Moot Corp > About > Success Stories
Competition Success Stories
Update on
Previous Moot Corp Competitors
NeuroBank, Carnegie Mellon University
2008 Global Moot Corp – Global Champion
NeuroBank has changed its name to NeuralStemCells, Inc. NeuralStemCells, Inc. is
headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and employs two full-time PhD
scientists. NeuralStemCells, Inc. has isolated a new source of neural stem cells
and is preparing a commercial product for the Fall of 2009. To date,
NeuralStemCells, Inc. has raised approximately $250,000 in funding.
Orchid King, Thammasat University
2008 Global Moot Corp - Semifinalist
Orchid King’s OKlone micropropagation technology cultivates market dominating
Phalaenopsis, growing these highly demanded orchids at 5,120% greater yield,
while practically eliminating labor in this $1.5 billion segment. Orchid King
Co., Ltd. was legally incorporated in Thailand in late 2008 to quickly capture
the great opportunity in floral industry which validated during the long and
arduous process of formulating the business plan. The key indicator, early on,
was the fact that customers were jumping at the chance to discuss purchase
agreements even before the company became fully operational. The company was
seeded with angel money in the amount of 4 million baht, sufficient for a start
up size production scale. Orchid King Co., Ltd. is now in the final stages of
establishing their production lab, which is expected to be fully operational by
March 2009. The company has intellectual property agreements with the inventor
for an exclusive right to use the technology and is moving on to the process of
laboratory accreditation to ensure that the quality meets international
standards.
MicroTransponder, University of Texas at Dallas
2008 Global Moot Corp - Honorable Mention in Murphree Challenge
MicroTransponder is a medical device company commercializing wireless interfaces
for the repair or enhancement of the nervous system. Since competing in Moot
Corp, Texas-based MicroTransponder Inc. has raised $4.85 million in funding from
grants and private capital to develop a wireless neurostimulation technology
platform for the treatment of chronic pain and several other neurological
indications. The minimally invasive device is able to deliver precise
stimulation to the areas of pain around the peripheral nerves, with no implanted
batteries or wires. The company is finishing R&D on the device and accumulating
data toward FDA clearance in addition to building out its management team with
experienced executives from companies such as Cyberonics and Advanced Bionics.
MicroTransponder is also developing a device platform for a pipeline of
additional indications based on Vagus Nerve Stimulation, including stroke
rehabilitation, tinnitus, and anxiety. For more information, visit
www.microtransponder.com.
Qcue, University of Texas at Austin
2008 Global Moot Corp - Finalist
Qcue is reinventing the primary ticket marketplace with the world’s only dynamic
pricing engine for live entertainment events. Sports teams, concert promoters
and venues use Qcue’s patent-pending technology to set the right price at the
right time and provide the best value for fans, from the date of on-sale to the
date of the event. Customers and partners include the San Francisco Giants,
Major League Baseball and Tickets.com. Founded in 2007, Qcue is based in Austin,
Texas. For more information, visit www.qcue.net.
Remedium Technologies, University of Maryland
2008 Global Moot Corp
Remedium Technologies is a company dedicated to the development of advanced
hemostatic and tissue sealant materials. Based on the proprietary technology,
they offer a unique solution to effectively stop bleeding for an extremely wide
range of injury types, by implementing the powerful natural phenomenon of self
assembly. Remedium Technologies has received government grants from MIPS and
TEDCO for research and product development. Remedium Technologies has been
making tremendous progress and has been covered in 137 online press sources,
business journals, biotech newswires, etc. Remedium has obtained funding of up
to $164,500. See
http://remediumtechnologies.com.
TrustedGuests.com, London Business School
2008 Global Moot Corp – Honorable Mention Murphree Challenge
TrustedGuests.com competed in Global Moot Corp under the name of
ShellSwitching.com. TrustedGuests.com
helps vacation home owners find trusted guests for their empty nights. They add
trust by allowing the home owner and guest to evaluate one another following a
stay, verifying a guest's membership in a group the owner trusts (such as
alumni, workplace, business and social clubs), allowing "arm's-length"
transactions when renting to friends and friends of friends, and selling
insurance to mitigate financial liability. In addition to adding trust, they
automate the scheduling of the three labor-intensive parts of the vacation home
stay; key delivery and post-stay cleaning and evaluation. They just launched a
service to help students from top business schools, law schools and universities
find housing for their internships and exchanges, and find trusted guests while
they are away. The company remains self-funded and is based in Atlanta.
Cleanspray, Bond University, Australia
2008 Global Moot Corp
Cleanspray now has a small management team and a national distribution network
within Australia, with distributors also in New Zealand. They did some
preliminary work regarding distribution out of the west coast of USA, however
with the onset of the Global Financial Crisis they decided to pull back and
focus on their Australian operations. They have recently received an approach
from a UK importer and distributor and are currently engaged in preliminary
discussions regarding the UK opportunity. Additionally, the company has
identified higher value opportunities in some EU countries and will likely
pursue offshore growth in Europe prior to revisiting the U.S. Further
significant distribution agreements are expected to be closed with large retail
chains in the immediate future (one with the third largest retail chain in
Australia). Cleanspray has grown from a start-up to a full blown operation with
a supply chain from China to Australia and a national distribution footprint
that is growing consistently. The operation has been self-funded by the founder,
with some assistance provided by Australian Govt R&D tax rebates. The company is
debt free and will fund future growth from free cash flow. The major change
since Moot Corp has been a move away from vending machines as the primary means
of market access. The capital intensive vending business has been sold off in an
exclusive supply agreement with one of Australia’s largest independent vending
machine enterprises. That business owner is now one of many clients and sales
via vending is a small component of overall sales levels. The vast majority of
sales are via conventional retail outlets. See
www.cleanspray.com.au.
RLH Technologies, Boise State University
2008 Global Moot Corp - Outstanding Written Plan, Division 6
RLH Technologies has garnered much attention for its fleet information
management system (known as MotiFleet in the Moot Corp Competition). The company
was launched as a C-Corporation in the State of Idaho, and a beta version to the
proposed system has been developed and is currently being tested by over 5,000
customers around the country. The features of the system have been received well
by the beta testers, and the benefits were immediately recognized by the users.
Although many investors have expressed interest in the company, the management
team has elected to forego funding in pursuit of other ventures. The company is
currently undergoing due diligence for an acquisition by a larger company in the
fleet industry.
HydroCoal Technologies, Kennesaw State University
2008 Global Moot Corp - Outstanding Product, Division 7
HydroCoal “will do for coal what cracking did for oil - enable the emergence of
an entire new form of energy utilizing yet transforming existing
infrastructure.” With Hydrocoral’s technology, coal can now be used to create
clean synfuels at prices comparable with oil and natural gas. HydroCoal is
focused one step earlier in the coal conversion chain. That step involves
grinding raw coal into smaller and more porous particles with more surface
reactivity. This product burns more like natural gas. HydroCoal will sell
processors, gasifiers, and direct liquefaction systems, deriving its revenue
from equipment sales and royalties on equipment and process usage. The company
has filed patents and is actively pursuing this avenue to protect its IP.
HydroCoal is seeking funding in the range of $4-6M to fully execute its plan and
address a market of significant size.
MacuCLEAR, University of Texas at Austin
2007 Global Moot Corp – Murphree Challenge First Runner-up
MacuCLEAR Inc. is a specialty clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on
developing and commercializing novel solutions for vascular disorders of the
eye. It has received IND clearance from the FDA and is preparing to commence
human clinical trials. MC-1101, MacuCLEAR's lead compound, is a patented,
topically delivered drug for treating and stopping the progression of
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people
over the age of 50. Subsequent targets beyond dry AMD include diabetic
retinopathy and ischemic retinopathy. In April 2007, MacuCLEAR completed a
private placement of funds to complete preclinical studies and to advance the
product through FDA IND clearance for human clinical testing. In January 2009,
MacuCLEAR received final approval for $1.7M from the Texas Emerging Technology
Fund. See www.macuclear.com for more
information.
Lumedyne Technologies, San Diego State University
2007 Global Moot Corp – Global Champion
Lumedyne Technologies (formerly Omega Sensors) is doing very well despite the
downturn in the economy. They closed the first investor round of $1.5 MM during
the summer of 2008. In September, the company established a partnership with
Lawrence Berkeley National Labs and was awarded a grant from the Department of
Energy’s NETL for ~$1.25 MM. They have been awarded two small contracts from
Northrop Grumman to investigate a customized version of Lumedyne’s sensor
technology for their applications. The first quarter of 2009 has proved to be an
eventful one for Lumedyne. Highlights for the quarter include signing Northrop
Grumman for a second contract to further the work completed for them last
quarter and signing a contract worth more than $8 MM over the next 2-3 years
with a large company in the seismic imaging industry. Progress on their NETL
grant is on track and ahead of schedule. They are continuing to expand with two
new open job openings and plan to move to larger facilities before the end of
the next quarter. See
www.lumedynetechnologies.com.
Agile Sports, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
2007 Global Moot Corp - Semifinalist
Agile Sports completed a Series A financing in June 2007 and officially launched
their product, Hudl Pro, in January 2008. Hudl Pro (previously called Huddle)
allows for teams to share and collaborate on their video, playbook,
presentations, and evaluations online, helping players and coaches to better
prepare to win. Hudl Pro was used by the University of Nebraska football team
throughout the 2007 and 2008 season, and the NFL’s New York Jets signed on and
used the system in March 2008. The Jets used Hudl Pro to dramatically improve
their offensive and defensive installations and team meetings, and the system
played a key role in getting their rookies and free agent acquisitions up to
speed. Throughout the season, many of the Jets’ top players, including Brett
Favre, averaged 2-3 hours every night in Hudl Pro. After receiving multitudes of
requests from high school and smaller college coaches, Agile Sports developed a
fully-hosted, online version of system, Hudl, at a price point that could meet
the needs of teams at any level. After completing a pilot program in the fall of
2008 with 15 schools from the Midwest, the company officially launched Hudl (www.hudl.com)
this past January. They closed on the initial portion on their Series B raise in
December 2008, with Jeff Raikes, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and
the former President of Microsoft Business Divisions, taking the lead position
in the raise. Since its public launch, Hudl has added over 100 partners from
around the world covering a variety of different sports, including football,
soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, track and field, wrestling, and
lacrosse.
SmartSaws, Fayetteville State University
2007 Global Moot Corp - Outstanding Presentation, Division 5
SmartSaws Inc. is in the business of providing yield saving software and control
systems to the wood working machinery industry. They have successfully entered
the Canadian and U.S. markets and succeeded in placing their products with
prominent manufacturers, such as the second and third largest Kitchen Cabinet
manufacturers and second largest casket manufacturer. The company has also
completed their website translation into Portuguese and Russian so that
marketing can begin in the Ukraine and Brazil markets. The downturn in the
economy has created a welcome surprise that was missing in their business plan.
They are now seeing an increase in the retrofit market. Many of their new
clients are interested in updating their existing machinery as opposed to buying
new machinery. SmartSaws has demonstrated that their optimization algorithms can
save five points in yield, thus making the purchase decision based on payback
simple. To support their “try it, then buy it” marketing tactic, they have
successfully reduced their retrofit time down to just four hours. The company is
able to offer customers a glimpse of the money savings before they buy. See
www.tisfoon.com.
Green Dragon Pest Solutions, University of Georgia
2007 Global Moot Corp - Finalist
Green Dragon Pest Solutions, Inc. (formerly Mullis Enterprises) received EPA
registration of its patent pending, environmentally friendly roach bait, Green
Dragon Roach Kill™ in April of 2008 and began building demand in the
professional pest control market by attending national and regional pest
management tradeshows. Most recently GDPS, Inc. partnered with Univar USA, Inc.,
the nation’s largest chemical distributor, to provide its product to customers
in the Southeastern United States. The company was seeded with 65K from 2007
Business Plan Competition winnings and angel money in the amount of $400k. GDPS,
Inc. is currently raising an additional $350k to expand into additional markets
and develop its first ant bait product. For more information, visit
www.gdpsinc.com.
eVapt, University of Texas at Austin
2007 Global Moot Corp – Outstanding Market, Division 4
eVapt Inc. is a software company which enables the pay-as-you-use model for
online services. eVapt Inc. makes usage based monetization of
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Cloud Computing possible. eVapt provides the
most comprehensive, on-demand, truly usage based billing solution that meets the
needs of Cloud Computing providers. Using eVapt's solution, providers can
operate more efficiently and expand rapidly into new market segments. The
company is based out of Austin, Texas. It was formed by software industry
veterans to enable enterprises, small business and individuals to buy business
services on demand. For more information, visit
www.evapt.com.
T&T International, University of Georgia
2007 Global Moot Corp – Semifinalist
T&T International opened its doors for business in the fall of 2007 as an
importer, processor, and distributor of superior quality fresh seafood from
around the world for the American market. The company sells tiger shrimp to
upscale restaurants. T&T International expects sales of $8 million by the end of
the year.
Innovative Sports Strategies, University of Oregon
2007 Global Moot Corp – Outstanding Written Plan, Division IV
Innovative Sports Strategies (ISS) officially launched the beta of their
Elevation brand college athletic financial management software in January 2009.
This was the culmination of 18 months of software development that took place
after the 2007 Moot Corp Competition. The University of Oregon athletic
department quickly became the first beta partner and revenue-generating customer
for ISS. New relationships in the past year with over 60 athletic departments
nationwide have resulted in tremendous interest and leave ISS poised for
significant growth throughout 2009. Financially, ISS is closing in on Series A
financing for additional development and initial sales after raising a quarter
million in bridge financing during initial development. See
www.iss-biz.com for more information.
Elevate Learning, University of Michigan
2007 Global Moot Corp - Outstanding Market, Division 8
Elevate Learning® is an innovative, results oriented, one-to-one online tutoring
program in math, reading and science for K-12 schools and school districts.
Elevate Learning® is part of the fast growing $12.3 billion e-learning industry.
The company capitalizes on the growing trend of customized learning to suit
individual learner’s learning style and pace. Elevate Learning has successfully
test piloted its three programs in 2006 and has received excellent reviews from
school districts, students and parents. The company has bagged orders worth
$100K in the first five months of its commercial launch. Elevate Learning is in
talks with leading educational companies for a marketing alliance to target the
$2 billion market for supplemental educational services. They are currently
based in Chicago.
Hybridtronics, University of Chicago
2007 Global Moot Corp - Thompson & Knight Challenge Winner
Hybridtronics researches and develops hybrid electric systems that can be
retro-fitted into existing vehicles such as trucks and buses. Their hybrid
electric systems improve the fuel economy of the vehicle by about 20% and also
assist the manufacturer in meeting stringent emission norms. They have recently
been engaged by one of the bigger bus manufacturers in South Asia to install the
hybrid electric system on their best selling line of city buses. Consequently,
Hybridtronics has started setting up base in the U.S. and has allocated funds to
hire about 10 people in the next few months. Visit
www.hybridtronics.com.
Optimal Vision Corporation, University of Illinois at Chicago
2007 Global Moot Corp - Semifinalist
Optimal Vision Corporation (OVC) is an early stage medical device company that
is offering a breakthrough vision correction procedure for presbyopia. OVC’s
patented procedure provides the solution for anyone who has to deal with the
hassle of wearing reading glasses. The company's patented procedure, Infrared
Keratectomy (IRK), invented by practicing ophthalmalogist, Dr. Edward Yavitz,
corrects the vision impairment presbyopia without causing damage to the eye.
Optimal Vision Corporation seeks to complete the FDA approval process to bring
their technology to market. Visit
http://optimalvisioncorp.com.
ResuRx Pharmaceuticals, John Hopkins University
2007 Global Moot Corp – Honorable Mention Murphree Challenge
ResuRx systematically screens marketed drugs with a methodical, proven technique
that saves millions of dollars, curtails years of development and maximizes
value. Over 30 pharmaceutical companies and academic laboratories expressed
interest in screening the existing drug collection for new uses. ResuRx’s
current pipeline boasts four drugs entering Phase II clinical trials this year.
They have located a pharmaceutical manufacturer for astemizole, an antihistamine
discovered to have antimalarial properties, and are excited about the
possibility of a clinical trial. They also are in the process of securing a
worldwide patent for use of the antifungal drug itraconazole in the treatment of
angiogenesis related diseases such as cancer and diabetic eye degeneration.
NeuroLife, Carnegie Mellon University
2006 Global Moot Corp – Global Champion
NeuroLife was formed in 2006 with the intent of developing a medical device to
measure intracranial pressure minimally invasively by measuring the intra-ocular
pressure required to collapse the central retinal vein. The company developed a
functioning prototype which was tested in animals. However they were
unsuccessful in raising the required capital to continue operations and
disbanded in 2008. Estimated capital raised was less than $250K.
EnvironBinz, San Diego State University
2006 Global Moot Corp – Honorable Mention Murphree Challenge
EnviroBinz is a San Diego based socially conscious private company focused on
bringing awareness to environmental causes. Envirobinz’s patented product
Envirobin allows pedestrians to make choices when dispensing trash or
recyclables in their respective receptacles. EnviroBinz manufactures special
containers that accept both trash and recycled materials. The bins can be seen
on the streets of National City, and are coming to the city of San Diego.
EnvironBinz is in negotiations with Commercial districts of the United States
for its product. Funding received to date includes $122,000 raised by partners
and $22,000 won in business plan competitions. See
http://www.envirobinz.com/.
Phurnace Software, University of Texas at Austin
2006 Global Moot Corp – Outstanding Presentation, Division V
Like their customers, the founders were only too familiar with the challenges
posed by application servers that had to be up and running. They lived with the
awful inefficiencies and wasted time caused by rampant errors, constant false
starts, workaround scripting and evermore complex installation documentation.
The founders’ compelling vision, and the software supporting it, has been
recognized at every stage in the company’s evolution. In 2007, Phurnace raised
its first professional seed capital from DFJ Mercury, a Houston-based early
stage fund affiliated with Draper Fisher Jurvetson Ventures. In mid 2008,
Phurnace completed its Series A fundraising with an investment led by S3
Ventures, a Texas-based technology venture firm. The company continues to grow
and expand in customer count, customer satisfaction and bringing on additional
talented employees. Learn more at
www.phurnace.com.
Secure-Surfer, University of Georgia
2006 Global Moot Corp - Semifinalist
Secure-Surfer (previously Internet Security Company) provides “Safe Internet
Access For Everyone, From Everywhere, Every Time©”. It is safe for everyone
because it protects against all possible online safety concerns including
phishing, man-in-the-middle and man-in-the-browser attacks as well as keyloggers,
and malware downloads. It is safe everywhere because it is effective even when
accessing the internet from PCs infected with viruses, worms and other malware
or using tapped internet connections. It is safe every time because it guards
even novices practicing unsafe surfing habits or faced with novel social hacking
techniques. See www.secure-surfer.com.
Spark Parking, Northwestern University
2005 Global Moot Corp - Semifinalist
Spark Parking offers pain-free parking management and monitoring - making it
easier for drivers to find and pay for their parking. Spark Parking provides a
wide variety of services including managing off-street and on-street parking,
parking surveys, space counting and parking guidance, enforcement optimization,
and utilizing unsold spaces. In March 2007, Spark Parking was selected by the
City of Emeryville, CA to track parking utilization and length of stay in a
rapidly growing mixed-use neighborhood. The company also released Tele Atlas
ContentLink (SM) for application developers to incorporate into a range of GPS
devices and location-based services and applications. Visit
www.sparkparking.com.
Auditude, University of California Los Angeles
2005 Global Moot Corp
Auditude helps content owners manage and sell ads on their distributed videos,
publishers grow high-value inventory for buyers, and advertisers target premium
video online. By combining our ad platform with our identification system, we
simplify monetization of online video. Auditude has raised $10.5 million funding
round from Redpoint Ventures and existing investor Greylock Partners. This
brings the company's total funding to $23 million. Auditude has started powering
a broader variety of video ads on MySpace and its MySpace Music product, as well
as partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment. Visit
http://auditude.com.
Midway Pharmaceuticals, University of Chicago
2005 Global Moot Corp - Texchange Challenge Winner
Midway Pharmaceuticals has novel proprietary technologies developed by the
Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Chicago for the treatment of
necrotizing enterocolitis (“NEC”) and for inflammatory bowel diseases(“IBD”).
Funding received to date includes approximately $1M in convertible note
financing to run pre-clinical studies. The company is now preparing to file an
IND, and in diligence with two venture funds regarding a Series A financing.
Bigfoot Networks, University of Texas at Austin
2005 Global Moot Corp - Semifinalist
Bigfoot Networks was founded to develop groundbreaking networking hardware and
software for gamers and mass-market consumers. Powered by Bigfoot's proprietary
Lag and Latency Reduction technology, the company's first product line, Killer™
NIC, is the industry's first network interface card (NIC) designed specifically
to improve network performance for a smoother, more responsive online game
experience. The Killer NIC is now shipping in volume with Dell, Alienware,
Falcon Northwest, Commodore and other leading computer system manufacturers. The
company also provides a unique software technology platform that enables game
developers to easily enhance the performance of their online titles for the best
interactive performance and player scalability possible. Bigfoot Networks is
funded by North Bridge Venture Partners and Palomar Ventures. The company
recently launched its second generation Gaming Network Card the Killer Xeno Pro.
The company has partnered with Alienware and EVGA to distribute the new PCI-E
version of Killer now also fully offloading gaming voice chat. To learn more,
visit www.killernic.com.
Mi Viejita, London Business School
2005 Global Moot Corp - Semifinalist
Mi Viejita brings the very best authentic Mexican cuisine to the next
generation. It uses all natural ingredients of the highest quality. While Mi
Viejita continues to develop the retail channel with the Mi Viejita brand, they
have launched a second brand: MexGourmet. MexGourmet is intended to serve the
fast growing ethnic foodservice market. They are also offering tailor made
developments for restaurant chains which love Mi Viejita’s format but require
their recipe. Mi Viejita would consider private labels programs and alternative
channels such as camping food. See
www.miviejitausa.com.
ClearCount Medical Solutions, Carnegie Mellon University
2004 Global Moot Corp – First Runner-up
ClearCount Medical Solutions is a medical device company focused on patient
safety solutions. ClearCount has assembled an extendable RFID-based platform
that provides a comprehensive solution to drive efficiency while preventing
medical errors. ClearCount’s SmartSponge System is the only FDA-cleared RFID
enabled system for counting and detecting surgical sponges. Surgical sponges are
the most commonly retained foreign object after surgery, representing the
leading surgical “Never Event” that impacts hospitals, staff, and patients. As
of October 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and a
number of private insurers no longer reimburse hospitals for procedures
associated with “Never Events” including retained surgical sponges. The
SmartSponge System is a reconciliation and detection solution that improves
patient and O.R. safety, enhances operational efficiency, and reduces cost.
ClearCount closed on a $4.1M Series A financing round in October, 2008. The
round was led by Draper Triangle Ventures, Midwestern-based Network Partner of
Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ). To learn more, visit
www.clearcount.com.
Chipotle Business Group, University of Texas at Austin
2004 Global Moot Corp
Chipotle Business Group, Inc. (CBGI) is dedicated to revolutionizing water
analysis with its proprietary intellectual property for the rapid detection of
micro-organisms, such as E. coli and Enterococcus, in water. CBGI has been
awarded up to $1,000,000 by the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF) to advance
technologies to a working prototype system. CBGI is advancing technology on many
fronts including two Sponsored Research Agreements with The University of Texas
at Arlington departments of Biology and Chemistry & Biochemistry. CBGI
anticipates meeting the first-round TETF milestones in early fourth-quarter 2009
with follow-on TETF funding shortly thereafter. For additional information, see
www.ChipotleGroup.com.
Jet Yi, University of Michigan
2004 Global Moot Corp - Atrium Capital Challenge Winner
Jet Yi (previously Jet Red) is developing a new low-cost-airline carrier in
China. The airline will serve the huge and growing middle class in China. The
cost structure for Jet Yi will be over 15% lower than the major domestic
airlines China Eastern and China Southern. The start-up airline has lined up
private equity funding commitments, built a management team, and has created an
operating plan to launch the airline operations in China. Jet Yi is awaiting
approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). They are
currently chartering two routes with Sichuan Airlines.
Veran Medical Technologies, Vanderbilt University
2004 Global Moot Corp - Semifinalist
The Veran 4D technology is unlocking the potential for therapy delivery to
organs that move with heartbeat and respiration. The company's flagship product,
the 'IG4', received FDA clearance in April 2006. The company began human trials
in June 2006 at Brown Medical Center in Providence, RI, and at Boston Medical
Center. They are preparing a third site at M.D. Anderson in Houston. Human
trials have gone exceptionally well. There appears to be significant interest in
the Veran platform from the biopsy and ablation practice areas. Veran Medical
Technologies (VMT) expects to begin generating revenue by the end of June 2008.
VMT has raised $3 Million from outside investors. Currently a 'go-to-market'
round of investment is being pursued. See
www.veranmedical.com/.
uShip, University of Texas at Austin
2004 Global Moot Corp – Semifinalist
uShip.com operates a website that helps
individuals and businesses that have something they need transported, such as
cars, boats, LTL freight and furniture, to find reliable service providers to
handle the load. Unlike a directory or classifieds site, uShip.com uses a
reverse-auction style format where transporters bid against each other to win
the job, which drives down the final price to the consumer. uShip.com has
continued to see strong growth since its participation in Moot Corp and its
launch in 2004. Three members of the Moot Corp team, Matt Chasen, Jay Manickam
and Mickey Millsap, remain with the company and are all active in its
management. uShip.com’s growth has been aided by two venture funding rounds from
Benchmark Capital and DAG Ventures, with the last funding round occurring in
September 2006. uShip.com remains in Austin, TX and has seen its headcount grow
to over 40 employees.
MicroMRi, University of Pennsylvania
2003 Global Moot Corp
MicroMRI’s first product is a suite of MRI-based biomarkers for the monitoring
of osteoporosis. Known as topology biomarkers, they measure the
microarchitecture of bone, which breaks down in osteoporosis long before a
noticeable change in the bone’s density can be measured. MicroMRI acquired the
underlying intellectual property from the University of Pennsylvania. It
partners with pharmaceutical companies to establish the effectiveness of the
biomarkers. Leveraging a strategic partnership with GE, it installs the system
in U.S. premier hospitals and abroad. MicroMRI is winning new contracts, making
valuable partnerships and is poised for further growth. Funding received is
$3.5M to date with revenues of $2M pharma contract and $6M government grants.
Visit www.micromri.com/.
Halsa Pharmaceuticals, University of Texas at Austin
2001 Global Moot Corp – TL Ventures Challenge Winner
Halsa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a start-up biotechnology company developing
therapeutics for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases. Halsa
Pharmaceuticals has achieved exclusive patent rights to a natural material that,
when injected by a physician into an obese patient, will cause immediate and
substantial depletion of body fat. Respected organizations provide significant
evidence that validates the technology. Halsa has assembled the management team,
advisory board, and the industrial and academic alliances in order to facilitate
commercialization of this anti-obesity therapeutic; the company has performed
detailed planning with respect to critical paths to commercialization, such as
manufacturing and preclinical trial protocols, has raised capital, and is
executing on its plan. Visit
www.halsapharma.net.