Sacramento High Tech

Siemens Healthcare North America CEO Headlines Med Tech Showcase

2012-05-10T17:21:45Z

The 2012 Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance (SARTA) Med Tech Showcase on Tuesday, June 5, will feature a keynote address by Siemens Healthcare North America CEO Dr. Gregory Sorensen and presentation of the Claire Pomeroy Award for Innovation in Medical Technology.

“This is the largest medical technology gathering in the Sacramento region and we’re excited about this year’s program. Anyone with an interest in our med tech sector should be there,” said Cary Adams, chair of SARTA’s MedStart program.

With an anticipated attendance of 300, the full-day program at the Woodlake Hotel will also highlight specific new technologies recently adopted by the Sacramento region’s four major health providers, how and why they were selected, and lessons learned for others seeking to sell new technologies to similar customers. Speakers at this session include Gregory Graves, M.D., Sutter Health; Cindy Holst, M.H.A., Chief Strategy Officer at Dignity Health, Sacramento-San Joaquin Region; W. Douglas Boyd, M.D., UC Davis Health System; and Andrew Klonecke, M.D., Kaiser Permanente.

Sorensen will speak about Siemens’ commitment to making healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective, especially in its work in medical imaging, therapy systems, laboratory diagnostics and healthcare information technology. He has served as CEO of Siemens Healthcare North America since June 2011, and was previously professor of Radiology and Health Sciences & Technology at Harvard Medical School; a faculty member of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology; and co-director of the A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Also to be discussed at the event is the issue of access to capital for startup and early-stage medical device companies. Four leading venture capital investors will share their perspectives on the changing investment landscape in a panel discussion moderated by Pete Bernadoni, Partner, Wavepoint Ventures: Douglas Crawford, Associate Director, QB3; John Maroney, General Partner, Delphi Ventures; Ned Scheetz, Managing Director, Aphelion Capital; and William G. Gerber, Investment Partner, Bay City Capital.

Three additional and concurrent afternoon sessions will highlight current Sacramento region med tech strengths, including molecular imaging, telehealth and regenerative cures.

SARTA in April announced that the number of Sacramento region med tech companies now totals 113, up 10 percent over 2011. The SARTA MedStart Progress Report 2012 identified 21 new medical device and bioscience companies, and indicates that regional med tech employment currently totals approximately 4,700.

Med Tech Showcase tickets and more information are available at http://www.sarta.org/Med-Tech-Showcase-2012.html.

MedStart strives to build a thriving bioscience industry in the Sacramento region and its mission is to catalyze that growth. MedStart’s programs include a CEO Forum, Telehealth Forum, Regenerative Medicine Forum, its showcase and mixer, and bi-monthly workshops. Planning continues on the Medical Device Design Innovation Center (MeDDIC), a prototyping facility to accelerate innovation. For more information visit: http://www.sarta.org/medstart.html .

Disclosure: Laura Good is the Director of Programs and Operations for SARTA.

Local tech company’s hard drive survives 12-gauge shotgun blast

2011-01-08T00:03:11Z

Robb Moore, President & CEO of Sacramento region tech company ioSafe, is well-known for his flashy Consumer Electronic Show (CES) demos of the company's almost indestructible hard drives. This year, he outdid himself by inviting journalists to fire a 12-gauge shotgun at ioSafe's new product, the Rugged Portable. The demo was held at American Shooters, a gun range close to the Las Vegas Convention Center, and participants included the BBC, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, PCWorld, MacLife, the Canadian Discovery Channel and more. In addition to blasting the drive with a shotgun, journalists were also able to crush it with a vice, immerse it in water and hit it with a hammer. In each case the data was still recoverable, despite the extensive abuse.

CES announced today that ioSafe’s Rugged Portable is a Best of CES 2011 finalist. Sacramento can vote for the Rugged Portable in the People’s Voice awards. Voting closes Saturday 1/8 at 10 a.m. (PST) and winners will be announced at 11 a.m.

Just released this January, the Rugged Portable is CNC-machined from a solid billet of aluminum or titanium. This Full Metal Jacket™ Technology makes the drive crush resistant up to 5000 lbs (Ti) or 2500 lbs (AL). Like all ioSafe portable drives, the Rugged Portable can withstand fire, immersion and just about any kind of abuse as Moore continues to prove in his ever-popular annual CES demonstrations.

“This drive will make sure your data reaches its destination safely," said Moore. “Whether you need to protect important business data during your daily commute or protect photos during your family vacation, the Rugged Portable will do it. The drive will keep data safe from everyday knocks and bumps associated with travel as well as from moisture, chemicals and extreme environmental and weather conditions.”

ioSafe, a high tech startup in Auburn, manufactures fireproof, waterproof hard drives – like an aircraft black box but for consumer and business data protection. The company's customers include the Pentagon, the Army and Navy, numerous Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and home consumers. Consumer products are sold through Costco, Wal-Mart, Amazon, BestBuy and Dell. The Rugged Portable starts at $149.99 and is now available for pre-order at www.iosafe.com.

Robb Moore, a mechanical engineering graduate of UC Santa Barbara and Professional Engineer in the state of California, has developed hundreds of designs for the high tech, medical, consumer, and aerospace markets. In addition, he serves as CEO of Kollabra, a product development company, and on the Board of Directors for SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance). SARTA, founded in 2001, is a non-profit organization founded to foster entrepreneurial growth in emerging technologies & attract venture capital to the greater Sacramento region.

Know of an interesting high tech story to feature in my Sacramento High Tech story line? Please email me with your ideas.

Disclosure: Author Laura Good is a HUGE fan of Robb Moore's guerilla marketing tactics and has invited him to speak at SARTA marketing for technology entrepremeurs workshops on on more than one occasion.

Photo credits: Johnny Klemme

TEDx Sacramento launches to sold-out crowd

2010-04-17T18:45:19Z

Who is Ted and why is he so popular? The nearly 200 people who attended Sacramento’s inaugural TEDx conference last night at Hinde Auditorium at Sac State discovered that “what is TED?” is the better question. TED is a nonprofit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds--Technology, Entertainment, and Design--and now its scope has become ever broader. Since the launch of the TEDx program only six months ago, thousands of individuals have gathered to enjoy independently organized TEDx events. Last night, Sacramento made local history with its first TEDx conference.

TEDx Sacramento curator Brandon Weber, co-owner of The Urban Hive, is a long-time TED fanatic. Immediately upon learning about the new TEDx program, he applied for the Sacramento license from his cell phone! Last night’s event was organized by a creative team comprised of local entrepreneurs, artists, political activists, students, social media mavens, engineers and designers. The team also had support from Sacramento State, Capital Public Radio, SACE (Sacramento Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs), The Urban Hive and Whole Foods Market.

Five innovators presented on sustainability themed topics such as turning a toxic strip of land into an urban vegetable garden, greening the city of Sacramento and creating a solar roadway. Artist David Garibaldi shared how he turned his passion for painting into a greater purpose and local musicians--Sea of Bees, Ross Hammond and Autumn Sky--entertained with their unique sounds ranging from improvisational jazz to folk rock. All of the presenters except for Scott Brusaw, who hails from Idaho, were from the Sacramento region. TEDTalk videos featuring a variety of “ideas worth spreading” were sprinkled in-between the live presentations. 18 different ideas were shared in just under 2 ½ hours! All of the presentations were recorded and will be available for viewing at the TEDx YouTube channel soon. At the end of the event, attendees cheered upon hearing that the next TEDx Sacramento event is planned for November 2010.

List of Topics & Speakers*
An American Frontier David Mogavero, Mogavero Notestine Associates
The Great Green City Ron Vrilakas, Vrilakas Architects
Recycling Carbon Chris Schuring, Ternion Bio Industries
FARM (Future Action Reclamation Mob) Robyn Waxman, FARM
Solar Roadways Scott Brusaw, Solar Roadways Project
Paint with Passion + Purpose David Garibaldi, Garibaldi Arts

*does not include video presentations

You can stay up-to-date on TEDx Sacramento events by following them on twitter, fanning their Facebook page or joining their mailing list.

Sacramento Statewide Leader in Green Job Growth

2010-04-12T20:57:28Z

Sacramento led the state in green job growth in 2008, with an increase in green jobs of 87% between 1995 and 2008, reports Many Shades of Green: Diversity and Distribution of California’s Green Jobs. This report was released by nonpartisan Next 10 and Collaborative Economics, and provides the most comprehensive green jobs accounting to date, systematically tracking the most recent available data on green companies, job type, location and growth across every sector and region of California.

There are other positive indicators in the Sacramento region that we are on our way to becoming the clean tech capital of the state. In its annual CleanStart Progress report, SARTA identified over $130 million in clean tech grants that were awarded in 2009 to organizations in the region. In 2010, we’ve already seen $905 thousand awarded to Sacramento State University for the development of a new training and workforce development program to enhance the region’s growing smart grid system.

SARTA’s CleanStart program identified 98 companies in the region engaged in the clean tech sector for 2009; twenty of these companies were new to the list. The clean-tech companies in the region include three publically traded companies: Solar Power Inc. (SOPW.OB), Octus Energy (OCTI.OB) and Pacific Ethanol (PEIX). Solar Power, Inc. one of the biggest clean tech success stories in the region, is making a splash with its 3.6 MW solar installation at Aerojet, soon to be upgraded to 6 MW. That installation will be the largest single industrial solar site in the country. The company recently announced a move to the growing clean tech park at McClellan, with an intention to add over 100 jobs there.

“Solar Power is joining a half dozen others in clean tech at McClellan Park,” said Gary Simon, Chairman of CleanStart. “All of them will be showcased at a networking mixer we are hosting at the Lions Gate Garden Pavilion at McClellan Park from 5 to 8 pm on Tuesday April 13, open to the public*. The entire growing clean tech cluster is one of the brightest spots in the local economy.”

Details for registering to attend Tuesday’s PowerSurge networking mixer as well as downloads of the CleanStart 2010 Progress report and the complete list of companies in Sacramento’s Clean Tech Cluster are available at www.cleanstart.org.

*PowerSurge is open the public but includes a general admission fee of $30; a reduced rate of $15 is available for SARTA members, full-time students and facutly members.

PowerSurge highlights clean tech enterprises at McClellan Park

2010-04-09T03:44:44Z

This Tuesday, clean tech players from around the region will gather to discuss the latest industry buzz at CleanStart’s PowerSurge networking mixer at McClellan Park. The event includes a tour of Technikon’s Renewable Energy Testing Center (RETC) as well as several other clean tech businesses located in McClellan Park. Featured speakers include Robert Weisenmiller, who was recently appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger as one of the five commissioners for the California Energy Commission (CEC) and Kristine Mazzei, partner at Valley Vision, a nonprofit association working to secure the social, environmental and economic health of the Sacramento Region.

"The Sacramento Region's clean technology industry sector is experiencing rapid growth. There are now nearly 100 clean tech companies in the region which is far more than the 29 that existed just four years ago," stated Meg Arnold, SARTA CEO. "SARTA's CleanStart program and our partners at Green Capital Alliance find great satisfaction in knowing that our public-private coalition of organizations, by collectively executing on our common set of goals, has helped to make this happen.”

CleanStart chose McClellan Park as the venue for PowerSurge because it is becoming a hotbed of clean tech and green focused companies. Tenant Advanced Data Centers is one of only six LEED Platinum Data centers in the country and was the first to qualify. Solar Power Inc., N Solar Inc. and EPOD Solar Inc. recently announced their intentions to build facilities at McClellan Park.

“McClellan Park has embraced green technology, recycling, and sustainable energy sources. In cooperation with Sacramento County, SHRA, SARTA and SMUD we make every effort to make McClellan as green and clean as possible,” said Larry Kelley, President of McClellan Park. “As a Superfund site we embarked on a program to turn a brown field into a sustainable attractive location that is a model for reuse--the ultimate in recycling and redevelopment. In addition to the cleaning of soil and remediation that has taken place and will take place over the coming years, with the support of the our Congressional Representatives, the US Air Force, the Environmental Protection Agency, Cal EPA, and the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment, we have been able to add new roadways, and infrastructure, remediate and reuse the property. In the process we have recycled concrete pads and buildings into road base, reducing material that would otherwise go to landfills. In the near future we are installing our first covered parking with solar panels. Our commitment to sustainability and green technology is paying off. We are truly the center for green technology in our region.”

McClellan Park clean tech and green focused tenants include Technikon, Renewable Energy Institute International (REII), Ternion Bio Industries, Pacific Renewable Fuels, Sierra Energy Corp., ZETA Communities, Fiberwood LLC, SunEdison, Visions Recycling Inc, Beutler Heating and Air Conditioning and Advanced Data Centers.

“The growing clean tech industry in Sacramento is getting some real traction with a total of 13,000 jobs associated with it,” said Gary Simon, Chairman of SARTA’s CleanStart Program. “McClellan has become a great place for companies to get economical space to grow and expand. There alone, we are expecting to see more than 200 jobs added in the near future.” CleanStart provides coaching and support to clean technology ventures in the region to help them succeed. CleanStart is also the organizer of the annual Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase at Sacramento State, which attracted over 700 attendees last year.

PowerSurge is expected to attract nearly 200 people engaged in the clean tech industry in the Sacramento region.

PowerSurge Event Details
Date: Tuesday April 13 from 5 to 8 pm
Location: McClellan Park, Lions Gate Garden Pavilion, 5640 Dudley Blvd., McClellan, CA 95652
Cost: General Admission: $30, SARTA Member $15, Full-Time Student/Faculty $15
For more information or to register visit www.cleanstart.org

About SARTA
SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance) is a tech-focused 501(c)(3) corporation that supports entrepreneurial programs, companies and technology investment throughout Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties.
SARTA’s mission is to accelerate the growth and development of technology companies and the technology sector in the Sacramento region. SARTA connects and provides resources for the region’s high-tech entrepreneurs, investors, business, non-profit, economic development and community leaders, supporting its goal to attract $1 billion in investment capital to the region. SARTA also provides high-tech entrepreneurs, executives, and other business and community leaders with connectivity and resources for growth, networking, and educational opportunities.

Sac Region’s Growing Med Tech Industry Showcased

2010-03-28T01:15:56Z

There is more to Sacramento than clean tech and government—we have an impressive number of medical device companies in our region. SARTA, the Sacramento region's technology business accelerator, is hosting the first Sacramento Med Tech Showcase at Sacramento State on Tuesday to spotlight the medical technology industry --one of the few growing, high-value industries in the region. The event will feature companies that are positively contributing to the ongoing economic development and job growth in the Sacramento area.

With over 50 organizations exhibiting at the event, most of them involved in the research, development and/or manufacturer of medical technology, this is an unprecedented opportunity for the Sacramento business and technology community to learn what’s been developed in our own backyard. Local success stories Volcano Corporation and ThermoGenesis are among the exhibitors, as well as a number of lesser known companies with exciting products and great stories to tell.

In SARTA’s Growing Medical Device Manufacturing and R&D in the Greater Sacramento Region report, a 46-page brief released last week, over 70 companies in the region, engaged in medical device or medical information technology, were identified. This report is available for review and download at www.sarta.org.

Sacramento has long been home to medical technology innovation and on the forefront of medical technology. To recognize this achievement, SARTA’s MedStart Initiative created the Claire Pomeroy Awards for Innovation in Medical Technology . The 2010 award winners will be announced at the Showcase.

The Showcase begins with a conference from 1:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and the exhibit hall will be open from 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Keynote speakers are David Logan, TED speaker and co-author of Tribal Leadership, and David Sheehan, President of IVUS and FM Business Units for Volcano Corporation. A venture capitalist panel will discuss trends in med tech investing and another panel will discuss new frontiers in healthcare via advances in telemedicine. Five start-up companies will compete in the Next Wave Med Tech Innovators Challenge.

Sacramento Med Tech Showcase Details:
Tuesday March 30 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:30 pm; Exhibit Hall open 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Reception with appetizers & cash bar in Exhibit Hall.
Sacramento State, University Union Ballroom
Cost: $80 General Admission, $40 SARTA Member, Faculty or Student
For more information, call 916-231-0770 or visit www.sarta.org.

Tapping into the $80 billion federal information technology marketplace

2010-03-18T02:15:47Z

Sacramento companies have significant opportunities to grow their revenues by landing federal contracts. There are over 27 different vertical markets in the United States Federal Government. For 2010 alone, the budget for information technology is over $80 billion. Although rumors abound about purchases of $1000 hammers and toilet seats, the U.S Federal Government is one of the smartest buyers of goods and services. If your company is engaged in commercial and/or state business, there is a way to leverage what your company already does now, here in California, into a federal contract.

SARTA, the Sacramento region's high tech business accelerator, knows that dealing with government contracts can be overwhelming. To help local businesses understand the federal marketplace and win business, SARTA is offering “Tools and Tactics for Navigating the Federal Information Technology Marketplace” on March 24th at Drexel University in Sacramento. If your company is engaged in the information technology marketplace and interested in securing government contracts, this seminar will teach you to successfully pursue federal government business.

James J. Baker, noted speaker, author, consultant and strategist on the public sector technology marketplace, is the instructor for this seminar. He will address many of the topics covered in his book, "How to Win Business from the Government-A Tactical Guide to Understanding the US Federal Government Information Technology Marketplace." Participants will learn tactics from inside the Washington, DC Beltway including:

Where to look for funding
Building your sales pipeline and presenting
Marketing, Social Media and true return on investment
Capture and proposal

Seminar Details
Wednesday, March 24th from 8:30 am to 11:30 pm at Drexel University, One Capitol Mall, Suite 260, Sacramento, CA 95814.
General Admission $50, SARTA Member $25 (includes 4 hours of parking at One Capitol Mall Valet garage & a continental breakfast)
For more information or to register, visit www.sarta.org

About the Author
Laura Good is program and operations director at SARTA.

Sacramento Companies Navigate the Grant Maze

2010-03-10T02:58:13Z

While winning grant monies in the private industry sector sometimes seems impossible, a number of technology companies in the Sacramento region have recently won government grants to help fund research and underwrite programs. For example, in September, Renewable Energy Institute International received a $20 million economic stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a pilot biorefinery to turn crop and wood waste into diesel fuel. In October, Insera Therapeutics was awarded a $150,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that they will use to develop the industry's first clot-specific catheter-based platform for treatment of ischemic strokes. And just last month, Arcadia Biosiences received a two-year $855,500 federal stimulus grant to help fund the development of wheat varieties with reduced celiac disease-causing proteins.

The grant writing process is time consuming and excruciatingly detailed. Most entrepreneurs find it difficult to even know where to start. Identifying grant opportunities for private industry can be elusive, in spite of the helpful information found at grants.gov.

SARTA, the Sacramento region's high tech business accelerator, understands the frustrations private industry encounters when they try to unravel the government grant maze. To help navigate grant opportunities, SARTA is hosting a grant writing seminar on March 17 at Drexel University. "Grant Writing Basics for Private Industry" will include instruction on how to get started from experienced grant writers Trudy Kilian and Dan Arementa of DJT Consulting Group, as well as a panel discussion featuring local technology companies who have secured grant monies. Vikram Janardhan, CEO of Insera Therapuetics, will represent medical technology; Jeff Jennings, Grant Development Practice Manager at Western Blue, an NWN Company, will represent government technology; and Greg Tamblyn, Executive Director at Renewable Energy Institute International will represent clean technology.

Seminar Details
Wednesday, March 17th from 8:30 am to 11:30 pm at Drexel University, One Capitol Mall, Suite 260, Sacramento, CA 95814.
General Admission $50, SARTA Member $25 (includes 4 hours of parking at One Capitol Mall Valet garage & a continental breakfast)
For more information or to register, visit www.sarta.org

SARTA’s mission is to accelerate the growth and development of technology companies and the technology sector in the Sacramento region. SARTA connects and provides resources for the region’s high-tech entrepreneurs, investors, business, non-profit, economic development and community leaders, supporting its goal to attract $1 billion in investment capital to the region. SARTA also provides high-tech entrepreneurs, executives, and other business and community leaders with connectivity and resources for growth, networking, and educational opportunities.