Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

March 2008 Issue

• Infinia Corporation announces $50M financing, new executives
  Infinia Corporation, Richland, Wash., has closed on a $50 million series B preferred stock financing led by GLG Partners with participation from Wexford Capital LLC and prior investors Vulcan Capital, Khosla Ventures, EQUUS Total Return, Inc., Idealab, and Power Play Energy, LLC. more...
• InnovaTek and WSU win technology development grant
  InnovaTek will collaborate on fuel cell development with Washington State University using funding recently awarded by the Washington Technology Center. more...
• Turning agricultural waste into energy
  The Port of Benton has made a deal with an Oregon pellet maker and a Western Washington company to turn local agricultural waste into an energy source. more...
• PNNL recognized in state, nation
  Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Wash., ranked No. 2, following Microsoft, in Washington CEO magazine's 2007 ranking of top 50 high-tech firms in Washington. more...
• Entrepreneurial firms honored
  Two technology-related firms were among those honored at the Richland Rotary Club 2008 Entrepreneurial Awards on February 12 in the Tri-Cities, Wash. more...
• Business magazine touts Tri-Cities companies
  Three entrepreneurial firms based in the Tri-Cities were featured in the January 2008 issue of Washington CEO magazine. more...
• New building will house economic development, tourism agencies
  Three organizations—the Tri-City Development Council, Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau, and Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce—have begun constructing a new building that will become their shared home later this year. more...
• Tri-Cities in top ten high-tech jobs nationwide
  In recently published data from the National Science Foundation, the Tri-Cities ranked No. 7 in U.S. more...
• Incubator association dissolves as other organizations fill in
  The Tri-Cities Enterprise Association, which provided incubator space, mentoring, and other services for new firms since 1987, is disbanding. more...
• IsoRay names new acting CEO
  IsoRay, a Richland, Wash. company specializing in production of Cesium-131 brachytherapy seeds for cancer treatment, announced that Chief Executive Officer Roger Girard resigned from the company for personal reasons and board member Dwight Babcock was named Chairman and Acting CEO. more...

• R&D funding available
  Applications are due April 24 for Washington Technology Center's Spring 2008 Research & Technology Development funding. more...
• Life sciences funding
  The Life Sciences Discovery Fund has published a request for proposals for its LSDF 08-02 project competition. more...
• Nominations sought for Mid-Columbia Small Business Awards
  Small businesses are invited to apply by April 4 for the 13th Annual Mid-Columbia Small Business of the Year Awards to be presented by the Three Rivers Alliance of Chambers on May 7. more...
• Getting greener? Nominate yourself.
  Washington CEO magazine invites organizations to enter its Green Washington Awards competition. Entries are being accepted from companies, nonprofits, and government agencies of all sizes in Washington that have contributed to environmental sustainability, including clean technology and carbon footprint reduction. more...
• Science news alerts
  A new website, Science Northwest, gives people a way to be notified about science research news in the Northwest. more...
• Which jobs are best?
  Ways to evaluate the quality of jobs in a particular community are described in a recent Tri-City more...
• New executive MBA program
  Washington State University is launching a Master of Business Administration program geared to working professionals at its campus at the Riverpoint Higher Education Park in Spokane. more...
• Submit abstracts for the Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference
  Prospective authors are invited to submit 300-word abstracts by March 17 to the 5th Annual Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference. more...

• Community Leadership Seminar from CBC
  MARCH 5, 12, 19; REGISTRATION ACCEPTED UNTIL CLASS IS FILLED. The Institute for Professional Development at Columbia Basin College presents a three-day leadership course featuring local community leaders and state representatives including Rep. more...
• Getting lean
  MARCH 11, RESERVE BY MARCH 5. The March 11 meeting of the American Society for Quality, Section 614, will address the benefits of the lean production system. more...
• Financing for companies in transition
  MARCH 18, REGISTER BY MARCH 14. The Three Rivers Entrepreneur Network presents its March seminar, "Alternative sources of financing for companies in transition: A non-traditional approach." John Sumpter, Managing Director of Aequitas Capital Management, will describe how investment firms can provide a variety of funding sources to help companies that are growing or downsizing, seeking mergers or acquisitions, or undergoing other transitions. more...
• Ethics from an ex-con
  MARCH 19. DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION BY MARCH 12. The Tri-City Development Council, with presenting sponsor CH2M HILL, will hold the TRIDEC 44th Annual Meeting at the Pasco Red Lion from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on March 19. more...
• Summit for Oregon small businesses and start-up companies
  MARCH 25-27. Small and start-up businesses can attend the Oregon Small Business and Innovative Research Summit, hosted by the Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition and the Portland State Business Accelerator. more...
• Seminars for small businesses
  The Columbia Basin College Institute for Professional Development offers the following workshops in March, from 6 to 9 pm. more...
• Research District master plan
  MARCH 7. Contracts to prepare a master plan for the Tri-Cities Research District will be signed in a ceremony on March 7 at 10 am in the Battelle Auditiorium in Richland, Wash. more...

• Valuation and portfolio strategies for angel investors
  APRIL 14, REGISTRATION CLOSES MARCH 21. Valuation of pre-revenue companies is one of the most important issues in the angel investment process. more...
• 2008 Washington State Technology Summit
  APRIL 15. DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION UNTIL MARCH 14. "Innovation for the Next Washington" is the theme for the 2008 Washington State Technology Summit to be held April 15 from 7:30 am to 5 pm at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Wash. more...
• Tech industry investment forum
  APRIL 24. Entrepreneurs can present and market their companies at the 2008 Washington Technology Industry Association Investment Forum and Technology Showcase on April 24 at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle, Wash. more...

We invite your contributions! We will consider items that fit the mission of this publication, including your tech-related news, awards, and notices of upcoming events. Please send text and photos to Diane Kahler or call (509) 372-4133.

Tri-Cities Tech Business Update is published by the Economic Development Office at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Each month, we send you an e-mail message, giving you the link of news, tips, awards, upcoming events, and other information about local technology-based businesses and organizations that support them. With business and community partners, our goal is to build and diversify the Tri-Cities economy—adding skilled jobs in primary-sector industries that bring in outside dollars. Currently, more than 1,100 tech-related businesses, investors, and economic development stakeholders subscribe to the newsletter, mostly in the Mid-Columbia area and the rest of the Pacific Northwest. This newsletter (RL-P00-009) supports PNSO's vision for the future of the Hanford Site and surrounding area through the creation of research opportunities, new industries, and new business clusters.