MuscleMorph
Founders: Rodrigo Alvarez, 31; Howard Katzenberg, 28; Rahul Kothari, 30 Date launched: April 2006 Startup capital: $26,000 in prizes from business plan contests School: The Wharton School, University of PAProduct or service: A muscle-like device to replace traditional motors in prosthetic and orthopedic limbs, providing a quieter, less bulky and less expensive alternative, according to its founders.Chief scientist Rodrigo Alvarez (left), created a new kind of flexible artificial muscle made of plastic. With two MBA students from the Wharton School, Rahul Kothari (right) and Howard Katzenberg, Alvarez launched MuscleMorph, which aims to use that artificial muscle to transform the prosthetics industry by providing a new way to move artificial limbs. Much like a human muscle, Alvarez's device is composed of thousands of strands of microfibers, which respond to electrical charges from a battery by contracting smoothly and silently. In the lab, the founders claim, MuscleMorph's prototype has proved as strong and as responsive as human muscle. The company holds two provisional patents on the technology.MuscleMorph's device comes at a critical time for the prosthetics industry. There are about 1.8 million amputees in the U.S., and their numbers are expected to increase because of a rising incidence of heart disease and diabetes. Several motorized prosthetics have come on the market in the past year, but they are bulky, noisy and power-hungry machines that cost between $50,000 and $100,000. Limbs using MuscleMorph's technology will have more lifelike motion, could cost significantly less - and will be completely silent, claims Kothari.To speed its path to market, MuscleMorph is seeking $1.5 million from angel investors. It already faces some brawny competition. Artificial Muscle in Menlo Park, Calif., was spun off in 2004 from SRI International, one of the world's largest contract research institutes, and has attracted about $10 million in venture capital. Last January, Artificial Muscle introduced its first "muscle," using technology similar to MuscleMorph's. However, this rival says it does not intend to focus initially on the prosthetics market, but on the consumer electronics, automotive, and industrial markets, leaving MuscleMorph with a good shot at putting millions of amputees back on their feet. --Patricia B. Gray.
Collectica
School: University of ChicagoProduct or service: Online community for collectors of stamps, coins and other items.Visitors can use Collectica.com to upload, link and trade with peers as well as use auction and appraisal services. The site generates revenue through e-commerce and advertising. Pictured (from left to right) are founder and president Michael Dworecki, a serial Internet entrepreneur; VP of software development Tu Nguyen, who has designed software for major institutions; Samuel Dixon, head of community development and buzz marketing; and William Thoburn, head of community development and partnership marketing.
Internet Security Company
School: University of GeorgiaProduct or service: The team intends to develop a line of internet security products under the brand name SecureSurfer to market to Internet service providers.Founded at the University of Georgia, Internet Security plans to market a suite of products that blocks viruses and prevents sensitive information such as passwords from being monitored during online transactions. The company's first product contains its patent-pending NarrowGate software, which closes off access to a PC's operating system, existing software and writable memory during Web browsing. Co-founders Andrew Maliszewski (left) and Stephano Righi each have more than 20 years of experience in computer product development.
Liveiniowacity.com
School: University of IowaProduct or service: A Web site that allows students looking for low-cost apartments near the school's campus to search listings of more than 17,000 rental units.President Michael Hubbard (left), a finance major, VP of operations David Oliver (right), who has been a branding consultant and VP of technology Brian Clark, an engineer, aim to build similar sites in more than 75 other markets across the country. Clark and Oliver previously acquired the Police Law Institute, an online training company, and grew their client base by 65 percent in two years.
Cash2Bet.com
School: University of MiamiProduct or service: This startup handles promotion and marketing services for online gambling and entertainment companies.The company enables customers to wager first-time bets of up to $50 on its partner casino and sports booking sites, which Cash2Bet refunds at the end of betting. Prior to launching Cash2Bet, the firm's undergraduate founder Jeffrey Blum owned and operated a Web site design firm.
Precision Reproduction
School: University of California at Los AngelesProduct or service: A patented procedure for in-vitro fertilization that, according to its founders, gives doctors the ability to consistently deliver an embryo to an ideal implantation site - eliminating the risk of ectopic pregnancy and reducing multiple births.Chief science officer Michael Kamrava, M.D., is director of West Coast Infertility Clinic. Other team members include Sanjaya Mohottala (left), a former brand manager; Jeff Kendig (center), a former business analyst and healthcare consultant; and chief business officer Gregory Samson (right), a former investment banker.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Battle of the business plans
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