchiya will discuss SiEnergy’s recent breakthrough in nanometric thin film micro-solid oxide fuel cells on Thursday December 2nd within the Symposium on Next-Generation Fuel Cells.

SiEnergy Systems recently made a breakthrough in scaling power output of ultra-thin film low temperature micro-solid oxide fuel cells. The patent-pending technology utilizes micro-fabricated robust grids for scaling up the active area to arbitrary dimensions depending on total power needed. The new structure allows ultra-thin fuel cell membranes to span a distance that is 100,000 times its thickness while maintaining mechanical stability and high power output.

“One of the key challenges for commercialization of silicon based micro solid fuel cells has been the scaling of the power generating membrane active area while retaining high power density” says Dr. Tsuchiya. “We overcame this challenge with careful control of thin film process parameters, and novel device architectures. The fabrication process is robust with the yield over 90%, easily transferable to a MEMS foundry.”

According to Dr. Shriram Ramanathan, a Founder of SiEnergy Systems and Associate Professor of Materials Science at Harvard University, “We are thrilled with this breakthrough. We believe this is a major step forward in practical realization of nanostructured solid oxide fuel cells.”

With the rapid growth in power consumption in portable electronic devices in recent years, fuel cells have gained interest as mobile power sources. Fuel cells provide higher total energy for a given size or weight than batteries and can be replenished instantaneously. SiEnergy’s approach to integrate solid oxide fuel cells directly onto silicon platform could revolutionize the way people use mobile power devices.

SiEnergy is seeking investors and industrial collaborators to develop fuel cell stacks to target high end commercial and military mobile power applications.

For more information, contact:
Vincent Chun, General Manager
SiEnergy Systems LLC, an Allied Minds company
vincent.chun@sienergysystems.com
www.sienergysystems.com

About SiEnergy Systems, LLC

SiEnergy Systems is a privately held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize proprietary micro solid oxide fuel cell technology developed at Harvard University. The technology uses inexpensive micro-fabrication methods to create SOFCs with nanometer scale electrolytes that operate at low temperature, and are scalable to meet various power requirements. The “Silicon Energy” reduces the size and cost of SOFCs, and brings their use in mobile energy applications within reach.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

Spin Transfer Technologies Announces First Orthogonal Spin Transfer MRAM Devices Using MTJ Read-Out

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Atlanta, Georgia – Spin Transfer Technologies is pleased to announce at the 55th Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials the first STT-MRAM device deploying the company’s proprietary orthogonal spin transfer technology with a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) for memory state read-out. The introduction of the MTJ element makes the memory device compatible with CMOS logic, and takes the orthogonal spin transfer technology a major step closer to commercialization.

Details of the device and performance characteristics are to be presented in the session on Magnetic Random Access Memory. Key highlights include: deterministic switching, resulting in no incubation delays; 100% probability of switching with 500 picosecond pulses utilizing only 250 femtoJoules of energy; 100% magnetoresistance ratio, providing a highly sensitive readout of the magnetic state; and bipolar switching behavior (switching upon either polarity of current pulse) potentially allowing simpler or fewer CMOS elements. The research was performed by Spin Transfer Technologies’ collaborators at New York University, led by Professor Andrew Kent, with industrial collaborators Singulus Technologies NDT and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies.

“This achievement in device performance represents a major step in the direction of commercial product development, and allows us to expand our efforts in the coming months,” said Vincent Chun, General Manager of Spin Transfer Technologies.

About Spin Transfer Technologies:
Spin Transfer Technologies, LLC was established by Allied Minds and New York University to develop and commercialize its orthogonal spin transfer magnetoresistive random access memory technology, OST-MRAM. The technology was originally developed from the nano-magnetism research conducted in the laboratory of Professor Andrew Kent. His research into spin transfer induced reversal of magnetization orientation showed that switching magnetic orientations can be accomplished much faster than in conventional spin transfer approaches. This discovery has enormous implications for the development of spin transfer MRAM devices, including faster switching times, lower power operation and scalability to smaller dimensions. For more information, please visit www.spintransfer.com.

About Allied Minds
Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

SiEnergy Systems to Participate in the 2010 Fuel Cell Seminar and Exposition

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - SiEnergy Systems LLC, a Harvard spin-off company commercializing novel solid oxide fuel cells using nanometer scale oxide thin films, will be exhibiting at the 2010 Fuel Cell Seminar and Exposition to be held in San Antonio, TX from October 18th to 21st. The company will display prototype thin film micro fuel cells at booth B207. General Manager, Vincent Chun, and Principal Scientist, Masaru Tsuchiya, will be available to discuss SiEnergy’s recent breakthroughs.

SiEnergy Systems recently made breakthroughs in scaling power output of nanometer thin film micro- solid oxide fuel cells. The technology uses silicon-based micro fabrication to create SOFCs with nanometer scale electrolytes that operate at low temperature, and are scalable to meet various power requirements. The “Silicon Energy” reduces the size and cost of SOFCs, and brings their use in mobile energy applications within reach. SiEnergy is seeking investors and industrial collaborators to develop fuel cell stacks to target high end commercial and military mobile power applications.

Those interested in setting up business or media meetings at the Fuel Cell Seminar and Exposition, please visit booth B207 or contact Masaru Tsuchiya at masaru.tsuchiya@sienergysystems.com.

About SiEnergy Systems, LLC

SiEnergy Systems is a privately held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize proprietary micro solid oxide fuel cell technology developed in Prof. Shriram Ramanathan’s lab at Harvard University.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. The Company creates spin out businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. Universities and National Labs and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management, and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline, and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies.

For more information on SiEnergy Systems, please contact Vincent Chun, General Manager
vincent.chun@sienergysystems.com or visit www.sienergysystems.com.

For more information about Allied Minds, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

SoundCure Names New General Manager

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

San Jose, CA – SoundCure, Inc. announced today that Bill Perry has joined the Company as General Manager. Mr. Perry brings extensive experience in venture capital-backed medical device growth companies. His successes include multiple mergers, acquisitions and an IPO. Perry has more than 20 years of experience in management, sales, marketing and business development, primarily in the medical device industry.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Bill’s caliber manage the SoundCure team,” noted Marc Eichenberger, COO of Allied Minds, the parent company of SoundCure. “Bill is a seasoned executive in the medical device field with a broad range of operational and strategic experience from start-ups to growth companies. He has a record of creating shareholder value through the creation of sound strategies and thoughtful execution. We look forward to having him lead our business.”

Before joining SoundCure, Perry was President of Prosurgics, a small scale surgical robotics company focused on laparoscopic surgery. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Business Development, Marketing and Sales for Nanomix, Inc., a medical device company focused on diagnostics and monitoring applications. Prior to that, Perry held the position of Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and International Sales at VNUS Medical Technologies, Inc. Earlier, he served as Vice President at companies such as Symphonix Devices, an innovative hearing implant company. Perry holds a B.S. from Georgetown University and a Masters in International Management (MBA) from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

“Tinnitus is a profoundly disturbing medical condition to millions of sufferers, and for quite some time, there have not been a lot of new treatments developed to deal with this serious issue,” said Mr. Perry. “I greatly look forward to working with the SoundCure team and Allied Minds to bring to market our proprietary, breakthrough therapy and provide a solution to this very under-served patient population.”

About SoundCure
SoundCure is focused on developing and commercializing a novel acoustic therapy for the treatment of tinnitus (ringing in the ear). The company will partner with audiologists, MD’s and patient advocacy groups and leverage innovative web-based technologies to treat patients and provide tinnitus solutions. Tinnitus is a debilitating disease that affects an estimated 262 million people worldwide. SoundCure was formed by Allied Minds, a capital investment firm, based on technology first pioneered by researchers at University of California, Irvine who discovered a relation between certain tonal algorithms and specific therapeutic effects.

About Allied Minds
Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com

For more information;
Bill Perry, General Manager
SoundCure Inc., an Allied Minds company
Tel: +1 (408) 938-5745
bill.perry@soundcure.com

Allied Minds Announces a Significant New Investment in Biotectix

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor, Michigan – Allied Minds announced that it has closed an additional $3 million investment in Biotectix, LLC as of the end of July. Biotectix intends to use this new capital to support ongoing expansion of internal research and external co-development activities while it prepares its novel conductive polymer technology for human use.

“Overall, we have been very pleased with Biotectix’s progress as well as the significant interest in the technology expressed by several key medical device companies,” noted Marc Eichenberger, COO of Allied Minds. “This new investment further demonstrates and solidifies Allied Minds commitment to the long-term success of the company.”

Biotectix was formed based on a novel conductive polymer technology originally developed at the University of Michigan. Recently, the company announced the initiation of good laboratory practice (GLP) preclinical study with a major development partner and an expansion of its workforce in Ann Arbor, MI.

The GLP study represents a continuation of a previously announced strategic research collaboration agreement and was initiated in order to validate the safety and efficacy of an implantable electrostimulation device that serves a $1 billion worldwide market with a projected compound annual growth rate exceeding 20%. The undisclosed partner is a leading manufacturer in this market. “Allied Minds is excited to see this demonstration of confidence in Biotectix and its products,” commented Eichenberger. “All work is based on Biotectix’s proprietary technology and coating methods that improve the performance and biointegration of implantable biomedical devices,” he added.

The study was initiated after in vitro and in vivo testing demonstrated that Biotectix BT DOT coated implants were stable for more than 6 months in vivo and maintained improved electrical conductivity compared to uncoated electrodes, specifically:
• BT DOT‐coated electrodes reduced electrical variability between electrodes in vivo
• The coatings reliably increased the charge storage capacity by over 350 %
• Voltage excursion under of biphasic stimulation were reduced by over 40 % in vitro
• BT DOT electrode coatings provided faster response and better signal fidelity than uncoated electrodes
• The coated electrodes exhibited a lower impedance than uncoated electrodes in the range of 1 – 100,000 Hz by up to 98 %

Dr. Sarah Richardson-Burns, Director of R&D at Biotectix, was present during the surgical procedures and noted, “The coated samples performed identically to the unmodified devices during implantation, initial tests performed shortly after treatment confirmed the performance gains that we had previously observed. If the devices function as we anticipate, we are hopeful that our partner will initiate first-in human clinical trials within the next 18-24 months.”

Biotectix also recently announced the addition of Dr. James Arps to the Biotectix team. Dr. Arps will assume the responsibilities of General Manager and brings significant experience in the medical device industry. Dr. Arps joined the company in May and brings more than 14 years of experience in the development and commercialization of advanced materials and coating technologies for medical device and related applications.

Prior to his appointment at Biotectix, Dr. Arps held leadership positions at SurModics (NASDAQ:SRDX) as Director of Commercial Drug Delivery Technologies and a Senior Technical Advisor in Product Development. Previously, he directed the startup of the Surface Engineering Program at the Southwest Research Institute, a contract R&D and engineering services organization in San Antonio, TX. He completed his Doctorate in Materials Physics from Vanderbilt University and an M.S. in Management of Technology from the University of Texas.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity with Biotectix, and look forward to working with the team to drive innovation and create effective partnerships with leading biomedical companies,” said Dr. Arps. “Biotectix’s proprietary conductive polymer technology offers unique benefits for the next generation of electrostimulation and sensing devices in the cardiac, neurology, and auditory fields and I look forward to seeing our work move to the next level in demonstrating clinical benefits.”

About Biotectix
Biotectix is developing a new class of conductive polymer materials and coatings for implantable devices and sensors that improve the safety, longevity, reliability, biological integration, and function of implantable biomedical devices. A number of benefits are driven by this platform technology without changing device size, shape, or implant procedure, including improved electrical performance , biocompatibility, and tissue response.

The technology addresses key limitations faced by the medical device industry including foreign body reactions, component stability, and long-term electrical performance in vivo. The materials are custom-designed for the specialized mechanical, electrical, and biological environments of the body, and provide an extremely high level of functional interfacing for medical electrodes.

Biotectix was formed by Allied Minds, a private equity company, based on technology originally developed at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The founders and inventors continue to develop and validate the technology through research, collaborations, and partnerships with leading companies and research institutions.

About Allied Minds
Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The Company creates startup businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. universities and national labs, and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com

For more information:
James Arps, Vice President & General Manager
Biotectix LLC, an Allied Minds Company
210-289-6246
jim.arps@biotectix.com

Spin Transfer Technologies enters into collaboration with Singulus Technologies AG

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts — July 23 2010 — Spin Transfer Technologies (STT) announced today a collaboration with Singulus Technologies AG to apply advanced deposition techniques to support commercial development of STT’s novel MRAM memory devices.

Singulus Technologies, through its Nano Deposition Technologies (NDT) business unit, is a renowned manufacturer of advanced thin film deposition equipment for MRAM. Under the arrangement, Singulus NDT’s TIMARIS deposition tool will be utilized to create magnetic layer stacks with STT’s design specifications. These layer stacks are then processed at STT contracted facilities into memory arrays for testing, optimization, and eventually, pre-commercial prototyping. The Timaris deposition tool is capable of high throughput production. Its high level of uniformity allows precise control of layer composition and thus device properties.

“This arrangement with Singulus is a significant step forward, as it will accelerate our commercialization efforts and time to market,” says STT General Manager, Vincent Chun. “The quality of the Timaris tool for deposition is extraordinary, permitting STT to reach customer requirements for reliability and performance.” According to Wolfram Maass, Managing Director of the Singulus NDT business unit, “we are very positive about the commercial potential of spin transfer MRAM, and are excited to be working with STT.”

STT’s orthogonal spin transfer MRAM technology utilizes a unique configuration that results in deterministic switching of the free magnetic vector (which is used for storing information), as compared to the stochastic switching behavior common to other spin transfer MRAM approaches. This deterministic switching allows very fast (sub-nanosecond) switching speeds and significantly lowers energy consumption.

About Spin Transfer Technologies:
Spin Transfer Technologies, LLC was established by Allied Minds and New York University to develop and commercialize its spin transfer magnetoresistive random access memory technology, OST-MRAM. The technology was originally developed from the nano-magnetism research conducted in the laboratory of Professor Andrew Kent. His research into spin transfer induced reversal of magnetization orientation showed that switching magnetic orientations can be accomplished much faster than in conventional spin transfer approaches. This discovery has enormous implications for the development of spin transfer MRAM devices, including faster switching times, lower power operation and scalability to smaller dimensions. For more information, please visit www.spintransfer.com.

About Allied Minds:
Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. The Company creates spin out businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. Universities and National Labs and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management, and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline, and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information please visit www.alliedminds.com.

About Singulus Technologies:
SINGULUS TECHNOLOLOGIES is the only company worldwide providing the complete value chain for all Optical disc formats: Mastering, Molding, Replication. SINGULUS will considerably expand its activities in the Solar segment and intensify its market activities. Accordingly, new equipment for the photovoltaics industry will be introduced to the market. The company’s target is to position itself at the forefront for the introduction of new technologies with respect to silicon as well as thin-film solar technology.

Since entering into the business area of thin film deposition tools for magneto – electronic applications, SINGULUS is manufacturing the second generation of their TIMARIS PVD bridge tool, capable of handling all wafer sizes up to 300mm diameter. Besides MRAM technology, SINGULUS has shipped and qualified a number of systems to the Hard Disk Drive industry for the volume production of Thin Film Heads (TFHs).

Allied Minds Appoints Richard H. Davis To Board of Directors

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, Mass. — June 16, 2010— Allied Minds, Inc., an early-stage technology capital investment firm focused on commercializing technologies from leading U.S. Universities and National Labs, today announced the appointment of Richard H. Davis to its Board of Directors. Davis is an internationally recognized political leader with more than thirty years of experience in business and public affairs.

“Rick brings a rich combination of knowledge, business acumen and political experience to our board,” said Christopher Silva, Chief Executive of Allied Minds. “He has successfully developed business transactions that span a number of industries and we believe that his political and business perspective and extensive public affairs expertise will be highly valuable to our focused process of commercializing our investment portfolio.”

Davis currently serves as a Partner in the Pegasus Sustainable Century Merchant Bank, a private equity firm specializing in sustainable development projects, and as Managing Director of Davis Manafort, a business development and public affairs consulting practice. His previous experience includes involvement in every presidential campaign since 1980. Most recently, he served as National Campaign Manager of Senator John S. McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign where he oversaw the development and implementation of campaign strategy and policy. He also served Senator McCain as National Campaign Manager for his 2000 Republican Presidential Primary campaign.

Davis joins the Allied Minds Board of Directors just as the Company’s key shareholder increased its stake in the business. With this financing, Allied Minds now has a capitalization of more than $200 million.

“Allied Minds is a well established venture firm with a unique and compelling business model,” said Davis. “The Company focuses on building businesses by fostering innovation rather than managing money. I believe that this approach supports efforts to maintain innovation as a key global competitive advantage in the U.S. and I look forward to working with the board and management team to help commercialize ground-breaking technologies.”

About Allied Minds
Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. The Company creates spin out businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. Universities and National Labs and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management, and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline, and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information please visit www.alliedminds.com.

Biotectix Announces Launch of GLP Preclinical Trial with Strategic Partner

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor, Michigan - Biotectix, LLC is pleased to announce the initiation of a three month GLP chronic animal study funded by a co-development partner in the medical device field. The study represents a continuation of a previously announced strategic research collaboration agreement.

The objective of this study is to validate the safety and efficacy of an implantable electrostimulation device that serves a $1 billion worldwide market with a projected compound annual growth rate exceeding 20%. The undisclosed partner is a leading manufacturer in this market. “We are very excited to continue to work with our partner on this technology, the entire Biotectix team is pleased by this demonstration of confidence in the company and its products,” indicated Jim Arps, Biotectix Vice President & General Manager. “All work is based on Biotectix’s proprietary technology and coating methods on bioactive, electrically conductive biomaterials that improve electrical performance as well as the biological integration and stability of implantable biomedical devices,” added Jim.

The study was initiated after in vitro and in vivo testing demonstrated that Biotectix BT DOT coated implants were stable for more than 6 months in vivo and maintained improved electrical conductivity compared to uncoated electrodes, specifically:

•   BT DOT-coated electrodes reduced electrical variability between electrodes in vivo
•   The coatings reliably increased the charge storage capacity by over 350 %
•   Voltage excursion under of biphasic stimulation were reduced by over 40 % in vitro
•   BT DOT electrode coatings provided faster response and better signal fidelity than uncoated electrodes
•   The coated electrodes exhibited a lower impedance than uncoated electrodes in the range of 1 – 100,000 Hz by up to 98 %

Dr. Sarah Richardson-Burns, Director of R&D at Biotectix, was present during the surgical procedures and noted, “The coated samples performed identically to the unmodified devices during implantation, initial tests performed shortly after treatment confirmed the performance gains that we had previously observed. If the devices function as we anticipate, we are hopeful that our partner will initiate first-in human clinical trials within the next 18-24 months.”

About Biotectix
About Biotectix
Biotectix is developing a new class of conductive polymer materials and coatings for implantable devices and sensors that improve the safety, longevity, reliability, biological integration, and function of implantable biomedical devices. A number of benefits are driven by this platform technology without changing device size, shape, or implant procedure, including improved electrical performance , biocompatibility, and tissue response.

The technology addresses key limitations faced by the medical device industry including foreign body reactions, component stability, and long-term electrical performance in vivo. The materials are custom-designed for the specialized mechanical, electrical, and biological environments of the body, and provide an extremely high level of functional interfacing for medical electrodes.

Biotectix was formed by Allied Minds, a private equity company, based on technology originally developed at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The founders and inventors continue to develop and validate the technology through research, collaborations, and partnerships with leading companies and research institutions.

About Allied Minds
Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. The Company creates spin out businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. Universities and National Labs and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management, and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline, and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information please visit www.alliedminds.com

For more information;
James Arps, Vice President & General Manager
Biotectix, an Allied Minds Company
jim.arps@biotectix.com

ISBER 2010 Attendees Gain a Preview of Novel Frozen Sample Aliquotter

Fri, 21 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – Attendees at the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories Annual Meeting (ISBER 2010), held May 11-14, 2010 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, gained a preview of CryoXtract’s novel automated Frozen Sample Aliquotter, which has been designed to optimize the processing of banked biological samples and protect the integrity of these valuable frozen biospecimens. Dale Larson, the principal investigator whose team developed the initial technology while at Harvard Medical School, presented a poster on the development of the technology and was a member of a panel addressing innovative preservation technologies improving commercialization of human biospecimens during which Mr. Larson expanded on the potential of the Frozen Sample Aliquotter.

“Repeated freeze/thaw cycles may degrade critical biological molecules such as RNA and proteins, which, in turn, may damage the integrity of biospecimens critical to research. Best Practices advanced by ISBER and other leading organizations thus recommend minimizing sampling frequency to avoid or reduce potential molecular damage from freeze/thaw cycles. The automated Frozen Sample Aliquotter has been designed to meet the needs of modern biobanking. It enables the automated extraction of multiple frozen aliquots from one vial of frozen biospecimen without exposing it to freeze/thaw cycling. This increases overall sample quality, utilization of frozen biological specimens and process efficiency while reducing cost and administrative burden for biorepositories and biobanks of all sizes,” explained Mr. Larson, currently Director of Biomedical Engineering at the Chares Stark Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, MA.

“We are extremely pleased with the very positive response the Frozen Sample Aliquotter received during the conference,” commented Jorge de Dios, CryoXtract’s General Manager. “This response, coupled with Dale being presented the ISBER Biobanking Poster Award for outstanding research in biobanking, serves as confirmation that we are delivering real solutions that meet the very real needs of biorepositories, biobanks and labs.”

The engineering team under Mr. Larson is now designing a next stand-alone proof-of-concept system which will add functionality and automation to the current system. It is expected that 2 such next generation systems will be deployed later in the year to complete independent 3rd party reproducibility and diversity testing.

About CryoXtract Instruments, LLC
CryoXtract is developing a robotic Frozen Sample Aliquotter that allows for the retrieval of multiple frozen samples from a single frozen biospecimen without exposing the source specimen to the thaw process.   The Company’s novel automation technology will improve frozen sample processing, protect the viability of frozen samples after cores have been extracted, and improve lab economics. CryoXtract has been funded by Allied Minds, Inc., a private investment corporation. For more information, please visit www.CryoXtract.com

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a seed investment company creating partnerships with select universities to fund corporate spin-offs resulting from successful early stage technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as funding, Allied Minds aims to guide early stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For more information, logon to www.alliedminds.com

For more information:
   Jorge de Dios
   General Manager, CryoXtract
   (703) 338-3361
   jorge.dedios@alliedminds.com

Biotectix Names New Vice President & General Manager

Tue, 18 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor, Michigan - Biotectix, LLC announced today that James H. Arps, Ph.D. has joined the company as Vice President and General Manager. Dr. Arps brings more than 14 years of experience in the development and commercialization of advanced materials and coating technologies for medical device and related applications.

“Jim joins us at a key stage in Biotectix’s growth,” noted Marc Eichenberger, COO of Allied Minds, the parent company of Biotectix. “Jim’s experience working with leading medical device customers, strong technical background, and business acumen should serve us well as we advance the technology into additional preclinical trials with our co-development partners.”

Prior to his appointment at Biotectix, Dr. Arps held leadership positions at SurModics (NASDAQ:SRDX) as Director of Commercial Drug Delivery Technologies and a Senior Technical Advisor in Product Development. Previously, he directed the startup of the Surface Engineering Program at the Southwest Research Institute, a contract R&D and engineering services organization in San Antonio, TX. He completed his Doctorate in Materials Physics from Vanderbilt University and an M.S. in Management of Technology from the University of Texas.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity with Biotectix, and look forward to working with the team to drive innovation and create effective partnerships with leading biomedical companies,” said Dr. Arps, “Biotectix’s proprietary conductive polymer technology offers unique benefits for the next generation of electrostimulation and sensing devices in the cardiac, neuro, and auditory fields and I look forward to seeing our work move to the next level in demonstrating clinical benefits.”

About Biotectix
Biotectix is developing a new class of conductive polymer materials and coatings for implantable devices and sensors that improve the safety, longevity, reliability, biological integration, and function of implantable biomedical devices. A number of benefits are driven by this platform technology without changing device size, shape, or implant procedure, including improved electrical performance , biocompatibility, and tissue response.

The technology addresses key limitations faced by the medical device industry including foreign body reactions, component stability, and long-term electrical performance in vivo. The materials are custom-designed for the specialized mechanical, electrical, and biological environments of the body, and provide an extremely high level of functional interfacing for medical electrodes.

Biotectix was formed by Allied Minds, a private equity company, based on technology originally developed at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The founders and inventors continue to develop and validate the technology through research, collaborations, and partnerships with leading companies and research institutions.

About Allied Minds
Allied Minds is a U.S. capital investment firm with offices in Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. The Company creates spin out businesses based on early-stage technology developed at renowned U.S. Universities and National Labs and serves as a holding company that supports these businesses with capital, management, and shared services. Allied Minds is the premier firm to utilize this novel and fully integrated approach to technology investing. The Company’s subsidiary investments span multiple business sectors and offer an attractive risk-return profile, a deliverable timeline, and potential products that will be groundbreaking in their respective fields. These subsidiaries include Biotectix, Cephalogics, CryoXtract, Illumasonix, ProGDerm, Precision Biopsy, RF Biocidics, SaltCheck, SiEnergy Systems, SoundCure and Spin Transfer Technologies. For more information please visit www.alliedminds.com.

For more information:
James Arps, Vice President & General Manager
Biotectix, an Allied Minds Company
jim.arps@biotectix.com

RF Biocidics Completes Compliance Testing for FCC Certification on Road to Commercialization

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Vacaville, California – A major milestone in the commercialization of RF processing was completed today with the successful completion of certification tests for RF Biocidics’ new pasteurization equipment. In conjunction with third party testing service UL/CSS, RF Biocidics has developed a device that complies fully with FCC regulations while applying our advanced RF processing technology to ensure safe food without the use of chemicals or ionizing radiation. FCC compliance is especially challenging at the power levels and configurations where our equipment is deployed, making this a particularly important milestone in the commercialization of our technology. While much work remains, the firm is now well on its way to changing the way we secure our food supply.

About RF Biocidics
RF Biocidics is developing and commercializing technology that helps disinfect and disinfest pests and pathogens from agricultural food and non-food commodities, both on the surface and within without chemical pesticides or dangerous radiation. Built on technology developed at the University of California, Davis and funded in conjunction with Allied Minds, RF Biocidics utilizes RF waves to revolutionize the way we ensure food safety from farm to fork.

About Allied Minds, Inc
Allied Minds is a seed investment company creating partnerships with select universities to fund corporate spin-offs resulting from successful early stage technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as funding, Allied Minds aims to guide early stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For more information, logon to www.alliedminds.com

RF Biocidics Records First Commercial Sale

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Vacaville, California - RF Biocidics is proud to announce the first commercial sale of their RF disinfestation and disinfection solution to Latitude 1. Latitude 1 is a pioneer in the organic foods industry with operations in Northern California processing a wide range of nut based food commodities from almonds, walnuts, macadamia, and pine nut products for use at industrial food processors and the local retail market.

As a launch partner Latitude 1 will be working closely with RF Biocidics in co-development efforts to ensure our devices meet and exceed regulations governing and the unique operating conditions of producers in the food industry. "Together we believe we will be able to establish a new standard for sustainable, eco-friendly food processing that ensures a level of food safety heretofore unseen." says Marc Eichenberger CEO of RF Biocidics.

While this marks a major milestone for RF Biocidics, it is only the tip of the proverbial food safety iceberg and will only accelerate as RF technology is adapted for applications throughout the food supply chain and into non-food related industries seeking an environmentally friendly, cost effective alternative to the threat of pests and pathogens.

About RF Biocidics
RF Biocidics is developing and commercializing technology that helps disinfect and disinfest pests and pathogens from agricultural food and non-food commodities, both on the surface and within without chemical pesticides or dangerous radiation. Built on technology developed at the University of California, Davis and funded in conjunction with Allied Minds, RF Biocidics utilizes RF waves to revolutionize the way we ensure food safety from farm to fork.

About Allied Minds, Inc
Allied Minds is a seed investment company creating partnerships with select universities to fund corporate spin-offs resulting from successful early stage technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as funding, Allied Minds aims to guide early stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For more information, logon to www.alliedminds.com

Allied Minds Hires Jeff Caputo To Help Guide Life Science Investments

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

BOSTON – March 29, 2010 – Allied Minds, the premier early-stage technology investment firm focused on commercializing technologies from leading U.S. Universities and National Labs, announced today that Jeff Caputo has joined the firm.

Caputo will be responsible for identifying and evaluating investment opportunities in life science technologies as well as support management of life science subsidiary companies. He will be involved with developing go-to market strategies, product development, strategic planning, business development and the clinical approval process for existing life science portfolio companies. Caputo is also responsible for guiding these companies to exit by helping them achieve levels of commercial traction so they can either succeed as stand-alone entities or prepare for acquisition.

“Jeff’s background includes experience in the life sciences industry, early stage technology and product management,” said Chris Silva, Allied Minds’ CEO. “He comes to Allied Minds with a wealth of operating experiences and skills combining clinical knowledge, sales, marketing, strategy, and business development. All will prove instrumental as we continue to expand our portfolio of businesses.”

Caputo brings over 13 years of relevant experience in medical devices, early-stage high tech, and healthcare. Before joining Allied Minds, Jeff spent 8 years in sales and marketing management at Aspect Medical Systems, most recently as Manager of Market Development and Strategic Alliances. In this role he launched and managed products within surgery markets, managed global strategic alliances with industry leaders such as GE, Philips, and Draeger. Caputo also assisted in business development efforts to identify and evaluate synergistic technologies for acquisition. Prior, Jeff was a territory manager within the surgical sales team.

“I’m looking forward to joining the Allied Minds team and managing existing life science portfolio companies as well as sourcing and developing new life science opportunities. The Allied Minds team has a truly innovative approach to the traditional venture capital business model, focused on identifying and investing in promising early stage technologies out of US universities. I am excited to be a part of this unique organization.”

Caputo’s earlier experience includes sales and marketing roles within innovative internet start-up companies. He also provided direct patient care in emergency, cardiology, and neurology departments. Caputo earned an MBA from Boston College with a focus in Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial Management and holds a BA in Biology and Psychology from St. Olaf College.

About the Company
Allied Minds is more than a capital investment firm. Instead of managing funds, we build companies by fostering innovation. We are the premier seed organization for early-stage technology developed at renowned US Universities and National Labs. Allied Minds focuses on innovations with significant transformative possibilities. Our goal is to open new frontiers and revolutionize the way we live. Allied Minds is unique in its approach to managing investments. We are not a venture capital fund, rather, we are a holding company that creates subsidiary companies and supports them with capital, management, and shared services. The subsidiary is then free to focus on maturing the technology towards commercialization. We exit when the subsidiary and its underlying technology has achieved a level of commercial traction which demonstrates its ability to succeed as a stand-alone entity and provide our investors the maximum value for their investment. For further information please visit www.alliedminds.com.

CryoXtract Instruments Completes Successful Testing of Breakthrough Robotic Frozen Aliquotter System

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - CryoXtract Instruments, LLC announced successful completion of a series of third-party independent laboratory tests of its breakthrough robotic frozen sample aliquotting system. This system allows for the automated retrieval of multiple frozen samples from a single vial without going through the freeze-thaw process yielding improved sample integrity as well as time, labor and space savings. Currently, this is the only technology of its kind and is designed to serve the needs of biorepositories and biobanks of all sizes.

"CryoXtract's novel automated system will provide customers with a tool to disseminate their serum and plasma samples without exposing them to freeze-thaw cycling and the associated degradation of the sample," said Dale Larson, Director of Biomedical Systems at Draper Laboratory, who is currently heading its development and was one of the technology's inventors while at the Harvard Medical School. "This independent testing of our prototype goes a long way towards demonstrating the capabilities and promise of the technology."

Freezing biological samples is a ubiquitous method of preserving the fidelity of biological specimens and all current methods of processing these frozen samples require thawing before aliquots can be prepared. However, repeated freeze-thaw cycling is time-consuming and can harm the samples.    “By eliminating the need to thaw the sample before extracting aliquots, CryoXtract’s robotic system can help avoid sample degradation, improve biobank productivity by automating the preparation of aliquots needed for research studies, and reducing freezer storage space. Our results are very exciting and point to reduced operating costs and processing lead times, as well as extended usable life of biological specimens,” added Mr. Larson.

CryoXtract developed a commercial prototype system to extract multiple 0.1ml aliquots of serum and plasma from 1.8ml cryovials without thawing the source samples. Independent testing was completed at the Rhode Island BioBank at Brown University under the supervision of Helena Judge Ellis, Director of Operations. Testing protocols were designed to evaluate reproducibility, variability and homogeneity of aliquots using the CryoXtract frozen aliquotting system. All samples were then analyzed at a Children’s Hospital Boston to validate specimen fidelity.

“Although our team expected the robotic system to perform well during this testing, we were gratified that it met and exceeded our expectations. The system demonstrated that it can extract multiple, frozen, uniformly-sized and consistently homogeneous portions of plasma, which, when analyzed for common analytes such as lipids, glucose and IgG, give reproducible results with very low variability. Furthermore, the testing demonstrated the capability of the robot to deliver substantial process improvements through hands-free operations,” according to Mr. Larson.

“We are extremely pleased with CryoXtract’s progress to-date and with this independent demonstration of the system’s promise; and we look forward to delivering real solutions to meet the very real needs of biorepositories, biobanks and labs,” commented Jorge de Dios, Vice President of Allied Minds, the parent company of CryoXtract.

CryoXtract intends to continue testing the prototype at the Rhode Island BioBank at Brown University and to collaborate with other biobanks and laboratories by placing future versions of the automation-friendly prototype on site for further validation of the technology.

About CryoXtract Instruments, LLC
CryoXtract Instruments is developing a robotic frozen sample aliquotting system that allows for the retrieval of multiple frozen samples from a single vial without going through a freeze-thaw process.   The Company’s novel automation technology will improve frozen sample processing, protect the viability of frozen samples after cores have been extracted, and improve lab economics. CryoXtract has been funded by Allied Minds, Inc., a private investment corporation. For more information, please visit www.CryoXtract.com

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds, Inc. is the premier seed organization for early-stage technology. The company focuses on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, the company fosters early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders. Allied Minds has a nationwide footprint with offices in Boston, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and a European presence in London, United Kingdom. Website: www.alliedminds.com

For additional information contact:
   Jorge de Dios,
   Vice President, Allied Minds Inc.
   (703) 338-3361
   jorge.dedios@alliedminds.com

Allied Minds Partners with the University of Florida

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - Allied Minds is pleased to announce the addition of the University of Florida to our partner network. The University of Florida is the top performing single public institution at transferring its research to the marketplace, according to the Milken Institute. The university receives more than $565 million in annual research funds, generates an average of 300 new inventions per year, and consistently ranks among the top-10 universities in executed licenses and options. Some of the best known royalty and licensing deals have been concluded at UF, including the glaucoma drug Trusopt, the sports drink Gatorade, and the Sentricon termite elimination system.

The University of Florida has a strong life sciences focus, and its Health Science Center (HSC) is the only academic health center in the U.S. with six health-related colleges located on a single, contiguous campus. Furthermore, the McKnight Brain Institute is one of the world’s largest research institutions devoted to the challenges resulting from brain and nervous system disorders. In addition to its life sciences research, the university excels in space sciences, as well as in food and agriculture sciences. “The University of Florida is prolific in developing cutting-edge research, and we are excited to partner with them to bring their innovations to the market,” said Chris Silva, CEO of Allied Minds.

“We believe this partnership will significantly enhance our ability to launch more technology-based start-up companies at UF and ultimately enable us to get more discoveries into the marketplace,” said David Day, director of the Office of Technology Licensing.

With the addition of Florida, our network now stands at 30 leading U.S. research universities and three national laboratories, for a total of 33 partners. Together, our partner network leverages $17 billion in federal, state and industry R&D funding and provides us access to more than 71,000 university scientists and 21,000 national lab staff.

About Allied Minds, Inc

Allied Minds is a seed investment company creating partnerships with select universities to fund corporate spin-offs resulting from successful early stage technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as funding, Allied Minds aims to guide early stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For more information, logon to www.alliedminds.com

About University of Florida Office of Technology Licensing

The University of Florida’s Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) is the University’s main commercialization center. It receives almost 300 disclosures per year generated from the cutting-edge research that takes place from all around the campus. OTL has partnered with companies throughout Florida, the Southeast and nationally to assist in the movement of technologies to the marketplace and welcomes the opportunity to work with companies interested in such a partnership. For more information, visit the website at www.otl.uf.edu or email jmuir@ufl.edu.

SiEnergy Principal Scientist, Masaru Tsuchiya, Awarded the 2009 Bernard S. Baker Student Award

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Full article can be found at:

SEAS Grad Student Wins Award for Fuel Cell Research
by Staff

A step toward better brain implants using conducting polymer nanotubes

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Full article can be found at:

Lab Spaces
by Staff

Luminous Skin - ProGDerm Featured in Allure Magazine

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Full article can be found at:

Allure Column October 2009

by Kristin Sainani

SpinTransfer Announces Breakthrough

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts — Spin Transfer Technologies is proud to announce a recent breakthrough in spin transfer MRAM development, in its sponsored research at New York University. Spin transfer MRAM, a new form of non-volatile computer memory, has seen much development attention by major memory manufacturers. Researchers in the Physics Department at New York University, working with engineering support from Spin Transfer Technologies, have demonstrated magnetic vector switching for current pulses as short as 100 picoseconds. This is among the shortest write times reported by developers of MRAM devices, and positions the technology as a potential replacement for SRAM and DRAM. Results were presented at the recent SPIE Optics+Photonics Conference in San Diego, by NYU Physics Professor Andrew Kent.

The underlying technology is based on a unique orthogonal orientation between the magnetic vectors in two magnetic layers—a pinned magnetic layer where the magnetic orientation is fixed and a free magnetic layer where the magnetic field is aligned in one of two directions, thereby storing one bit of binary information (Figure 1). In contrast, all other MRAM efforts involve magnetic vectors that are both parallel to the physical layers or both perpendicular to the layers (Figure 2). Termed Orthogonal Spin Transfer MRAM (OST-MRAM), the technology results in a deterministic switching behavior, which enables high speed and very low power device operation. Other approaches result in stochastic switching which involves thermal fluctuations to initiate or hasten the switching process, leading to an incubation delay and requiring higher power for operation.

In addition, the OST-MRAM technology allows the use of magnetic tunnel junctions to achieve large read-out signals, while maintaining the advantages of deterministic switching and low power operation. Another key aspect of the technology is that it does not require sophisticated processes, such as magnetic annealing, for the fabrication of devices. This will significantly lower the cost of future commercial devices based on OST-MRAM technology, compared to other MRAM devices currently in development.

“We are very excited by our team’s accomplishments,” says Vincent Chun, executive in charge at Spin Transfer Technologies. “The fast write speed, along with non-volatile data retention, low power operation, and the potential for low fabrication costs and scalability, makes OST-MRAM a strong contender for eventual use as universal memory, replacing the major forms of computer memory in use today. A large part of the computer memory market, at $60 billion by 2011, can potentially be addressed by this technology.”

The technical details were recently published in the SPIE conference proceedings. Spin Transfer Technologies is actively pursuing collaborative commercialization projects with industry partners.

About Spin Transfer Technologies, LLC
Allied Minds and New York University have teamed to establish Spin Transfer Technologies, LLC (STT) to develop and commercialize its spin transfer magnetoresistive random access memory technology, OST-MRAM. The technology was originally developed from the nanomagnetism research conducted in the laboratory of Professor Andrew Kent. His research into spin transfer induced reversal of magnetization orientation showed that switching magnetic orientations can be accomplished much faster than in conventional spin transfer approaches. This discovery has enormous implications for the development of spin transfer MRAM devices, including faster switching times, lower power operation and scalability to smaller dimensions. www.spintransfer.com.

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds, Inc. is the premier seed organization for early-stage technology. The company focuses on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, the company fosters early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders.

SoundCure Engages UC Irvine Scientist to Aid in Development of Tinnitus Technology

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – SoundCure developer of a novel new audio based therapy for the treatment of tinnitus, has hired Dr. Qing Tang as Director of the development efforts to commercialize the technology. Dr. Tang was most recently a postdoctoral student at the University of California at Irvine, where he also received his doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Tang's research has been in the areas of Intensity Coding in Acoustic and Electric Hearing and Speech Processing for Auditory Prostheses. As Director of Development, Dr. Tang's role will be primarily focused on the development of an automated tool to help in the diagnosis of tinnitus and the generation of our customized tinnitus suppression tones.

About SoundCure and Allied Minds
SoundCure is a privately held startup focused on the commercialization of audio based therapies to treat and suppress tinnitus by leveraging technology first pioneered at UC Irvine. For more informations please visit www.soundcure.com. Allied Minds, Inc. is the premier seed organization for early-stage technology. The company focuses on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, the company fosters early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders. Allied Minds has a nationwide footprint with offices in Boston, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and a European presence in London, United Kingdom.

Cephalogics Announces Launch Order for Its Neuroimaging System

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - Cephalogics LLC announced today the company’s first sale of its high-density, diffuse optical imaging system to a leading US university. The principal investigator (PI) is an expert in tissue optics and optical medical imaging, and has used these techniques to study functional brain activities, as well as for tumor diagnosis and prognosis under a variety of treatments. “Although the PI already has multiple neuroimaging machines, we are confident that our system will produce a high level of data quality unseen in other optical imaging systems,” said Marc Eichenberger, Chief Operating Officer of Allied Minds, parent of Cephalogics.

Cephalogics makes non-invasive, portable optical brain imaging systems that produce a more complete picture of brain function in real-time to guide treatment of neurological diseases. Among other features, this first order will include 24 source-detector pairs, real-time decoding on data collection, an optimized fiber bundle and a control PC.

About Cephalogics, LLC and Allied Minds, Inc.
Cephalogics, LLC is a privately-held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize the high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) neuroimaging technology originally developed at Washington University in St. Louis by Dr. Joseph Culver. For more information, please visit the Cephalogics website: www.cephalogics.com. Allied Minds, Inc. is the premier seed organization for early-stage technology. The company focuses on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, the company fosters early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders. Allied Minds has a nationwide footprint with offices in Boston, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and a European presence in London, United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com

SiEnergy Systems Adds New Scientist to Commercialize Fuel Cell Technology

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – SiEnergy Systems, LLC is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Masaru Tsuchiya to the position of Principal Scientist. Dr. Tsuchiya was most recently a postdoctoral student at Harvard University, where he also received his doctoral degree in Applied Physics/Materials Science. Dr. Tsuchiya’s research experience has been in the areas of structure-property relations in nanoscale thin films for solid oxide fuel cells, oxygen transport at material interfaces, and oxygen diffusion in silicon. Dr. Tsuchiya is a recipient of the Graduate Student Silver Award from the Materials Research Society. He has been founder, president, and secretary of the Science and Technology Leadership Association (STeLA) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

As Principal Scientist at SiEnergy Systems, Dr. Tsuchiya will plan and direct research and development activities that build on the company’s achievement of highest power density micro solid oxide fuel cells. His work will be aimed at scaling up the technology to wafers and stacks to demonstrate fuel cell capabilities for commercial applications.

About SiEnergy Systems, LLC and Allied Minds, Inc.

SiEnergy Systems is a privately held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize micro solid oxide fuel cell technology developed at Harvard University. For more information, please visit the SiEnergy Systems website: www.SiEnergySystems.com. Allied Minds, Inc. is the premier seed organization for early-stage technology. The company focuses on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, the company fosters early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders. Allied Minds has a nationwide footprint with offices in Boston, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and a European presence in London, United Kingdom.

Illumasonix to Develop CU Blood Flow Visualization Technology

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:00:00 GMT

BOULDER (June 23, 2009). Illumasonix, LLC, an early-stage medical device company headquartered in Colorado, has executed an exclusive license with the University of Colorado (CU) for a non-invasive method to provide quantitative information on complex blood flow in the treatment of vascular disease.

The technology being developed by Illumasonix was invented by Dr. Robin Shandas, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder and of Pediatrics and Cardiology at the University of Colorado, Denver. It uses both ultrasound and FDA approved microbubbles to track blood flow, providing real-time assessment of blood flow and detecting blockages. Cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases affect millions of people annually, with stroke being the third leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. The Illumasonix technology offers a new diagnostic tool combining the high spatial resolution of MRI technology with the temporal resolution and ease-of-use of ultrasound.

Illumasonix reported positive initial results from its ongoing human feasibility study of this technology in early 2009; the company anticipates that its first product offering could reach the market as early as 2011. ”The Illumasonix technology will provide a substantially more accurate and predictive way to assess cardiovascular health,” said Erick Rabins, V.P. of Allied Minds and Manager of Illumasonix. “We believe it will become the primary tool used to determine when and if surgical intervention is required.”

Illumasonix was formed in 2007 in a partnership between CU and Allied Minds, an investment corporation specializing in early stage university business ventures. The company received undisclosed initial capitalization and research funding from Allied Minds, as well as approximately $250K in matching funds from the State of Colorado. Illumasonix is a great example of the importance of early stage development financing for promising technologies. We are thankful for the funding support provided by Allied Minds and the State of Colorado,” added Tom Smerdon, Director of Licensing and New Business Development, CU Technology Transfer Office.

About Illumasonix, LLC, and Allied Minds, Inc.

Illumasonix LLC is a privately-held company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. in cooperation with the University of Colorado to commercialize a minimally-invasive method to provide quantitative information on complex blood flow in the treatment of vascular disease. www.illumasonix.com.

Allied Minds, Inc. is a seed organization for early-stage technology, focused on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, the company fosters early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders. Allied Minds has a nationwide footprint with offices in Boston, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and a European presence in London, United Kingdom. www.alliedminds.com.

Allied Minds Establishes New Company To Commercialize Novel UC Irvine Tinnitus Therapy

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - Allied Minds has established SoundCure, Inc. to improve the lives of people suffering from tinnitus (ringing in the ear). Allied Minds, a seed investment corporation specializing in early stage university business ventures who will provide the initial funding, has partnered with the University of California at Irvine to establish SoundCure, Inc. to commercialize a novel acoustic therapy for the treatment and suppression of tinnitus originally developed at UC Irvine.

Tinnitus is a debilitating disease characterized by a ringing in the ear in the absence of any external sound. It is believed that over 17% of the general population suffers from tinnitus and based on a recent report from the Department of Veterans Affairs, tinnitus is now the #1 disability affecting returning troops. While tinnitus can affect anyone, it is more common with increasing age and occurs at higher rates with individuals who work in noisy environments or listen to loud music for prolonged periods of time.

SoundCure is actively developing technology that was first pioneered at the University of California at Irvine by Dr. Fan-Gang Zeng and Dr. Qing Tang as a treatment to quiet the ringing in their patient’s ears. Of the many available treatments for tinnitus few can provide any relief beyond simple masking (providing a sound louder than the tinnitus) while others require the use of long retraining regimes or the use of powerful drugs with similarly dangerous side effects. The SoundCure technology does not require sounds louder than the tinnitus being treated and uses customized sound frequencies and pulsed tones to counter the effects of tinnitus. The technology has been shown to provide long-term suppression of tinnitus through as little as one treatment.

"We are very excited about the contribution that SoundCure will make to stem the terribly debilitating affects tinnitus has on its patients. SoundCure will also pioneer a transformational way technology can be applied to treat disease and provide patient care only dreamt of in the past," said Allied Minds COO, Marc Eichenberger. To learn more about SoundCure please visit www.soundcure.com.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

About the UC Irvine, Office of Technology Alliances

The UCI Office of Technology Alliances (OTA) exists to foster faculty/industry alliances and commercialization of UC Irvine technology for the broad public benefit. OTA emphasizes accessibility, timeliness, and flexibility in its operations and negotiations to ensure that the federal, state and private investment in UCI research has the greatest possible positive impact on people and the economy.

For more information contact;

Marc Eichenberger

COO

Allied Minds, Inc

(781)353-6404

marc.eichenberger@alliedminds.com

Ronnie Hanecak

Director, Life Sciences

Office of Technology Alliances

(949) 824-1233

rhanecak@uci.edu

SaltCheck Technology Featured On Innovation Marketplace

Mon, 04 May 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - SaltCheck, Inc. announced today that its new revolutionary sodium test is now featured on Eureka! Ranch International’s new Innovation Marketplace due to its superior concept scores and large revenue potential. Used easily either in home or in the doctor’s office, SaltCheck works much like a pregnancy test to immediately determine sodium levels in a spot check of a patient’s urine. A recently completed clinical at the Cornell Medical Center confirms SaltCheck’s accuracy, reliability, and value as a new diagnostic in the treatment of hypertension.

“This is a very BIG idea – superior to any other way to test – this is real technology backed by very credible investors. Any health care company should take a serious look at this idea,” said Bruce Hall, Managing Partner of Eureka! Ranch.

This new Innovation Markeplace, called Planet Eureka, is the brainchild of the Eureka! Ranch, a Cincinnati based company that consults in innovation engineering. Since 1986, the company has helped create and develop $1.5 billion worth of new products and services for Fortune 100 companies such as Disney and Procter & Gamble. In the past 18 months the Eureka! Ranch, working with the Commerce Department and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, has helped small companies create over $300 million in new sales.

“Allied Minds is extremely pleased with the results from the simulation as well as the SaltCheck technology being featured on the Innovation Marketplace. The Eureka! Ranch spotlight can help accelerate our efforts in bringing this groundbreaking test to the market to help patients and doctors worldwide in managing hypertension," added Mr. Eichenberger, COO of Allied Minds. A full report can be found at: Planet Eureka!

Eureka! Ranch utilized its Merwyn Business Simulation to evaluate SaltCheck for (1) quality of the idea, (2) innovation status, (3) sales forecast, and (4) fair market valuation. SaltCheck received scores double the average for its ease of use, large potential market and dramatic impact the product can have on users. Additionally, the company’s proprietary position makes this attractive to potential partners.

About SaltCheck, Inc.

SaltCheck is a privately-held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize a ground-breaking patient salt intake monitoring system that doesn't require laboratory facilities. The technology was originally developed at Weill Cornell Medical College by Drs. Samuel Mann and Linda Gerber, who conducted the studies reported here. For more information, please visit www.saltcheck.com

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds, Inc. is the premiere seed organization for early-stage technology. We focus on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, we foster early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders. We have a nationwide footprint with offices in Boston, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and a European presence in London, United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.alliedminds.com

Nanotechnology Coating Could Lead To Better Brain Implants To Treat Diseases

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Full article can be found at:

Science Daily

by Staff

Injectable Peptide Could Help Regenerate the Fat Lost in Ageing Skin

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Full article can be found at:

Cosmeticsdesign.com

by Katie Bird

SaltCheck Develops First Simplified Test for Monitoring Salt Intake in People With Hypertension

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - SaltCheck, Inc. announced the completion of a 100 subject study demonstrating successful use of a new simplified test for monitoring sodium intake. The test, which can be used either for self-monitoring by people wit hypertension, or for point-of-care testing at the physician's office, is revolutionary in providing immediate feedback on urine sodium excretion, which closely mirrors sodium intake. It involves dipstick testing, with results refined by statistical adjustments derived from a series of clinical studies.

The World Health Organization estimates there are over 600 million people globally with hypertension, and salt intake is known to affect blood pressure and/or response to blood pressure medication in most. Awareness of salt intake, and efforts to reduce salt intake are receiving increasing emphasis. The National Institutes of Health has recommended limiting intake of salt upon diagnosis of hypertension.

The studies, which were conducted at Weill Cornell Medical College, and sponsored by SaltCheck, Inc., accurately estimated sodium excretion from a simple spot check of urine. The SaltCheck test provides a snapshot of the state of sodium excretion, and also correctly indicates whether a patient's sodium excretion over a 24-hour period is low or not, with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. Most important, it will be the first commercially-available test for assessing salt intake, and its ease of use and low cost will readily enable serial monitoring of salt intake, and of the effect of efforts to change salt intake.

The test also eliminates the two biggest drawbacks of the current testing method, which consists of collecting all urine during a 24 hour period, and sending it to a laboratory. "The standard test is frequently inaccurate because of incomplete collections, reflecting the difficulty and impracticality of collecting all urine for 24 hours. Worse, because the test is so cumbersome, very few doctors and patients ever evaluate salt intake, despite the growing and widespread awareness of its importance in managing hypertension," commented Marc Eichenberger, COO of Allied Minds, the parent company of SaltCheck.

Owing to its ease of use, suitability for serial monitoring, and accuracy of results, SaltCheck has the potential to help in the management of many millions with hypertension. Surveys suggest that physicians would embrace testing of their patients' salt intake if a convenient and inexpensive test were available. Testing could also help improve patient compliance with drug and dietary prescriptions.

"We are extremely pleased with the results from this significant study and the commercial progress to-date of the company. We very much look forward to bringing this groundbreaking test to the market to help patients and doctors worldwide in managing hypertension," added Mr. Eichenberger.

About SaltCheck, Inc. and Allied Minds, Inc.

SaltCheck is a privately-held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize a groundbreaking patient salt intake monitoring system that doesn't require laboratory facilities. The technology was originally developed at Weill Cornell Medical College by Drs. Samuel Mann and Linda Gerber, who conducted the studies reported here. For more information, please visit the SaltCheck website: www.saltcheck.com.

Allied Minds, Inc. is the premier seed organization for early-stage technology. The company focuses on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, the company fosters early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders. Allied Minds has a nationwide footprint with offices in Boston, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and a European presence in London, United Kingdom. Website: www.alliedminds.com

Disclosure

Weill Cornell Medical College requires their faculty members Drs Mann and Gerber to disclose that they and Weill Cornell Medical College have a potential financial interest in the outcome of this study.

Website: http://www.saltcheck.com/

Forbes Magazine: Venture Academics

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Venture Academics

by Jonathan Fahey

A new firm thinks it has found a way to turn inventions from the nation's biggest research institutions into cash.

After ten years of research, David Martin, a materials scientist at the University of Michigan, came up with a polymer that could help deaf people hear and blind people see. His poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), or Pedot, could coat the electrodes used for stimulating and recording from the brain, making them smaller, more sensitive and more effective at treating deafness, blindness and Parkinson's disease, among other conditions. How was Martin to turn Pedot into a commercial product?

To read the full article, please visit the Forbes website.

Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund and Allied Minds invest in Biotectix

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor, Michigan – Biotectix, LLC today announced that it received new capital funding from Ann Arbor SPARK through its Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, and from Allied Minds, Inc., a private investment firm and founder. Biotectix is an innovator developing bioactive, electrically conductive polymer biomaterials that improve the performance, biological integration and stability of implantable biomedical devices while delivering ample value added to their manufacturers.

“We are very pleased with this new funding and welcome Ann Arbor SPARK as a new member of the Biotectix investor team,” said Jorge de Dios, Biotectix CEO. “This new funding and the attractive terms we realized recognize the achievements that Biotectix has gained in terms of demonstrating the efficacy, biocompatibility and safety of the technology while building a robust development pipeline. Out of that pipeline, the firm has realized its first revenues for coatings as well as a significant co-development project with a leading auditory implant firm.”

"We are delighted that Ann Arbor SPARK is joining us in Biotectix and happy in our decision to increase our own investment in the Company,” stated Marc Eichenberger, Chief Operating Officer of Allied Minds, parent company of Biotectix. “Biotectix has an attractive business model and we are well on our way to achieving a leadership position in the $2 billion biomaterials and active coatings market. We have built a strong product line and have attracted our first customers,” he added.

Funds will be used to extend the company’s capabilities to service its customers as well as expand business development activities. On-going research in support of customers in the cardiac, neural and cochlear markets will be accelerated.

About Biotectix, LLC

Biotectix is an innovator in developing bioactive, electrically conductive biomaterials and coatings that improve the safety, longevity, reliability, biological integration, and function of implantable biomedical devices. Biotectix’s novel proprietary biomaterials are based on soft, bioactive, conductive polymers that can join conductive systems ionically and electronically and exhibit low magnetic resonance. They also offer proprietary drug delivery capabilities and can deliver biological or pharmaceutical agents passively or on demand to prevent infection and direct tissue reaction directly at the electrode site. In addition to addressing the most vexing problems facing a wide range of implantable biomedical devices, the Biotectix technology platform introduces new paradigms that make it possible to design a new generation of electrodes and resultant devices utilizing 100% -polymer electrodes that may be grown in the body.

The Company has been funded by Allied Minds, Inc., a private investment corporation and Ann Arbor SPARK. For more information, please visit www.biotectix.com

About Allied Minds, Inc.

For more information;

Jorge de Dios, CEO

Biotectix, an Allied Minds Company

(703) 338-3361

jorge.dedios@alliedminds.com

Precision Biopsy Initiates Ex-vivo Study with Newly Engineered Optical Biopsy Needle

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – Precision Biopsy LLC, has begun optical biopsy measurements from excised prostate specimens using their newly engineered biopsy needle. As the company pioneers the use of spectroscopy readings at the precise location of proposed biopsies, the new design of the needle mechanism has permitted more accurate and reliable performance. The mechanical performance has been exceptional and shown the ability to combine a robust devise capable of removing clean margin tissue samples with a delicate and sensitive spectroscopy probe.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting men, with 1 in 6 men developing the disease in his lifetime. In 2008, an estimated 186,320 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 28,660 men will die of this disease in the U.S. Accurately diagnosing and staging the disease is the key to saving lives and reducing the cost of treating this illness. The Precision Biopsy optical biopsy technology will be a crucial component in reducing the number of unneeded prostate biopsies and in providing pivotal therapeutic information to urologists and oncologists.

Erick Rabins, the Company’s CEO stated “The reliable measurements the newly engineered needle will permit us to take will speed the development of an approved medical device which, for the first time, will be able to determine if the tip of the biopsy needle has encountered cancerous tissue.” Mr. Rabins, who also serves as a V.P. of Allied Minds, the company’s parent corporation, continued; “if we can reduce the number of unnecessary repeat biopsies by even a small percentage, we can save the health care industry millions of dollars per year as well as significantly reduce patient anxiety.”

About Precision Biopsy LLC and Allied Minds, Inc.

Precision Biopsy LLC is a privately-held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. in cooperation with the University of Colorado to commercialize a revolutionary optical biopsy technology designed to improve the accuracy and reliability of prostate biopsies and the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Website: www.precisionbiopsy.com

For additional information contact;

Chris Silva

Precision Biopsy LLC, an Allied Minds Company

(781) 353-6404

chris.silva@alliedminds.com

Illumasonix Reveals Strong Data from Human Study on its Hemodynamic Imaging Technology

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - Illumasonix, Inc. has released the initial results from its first human feasibility study on its Echo Particle Image Velocimetry (Echo PIV) hemodynamic imaging technology conducted under a collaborative agreement between Diabetes and Vascular Medicine Research at Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, U.K. and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. The first cohort of 10 patients has generated a correlation coefficient above 92% when compared to phase contrast MRI which is the current standard for measuring blood velocity fields in the carotid artery.

Normal hemodynamics are a crucial component of cardiovascular health while distorted hemodynamics have been shown to be associated with the onset and progression of vascular diseases including atherosclerosis. Current imaging technologies however, do not provide an inexpensive and widely available means of obtaining this important measure of health. Illumasonix’s Echo PIV technology will be the first technology to fill this gap. Cardiovascular disease has been estimated to cost the U.S. in excess of $60 billion annually.

The objective of the ongoing study is to test the ability of Echo PIV to generate inexpensive, detailed 2D blood velocity fields of the carotid artery with good temporal and spatial resolution. The study includes Sonovue as the ultrasound contrast agent used in conjunction with Echo-PIV and will ultimately involve 40 patients.

“We were very pleased to find such strong correlations with the first subjects because often the initial data improves with technique refinement and adjustment.” stated Erick Rabins the Company’s CEO. He continued, “It shows the strength of the technology and we anticipate in the near future Echo PIV will be a primary imaging tool in the diagnosis and tracking of cardiovascular disease.”

About Illumasonix, LLC, and Allied Minds, Inc.

For additional information contact;

Marc Eichenberger

Illumasonix, Inc., an Allied Minds Company

(781) 353-6404

marc.eichenberger@alliedminds.com

LabAutomation 2009 Showcases CryoXtract's Novel Robotic Technology

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – Attendees at LabAutomation 2009 gained a preview today of CryoXtract, LLC’s novel robotic system to extract aliquots from frozen samples. The company’s unique enabling technology eliminates the need to thaw samples before extracting aliquots, reduces operating costs, and maintains the biological stability and integrity of the remaining quantities of biological specimens. CryoXtract was founded by Allied Minds, Inc., a private investment firm, in partnership with Harvard University. The technology is being developed in collaboration with the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, MA.

Dale Larson, the principal investigator whose team developed the initial technology while at Harvard Medical School, presented initial proof of principle data and described the prototype his team is currently designing. “Freezing samples is a ubiquitous method of preserving the fidelity of samples during long-term storage,” explained Mr. Larson, who currently is Director of Biomedical Engineering at the Draper Laboratory. “The problem for researchers is that current methods of processing these frozen samples require thawing before aliquots can be prepared, which is detrimental to the fidelity of the specimens and is time consuming. We developed a sampling technique not unlike the ice-coring methods geologists use when sampling layers of ice in a glacier and created a system that provides excellent conditions to drill the full depth of the tube, makes critical samples available for research, and leaves behind a sample that has not been compromised.”

Conceptually, the technology is a specialized core drilling system that uses a hollow tube with a cutting profile at its distal tip to cut a core from the frozen specimen under cryogenic conditions. The core will remain in the tube when the needle is withdrawn. The robotic system will position the needle over an empty destination cryovial and deposit the core in it.   In addition, a computerized system allows the robot to recognize automatically areas that have been cored and report if there is no more room to extract aliquots.

The initial testing successfully demonstrated that the robotic system maintains samples below -50 degrees celsius, maintains volumetric uniformity, ensures no carryover between samples, and delivers hands-free operations. The applications for the robotic system are various and include serum and plasma, cells, small molecule compounds in DMSO, and frozen tissue.

Larson’s team is now designing a next generation robotic system to demonstrate the sample processing throughput that can be achieved and to provide a first generation user interface. This system will be deployed in the Rhode Island BioBank at Brown University for thorough testing in the spring.

About CryoXtract, LLC
CryoXtract is developing a robotic frozen sample aliquotter system that allows for the retrieval of multiple frozen samples from a single vial without going through a freeze-thaw process.   The Company’s novel automation technology will improve frozen sample processing, protect the viability of frozen samples after cores have been extracted, and improve lab economics. CryoXtract has been funded by Allied Minds, Inc., a private investment corporation. For more information, please visit www.CryoXtract.com

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is a seed investment company creating partnerships with select universities to fund corporate spin-offs resulting from successful early stage technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as funding, Allied Minds aims to guide early stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For more information, logon to www.alliedminds.com

For more information;
   Jorge de Dios,
   Vice President, Allied Minds Inc.
   (703) 338-3361
   jorge.dedios@alliedminds.com

SaltCheck Demonstrates Viability of Point-of-Care Sodium Test for Hypertension Sufferers

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - SaltCheck, Inc. announced the completion of a 100 subject trial demonstrating the viability of its point-of-care test to measure salt intake in the human body. Regular monitoring, and most importantly trend monitoring, is a critical component in the control of hypertension and congestive heart failure. The SaltCheck product provides immediate feedback on sodium levels in the urine using a standard dipstick approach and can be conducted at home or in the physician's office.

The World Health Organization estimates there are over 600 million people globally who suffer from hypertension. For most people, blood pressure increases with increased salt intake and falls with reduced intake. The National Institute of Health specifically recommends limiting intake of salt upon diagnosis of hypertension.

The trial demonstrated the ability to use a simple spot check of urine to accurately estimate the level of sodium in a patient’s urine. The SaltCheck test correctly indicates whether a patient’s sodium content is low or not with a sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 80%, respectively.

At the same time, the test solves serious drawbacks with the current laboratory standard that requires a 24-hour urine collection with laboratory follow-up. “The lab test is known for its inaccuracies due in large part to incomplete collections reflecting just how difficult it is for patients to collect all their urine over a 24-hour period. It is also not widely used due to the cumbersome nature of this test,” commented Marc Eichenberger, COO of Allied Minds, the parent company of SaltCheck.

Additionally, owing to the ease of use and accuracy of results, SaltCheck will dramatically improve the management of hypertension.   At 6,000 mg/day, average sodium intake in the U.S. is double the recommended daily dose. Research with physicians suggests they would significantly increase sodium testing of their patients and that patient compliance with drug and dietary prescriptions would also increase, ultimately improving the quality of life for millions of hypertension sufferers.

“We are extremely pleased with the results from this significant trial and the commercial progress to-date of the company. We very much look forward to bringing this groundbreaking test to the market to help hypertension suffers around the world,” added Mr. Eichenberger.

About SaltCheck, Inc. and Allied Minds, Inc.

SaltCheck is a privately-held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize a groundbreaking patient salt intake monitoring system that doesn’t require laboratory facilities. The technology was originally developed by SaltCheck founders, Drs. Samuel Mann and Linda Gerber. For more information, please visit the SaltCheck website: www.saltcheck.com.

Allied Minds, Inc. is the premier seed organization for early-stage technology. The company focuses on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, the company fosters early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders. Allied Minds has a nationwide footprint with offices in Boston, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and a European presence in London, United Kingdom. Website: www.alliedminds.com

For additional information contact;

     Marc Eichenberger, COO
     Allied Minds, Inc.
     (781) 353-6404
     Marc.eichenberger@alliedminds.com

SiEnergy Systems Achieves Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Breakthrough

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - SiEnergy Systems, LLC has developed a breakthrough solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) by placing a micro fuel cell directly on a silicon chip, an advance that will revolutionize the way people use power. These “Silicon Energy” fuel cells address the problems that limit standard SOFCs: Leveraging the power of silicon, they operate at lower temperatures and use normal industrial materials. This key breakthrough brings real-world applications within reach. SiEnergy’s radical new approach promises to deliver SOFCs with small carbon footprints and unprecedented efficiency.

While batteries merely store power, SOFCs actually create it. But standard SOFCs run on hydrogen - which is both expensive and volatile. The transformative advantage of SiEnergy’s fuel cells is they will also be able to generate power from gaseous hydrocarbon fuel sources, for example propane. The technology for these cells has several advantages: It’s based on existing semiconductor fabrication techniques, can fit small form factors, is scalable and can be quickly adapted for commercial applications.

“SiEnergy’s fuel cells will tremendously expand fuel cell adoption across a wide range of applications, including automotive, portable electronics, materials handling, uninterrupted power supply systems, auxiliary power units, and mobile power sources for the leisure and marine markets, among others,” says SiEnergy Systems CEO Michael Laine. “Our team is very close to our goal of completing a high performance working prototype this month. Our fuel cells have the ability to be stacked to provide a variety of power outputs depending on customer requirements.”

Current fuels cells operate at a red-hot 800+ degrees Celsius, which requires the use of expensive noble metals. “We’ve achieved a breakthrough power output while lowering operating temperatures to 500 degrees C, a 35-50% gain over conventional SOFCs,” Laine says and as reported by the Journal of Power Sources. “This means lower ownership costs, reduced life cycle costs, and higher reliability. This is the beginning. We expect to lower operating temperatures another 200-300 degrees Celsius as we move to all-oxide fuel cells.”

“We are extremely pleased with SiEnergy’s commercial progress to-date and look forward with anticipation at our fuel cells delivering to the market versatile, flexible, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly energy solutions,” commented Chris Silva, CEO of Allied Minds, the parent company of SiEnergy.

About SiEnergy Systems, LLC and Allied Minds, Inc.

SiEnergy Systems is a privately-held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize low-cost, low-temperature versatile SOFCs based on proprietary micro solid oxide fuel cell device technologies originally developed at Harvard University by a SiEnergy founder, Dr. Shriram Ramanathan. For more information, please visit the SiEnergy Systems website: www.SiEnergySystems.com.

For additional information contact;

Chris Silva, CEO

Allied Minds, Inc.

(781) 353-6404

chris.silva@alliedminds.com

Cephalogics Launches Infant Neuroimaging Study

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - Cephalogics, LLC announced today the launch of a pilot study involving 40 infants to optimize the performance of the company’s new neuroimaging system that can non-invasively detect alterations in normal brain function and development. The launch was approved after successful engineering and test of the neuroimaging cap, translational algorithms and display hardware.

Premature infants are particularly vulnerable to brain-related disease; therefore, Cephalogics has set its sights on helping clinicians detect and treat infant brain injury early by making it possible to monitor brain function at infants’ incubators using a novel technology called diffuse optical tomography (DOT).

“DOT fills a functional gap in the neurologic imaging suite of modalities available now,” explains Dr. Joseph Culver, founder of Cephalogics and an assistant professor of radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Unlike MRI where patients must be moved to a fixed central scanning facility, DOT provides portable, real-time, continuous bedside imaging. It’s non-ionizing, so it doesn’t have the radiation concerns of PET or CT, and it reports brain function with measures of hemodynamics and metabolism, which differentiates it from ultrasound and CT.”

DOT is a computational imaging approach which significantly outperforms standard near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Both use fiber-optic source and detector pairs to send and receive light through tissue. The resultant brain images are produced by hemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin absorbing light during transmission. The Cephalogics system however uses a much denser array of optical fibers to obtain superior images when compared against NIRS. Our high-density DOT (HD-DOT) neuroimaging cap comfortably fits over an infant’s head to help ensure strong images. “HD-DOT is able to acquire depth information and lateral resolution with high brain signal and low scalp-and-skull noise that NIRS is incapable of generating,” states Marc Eichenberger, CEO of Cephalogics.

The infant study is being conducted in two phases. In the first phase, 20 term infants are being scanned at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Cephalogics’ R&D team will use the scans to develop real-time DOT protocols for neuroimaging in infants, establish sensory stimulus paradigms, and optimize data analysis routines by early March 2009. Upon completion, the team will scan 20 pre-term infants in their incubators in the NICU (Neo-natal intensive care unit) at St. Louis Children’s Hospital to obtain and assess system performance data through May 2009. Eichenberger further commented, “We are very pleased with the milestones achieved by the team, and excited at the prospect of helping infants live healthier lives.”

About Cephalogics, LLC and Allied Minds, Inc.

Cephalogics, LLC is a privately-held startup company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize the high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) neuroimaging device technology originally developed at Washington University in St. Louis by Dr. Joseph Culver. For more information, please visit the Cephalogics website: www.cephalogics.com

For additional information contact;

Marc Eichenberger, CEO

Cephalogics LLC, an Allied Minds Company

(781) 353-6404

marc.eichenberger@alliedminds.com

New Skin Rejuvenation Discovery Receives Commercial Backing

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - Allied Minds funds research to reduce wrinkles by developing a natural replacement for artificial dermal fillers. Allied Minds, a seed investment firm specializing in early stage university business ventures, to fund new research with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory through creation of start-up company, ProGDerm, Inc. The research lead by Doctors Eva Turley and Mina Bissell will develop a technology based on modulation of the RHAMM protein to induce the controlled generation of fat cells to replace those lost in the aging process. While researching the regulation of cell motility as it relates to the spread of cancer, it was discovered that modulating the RHAMM protein increases the deposition of subcutaneous fat while decreasing unhealthy visceral fat. This technique could provide a non-surgical approach to normalizing skin appearance after the aging process has caused wrinkles and folds and after reconstructive surgery.

This technology would replace the now commonly used artificial dermal fillers prescribed to alleviate the appearance of age related wrinkles. Current filler products are injected under the skin to replace volume lost with the decrease of subcutaneous fat that accompanies the aging process. These filler products however, are of short duration, can cause pain and bruising, require multiple treatments, and often result in an unnatural appearance. Modulating RHAMM proteins represents a natural process that has the potential to actually induce controllable re-growth of the patient’s own subcutaneous fat in targeted areas to help restore a youthful appearance without artificial dermal fillers.

The ProGDerm product will initially be administered via injection by trained professionals but has the potential to be delivered as a topical cream. The demand for cosmeceuticals – loosely defined as cosmetic products that have medicinal or drug-like benefits - is rapidly increasing particularly within the skin care segment. “There is a vibrant marketplace for the next generation of dermal products. We look forward to entering this exciting new phase with Dr. Turley and Dr. Bissell,” says Allied Minds CEO, Chris Silva.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds is the premier seed organization for early-stage technology. We focus on converting academic discoveries into commercial reality by working exclusively with a network of U.S. universities and national labs. By filling the gap between government grants and traditional venture capitalists, Allied Minds focuses on funding innovations with significant transformative potential. Instead of managing funds, we foster early-stage companies through to success, generating value for all stakeholders. We have a nationwide footprint with offices in Boston, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and a European presence in London, United Kingdom. For more information, logon to www.alliedminds.com.

About Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory located in Berkeley, California. It conducts unclassified scientific research and is managed by the University of California. Visit the Lab website at http://www.lbl.gov/.

For additional information contact:

Chris Silva, CEO

Allied Minds, Inc.

(781) 353-6404

chris.silva@alliedminds.com

Pilar Agrisciences to Represent RF Biocidics in Growing Food Safety Market in Asia and South America

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – RF Biocidics, Inc. a leading innovator in the development of RF based disinfection and disinfestation technologies, today announced a new reseller partner agreement with Pilar Agrisciences (www.Pilarquim.com), a global agricultural company headquartered in Canada, to provide our enhanced disinfection and disinfestation technology to customers in the Asia-Pacific and South American regions. RF Biocidics’ technology leverages novel radio frequency based disinfection and disinfestation that not only destroys pests and pathogenic bacteria on and within foods, but does so without the use of chemicals or ionizing radiation.

The announcement marks RF Biocidic’s first international reseller partner relationship.

Under the terms of the agreement, Pilar Agrisciences will become a certified reseller of RF Biocidic’s technology products. RF Biocidics will provide Pilar with engineering and technical assistance to allow custom solutions to be developed for Pilar customers.

"We are excited to expand the reach of RF Biocidic’s technology to the Asia-Pacific and South American regions," stated Marc Eichenberger, CEO of RF Biocidics. “In this new global economy a food safety failure in one part of the world can no longer be isolated and instantly becomes a global issue.”

RF Biocidics plans to leverage the Pilar Agrisciences relationship to sign additional reseller partners, both domestically and abroad. "Our business development plans call for the addition of new reseller partners to broaden the reach of our technology," continued Eichenberger. "Looking forward, we will enhance our in-house sales efforts with the addition of reseller partners like Pilar."

ABOUT PILAR AGRISCIENCES

Founded in 1961, Pilar Agrisciences is a global provider of agricultural products, headquartered in Vancouver Canada, with regional offices in Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Moscow, Tokyo, Uzbekistan, and Warsaw.

ABOUT RF BIOCIDICS AND ALLIED MINDS, INC.

RF Biocidics is a privately-held company formed by Allied Minds, Inc. to commercialize a novel disinfection and disinfestation technology that destroys pests and pathogens from agricultural food and non-food commodities, both on the surface and interior without the use of chemicals or ionizing radiation. The technology was originally developed at the University of California at Davis by RF Biocidics founder, Dr. Manuel Lagunas-Solar. For more information, please visit the RF Biocidics website: www.rfbiocidics.com.

For additional information contact;

Marc Eichenberger

RF Biocidics, Inc., an Allied Minds company

(781) 353-6404

marc.eichenberger@alliedminds.com

MRAM-Info Interview with Vincent Chun from Spin Transfer Technologies

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

by Ron Mertens

In October 2008, I had the chance of interviewing Vincent Chun from Spin Transfer Technologies. Vincent Chun is the executive in charge at Spin Transfer Technologies. He is also a Director of Allied Minds, the investment firm that provided pre-seed funding for STT. Dr. Chun has 23 years of experience in science, technology, and corporate and entrepreneurial business management. He has a Ph.D. from MIT and an MBA from Kellogg. Spin Transfer Technologies was jointly formed by Allied Minds and New York University, using technology developed by Dr. Andrew Kent at NYU’s Physics Department.

* Can you explain your STT-MRAM technology?
Spin Transfer Technologies’ MRAM innovation utilizes a deterministic mechanism to rotate the magnetization vector of a free magnetic layer. This is made possible by using an orthogonal orientation between the magnetization of the pinned and free magnetic layers. Because the magnetization reversal mechanism does not rely on thermodynamic processes to initiate the switching, there is no incubation delay – and the switch time is very short, while the power consumption is very small compared to spin-transfer techniques used by others. We call our technology Orthogonal Spin Transfer MRAM or OST-MRAM for short.

To read the full interview, please visit the MRAM-Info website.

Biotectix, LLC Announces Research-Collaboration Agreement

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Unique Bioactive, Electrically-Conductive Materials and Nanotechnology Coatings to Improve Performance

Boston, Massachusetts -- Biotectix, LLC today announced that it entered into a strategic Research-Collaboration Agreement with a recognized global leader in implantable auditory medical devices. Biotectix will develop and demonstrate processes to apply several of its technologies and polymeric solutions to electrodes of the partner’s products and optimize the technology to work with the partner’s devices. All work is based on Biotectix’s proprietary technology and methods on bioactive, electrically conductive biomaterials that improve the biological integration and stability of implantable biomedical devices.

“We are excited to announce this strategic partnership with a market leader and innovator of such renown. Our agreement testifies to the belief in the commercial viability of our technology, our focus, and in Biotectix as a company,”commented Jorge de Dios, CEO of Biotectix. “We are confident that Biotectix’s materials will dramatically improve the performance and biocompatibility of our partner’s implantable medical devices, solve critical challenges that all implantable devices invariably face, and significantly build commercial advantages,” added Marc Eichenberger, Chief Operating Officer of Allied Minds, parent company of Biotectix.

Details of their Agreement were not disclosed.

About Biotectix, LLC

The Company has been funded by Allied Minds, Inc., a private investment corporation. For more information, please visit www.biotectix.com

About Allied Minds, Inc.

For additional information contact;

Jorge de Dios, CEO

Biotectix LLC, an Allied Minds Company

(703) 338-3361

jorge.dedios@alliedminds.com

Allied Minds and UC Davis Launch Startup to Commercialize RF Technology

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Allied Minds, a Boston-based pre-seed investment firm specializing in early stage university business ventures, has established RF Biocidics, Inc., to develop and commercialize a novel disinfectant and disinfestant technology invented at the University of California–Davis (UC Davis).

The newly formed RF Biocidics is developing a novel “cleantech” approach using radio frequency (RF) heating to eliminate pathogens and insects without the use of dangerous chemicals or radiation. Traditional efforts to disinfect and disinfest food and agricultural products have primarily utilized chemical, heat, or radiation inputs with often undesirable results. These methods have inherent problems: 1) toxins are introduced into the food chain and the environment; 2) permanent changes occur in the sensory and nutritional quality of most produce; and 3) radiation drives the cost of handling higher and holds a negative consumer perception.

Mass High Tech: Allied Minds Creates Precision Biopsy Spinout

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

By Mass High Tech Staff

Local private equity firm Allied Minds Inc. reports it has formed a company called Precision Biopsy LLC with help from the University of Colorado. The company, which lists its contact location in Quincy, is developing an optical biopsy needle intended to diagnose prostate cancer.

To read the full article, please visit the Mass High Tech website.

Investment Firm Allied Minds to Commercialize New University of Colorado Technology

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - Allied Minds, a seed investment firm specializing in early stage university business ventures, has partnered with the University of Colorado to establish Precision Biopsy, LLC, which is developing an optical biopsy needle to be used in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men and a leading cause of cancer deaths. Current diagnostic methods are widely accepted as flawed and inadequate; these include digital examination, PSA biomarker testing, and random needle biopsy. There is a clear unmet need for a method of accurately locating and diagnosing prostate cancer and for measuring the grade and extent of cancerous tissue within the organ to help determine the optimum course of treatment.

The optical biopsy needle invented at the University of Colorado’s Denver and Boulder campuses by Dr. Priya Werahera and Dr. John Daily will incorporate two spectroscopy techniques into the tip of a standard biopsy needle. These techniques will detect the difference between healthy and malignant tissue on a real-time basis and if the presence of cancer is detected, a biopsy will be taken for further evaluation. The information will be used to create an accurate image of the tumor and assist physicians in selecting the appropriate therapy. This technology could be adapted for use in other types of diagnosis where tissue morphology is crucial, such as breast cancer.

“Prostate cancer is very treatable when diagnosed early and accurately. This technology will help to ensure that diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment are delivered quickly and accurately”, says Allied Minds CEO, Christopher Silva.

The initial funding for Precision Biopsy is being provided by Allied Minds. To learn more about Precision Biopsy, please visit www.precisionbiopsy.com.

About Allied Minds, Inc

About the Technology Transfer Office

The CU Technology Transfer Office pursues, protects, packages, and licenses to business the intellectual property generated from research at CU. The TTO provides assistance to faculty, staff, and students, as well as to businesses looking to license or invest in CU technology. For more information about technology transfer at CU, visit www.cu.edu/techtransfer.

About the University of Colorado

The University of Colorado is a three-campus system with campuses in Boulder and Colorado Springs, and a Denver campus located in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. CU is a premier teaching and research university, ranked sixth among public institutions in federal research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. Academic prestige is marked by CU’s four Nobel laureates, seven MacArthur “genius” Fellows, 18 astronauts, 19 Rhodes Scholars and CU-Boulder’s ranking of 11th best public university in the world by the Institute for Higher Education. For further information, please visit www.cu.edu.

For additional information contact:

Chris Silva

CEO

Allied Minds, Inc

(781) 353-6404

chris.silva@alliedminds.com

Lindsay Polak

Technology Transfer Office

University of Colorado

(303) 735-5518

lindsay.polak@cu.edu

Food Quality News: Radio Frequency Heating Could Remove Food Pathogens

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Full article can be found at:

FoodQualityNews.com

by Jane Byrne

Xconomy: Allied Minds Finances Harvard-Northeastern Startup

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

by Erik Mellgren

In March, we wrote about local investment firm Allied Minds, which has a strategy of investing very early in technology developed in university research labs. Today, Allied Minds announced that it has invested in CryoXtract, a startup launched by researchers from Harvard University and Northeastern University.

To read the full article, please visit the Xconomy website.

Allied Minds to Commercialize New Frozen Aliquotter Technology with Two Major Universities.

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – Allied Minds, a seed investment corporation specializing in early stage university business ventures, Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development, and Northeastern University announce the creation of CryoXtract Instruments,LLC, a new spin-out focused on the extraction of aliquots from frozen biological samples.

The frozen aliqotter technology was developed for the purpose of extracting small quantities (aliquots) from vials of frozen biospecimens without exposing the samples to freeze-thaw cycles that can damage the biological integrity of the samples. The patent pending CryoXtract technology uses a hollow core drilling apparatus to extract a frozen core under cryogenic conditions that preserve sample integrity. This technology also allows the aliquot sample to be obtained in a shorter amount of time than with the standard thaw/re-freeze method, allowing higher throughput of samples. There are more than 500 million stored samples in the U.S., the majority of samples being frozen liquid specimens.

The CryoXtract technology was developed by Mr. Dale Larson while at Harvard University Medical School, in collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Ruberti, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and others at Northeastern University. “The frozen aliquotter serves an untapped market space with a clear need for this technology. We very pleased to be launching this new company with Harvard and Northeastern” says Allied Minds Director, Vincent Chun. The initial funding for CryoXtract Instruments is being provided by Allied Minds.

About Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development

The Harvard Office of Technology Development (OTD) is responsible for all activities pertaining to the evaluation, patenting and licensing of new inventions and discoveries made at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School. OTD also serves to further the development of Harvard technologies through the establishment of sponsored research collaborations with industry. OTD’s mission is to promote the public good by fostering innovation and translating new inventions made at Harvard into useful products available and beneficial to society.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds is a seed investment company creating partnerships with key Universities to fund corporate spinouts resulting from successful early stage technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as finance, Allied Minds aims to guide early stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For additional information, please visit www.alliedminds.com.

About Northeastern

Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university’s distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. For more information, please visit www.northeastern.edu.

For additional information contact;

Vincent Chun

Allied Minds Inc.

(781) 353-6404

Allied Minds Establishes New Company to Commercialize Novel Technology from UC Davis

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – Allied Minds, a seed investment firm specializing in early stage university business ventures, has established RF Biocidics, Inc., to develop and commercialize a novel disinfectant and disinfestant technology invented at UC Davis.

The newly formed RF Biocidics, Inc. is developing a novel “cleantech” approach using radio frequency (RF) heating to eliminate pathogens and insects without the use of dangerous chemicals or radiation. Traditional efforts to disinfect and disinfest food and agricultural products, have primarily utilized chemical, heat, or radiation inputs with often undesirable results. These methods have inherent problems: 1) toxins are introduced into the food chain and the environment; 2) permanent changes occur in the sensory and nutritional quality of most produce; and 3) radiation drives high the cost of handling and holds a negative consumer perception.

RF heating resolves these issues by delivering lethal energy to insects and microbes without disturbing or damaging the host material or leaving behind any molecules. In general, RF heating eliminates surface heating, reducing thermal loads and allowing a food’s quality and nutritional attributes to be maintained. RFB technology is being developed by Professor Manuel Lagunas-Solar of UC Davis. “We look forward to exploring the many potential applications this technology will encompass. We see benefits in food safety, agriculture, medical sterilization, and as an anti-bioterrorism measure, among others”, said Allied Minds COO Marc Eichenberger.

The initial funding for RF Biocidics is being provided by Allied Minds.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds is a seed investment company creating partnerships with key universities to fund corporate spinouts resulting from successful early stage technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as finance, Allied Minds aims to guide early stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For addition information, logon to www.alliedminds.com

For additional information contact;

Marc Eichenberger, COO

Allied Minds Inc.

(781) 405-8469

New York University Teams With Allied Minds to Develop Novel Non-Volatile Computer Memory

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts – New York University and Allied Minds, a seed investment corporation specializing in early stage university business ventures, have teamed to establish Spin Transfer Technologies, LLC (STT), a new start-up company, to develop and commercialize a novel, more efficient form of computer memory.

Electronic memory devices used in today's computers are specialized to handle different computing and data storage tasks. Memory devices that can retain information after power to the device has been turned off are characterized as non-volatile memory. USB flash drives, memory sticks, and smart cards are examples of such devices. A common problem encountered with this form of memory is slow write speed and the limited life of each memory cell, making it unsuitable for tasks requiring frequent read/write cycles.

New York University researchers have developed a new form of magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), which will provide non-volatile storage of frequently updated, critical data, and instant-on convenience. The patented MRAM technology uses spin transfer to rapidly change the magnetic orientation of nanometer scale magnets.

"Our MRAM technology has the potential to provide significant advantages over competing approaches and may enable our devices to have higher write speeds, lower power consumption and be scalable to next generation process technologies," says Professor Andrew Kent of New York University.

"MRAM is expected to be the dominant next-generation memory technology. We're very pleased to be working with STT and New York University," says Allied Minds COO Marc Eichenberger.

The initial funding for Spin Transfer Technologies is being provided by Allied Minds. Through the NYU Office of Industrial Liaison, STT has received a license from NYU that includes three issued patents for inventions made in Dr. Kent's laboratory at NYU. To learn more about STT, please visit www.spintransfer.com.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds is an early stage investment company creating partnerships with select universities to fund corporate spin-offs resulting from innovative technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as funding, Allied Minds aims to guide early stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For additional information, visit www.alliedminds.com.

About New York University

Founded in 1831, New York University is the largest private university in the United States. The University, which is composed of 14 schools, colleges, and divisions, occupies five major centers in Manhattan. It operates branch campus and research programs in other parts of the United States and abroad, as well as study abroad programs in more than 25 countries. For additional information, visit www.nyu.edu.

About the NYU Office of Industrial Liaison

NYU's Office of Industrial Liaison promotes collaboration with industry to develop NYU technologies into products to benefit society. It also fosters the creation of start-up companies around NYU technologies. Over 40 new companies based on NYU technologies have been formed and NYU currently has over 200 active license agreements with industry. For additional information, visit www.nyu.edu/oil.

MIT Tech Review: Improving Fuel Cells for Cars

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:00:00 GMT

by Kevin Bullis

A new method for making ultrathin materials could lead to better fuel cells.

A new method for making materials just a few atoms thick could pave the way to automotive fuel cells that use readily available fuels instead of hydrogen, which is difficult to produce and store. The new fuel cells would be smaller, lower-temperature versions of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which were originally developed for use in stationary applications such as power plants. Startup Sienergy Systems, based in Quincy, MA, was founded to bring the fuel cells to market. Last week the company announced half a million dollars in early-stage funding.

To read the full article, please visit the MIT Tech Review website.

Crain's Detroit Business: Mass. Firm Looks for Local Startups

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 05:00:00 GMT

by Tom Henderson

A Massachusetts company that invests in early stage university research has funded the launch of two Southeast Michigan companies and will meet with Wayne State University researchers Nov. 19-20 as it looks to add more to its portfolio.

To read full article, please visit Crain's Detroit Business website.

Allied Minds Expands Activities in the US

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Investment firm Allied Minds closes major funding round with the support of Invesco Perpetual, and expands partner network of research institutes

Boston, Massachusetts - Allied Minds, a seed investment corporation specializing in early stage university technology ventures, announced today it secured a major funding round led by Invesco Perpetual (on behalf of its funds under management), part of the INVESCO PLC group, one of the largest independent investment management organizations. Allied Minds will use the proceeds to make additional investments in technology spinouts from its network of premier research universities and government laboratories as well as to expand its corporate infrastructure. Terms were not disclosed.

"We are extremely pleased to have Invesco Perpetual as an investor in Allied Minds," said Allied Minds Chairman & President, Mark Pritchard. "Their support will accelerate our goal to make Allied Minds the leading sustainable originator of next generation companies based on innovative technologies at US research institutions."

Allied Minds also announced today the addition of the University of Washington and a US government research laboratory to its group of select partner research institutions. By creating a dynamic partnership network with leading US research universities and laboratories, Allied Minds gains access to leading-edge technology generated approximately $6 billion of public and private research funding and gains access to over 25,000 leading scientists including a number of nobel laureates.

"The addition of University of Washington makes Allied Minds a truly national organization spanning coast-to-coast. UoW is a world class research institution and we look forward to working together," said Allied Minds CEO Chris Silva. University of Washington joins a select group of research institutes associated with Allied Minds to include: Boston University, Colorado State University, Cornell University, Tufts University, University of Arkansas, University of Colorado, University of Michigan , University of Missouri, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska Lincoln, University of New Mexico, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis, Wayne State University, and a soon-to-be-announced national (government) laboratory.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Early-Stage Investment Firm Allied Minds Funds University of Colorado Medical Device Startup

Sun, 20 May 2007 05:00:00 GMT

By Ben Butkus/ Biotech Transfer Week

Investment firm Allied Minds said this month that it has invested an undisclosed amount in Illumasonix, a start-up company based on a non-invasive technology for quantifying blood flow developed by researchers at the University of Colorado.

The deal is the latest in a string of similar investments by two-year-old Allied Minds as the firm begins to cement itself as an option for universities to bridge the so-called “funding gap” for start-up companies based on nascent technologies.

Allied Minds, based in Quincy, Mass., invested in Illumasonix to help it commercialize a blood-flow measurement technique that combines attributes of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging to help diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease.

Specifically, the technology uses ultrasound and contrast-providing microbubbles that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Robin Shandas, a professor of mechanical engineering at the UC-Boulder, and of pediatrics at UC-Denver and Health Sciences Center, is developing a system based on the technique that can be used to provide real-time assessment of blood flow and detect blockages.

The underlying technology showed promise in the laboratory but, like many university technologies, was too early-stage to attract a potential buyer such as a biotechnology company. Enter Allied Minds, which provided the cash to bring the technology to market.

“We provide the capital for the company,” Chris Silva, Allied Minds’ CEO, told BTW. “Typically the capital is used to mature the technology or to make commercial prototypes; or, in some cases, to do the testing on the product. It really depends on how mature the technology is.”

In the case of Shandas’ technology, Silva said, Allied Minds is sponsoring research to further develop the technology so it can be tested in animals and, eventually, humans. “Once that’s done, we can enter the market.”

The size of Allied Minds’ investment varies depending on the situation, Silva said, but typically it is worth around $1 million. Then, assuming the technology is developed to the point where it gains regulatory approval, Allied Minds will likely be ready to make another investment, Silva said. “This round is interesting, but what really matters is when we’re done with the trial and what it’s going to take to get to the marketplace.”

In exchange for its early-stage investment, Allied Minds will take an undisclosed equity stake in the company along with the inventor and the university.

“It’s early-stage gap or seed funding,” Tom Smerdon, director of new business development at the CU technology transfer office, told BTW last week. Traditionally such funding can only be found in the form of angel investors or friends and family. However, a number of new companies such as Allied Minds, as well as private and university-supplied seed funds are forming with an eye toward providing the needed cash in an attempt to reap big rewards later on.

“We really aren’t currently working with any other group that is comparable to Allied Minds, not that we wouldn’t be receptive to that,” Smerdon said. “There just aren’t that many out there that I’m aware of.

Smerdon said Allied Minds’ model is “a slightly different approach and structure” than what is typically seen when a start-up is founded by a faculty inventor. Usually, he said, an outside business-development expert gets involved with the company, and then looks for funding from various sources.

“It can be a long process,” Smerdon said. “Here, Allied Minds comes in with funding at the outset to support sponsored research to further develop the technology. From that standpoint, it’s not the usual paradigm, but it’s not one that is that uncommon than a situation where you might have private investors that are involved with the founding of the company.”

Think Locally

Allied Minds’ investment in Illumasonix is the latest in at least seven similar seed funds it has given to university start-ups.

“As we started increasing the number of our university partners, we realized that it was the stage of investment more than it was the geographic location. There were very few gap-funding VCs out there.”

Interestingly, with offices in the Cambridge, Mass., area, London, and Colorado, Allied Minds has invested mostly in university spin-outs located outside the venture capital-rich areas of the US, and not necessarily even located near Allied Minds’ offices.

For instance, Allied Minds has funded start-ups from the University of Michigan, Washington University, the University of New Mexico, Wayne State University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Nebraska, and the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

“The idea is that we’d like to have the benefits of the development derived at the university be realized in the university’s area – in Illumasonix’s case, specific to Colorado,” Silva said. “So we like to start the company locally and to have the founders as equity shareholders so they also benefit.”

However, as Allied Minds’ reputation has been growing, even this has been changing, as universities in traditionally resource-rich areas of the country have come knocking.

“Our initial assumption was that the middle of the country traditionally did not have access to VC activity, and we were specifically targeting that area,” Silva said. “As we started increasing the number of our university partners, we realized that it was the stage of investment more than it was the geographic location. There were very few gap-funding VCs out there.”

Therefore, Allied Minds has made an effort to target early-stage investment opportunities, right after the termination of federal research grants when the basic science has been developed.

“As we started to roll out our university-partner network, local universities contacted us to join us,” Silva said. “I think that’s how we’re developing a broader network, and we think we will have a national network very soon, which will also include national laboratories.”

Allied Minds has mostly funded companies in the biotechnology sector, especially in the area of medical devices, diagnostic testing, disease screening, and some drug development. This has been mostly coincidence, Silva said, and has a lot to do with the fact that universities are turning out biotechnologies faster than most other technologies. Silva said that Allied Minds intends to branch out of the life sciences arena and will be announcing a deal with a university-spawned IT startup in the next month.

For Illumasonix, the next step is to develop prototypes of the blood-flow imaging devices so it can bring the devices into clinical trials, Silva said. If the device works the way Allied Minds, Shandas, and CU expect that it will, Silva added, it is possible it will be on the market next year.

Investment Firm Allied Minds to Commercialize Novel Technology from the University of Colorado

Sun, 06 May 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Boston, Massachusetts - Allied Minds, an investment corporation specializing in early stage university business ventures, has teamed with the University of Colorado to establish Illumasonix, LLC, (http://www.illumasonix.com) a start-up company which is developing a non-invasive method to provide quantitative information on complex blood flow in the treatment of vascular disease.

Current diagnosis of cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases utilizes ultrasound and MRI technology, which is limited in its capacity to determine whether disease is progressing or stabilized. Ultrasound provides good temporal resolution but only provides one-dimensional velocity measurement and angular error. MRI phase velocity mapping offers multi-component velocity data and high spatial resolution, but poor temporal resolution. The goal of Illumasonix is to combine the advantages of MRI with the temporal resolution and ease-of-use of ultrasound.

Dr. Robin Shandas, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder and of Pediatrics and Cardiology at the University of Colorado, Denver and Health Sciences Center, is developing a system which uses ultrasound and FDA approved microbubbles to track blood flow. This process will easily provide real-time assessment of blood flow and detect blockages. "Our technology is intended to create a new high resolution ultrasound procedure to better detect vascular disease," said Dr. Shandas.

Millions are affected by cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases annually. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability in the US and 25% of strokes are caused by carotid artery disease. "We have the opportunity to greatly improve diagnostic measures and therefore save lives," says Allied Minds CEO, Chris Silva.

Tom Smerdon, Director of New Business Development at the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office, added, "We are excited about this new agreement between the University of Colorado and Allied Minds. We see it as an effective way to commercialize Dr. Shandas' ultrasound scanning technology."

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Mindsis a seed investment company creating partnerships with select universities to fund corporate spin-offs resulting from successful early stage technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as funding, Allied Minds aims to guide early stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For additional information, logon to http://www.alliedminds.com.

About the Technology Transfer Office

About the University of Colorado

The University of Colorado is a three-campus system with campuses in Boulder and Colorado Springs, and a Denver and Health Sciences Center campus located in downtown Denver and at the former Fitzsimons Army Base in Aurora. CU is a premier teaching and research university, ranked sixth among public institutions in federal research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. Academic prestige is marked by CU's four Nobel laureates, seven Mac Arthur "genius" Fellows, 17 astronauts, 19 Rhodes Scholars and CU- Boulder's ranking of 11th best public university in the world in The Economist. For further information, please visit http://www.cu.edu.

For Additional Information Contact;

Chris Silva, CEO

Allied Minds, Inc.

(781) 353-6404

chris.silva@alliedminds.com

Medical Physics Web: DOT Sheds Light on Infant Brains

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT

by Tami Freeman

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are developing an optical scanning system that assesses the functional status of infants' brains. Now, with the help of $500,000 funding from investment firm Allied Minds Inc., the university is spinning out a new company to commercialize this technology.

The company is Cephalogics and its technology is diffuse optical tomography (DOT) – a non-invasive computational imaging technique. Cephalogics' system uses a small cap containing multiple sources and detectors to monitor near-infrared (NIR) light transmitted through the patient's head and image blood flow within the brain.

Oxyhaemoglobin and deoxyhaemoglobin in blood exhibit different NIR absorption spectra. Thus, by recording the absorption spectra at several wavelengths, the system can continually monitor both the blood volume and the level of blood oxygenation in the brain. Changes in these factors can be indicative of neuronal activity.

"Cerebral oxygenation is a good indicator of the health of the tissue," Joseph Culver, assistant professor of radiology at the university's School of Medicine and inventor of the brain-imaging system, told medicalphysicsweb. "If you have a patient in an intensive-care unit and the cerebral oxygenation decreases over a particular area, that indicates that cerebral perfusion is too low in that region and something needs to be done."

The DOT system can indicate areas of brain injury as well as monitor the brain's response to interventions, which should help clinicians to diagnose and treat any problems with brain development or function at an early stage. Culver sees the technology as having maximum impact for neonates – premature babies, in particular – intensive care units.

"This group is highly susceptible to brain injury, and early intervention is very important," Culver explained. "Any brain injury at that time can impact upon a person for the rest of their life."

The Next Stage

While the idea of using NIR spectroscopy to monitor brain function is not new, the big step forward has been the development of systems that can create tomographic images. "We are working on an imaging system that has a high density of source-detector arrays," said Culver. "Higher-density arrays allow us to get better image quality and better discrimination of cerebral signals."

Culver reckons that there's a big gap in commercial neonatal neurological imaging equipment. While commercial cerebral oximeters are available, those that have been employed within clinics are non-imaging systems that just measure cerebral oxygenation at one particular position. He adds that such NIR spectroscopy systems can also suffer from motion artefacts, poor coverage and contamination of the brain signal by those arising from the scalp and skull.

"We are trying to develop a system that's really got the performance needed to be a useful clinical tool," Culver explained. "We believe that this market could grow quickly and be adopted broadly worldwide, initially for neonates, and then extending into other areas," added Chris Silva, CEO of Allied Minds.

Cephalogics' initial technology development will take place at Washington University. "We're looking to develop a prototype within a year and do some pilot trials in a clinical setting shortly thereafter," said Silva. "Once we have the prototype, we'll have to make a decision on where to actually do the production." Allied Minds' initial investment will cover this prototype development and preliminary testing, with further funding slated to follow as the technology progresses.

Company Formed Around Body Friendly Polymer Coatings

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT

University of Michigan

by Laura Bailey

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—A new company, Biotectix LLC, is being formed around intellectual property developed at the University of Michigan that could dramatically improve the functionality of medical devices that are implanted in the body, such as pacemakers and cochlear implants.

U-M researchers, working with U-M tech transfer professionals, defined the initial business concept that attracted Allied Minds, a Quincy, Mass.-based pre-seed investment corporation, which is investing approximately $750,000 of first-round funding to form the company in Ann Arbor.

Biotectix currently holds an option for an exclusive license to this technology. David Martin, professor of materials science and engineering, macromolecular science and engineering and biomedical engineering, is one of the principal investigators on the project. Materials science and engineering post-doctoral scientist Sarah Richardson-Burns and biomedical engineering graduate student Jeff Hendricks are co-investigators.

The company is being formed to address one of the most vexing problems with devices implanted in the body. The body is soft and wet, and one way its different parts communicate is by sending electrical signals through ions in the water. Traditional metal implants, on the other hand, are hard and dry, and send electrical signals around via electrons, similar to a computer or a robot.

So, for an implant to function efficiently, it is important that those electrons are easily converted to ions at the interface of tissue and implant. The U-M coating improves the efficiency of charge transport anywhere from 100 to 1000 times over traditional metallic biomedical device electrodes, Martin said.

The polymer coating is actually a soft plastic that conducts electricity. The polymer coating can be grown on a metal surface by immersing the metal surface into the tiny molecules that when hit with an electric charge, bond to make the polymer. The polymer forms a unique structure and chemistry that the body likes and accepts more readily than the traditional metal implants.

"One of the most exciting aspects of this technology is its bioactive attributes." said Marc Eichenberger, COO of Allied Minds. "It seems like every day we see new opportunities for these technologies. One example is to improve the interface with robotic arms being developed by the US government and others. Initially we will look to benefit key areas such as cochlear implants, deep brain stimulation and cardiac markets.

The University of Michigan College of Engineering is ranked among the top engineering schools in the country. Michigan Engineering boasts one of the largest engineering research budgets of any public university, at more than $130 million. Michigan Engineering has 11 departments and two NSF Engineering Research Centers. Within those departments and centers, there is a special emphasis on research in three emerging areas: nanotechnology and integrated microsystems; cellular and molecular biotechnology; and information technology. Michigan Engineering is seeking to raise $110 million for capital building projects and program support in these areas to further research discovery. Michigan Engineering's goal is to advance academic scholarship and market cutting-edge research to improve public health and well-being.

University of Michigan Research Team Receives Funding for Groundbreaking Polymer Coating

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Investment Firm, Allied Minds, to Commercialize New University of Michigan Technology

Boston, Massachusetts - Allied Minds, a seed investment corporation specializing in early stage university business ventures, has partnered with the University of Michigan to develop a start-up company, Biotectix LLC, which will specialize in novel bioactive electrodes and coatings specifically tailored to enhance a wide variety of medical devices.

The newly formed Biotectix LLC has signed an option agreement to exclusively license platform technology developed at the Organic Electronics and Electroactive Biomaterials Laboratory, University of Michigan, by Drs. David Martin and Sarah Richardson-Burns as well as Jeff Hendrix. "These technologies lay the groundwork for a fully integrated electrode-tissue interface," said Dr. Martin. "With such an interface, we will be able to counter the tissue injury and inflammation associated with implantation of microelectrodes and neural prosthetic devices and improve quality of life for individuals requiring such devices."

Traditional metallic biomedical device electrodes (steel, platinum, iridium, gold) are energy inefficient, hard, non-biocompatible and can cause local tissue damage and scarring. They also have limited-MRI compatibility, and often don't function for as long or as well as intended leading to more frequent battery replacement. Devices that fall into this class include pacemakers, cortical probes, cochlear implants, glucose sensors and deep brain stimulators.

Biotextix LLC has been created to address these shortcomings and has developed soft, bioactive conductive polymer electrodes and coatings for electrodes. This novel technology results in increased electrode sensitivity and charge transfer capacity conferred by polymer coatings, significantly enhancing device function and battery life. In addition, drugs can be released from the polymer coating as desired: passive, intermittent, or extended release.

"One of the most exciting aspects of the technology is its bioactive attributes. By this we mean the technology's ability to promote neural in- growth. Byproducts of this capability include improved mechanical integration and reduced immune response," said Marc Eichenberger, COO of Allied Minds. "It seems like every day we see new opportunities for these technologies. One example is to improve the interface with robotic arms being developed by the US government and others. Initially we will look to benefit key areas such as cochlear implants, deep brain stimulation and cardiac markets."

"We are very excited about this new agreement between University of Michigan and Allied Minds," said Dan Broderick, University of Michigan, Director of Office of Technology Transfer for the College of Engineering. "We see it as an effective way to augment Dr. Martin's groundbreaking research and serve as a catalyst to speed these discoveries to commercial applications for the benefit of the public. The Allied Minds team is to be commended for understanding the business case for supporting university innovation."

Washington University in St. Louis Receives Funding for New Brain Imaging Technology

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Investment Firm, Allied Minds, Creates Spinout Company at University of Washington University in St. Louis

Boston, Massachusetts – Allied Minds, a seed investment firm specializing in early-stage university business ventures, has teamed with Washington University in St. Louis to form Cephalogics, LLC, an optical imaging company. Cephalogics will develop a new high-density diffuse optical tomography system specifically geared for use in assessing the functional status of the brains of infants during treatment in neonatal intensive care units.

Compared to infants born full term, premature infants are particularly vulnerable to developing brain-related disabilities. Early detection of altered brain development and function is important for the care of preterm infants.

“If clinical testing proves our estimation of effectiveness, the new brain imaging system will aid in therapy and care of neonates in intensive care by indicating which areas of the brain are injured and by monitoring the brain’s response to interventions” said inventor Joseph Culver, Ph.D., an assistant professor of radiology at the University’s School of Medicine. Dr. Culver’s group has been working on the technology at Washington University for three years.

Diffuse optical tomography is a new computational imaging approach that uses multiple light sources and detectors to create an image from light diffusion. The technology is noninvasive, mobile for easy bedside imaging and can continuously monitor brain blood volume and oxygenation.

“It has the potential to fill a ‘functional’ gap in the neurologic imaging repertoire currently available to neonatal clinicians,” Culver said.

Chris Silva, Allied Minds CEO, added, “It is gratifying to be involved with a technology that will bring some measure of comfort to children and families.”

Allied Minds initially is investing $500,000 to develop a prototype and begin preliminary testing. More funding will follow as the technology progresses.

About Allied Minds, Inc.

Allied Minds is a seed investment company that creates partnerships with key universities to fund corporate spinouts resulting from successful early-stage technology research. By providing corporate development support as well as financing, Allied Minds aims to guide early-stage companies to commercial success, thereby generating value for all stakeholders. For additional information, log on to www.alliedminds.com.

For additional information contact;

Chris Silva, CEO

Allied Minds, Inc.

(781) 353-6404

chris.silva@alliedminds.com

Joni Westerhouse

Public Affairs

Washington University School of Medicine

(314) 286-0120

westerhousej@wustl.edu