GLEQ hosted its Statewide Business Plan Competition Award Ceremony on Thursday, June 10, 2010 with partner organizations Automation Alley, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and the Michigan SmartZones, at the University Club on the Michigan State University campus.

The event culminated in the presentation of the $100,000 SmartZone Award, sponsored by the Michigan SmartZones and funded through the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, administered by Ann Arbor SPARK. The award was presented to Lansing-based InPore Technologies by Skip Simms, vice president, entrepreneurial business development at Ann Arbor SPARK and managing director of the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund program. The award was received by Gerald Roston, PhD, president.

InPore Technologies is a start-up company founded by Thomas Pinnavaia, PhD, professor of chemistry at Michigan State University. The company is working on a specialized nanomaterial Silapor™ particles that provide property enhancements that can be used to save energy in the production of chemicals and to strengthen materials for auto parts, wind turbine blades and other products.

The $25,000 GLEQ Grand Prize Award in the Emerging Company category was presented to Advanced Battery Concepts, LLC, of Midland. The award was presented to Dr. Edward Shaffer, founding partner. The company was coached by Aaron Oberlin. Advanced Battery Concepts has developed battery electrode technology which enables dramatic improvements in battery performance. The introduction of this technology in the lead-acid battery market generates significant cost and weight benefits resulting in improved feasibility for battery use in electric vehicles and on-grid, peak-power management for alternative energy sources

The Runner Up Award of $5,000 in the Emerging Company category was captured by Ypsilanti-based RealKidz, Inc. and was presented to Merrill Guerra, founder and CEO. RealKidz addresses the issue of childhood obesity through a unique two-pronged approach of providing clothing to plus-size children and an on-line social network for parents that offers support in incorporating healthy lifestyle choices.

The Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest's statewide business plan competition got a boost this spring with the introduction of the $100,000 SmartZone Award to be presented June 10. This new award is a convertible debt investment offered by Michigan's network of SmartZones through the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund.
The competition was already growing by leaps and bounds before the new award was announced; from 47 registered ventures in Fall 2008 to 177 in Fall 2009, but the SmartZone Award certainly grabbed the attention of Michigan's entrepreneurs. The current competition has 302 registered ventures .

Ann Arbor, Mich., January 21, 2010 – The Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest (GLEQ) presented awards to the mid-year winners in its tenth year of the statewide business plan competition on Thursday, January 21, at the ACE’10 event in Ann Arbor.
More than 175 Michigan-based entrepreneurial ventures were registered for the competition, which attracts a wide-range of innovation-base businesses in fields such as alternative energy, information technology and software, advanced manufacturing, homeland security, medical devices and life sciences. The competition’s twice-annual, two- track program accommodates both idea-stage ventures and companies with up to $3 million in cumulative sales.

August 23: Registratin Begins
January 27: Awards at ACE 11. Must be present to win.

Another event highlight of the GLEQ Awards Event on June 10, was the presentation of eight Best of Biotech Awards, sponsored by Michigan Economic Development Corporation and presented by Greg Main, president and CEO.

The top winner, receiving the $40,000 1st Place Award, was Royal Oak-based Innovative Surgical Solutions, LLC.

The fifth annual Automation Alley Innovation Award for Advanced Manufacturing in the amount of $12,500 was presented to Scott Jones, director of product development, Fusion Coolant Systems. The award was presented by Diane Durance, executive director, GLEQ, at the Awards Event on June 10. Ann Arbor-based Fusion Coolant Systems is developing the next generation of metalworking fluids for machining and metal forming.

Great Lakes Entrepreneurs’ Quest and the network of Michigan SmartZones announced a new $100,000 award for the 2010 GLEQ Business Plan Competition to an audience of 1,000 at the ACE’10 on January 21. The Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship (ACE) event, is in its 10th year, celebrating entrepreneurship in the State, conducting workshops, showcasing growing start-ups, and featuring a pitch competition between budding entrepreneurs with live judging and real-time winner recognition.

GLEQ is giving out a new $100,000 SmartZone Award. There are extra steps and there are other qualifications to join the SmartZone Competition.
Please click here to find out more

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