Ypsilanti’s ISSYS lands $1.5M NIH grant for pre-clinical studies
Integrated Sensing Systems has scored a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Health to help the company finish the pre-clinical work on its new technology, which wirelessly monitors the heart. "It's the last stage of a very long process before you get to human trials," says Nader Najafi, president & CEO of Integrated Sensing Systems. The Ypsilanti-based firm, commonly known as ISSYS, designs and develops microelectromechanical... [Read More...]
Avicenna Medical Solutions expands client list, planning for growth
Avicenna Medical Solutions has signed its second big client to its AviTracks Chronic Disease Management System, bringing The Veterans Affairs (VA) Ann Arbor Healthcare System on board. "We see a big potential for growth," says Frank Pelosi, vice president & CMO of Avicenna Medical Solutions. "This VA contract is a big step forward for us. We see it as a big opportunity." AviTracks helps veterans manage treatment for chronic... [Read More...]
Estrakon hires 8 as it aims to close $750,000 seed round
Estrakon is in the midst of two things these days: wrapping up a six-figure seed capital round and a job-creation spurt. The Ann Arbor-based LED sign manufacturer recently received a $250,000 investment from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund. So far it has raised $600,000 in this seed capital round, and hopes to close out the round when it gets to $750,000 by the end of the month. The investment is coming on the heels of some rapid growth in the... [Read More...]
U-M launches Venture Shaping Program to turn ideas into startups
Business ideas don't always make profitable businesses. A new program at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business hopes to make that transition more commonplace in Ann Arbor. U-M is launching the Mayleben Family Venture Shaping Program through the Zell-Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. The new program is being funded by a gift from Aastrom Biosciences president & CEO Tim Mayleben (a U-M graduate) and his wife,... [Read More...]
Student demand grows SE Michigan’s rental landscape
Three of the five top real estate deals in 2011 were in Ann Arbor… and fueled by the student rental market. SE Michigan has long lagged behind other metro areas when it comes to rental options – particularly in downtown setting. But it look like the market is slowly changing. Excerpt: "The vacancy rate for apartments in Ann Arbor was 3.6 percent at the end of the third quarter, according to information from Washington, D.C.-based... [Read More...]
Biotechnology Business Consultants eyes big biz impact over next 3 years
Had you asked Lisa Kurek her opinion about the potential of growing biotech start-ups in Michigan late last year, she would have told you to ask her again in a month or two. Ask her today, and the managing partner of Biotechnology Business Consultants won't put off the question. She will exude confidence. Kurek points out that the recent reauthorization of the federal Small Business Innovation Research grants brought stability back to the bio-tech... [Read More...]
Hyundai’s $15M investment to lead to 50 new jobs
Hyundai is sinking $15 million into its Hyundai America Technical Center, an investment that promises to create 50 jobs in the Ann Arbor-based facility. "The Ann Arbor area has had the good fortune of being an increasingly bigger cluster of automotive research and development activity among a number of different nameplates," says Paul Krutko, president & CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK. The Ann Arbor area is home to a number research and development... [Read More...]
Ann Arbor’s re:group adds 3 jobs, expands into healthcare field
Ann Arbor-based re:group is growing its bottom line and staff by adding more health-care businesses to its customer list. "We really have made a concerted effort to grow our business," says Carey Jernigan, director of business development for re:group. "We expect to grow significantly this year. I hope to double our revenue." The downtown-based firm that specializes in branding and Internet marketing has added the likes of St.... [Read More...]
Logic Solutions adds 7 jobs, develops new Showcase sales app
Logic Solutions has traditionally been a custom software maker, but the Ann Arbor-based company is going a bit more mass market with its latest product, Showcase. The iPad app (the Android version is still in development) is designed for companies with mobile sales forces. The app provides the normal catalog features, along with some custom-software touches, such as back-end CMS and 3-D rotating images of products. "We hesitate to call it a... [Read More...]
OcuSciences puts diabetes test through clinical trials, adds two jobs
OcuSciences continues to grow its staff as it pushes forward its development of an ocular test for diabetes, hiring two University of Michigan graduates in recent months. The University of Michigan spin-out is developing an ocular diagnostic technology for metabolomic diseases. In layman's terms, that technology allows doctors to diagnose patients with diseases like diabetes by scanning their eyes. The process has the potential to be more accurate... [Read More...]
