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Showcasing Research, Tech and Entrepreneurship
Author: Emily Ediger
Posted: December 6, 2012

Two hundred gathered at the Business Accelerator for the annual Company Showcase, enjoying wine, hors d’oeuvres, and stories from 30+ biotech, cleantech and software startup companies. Investors, media, scientists and fellow entrepreneurs got a sneak peek at what makes Oregon’s accelerator tick.

Erin Stone, president of RapidMade, pitched on the big stage and explained the benefits of additive printing technology for small businesses. It lowers costs and increases the speed of generating prototypes, small-scale projects and market test batches. Down in RapidMade’s office, the 3D Z-printer whirred, printing a hollow cube layer by layer. Thin ceramic powder fills the empty space, giving the cube structure and support, then is removed, leaving an intricate and decorative cube.

Andy Goldstein, VP of HydraDx, knows the necessity of a rapid, low-cost prototyping and is working with RapidMade to produce a second generation prototype for investors. Prototypes represent intellectual property and demonstrate proof of concept, which are required to give investors a better idea of the technology.

Nitin Mayande, co-founder of Tellagence, gave a live demonstration of their product that predicts the flow of information in social media networks. It focuses on the strength of relationships and pinpoints the people that will carry your message. The technology stemmed from Nitin’s PhD work at PSU, and his advisors were present to see his work transformed into a valuable service to large companies. 

Mobile devices are increasingly important as Karin McKercher of Indie Vinos and Josh Blank of OpenSesame know very well. Both companies bridge the gap between communities and consumers with mobile apps. Indie Vinos connects independent wineries with wine lovers, and OpenSesame makes elearning more accessible to businesses.

The Accelerator connects the worlds of research, technology and entrepreneurship. The Showcase highlights those connections and forges new ones.