STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- This week, the six participating companies from a 10-week spring session held by Ben Franklin's TechCelerator, a partnership with Penn State and other economic development providers, made their final presentations before a panel of judges and their peers. A standing-room only crowd attended to hear about the markets they chose to enter, the problem their innovations will solve, and most important – how they plan on making money. Each team had 15 minutes to showcase their work, which included 8 minutes to present and 7 minutes for questions from the panel. The startups, who are all local entrepreneurs, competed for $10,000 in prize money and included:
• Penergy Solutions - Keppy Arnoldson & Jenn Breimhurst• AcreBooks - Sel Edor & Stephen Thor• ArgentumCidalElectrics - Tom Fuller• Trans-Cell Conversion Technology - Gong Chen• Leafy - Amin Afzal• Waybright Technologies - Todd Waybright
The judge’s decision on who should receive the $10,000 award was difficult. Two of the finalists were ultimately selected to share in the prize money: Trans-Cell Conversion Technology and Waybright Technologies.
Gong Chen, CEO of Trans Cell Conversion Technology, has developed a patent-pending technology that effectively treats brain injuries or neurodegenerative disorders. The company’s gene and small molecule therapy regenerates specific sub-types of neurons in order to target a variety of disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and the effects of a stroke. For more information, contact Chen at gongchengpsu@gmail.com
Todd Waybright with Waybright Technologies provides farmers with a proprietary method for in vitro fertilization of dairy cattle. Dairy cattle must become pregnant every 12 to 15 months in order to produce milk, and the cost of an infertile animal is significant to the farmer. Waybright’s innovation allows embryos produced in vitro to be used by veterinarians or the farmer to impregnate the animals. For more information, contact Waybright at twaybright@cs.com
About the BF TechCelerator@State CollegeLocated in the Technology Center at 200 Innovation Boulevard in State College, the Ben Franklin TechCelerator@State College is a partnership among several of the area’s economic development providers including Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP, the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County/Centre County Industrial Development Corp.; Penn State’s Small Business Development Center; Penn State’s Office of Technology Management; and Innovation Park at Penn State that offers budding entrepreneurs designated space, loan and investment programs, business support and mentoring services and entrepreneurial training all housed in one location.