Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

March 2013 Issue

Tech News and Notes

Innovate Washington Offers Free SBIR/STTR Webinar

Innovate Washington offers a free webinar that introduces the Federal Government's SBIR and STTR programs and the $2.5 billion available in research and development funding for small businesses with innovative technologies. Innovate Washington presenter, Mark Henry, explains and answers your questions on how to secure SBIR/STTR funding. Read more...

Mid-Columbia Small Business Awards

The Small Business Awards Committee is accepting nominations for the Mid-Columbia Small Business of the Year Awards. The Awards program recognizes small businesses in Benton & Franklin Counties for their exceptional customer service, outstanding commitment to employees, and superior community relations. Businesses are encouraged to self-nominate. Intent to nominate is due by March 22; full nominations due April 4. Sponsorships for the event are also available. Read more...

Entrepreneurial Awardees Announced

Byron Martin, Owner of Teknologize

The Richland Rotary Club recently held its annual awards luncheon honoring local entrepreneurs. Recognized this year for their entrepreneurial spirit and drive were: Earmark Construction, Teknologize, Power Focus Engineering, Efficiency Solutions, Rippedsheets.com, Ethos Bakery, and Blue Flame Distillery. The awards program showcases businesses that are not fully mature but show promise for the future. The awards program was co-sponsored by the Tri-Cities Development Council , the Port of Benton , and Battelle . Congratulations to the recognized entrepreneurs!

Tri-Cities Photographer Nominated for Photography Masters Cup Honors in Aerial Category

David Wyatt of Loftics

Professional photographer and previous Richland Rotary Entrepreneurial Award recipient, David Wyatt of Loftics, was presented with the 6th Annual Photography Masters Cup Nominee title in the category of Aerial at a prestigious Nomination & Winners Photoshow. The live online ceremony webcast Saturday, February 16, 2013 was attended by photography fans in 86 countries who logged on to see the climax of the industry's most important event for color photography. Read more...

It's Not a Startup... It's a Startup Business

It's common knowledge that when someone refers to a startup, they really mean a startup business. This article in Geekwire discusses the importance of focusing on the business. Entrepreneurs talk about their idea and their passion for it, the motivation, the solution, the design, and the technology; not so much the business side. But a startup business needs to be more (much more) than just a really good idea. It needs to be a good business too. Read more...

Khris Judy, Randolph Construction, Honored with ATHENA Award

L-R: Mike McWhorter, Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Khris Judy, 2013 ATHENA Leadership Award® recipient - Linnen, 2012 ATHENA Leadership Award® recipient – PNNL

Khris Judy, President and Branch Manager of Randolph Construction Services, was the recipient of the 2013 ATHENA Leadership Awards®. Khris demonstrates, the level of professionalism required to receive the award based on several of her documented achievements including leading Randolph Construction Services from $3 million in annual sales upwards of $70 million from 2003 until the present time. Read more...

Tech Opportunities and Resources

Washington Takes #12 for Job Growth in 2012

Of the 50 states, Washington ranked number 12 for job growth in 2012, according to a study by Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business. This moved Washington up from spot number 14 in 2011, with a 1.09 percent change. Plus, the far west region of the United States now ranks number three for job growth, up from spot number five in 2011. Read more...

Seattle Angel Group Keiretsu Forum Invests $20M in 34 Startups in 2012

Entrepreneurs looking for funding should keep an eye on Keiretsu. The Seattle-based company invested $20.1 million in 34 companies last year, backing startups such as iCapEquity, Journey Gym, Minetta Brook and Puralytics -- a past PNNL technology assistance recipient. All but three of the investments were new deals, with technology companies receiving 43 percent of the funding. That was followed by life sciences (30 percent) and real estate (20 percent). Read more...

Tour DOE's Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory - Virtually

DOE's Environmental Molecular Science Laborary on the campus of PNNL

PNNL has collaboratively launched a virtual tour showcasing four state-of-the-art laboratories and 12 instruments that are within DOE's Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL), a Department of Energy user facility located on the PNNL campus. It features EMSL surface science instruments, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, ion mobility mass spectrometers, and cell isolation and surface analysis tools. EMSL offers more than 150 instruments and a high performance computer, and now some of those instruments can be viewed online. These instruments allow scientists to address some of the nation's greatest energy challenges such as improving biofuels, carbon cycling and its role in climate change and renewable approaches. Read more...

Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center

The Washington PTAC program helps companies find and successfully win contracts for work with the local, state, and federal governments. There are seven centers located across Washington State, assisting companies through the entire process of applying for and fulfilling government contracts, from helping determine what kind of products and services government needs, to registration, bidding and more. Read more...

WSU Tri-Cities Adds Construction Management Master's Degree

Washington State University's online engineering and technology management program has expanded to include a master's degree with a specialization in construction management and a graduate certificate. The new courses and certificate will be offered starting this summer and will include program and facilities management, project controls, conceptual cost estimating, integrated project delivery methods, and sustainability of construction materials. Read more...

Tech Dates and Deadlines

SBIR/STTR Proposal Writing Boot Camp

March 2, 16, and 30. The three-day intensive boot camp helps prepare companies for Phase I SBIR/STTR proposal development. It will feature presentations from Mark Henry, Grow Emerging Companies, and Kedma Ough, 2012 National SBIR/STTR Conference Chair, drawing from their extensive knowledge and experience in the SBIR/STTR realm. The boot camp will be held in Portland, OR, and provide critical proposal writing information to small businesses competing for SBIR/STTR grants and contracts amounting to approximately $2.5 billion in funding annually. Read more...

Non-Dilutive Capital: Finding It, Getting It, and Using It Strategically

March 6. It's no secret that funding a life science business is harder than ever. The contraction of venture capital and cuts to federal grant budgets have made securing non-dilutive funding more difficult, yet ever more crucial to validating technology  and reducing risk early on.  Don't miss this event, hosted by WBBA, if you want learn more about the varied sources of non-dilute capital available to life science companies in Washington and how best to go about finding it, getting it, and using it smartly. This is Part I of a 2-part series. Part II, focused on venture capital, will be held July 10-11, 2013. Read more...

Alliance Northwest Conference

March 14. The 2013 Alliance Northwest Conference is the largest business-to-government conference in the Pacific Northwest. This event features keynote speakers, high quality workshops, and matchmaking sessions with government agencies and prime contractors. Read more...

Meet the Buyers: Doing Business with Colleges and Universities

March 19. Attendees will learn about selling their products or services to Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities and be better prepared to take part in this government marketplace. The session will cover key topics including: What products/services do CBC and WSU-TC purchase? Where and how do you start selling to them? What is the buying process? How do I locate opportunities? The seminar is from 9:00-10:30 at the Tri-Cities Business & Visitor Center. Cost is free. RSVP Required. Read more...

Understanding Government Contracting Solicitations

April 9. The state and federal governments purchase millions of dollars' worth of products and services from small businesses each year. Workshop attendees will gain useful tools that will assist them in better understanding these complicated government solicitations. This session will cover the following key topics: Elements of a Solicitation; Types of Solicitations; Government Purchasing Thresholds; Responding to Sources Sought Notices; and Tips and Tricks to Respond to a RFP. The seminar is from 9:00-10:30 at the Tri-Cities Business & Visitor Center. Cost is free. RSVP Required. Read more...

Walla Walla Business Summit

April 12: The one-day Business Summit is an opportunity to learn from leaders in various business sectors and disciplines. Industry leaders from across the U.S. will converge at the Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center for a day of innovations, trends, and connections. For more information: info@wwbizsummit.com

Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium

April 17-18. The 10th Annual Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium is a business expo with a focus on Government contracting and doing business at Hanford, with exciting networking opportunities and educational breakout session. Register by April 8 for the early-bird discount. Read more...

PNNL This Month

Energy Technology Licensed

Recently, two energy-related licenses were announced-one for technology that balances power supply and demand using decentralized control; the other for a technology that could charge cell phones in minutes. Calico Energy Services of Bellevue, WA licensed PNNL's transactive control demand response technology, which has the potential to improve reliability, reduce costs, and integrate renewable energy. Vorbeck Materials Corp. of Jessup, MD licensed a battery materials technology that could bring lithium batteries incorporating graphene to market for use in consumer portable electronic and medical devices  and electric vehicles. More information can be found in recent press releases. Calico press release. Vorbeck press release.

Tackling Big Data Together

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Washington recently partnered to create the Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing, which will develop new approaches to teasing information out of such large datasets and train a future generation of researchers on how to think about big data. They'll be tackling big challenges facing science and society, like climate change and energy management. Read more...

Got News?

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 Andrea McMakin or call (509) 372-6013.

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 DOE-Richland's vision for the future of the Hanford Site and surrounding area through the creation of research opportunities, new industries, and new business clusters