Member News

Astia wins award for work with women entrepreneurs

Astia, a San Francisco-based virtual incubation program for woman-led start-ups, received the 2007 "Champions for Women in Business" award from The Women's Congress. The award honors organizations that support women business leaders through education, funding and outreach. Astia, which currently works with more than 75 women-led companies, has helped its clients raise more than $365 million in funding since 2003. Astia accepted the award at a Women's Congress event in Miami in January.

Ohio University Innovation Center admitted to state incubation program

The Ohio University Innovation Center in Athens, Ohio, has been admitted to the state's Edison Technology Incubator Program. A project of the Ohio Department of Development, the Edison program is the "gold standard" for technology incubators in the state, says Innovation Center Director Linda Clark. Inclusion in the program will bring $100,000 to $200,000 in state funding annually to the Innovation Center beginning in the 2010 fiscal year. Founded in 1983, the Innovation Center has graduated more than 26 companies. In 2006 alone, the incubator's clients employed 217 individuals in one of the poorest areas of the state.

Partnership expands Maryland incubation program's reach

The Emerging Technology Centers has two facilities in or around Baltimore. Unfortunately, neither of those facilities offered wet lab space – a serious hindrance in a burgeoning life science hub. But under a new agreement with the developer of the University of Maryland, Baltimore BioPark, ETC will provide incubation services to bioscience and life science start-ups that locate within the research park. "This agreement will allow start-up biotech and life science firms to locate at the UMB BioPark in physical space that can accommodate their unique needs, while still receiving the business mentoring, technical and networking services that traditionally have been provided by the ETC and that are essential to helping these companies grow,” says ETC Executive Director Ann Lansinger. The agreement also gives clients located in other ETC facilities access to BIoPark labs. Since opening in 1999, ETC has served 142 companies.

Iowa entrepreneurial center launches second venture fund

The John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa, recently formed a second venture capital fund. Nearly 70 investors from 20 cities in the region pumped $2.2 million into the North Iowa Venture Capital Fund II, making it the largest community-based venture capital fund in the state. The first North Iowa Venture Capital Fund, established in 2003, raised $1.7 million and had funded 11 companies as of December 2007. Founded in 1998, the NIACC JPEC includes a business incubator, business accelerator and SBDC; it also offers workforce development and entrepreneurial education.