Past Winners

Grand Prize Winners 2007

First Prize
Renaissance Scientific, LLC.,
Sandra Urdaneta - LeBow College of Business
Lucian Herciu - LeBow College of Business
Mary K. Howett
John Kreider

Renaissance Scientific, LLC. discovered that sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is microbicidal (i.e., kills) pathogens transmitted sexually, including HIV, and is spermicidal. Therefore, our interest is to license this intellectual property for the development of condoms and lubricant gels with SDS. Development of female-controlled microbicides are key in preventing progression of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Second Prize
AcquaSTAR, Inc.
Matthew Morano – LeBow College of Business
Jarek Checinski – LeBow College of Business
Wai Kiu Lee – College of Medicine, LeBow College of Business
Lou Savastani – LeBow College of Business

AcquaSTAR, Inc. produces products that address the two most basic problems in water sterilization, maintenance and energy consumption. AcquaSTAR's product is a reliable low-energy solution that produces safe drinking water.

Third Prize
Neuthao Technologies
Andrew Khair – School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems
Danny Tan
Terence Chia

Neuthao Technologies, LLC is a biomedical device company that seeks to design, develop, manufacture, and market Closed-Loop Neuro-Modulation (CLNM) devices for patients suffering from neurological disorders.

Grand Prize Winners 2006

First Prize - $12,000
Focus Therapeutics
Kelleny Oum, School of Biomedical Engineering, PhD Program
Matthew Steege, Chris Donohue, Laura Lubetsky, J.P. Holland, Jai Eswara

Focus Therapeutics is a biotechnology start-up that is developing THERiMAGE, a noninvasive localized chemotherapy system for treating liver cancer.  THERiMAGE’s patented microbubble technology acts as both a drug delivery system and ultrasound contrast agent, allowing a radiologist to simultaneously monitor and deliver highly localized chemotherapy treatment in the presence of ultrasound.

Second Prize - $8,000
Vertechem
Tom Watchko, LeBow College of Business
Galabina Lipidakova, LeBow College of Business

Vertechem is a chemical manufacturer and distributor of chemical products commonly known as resins and widely used in the plastics manufacturing industry.  Vertechem’s resins are safe chemicals obtained from renewable resources: their underlying chemical process uses fatty acids (naturally derived from soybean plants) to reduce the contents of styrene (a hazardous petroleum-based derivative).  The use of such resins not only has a positive environmental effect in that it cuts styrene-related emissions, but also enhances the performance characteristics of the composite material treated with them.

Third Prize - $4,000
LynpheDivas^TM
Kristen Dudley, College of Media Arts and Design
Robin Miller, Rachel Levin

The world of medicine meets the world of fashion.  LynpheDivasTM – founded by two young breast cancer survivors and a fashion designer – created medically correct compression apparel with style, comfort, and class, for cancer survivors who suffer from lymphedema.

Grand Prize Winners 2005

First Prize - $12,000
FibrinX
Amol Gosalia, LeBow College of Business
Dhaval Gosalia

FibrinX is an early stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative wound care products derived out of non-mammalian sources of fish plasma. The company is developing a first in-class fibrin-based wound sealant (from salmon plasma) for the wound care market and is currently undergoing pre-clinical trials.

Second Prize - $8,000
IntuiTouch, Inc.
Jason Rosenzweig, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems
Michael Herr
Ashish Khanna
Matthew Steege
Lynn Lundmark
James Lundmark, LeBow College of Business

IntuiTouch, Inc. is a medical device start-up with potential to become a leader in portable breast cancer detection products. IntuiTouch is developing iFIND TM (trademark) as its flagship product for breast cancer pre-screening. iFIND tm is an accurate, affordable, handheld, breast cancer pre-screening device that women can use at home.

Third Prize - $4,000
Biostrut: Practical Tissue Engineering Applications
Andrew Darling, Engineering
Richard Darling
Wei Sun

Biostrut will capitalize upon tissue engineering technologies developed at the Drexel Computer Aided Tissue Engineering Laboratory to sequentially produce scaffolds for the research market, the pharmaceutical bioreactor market, and the emergent global tissue engineering market.

Grand Prize Winners 2004

First Prize - $12,000
DragonFire Precision
Kristen Costello, Seth Eaker, Josh Slatko

The world is increasingly made of cheap, disposable plastic yet creating a metal mold for manufacturing each plastic part is a time-consuming, expensive undertaking. Working with Research and Development at Drexel University, DragonFire Precision has patented a new injection-plastic mold-making technique that will transform the art of mold making. By simplifying, accelerating, and lessening the expense of creating molds, DragonFire has addressed the industry's three most binding constraints, allowing them to produce quality molds in substantially less time and for substantially less money than any current method. This technique uses a new metal powder-based sintering process and is ideal for the booming medical products sector. The plastics manufacturing industry is under ever-increasing pricing pressure from foreign competitors with access to cheap labor. Most sectors are in decline in North America; only medical products molding has shown regular growth. DragonFire will target this market segment because of its rapid pace of innovation as well as the tendency of health products manufacturers to seek domestic mold sources for quality control reasons. Their mission is to transform the world of mold making by aggressively marketing their revolutionary process among manufacturers who are searching for ways to improve their time to market and their bottom line.

Second Prize - $8,000
CrossRoads Express
Adam Gregori

CrossRoads Express will be a non-asset based less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation company that specializes in reliable next day deliveries, both locally and regionally, at the lowest total cost. They will use independent contracted drivers, who own and operate their vehicles, to pickup and deliver non-hazardous, smaller size freight shipments within a local area. The drivers will use lighter weight straight trucks that do not require a commercial driver's licenses (CDL) to operate. Today no other LTL carrier in the industry follows the non-CDL straight truck business model. The company will initially service the major metropolitan areas between New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Columbus and Charlotte, which account for nearly 22% of the targeted size freight within the entire nation and equates to roughly a 500 mile service territory between all points. CrossRoads will provide error-free service by sending all shipments point-to-point to the delivery terminal, avoiding the conventional hub-and-spoke network, which is the primary cause of transit delays and shipment damage within the LTL industry. Low-cost service will be provided by minimizing the number of required facilities through direct, nonstop transportation and by using variable cost owner-operator drivers which are proven to be the most productive and economical labor source within the industry. CrossRoads is going to revolutionize the inefficient $60 billion dollar LTL industry.

Third Prize - $4,000
Integrated Receiver Solutions
Zachariah Conover

The United States relies heavily on precise positioning, timing, and frequency information. The advent of GPS and the improvement in the stability and performance of the information continues to increase America's reliance upon radionavigation systems. Examples of this dependence include cell phone coverage, aircraft and marine vessel navigation, rail system, financial transactions, the Internet, military combat systems, and power delivery systems. As society continues to intertwine itself with radionavigation information, it puts itself at risk because it begins to link all aspects of our life by one common vulnerable thread, GPS. In 2001, the Volpe study on GPS vulnerabilities was published and concluded that the current GPS system and reliance upon it as the sole method of providing information vital to our societal needs is not a fail-safe proposition. The study identified the need for a reliable back up system that is not susceptible to the same vulnerabilities. This technology exists in the Loran System, the technology that was supposed to be replaced by GPS. The government is scheduled to make the political decision to officially keep Loran as the redundant system to GPS in late 2004. It is being recommended by two Department of Transportation focus panels. Integrated Receiver Solutions believes that the government will ultimately decide to operate the Loran System as the backup and that a market will emerge for an integrated GPS/Loran receiver. This receiver would provide the user positioning, timing and frequency information from GPS if available and from Loran if GPS is unavailable. Integrated Receiver Solutions intends to develop and commercialize an integrated Loran and GPS receiver to provide customers with a redundant source of position, frequency, and timing information.

Grand Prize Winners 2003

$15,000 First Place Prize Winner
Magnetic BioSystems: Attractive Technologies
Zachary Forbes, Benjamin Yellen

Magnetic BioSystems (MBS) is developing a novel, minimally invasive, targeted drug delivery system that uses magnetism to administer repeatable dosages of therapeutic agents to specific sites in the human body. Our primary application will be the development of a magnetic stent for treating coronary arteriosclerosis. The magnetic stent is uniquely adapted to attract therapeutic agents in high concentrations for prevention of restenosis. MBS≠ technology for delivering drugs to a stent is a viable alternative to the drug-coated stent. MBS has also developed novel technology capable of delivering targeted doses of therapeutic agents to tumors and other sites of complication. The first goal of MBS is to revolutionize coronary angioplasty procedures by reducing the frequency of restenosis and return trips to the emergency room. MBS will use its intellectual property for licensing to established stent manufacturers such as Guidant, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and Johnson & Johnson, for manufacturing, sales and distribution. MBS plans to establish its niche in the medical device market of the health care industry, and in the targeted drug delivery market of the pharmaceutical industry.

$10,000 Second Place Prize Winner
HY-NANO, Inc.
Nevin Naguib, Emily Ho

HY-NANO is a private biotechnology research and development company that focuses on constructing hydrogels, which are biomaterials that have swelling ability. Hydrogels represent a novel treatment for debilitating degenerative disc diseases in the spinal intervertebral disc. These degenerative disc diseases affect about 400,000 Americans every year. The number of cases is estimated to be at least triple (1.2 million) worldwide (www.medtechinsight.com). Today, many research groups are working on the development of these hydrogel systems in various medical devices. The competitive advantages of HY-NANO≠s product over the other devices currently under development include providing minimally invasive surgical procedure, restoring normal biomechanics of the intervertebral disc, allowing patients to recover quickly and have full range of motion, and offering lower medical costs due to reduced hospital stays.

$5,000 Third Place Prize Winner
Delencia Company
Alexia Marcous, Soofi Safavi

Powered by an Intelligent Decision Support System (IDSS), Delencia.com corrects the problem with current online mortgage marketplaces. These Web sites follow business models focused solely on advertising and are efficient in attracting customers but create huge inefficiencies among lenders by only passing consumers≠ information to lenders. This forces lenders to incur the costs of underwriting loans to offer consumers when consumers are often uncommitted. With Delencia.com, IDSS produces loans using lenders≠ policies and pricing in real time, without any involvement from the lender. The lender is only contacted by interested, pre-qualified consumers, whose information and specific loan selection can be transmitted to them immediately. This product will provide lenders with an additional revenue channel at up to one-fifth of the cost per application that they spend today.

Grand Prize Winners 2002

The Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation $15,000 First Place Prize Winner
THERiMAGE The definition of targeted therapeutic imaging
Dalia El-Sherif, Paul Bidez, Eric Troop, Raymond Ro

THERiMAGE is a biotechnology company that is in the business of developing targeted therapeutic imaging drugs. The current methods of tumor detection, mammography and ultrasound, are not effective enough in diagnosing tumors at an early stage, making treatment of late stage cancer more complex. Additionally, current methods of cancer treatment, surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are costly and require long healing times. THERiMAGE is developing a technology that will take therapeutic imaging and drug delivery to a completely different level. THERiMAGE≠s initial product line is a three-part pharmaceutical drug that will allow physicians to image anywhere in the body while simultaneously delivering drug to the region of interest. Being able to locate a tumor and deliver drug directly to it will increase efficacy, while reducing costs and side effects.  While primarily targeting the drug delivery industry, capturing the most unique and innovative aspect of our product, we expect to secure part of the contrasting imaging market as a result of the utility of the product and the relatedness of the two markets.

 

The Edmar Abrassive Company $10,000 Second Place Prize Winner
Enhanced Tissue-Joining Device Delivering Bioactive Closures
Hemali Patel, Todd Rohn, Diane Lau, Charles Harakal, Gregory Tholey, Jim Murphy, Rachel Horn

Our design team proposes to develop an enhanced tissue-joining device and corresponding bioactive closures with the ability to deliver drugs for the surgical procedure bile duct anastomosis. Approximately 29,000 people in the U.S. and more than 187,000 worldwide are diagnosed each year with pancreatic cancer, resulting in approximately 59,000 annual surgical procedures performed capable of utilizing our technology. Existing stapling devices offer an advantage to traditional surgical treatment and therapy by reducing the time of suturing and the overall intrusion in the body. Our design group≠s device and closures will reduce leakage rates associated with the procedure and improve joining techniques, reduce infection and recurrence rates due to the release of bioactive agents designed to accelerate healing and increase the range of surgical applications as a direct result of our product's ability to operate on a micro level.

The Goldenberg Rosenthal, LLP $5,000 Third Place Prize Winner
Genesis Immunotech
Partha Ray

Genesis Immunotech is a development stage biopharmaceutical corporation engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel immunotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer, HIV/AIDS and other immune-deficiency disorders. Our pioneering efforts in molecular protein engineering and functional proteomatics have been successful in yielding powerful new immune system stimulatory agents. Pre-clinical investigations involving our proprietary novel chemical entities have shown them to possess potent immunostimulatory properties with anti-cancer and anti-HIV/AIDS therapeutic and preventative implications without the high side effect profiles which have limited conventional immunomodulatory therapies in the past. Genesis Immunotech intends to proceed with rapid product development through accelerated pre-clinical research efforts.

Grand Prize Winners 2001

The Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation $15,000 First Place Prize Winner
BHR Solutions
Frank Rowe, Bill Hauser, Mike Bedrosian

The financial costs to hospitals that make medical errors are well documented. Annual estimates range between $17 and $29 billion per year. The threat of malpractice lawsuits and higher insurance premiums are pushing many hospitals to the edge of sustainable profitability. Hospitals need better patient safety systems in order to reduce the number of medical errors that they commit each year. Making hospitals safer will lower the threat of malpractice lawsuits and control rising insurance costs. BHR Solutions' product is a next generation patient safety system that will provide a more comprehensive and effective approach to patient safety than today's patient safety systems. A major medical health care system has expressed a strong interest in developing a better patient safety system in its hospitals, and has asked BHR Solutions to help synthesize, coordinate and facilitate this 12-month process. Following development and testing of this system, BHR will obtain the rights to market it to other hospitals in need of better patient safety systems.

 

The Goldenberg Rosenthal, LLP $10,000 Second Place Prize Winner
Suhvan Sunglasses
Sean Suh, Pablo Mancheno, Carlos

Suhvan Sunglasses LLC will develop, market and distribute "Sunglasses for the New Millennium." Suhvan's patented sunglasses have truly innovative styling and functional design that eliminates the nose-bridge element found in all traditional eyeglasses. Initially, the product will be aimed at the sport sunglasses market where both function and fashion represent the individual. The company founders have received a utility patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the novel sunglass design. The company's objective is to develop, market and distribute Suhvan-branded and licensed sunglasses to the global sport market. Suhvan's patented sunglasses will be differentiated through their truly innovative styling and functional design that eliminates the nose-bridge element found in all traditional eyeglasses. The bridgeless feature eliminates undesirable pressure points and marks left by conventional sunglasses. The assembly includes a band element that wraps around the back contour of the head. This feature prevents the assembly from falling off the face during sports or other activities, a perennial problem with conventional eyeglasses. The global sunglasses market is a $4.9 billion industry annually. The U.S. market represents $2.1 billion. Suhvan's initial product line will be positioned in the $110 million dollar U.S. sporting market, which represents a 5 percent of the total market.

The Liberty Venture Partners $5,000 Third Place Prize Winner
B2B Oasis
Nilay Jani, Mihir Shah

B2B OASIS, Inc. is designed to be an application service provider to the real estate appraisal and mortgage lending businesses. B2B OASIS has developed two distinct Web-based applications for these market segments: OASIS© av.1, designed for appraisers, and OASIS© lv.1, designed for lenders. OASIS© technology is a horizontally integrated system. It is an appraisal order life cycle management system. It enables appraisers and lenders to save significant staff time by reducing the usage of phone, fax, printers, copiers, scanners and mail. OASIS is a 24/7 accessible, real-time, Web-based application