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Technology

AutoAAN Launches Crowd Funding Campaign for Affordable Voicemail App

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Buy It Once, and Never Pay for Voicemail Again.

Toronto, Canada, June 13th, 2014 — Today, Toronto startup Think Idea Do announced the launch of its Indiegogo crowd funding campaign for Automatic Answer And Notify (“AutoAAN”), the affordable and smarter voicemail app that aims to save subscribers from overpriced, monthly voicemail charges.

Many people don’t know it, but voicemail can cost almost $100 per year for many plans. For a limited one-time price of $5, you can get the AutoAAN app for iOS or Android and never pay for voicemail again. It works for all carriers, anywhere in the world.

Supplier: AutoAAN
Monthly Fee: $0.00 None!!!!
Max No. of Messages: Limited by available phone memory
Minutes per Message: Limited by available phone memory
Days Kept: Limited by available phone memory
Notes: Applicable carrier airtime charges may apply. Check with your plan/provider for details. See AutoAAN.com for further details

Supplier: AT&T
Monthly Fee: US $2.00
Max No. of Messages: 40
Minutes per Message: 5
Days Kept: 30
Notes: See ATT.com for further details

Supplier: Bell Canada
Monthly Fee: $8.00
Max No. of Messages: 25
Minutes per Message: 5
Days Kept: 14
Notes: See Bell.ca for further details

Supplier: Fido
Monthly Fee: $6.00
Max No. of Messages: 3
Minutes per Message: 3
Days Kept: 3
Notes: Includes Call Display

Supplier: Fido
Monthly Fee: $7.00
Max No. of Messages: 35
Minutes per Message: 5
Days Kept: 10
Notes: Please refer to Fido.com for further details

Supplier: Rogers
Monthly Fee: $4.99
Max No. of Messages: 35
Minutes per Message: 5
Days Kept: 10
Notes: Also includes Premium Voicemail-To-Text, Name Display, WhoCalled™

Supplier: Sprint
Monthly Fee: US $2.99
Max No. of Messages: 40
Minutes per Message: 5
Days Kept: 40
Notes: See Sprint.com for further details

Supplier: T-Mobile
Monthly Fee: US $2.99
Max No. of Messages: 40
Minutes per Message: 5
Days Kept: 40
Notes: See T-Mobile.com for further details

Supplier: Telus
Monthly Fee: $5.00
Max No. of Messages: 10
Minutes per Message: 5
Days Kept: 10
Notes:

Supplier: Telus
Monthly Fee: $8.00
Max No. of Messages: 25
Minutes per Message: 5
Days Kept: 25
Notes: See Telus.com for further details

Supplier: Verizon
Monthly Fee: US $2.99
Max No. of Messages: 40
Minutes per Message: 5
Days Kept: 40
Notes: See Verizonwireless.com for further details

In May, AutoAAN commissioned a study to gauge the impact this could have. Over 400 people were surveyed, and the results showed that 42 percent of voicemail users didn’t know how much they were paying. On top of that, over 45 percent would switch to AutoAAN if they didn’t have to pay for voicemail again. If 10,000,000 voicemail users made the switch, they could save over $600 million a year (by replacing a $5 monthly plan.)

On top of the savings, AutoAAN has additional features that your standard voicemail is missing. There are no limits on how many messages you can store or how long they can be, and they never expire. When the phone rings, you can choose from one of 12 “contextual greetings” to play for the caller. Instead of your standard “I’m not here, leave a message,” you can let them know you’re in a meeting, at a restaurant, or watching cat videos.

Founder Daniel Feuer is a serial entrepreneur and a mentor to young entrepreneurs and his hope is that AutoAAN will end the expensive voicemail monopoly. “Our app is the first that puts the control of voicemail where it should be, with the phone owner. No longer will anyone be dependent on their carrier for an under-powered and over-priced answering machine,” said Feuer. “Aside from the practical cost savings, callers can now have context as to why they received voicemail and when the call will be returned. AutoAAN will do for voicemail what VOIP did for long-distance by providing competition and savings.”

AutoAAN’s Indiegogo campaign lasts until July 10 and is flexible, meaning that any funds contributed will go toward the project. The app is expected to be released in September 2014.

AutoAAN Site:
http://www.autoaan.com

Indiegogo Campaign Page”
http://bit.ly/NPFVA98

Press Contact & Media Coordinator:
Sasha Watkins
AutoAAN
Toronto, Canada
1-800-224-5560 extension 802
Sasha.Watkins@thinkideado.com
http://www.autoaan.com

Technology

Innova Biosciences Develops Site-Specific Bioconjugation Technology

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Innova Biosciences, the inventor of the world’s easiest to use antibody labeling kits, is pleased to announce the launch of a site-specific bioconjugation technology for attaching antibodies to gold nanoparticles.

Lincolnshire, UK, September 05, 2013 – Innova Biosciences, the inventor of the world’s easiest to use antibody labeling kits, is pleased to announce the launch of a site-specific bioconjugation technology for attaching antibodies to gold nanoparticles.

Innova’s core business is ‘bioconjugation’ – the joining of two molecules to form a hybrid ‘conjugate’. Conjugates are used in diagnostic tests in hospitals and research labs around the world and in consumer items such as pregnancy test kits. Traditional methods for producing gold conjugates do not provide any control over the orientation of antibodies on the surface of the gold, which may lead to poor performance. Innova’s latest conjugation kit, InnovaCoat® Gold-Hydrazide, allows antibodies to be conjugated via the Fc region, resulting in functional orientation on the nanoparticle surface and enhanced assay sensitivity.

Commenting on the launch of the new conjugation kit Dr Nick Gee, CEO of Innova Biosciences said: “In clinical diagnostics and point-of-care testing there is a desire for more sensitive detection systems to achieve earlier diagnosis and better treatment outcomes, for the benefit of human and veterinary health. This new product combines InnovaCoat® gold nanoparticle stabilisation technology and antibody orientation technology to enhance the performance of antibody-based diagnostic reagents.”

About Innova Biosciences Limited:
Innova Biosciences is a growing, dynamic, ISO 9001:2008 business based in Cambridge, UK. At the core of Innova’s business are the Lightning-Link®, InnovaCoat® and Thunder-Link® technologies, which simplify the production of antibody-based reagents. The expanding portfolio is sold to research laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and diagnostic companies worldwide. For more information, please see www.innovabiosciences.com.

Contact:
Mathew Taylor
Director
Algorythm Solutions Ltd
10 Torkington St, Stamford
Lincolnshire PE9 2UY
+44 (0)773 403 2112
mtaylor@algorythmsolutions.com

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Business

For Futures Magazine, Edgar Perez’s The Speed Traders An Enlightening Read on High-Frequency Trading

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Edgar Perez, Author, The Speed Traders: An Insider’s Look at the New High-Frequency Trading Phenomenon That is Transforming the Investing World, Published by in English by McGraw-Hill Inc. (2011), Mandarin by China Financial Publishing House (2012), and Bahasa Indonesia by Gramedia (2012) and Course Director, The Speed Traders Workshop 2012 (Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Warsaw, Kiev, Beijing and Shanghai).

New York City, NY, USA (May 28, 2013) — An enlightening read is how John Siewers III, a commodity broker for more than 20 years with 15 years experience on the Chicago trading floors, summarizes Edgar Perez’s book, The Speed Traders for Futures Magazine. “When a successful money making machine enters the picture, the expansion from the few to the many will occur naturally. The book is very clear on the evolutionary line. Perez has cornered a few of the success stories and had the luck/gumption to interrogate (er, interview) the few who would sit for it. It’s seems to be a cross technique he follows, while not exactly exposing the traders, and not exactly a promotional piece. I am sure their publicist, if they have one, couldn’t have been happier.”

“The fact that active players in this high-speed shuffle have different ideas of what constitutes high-frequency trading is logical when a new strategy evolves out of breathtakingly fast technological changes. High-frequency trading developers and entrepreneurs have chosen to remain, from inception through the recent flurry of regulation, litigation and bad press, in the shadows as any extremely profitable format of trading logically would. Many rumors and preconceived ideas have sprung up among the general public as well as the animosity of more traditional investors. As a natural result a continuation of secrecy remains, as you would expect in any number of highly successfully systems. An insider’s look is right. Perez does a fine job of laying out the argument FOR high frequency trading.”

The Speed Traders, An Insider’s Look at the New High-Frequency Trading Phenomenon That is Transforming the Investing World has been published in English by McGraw-Hill Inc. (2011), in Mandarin by China Financial Publishing House (2012) and Bahasa Indonesia by Gramedia and Portuguese. The author contributes regularly to The New York Times and China’s International Finance News.

Perez has been interviewed on CNBC Cash Flow, CNBC Squawk Box, BNN Business Day, CCTV China, Bankier.pl, TheStreet.com, Leaderonomics, GPW Media, Channel NewsAsia Business Tonight and Cents & Sensibilities. In addition, Perez has been featured on Caixin, Futures Daily, Xinhua, CBN Newswire, Chinese Financial News, ifeng.com, International Finance News, hexun.com, Finance.QQ.com, Finance.Sina.com, The Korea Times, The Korea Herald, The Star, BMF 89.9, iMoney Hong Kong, CNBC, Bloomberg Hedge Fund Brief, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dallas Morning News, Valor Econômico, FIXGlobal Trading, TODAY Online, Oriental Daily News and Business Times.

Perez has been engaged to present to the Council of Foreign Relations and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Washington DC), CFA Singapore, Hong Kong Securities Institute, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University, University of International Business and Economics (Beijing), Hult International Business School (Shanghai) and Pace University (New York), among other public and private institutions. In addition, Perez has spoken at a number of global conferences, including Harvard Business School’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Conference (Boston), High-Frequency Trading Leaders Forum (New York, Chicago), MIT Sloan Investment Management Conference (Cambridge), Institutional Investor’s Global Growth Markets Forum (London), Technical Analysis Society (Singapore), TradeTech Asia (Singapore), FIXGlobal Face2Face (Seoul) and Private Equity Convention Russia, CIS & Eurasia (London).

Perez was a vice president at Citigroup, a senior consultant at IBM, and a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Co. in New York City. Perez has an undergraduate degree from Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Lima, Peru (1994), a Master of Administration from Universidad ESAN, Lima, Peru (1997) and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School, New York, with a dual major in Finance and Management (2002). He belongs to the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. Perez resides in the New York City area and is an accomplished salsa and hustle dancer.

Media Contact:
Julia Petrova
Media Relations Coordinator
The Speed Traders
+1-516-761-4712
jpetrova@thespeedtraders.com
http://www.thespeedtraders.com

Business

Closing Deals with Hundreds of Traders & Techies at High-Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2013 London

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Golden Networking hosts the World’s Most Influential High-Frequency Trading Conference Series, High Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2013 “Strategic and Tactical Insights for Investors, Speed Traders, Brokers and Exchanges”, London (March 21), New York City (May 30) and Chicago (October 8) (www.High-Frequency-Trading-Conference.com).

New York City, NY, USA (March 13, 2013) — Finance, technology and consulting firms can provide unique insights from their industry exposure to unique audiences looking to maintain their edge in the competitive investment arena. Golden Networking‘s forums have been known to raise the profile of both established and emerging firms in finance, technology and consulting. Alternative investments analysts, asset managers, automated traders, chief economists, chief investment officers, chief operating officers, chief risk officers, chief technology officers, developers, financial engineering graduates, fund of funds managers, heads of trading, government regulators, hedge fund managers, high-frequency traders, institutional investors, investment professionals, legal advisors, portfolio managers, proprietary traders, quality directors, quantitative traders, risk managers and statistical arbitrageurs are a few of the titles of attendees expected at High-Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2013.

High-Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2013 (http://www.High-Frequency-Trading-Conference.com), “Strategic and Tactical Insights for Investors, Speed Traders, Brokers and Exchanges”, forums that will be held in London (March 21), New York City (May 30) and Chicago (October 8), will provide the financial and technology communities the opportunity to reach out hedge funds traders, high-frequency trading quants, managers, technologists and practitioners in general while they get the most up-to-date review of where this ever-changing industry stands and is going through inspiring keynote speeches and revealing panel discussions.

Participating as a Sponsor of our High-Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2013 is an excellent opportunity for finance and technology companies to receive maximum exposure to the high-frequency, quantitative and algorithmic trading communities. Golden Networking is offering three outstanding packages each with a terrific set of privileges for different budgets: Platinum, Gold and Silver, plus specific add-ons that include sponsoring a breakfast, a lunch or a networking reception.

Key Platinum Sponsorship benefits:

– Keynote speaker opportunity
– Top logo placement in ALL program materials
– Top logo placement on website with hyperlink
– Two (2) exhibition stand units
– Complimentary six (6) passes for your clients & prospects
– Acknowledgement of sponsorship during remarks
– Full-page program insert
– Final attendee list with contact information

Key Gold Sponsorship benefits:

– Panelist / moderator opportunity
– Prominent logo placement in ALL program materials
– Prominent logo placement on website with hyperlink
– One (1) exhibition stand unit
– Complimentary 4 passes for your clients & prospects
– Acknowledgement of sponsorship during remarks
– Full-page program insert
– Final attendee list with contact information

Key Silver Sponsorship benefits:

– Logo placement in ALL program materials
– Logo placement on website with hyperlink
– One (1) exhibition stand unit
– Complimentary 2 passes for your clients & prospects
– Acknowledgement of sponsorship during remarks
– Half-page program insert
– Final attendee list with contact information

Key Associate Sponsorship benefits:

– Logo placement on website with hyperlink
– One (1) exhibition stand unit
– Complimentary two (2) passes for your clients & prospects
– Final attendee list with contact information

Key Exhibitor Sponsorship benefits:

– One (1) exhibition stand unit
– Complimentary two (2) passes for your clients & prospects

High Frequency Trading Leaders Forum 2013 is produced by Golden Networking (http://www.goldennetworking.net), the premier networking community for business executives, entrepreneurs and investors. Panelists, speakers and sponsors are invited to contact Golden Networking by calling +1-414-FORUMS0 or sending an email to info@goldennetworking.net.

Media Contact:
Julia Petrova
Media Relations Coordinator
Golden Networking
+1-414-FORUMS0
jpetrova@goldennetworking.net
http://www.goldennetworking.net

Technology

P2I Previews Advanced IPX7 Dunkable™ Technology at Mobile World Congress

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With millions of users already benefiting from the company’s splashproof liquid repellent nano-coating on Motorola and TCL Communication smartphones and tablets, P2i is unveiling its new, Dunkable™ technology at Mobile World Congress.

Hampshire, UK, February 28, 2013 – Dunkable™ is a game-changing hydrophobic barrier which allows electronics to function in liquids for an extended period of time. Differentiating itself from the splashproof technology, which is a hydrophobic layer approximately 1000 times thinner than a human hair, the Dunkable™ barrier enables manufacturers to reach an IPx7 water protection rating.

Dr. Stephen Coulson, Chief Technical Officer, P2i, said: “P2i recognizes the market need for a truly dunkable technology which goes beyond protecting against accidental splashes and spills. We have already proven on tens of millions of electronic devices that our everyday splashproof technology significantly reduces water ingress and dramatically increases reliability.

However those needing protection against full submergence for a significant period of time, require something extra. P2i’s cutting-edge Dunkable™ technology provides just this by preventing long lasting corrosion and water damage. Make no mistake; this technology signals the end of extra gaskets, membranes, snubbers, clumsy plastic jack plugs and ugly watertight cases. Dunkable™ is IPx7 without changing the look and feel of a smartphone.”
As a commercially successful innovator, P2i operates in five key market sectors, including Electronics, Lifestyle and Filtration.

It was first established in 2004 to commercialize liquid repellent technologies originally designed to protect soldiers’ military uniforms from chemical attack. P2i has an extended patent portfolio enabling the development of further technologies and application methods. Today, P2i operates as a global outfit, with expertise extending across the technology, engineering and implementation processes.

Carl Francis, Chief Executive Officer, P2i, said: “Dunkable™ represents the very latest advancement in nanocoating technology for the smartphone and tablet market. With over 60 patent families behind us, and dedicated teams researching functional nano-coatings such as anti-scratch, the future is very bright for P2i and our customers.”

Over the past two years P2i has received recognition for the successful leadership and commercialization of its nano-coating technologies through a great variety of industry awards and has been shortlisted for GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards 2013 in the ‘Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough’ category.

About P2i
P2i is the world leader in liquid repellent nano-coating technology. It was established in 2004 by Dstl/Ploughshare Innovations to commercialize liquid repellent treatments developed by the UK’s Ministry of Defence. Now on a commercial scale, P2i’s patented process has been successfully applied to a wide range of products in a wide range of markets including Electronics, Lifestyle, Life Sciences, Military & Institutional and Filtration & Energy. See http://www.p2i.com for more information.

Media Contact Natasha Verniquet +44 (0)1235 838 715 or natasha.verniquet@p2i.com

About Ploughshare Innovations
Ploughshare Innovations manages the commercial licensing to industry of intellectual property developed by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). Ploughshare’s goal is to give clients a competitive edge, by lowering technology risk, reducing R&D costs, speeding time to market, and maximizing the business opportunity. It provides leading edge, application focussed technology, backed up with the assurance of advanced IP support and protection. Ploughshare Innovations is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dstl.

Media Contacts Chris Goff +44 (0)1794 301602 or chris.goff@ploughshareinnovations.com

Contact:
Chris Goff
Ploughshare Innovations Ltd.
Unit 2, Nine Mile Water Business Park
Nether Wallop, Stockbridge
Hampshire SO20 8DR
+44 (0)1794 301602
pr@newsvend.com
http://www.ploughshareinnovations.com

Technology

Innova Biosciences Develops Technology to Increase Sensitivity of Diagnostic Tests

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World healthcare models are continuously facing financial challenges when it comes to providing for an ageing population.

Oxford, UK, February 20, 2013 – World healthcare models are continuously facing financial challenges when it comes to providing for an ageing population. The current models for provision are increasingly questioned with the upward trend in healthcare spending becoming a significant portion of the GDP. One solution to alleviate the ever increasing burden is earlier detection of disease using more accurate and sensitive diagnostic kits.

Innova Biosciences has recently launched a technology called Thunder-Link® which will facilitate the development of diagnostic tests. The innovative technology has been designed to allow non-specialists to engineer oligonucleotide conjugates with ease. Such biomolecule complexes are increasingly used in high-sensitivity diagnostic kits, and are designed to overcome limited sensitivity and linear range often encountered with traditional antibody-enzyme conjugates. Prior to Thunder-Link® such biomolecules were difficult and expensive to develop and required specialist knowledge.

Commenting on the launch Nick Gee, CEO, ‘All of Innova’s products in one way or other are geared towards generating conjugates more easily and quickly and improving assay performance. The launch of the Thunder-Link® range of oligo conjugation products firmly places Innova as a key reagent supplier to the diagnostic industry and will assist in bringing high performance diagnostic kits to market.’

About Innova Biosciences Limited
Innova Biosciences is a growing, dynamic business based in Cambridge, UK. At the core of Innova’s business are Lightning-Link® and InnovaCoat® technologies that simplify the production of antibody-based reagents. The expanding portfolio of products is sold to research laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and diagnostic companies worldwide. The company is ISO 9001:2008 certified.

Contact:
Mathew Taylor
Director
Algorythm Solutions Ltd
10 Torkington St, Stamford
Lincolnshire PE9 2UY
+44 (0)773 403 2112
mtaylor@algorythmsolutions.com

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Business, Consumer Services, Internet & Online, Technology, Telecom

nGen VidCom LLC Announces High Speed Video Service to Nigeria through a Strategic Alliance

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nGen VidCom LLC, a global leader in converged video and collaborations services, today announced a new, strategic alliance with Vision Telecommunications Technologies Nigeria, a leading telecommunications hardware and services company, to bring a high speed video collaboration gateway from Nigeria to North America.

Under the terms of this multi-year alliance, Vision Telecommunications Technologies will offer its customers GlobalMeetLive (GML), a cloud-based video collaboration solution to its new and existing customers and channel partners.

“All businesses rely upon web based collaboration to conduct business in this rapidly changing economy. “nGen’s GML solution combines collaboration, true video conferencing and large scale streaming all within a single service” said Tom Clark, CEO of nGen VidCom LLC. “Our alliance with Vision Telecommunications Technologies Nigeria will allow both firms to provide full converged video collaboration communications with no latency or loss of quality between the continents”.

GlobalMeetLive is nGen’s cloud-based converged cloud based collaboration solution that replaces existing collaboration services by combining HD Video Conferencing, web Collaboration and interactive streaming in one solution. Of strategic significance is GML’s “firewall traversal” technology that allows video communications to traverse the enterprise firewall without compromising security or adversely affecting network resources (bandwidth). GML users are able to conduct face-to-face meetings on all communications devices, desk & laptops, tablets and smart phones.

“This alliance will enable a clear connection between world financial centers in Africa, North America, Europe and Asia,” said Adesola Dada, CEO and Founder of Vision Telecommunications Technology Nigeria, LLC. “At this time our firms are pioneering advanced, cloud based video services between the two continents”.

About nGen VidCom
nGen VidCom is a leading provider of converged video communications services to both large enterprise users as well as small and medium sized businesses. GlobalMeetLive, our flagship product, combines video conferencing, web collaboration and interactive live streaming in a single product offering. Utilizing technology originally designed for the military, nGen has adapted and deployed this technology to the commercial sector on a global scale. nGen is unique in that our global video network ensures that intercontinental video communications are flawless and do not suffer latency from packet loss. With offices and data centers in New York, London, Hong Kong, Abuja, Los Angeles and Shanghai, nGen VidCom’s employees and partner’s practice our core values of quality service, innovation and customer focus.

About Vision Telecoms 
Visions Telecommunications Technologies Limited is a total engineering company providing B2B and B2C solutions for Teleconferencing, SMS Messaging, Video Conferencing, OEM Conferencing Hardware and Software for Mobile phone companies in Nigeria, Africa.

We are licensed by Nigerian Communication Commission for the Installation of Telecommunication Terminals, Major Network Installation (PABX’S) Telephone Exchangers INMARSAT, VSAT, and Trunked Radio Terminals. We are strategically located in Ikeja area of Lagos State is in close proximity Victoria Island where all the communication industries have their headquarters’ and operations office.

We are currently expanding our offices to Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Akure, Ondo, Ado, Abeokuta Osogbo, and Ilorin. Vision Telecommunication Technologies Limited installs and maintains the equipment in these countries which facilitates the communication technology advancement in the 21st century.

Contact Details: Andrew J Pickard, President & Founder, 113 Wellington Avenue, Short Hills, NJ, 07078, 973-454-3283, ndrew.Pickard@nGenVidCom.com,
www.nGenVidCom.com

 

Technology

MOD Spin-out Receives CA £500K Funding for Technology

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ProKyma, a spin-out from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and founded by Ploughshare Innovations, today announced a £482K grant from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) i4i programme.

Hampshire, UK, December 18, 2012 – ProKyma, a spin-out from the Defence Science and Technology laboratory (Dstl) and founded by Ploughshare Innovations, today announced a £482K grant from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) i4i programme. The funding will help it to apply its technology to improve the detection of cancer and monitor changes during treatment.

The investment will allow ProKyma to apply its ‘KymaSep’ technology, which automates the manipulation of magnetic particles to purify and concentrate very low numbers of Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs) from a blood sample. The cancer cell, once purified, can be sequenced using tools developed for the human genome project to find the patient’s specific and individual cancer mutation. This information then allows cost effective measurement of CTC numbers, which should decrease during treatment. Oncologists will use this unique tool to adapt and change therapy in real time if the CTC numbers do not decrease.

ProKyma is working with a world-class multi-disciplinary team in Merseyside to deliver the challenging technical breakthroughs needed in this project. A unique cell capture technology has been licenced from CellCap Technologies, which is currently being optimised to harvest millions of stem cells for cellular therapies. Through a long-standing collaboration with the UK Centre for Tissue Engineering at the University of Liverpool, ProKyma will adapt this technology for the very low-number of cell captures needed for CTC detection (5 CTC cells per test-tube of blood). The Liverpool Pancreatic Biomedical Research Unit will then optimise the method for capture, sequencing and enumeration of CTCs. This will then be translated into a device for routine use, which will be tested against samples from the Liverpool Cancer Trials Unit to measure its usefulness on real patient samples.

Damian Bond, chief executive of ProKyma, stated, “The NIHR support has come at a very good time for us and builds on six years of expertise and development. We are excited to collaborate with the teams from CellCap and the University of Liverpool to develop this much needed, but challenging technology.”

KymaSep is a small, portable system that is based around an injection moulded device, providing simple operation at low cost – making it ideal for clinic or point-of-care use. It is the result of six years development at ProKyma that started from Dstl’s work to develop continuous detection systems for biothreat agents. It has been funded by investment from the Rainbow Seed Fund; Merseyside Special Investment Fund’s Liverpool Seed Fund; and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA).

With the funding and support of NIHR, ProKyma is looking to develop its technology to a point where it can raise a Series A funding round to begin manufacture of the CTC monitoring product in Merseyside by the end of 2014.

Notes to the editor:

For further information, please contact Damian Bond on 07798 600 833 or e-mail damianbond@prokyma.com

CellCap Technologies (www.cell-capture.com)

CellCap is an early stage business developing products to harvest adult stem cells from body tissues for research and cellular therapies. Supported by grants from the Technogy Strategy Board and imvestment from the NWFund Biomedical LP, its lead product is due to start external evaluation in 2013.

Dstl (www.dstl.gov.uk)

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is a centre of scientific excellence for the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Its 3,500 strong workforce includes some of the nation’s most talented and creative scientists with the brief to ensure that the UK Armed Forces and Government are supported in-house by the very best impartial scientific and technological advice. Dstl’s position at the heart of the MOD means that its advice is trusted by overnments academia, industry and international partners. It offers timely and accurate advice at all levels of military planning and operations, both overseas and on the home front.

NESTA (www.nesta.org.uk)

NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts. With endowed funds of over £300 million, our mission is to transform the UK’s capacity for innovation. We do this in three main ways: by working to build a more pervasive culture of innovation in this country; by providing innovators with access to early-stage capital; and by driving forward research into innovation, with a view to influencing policy.

The Liverpool Seed Fund

Merseyside Special Investment Fund’s (MSIF) Liverpool Seed Fund is a £27m fund which invests in companies with new ideas, innovations and intellectual property. Seed funding can support three stages of development: proof of concept (£50,000 to £100,000) commercialisation (up to £350,000) and first round venture capital (up to £750,000). Liverpool Ventures, a subsidiary of MSIF, was set up specifically to provide pre and post investment support to businesses invested in by the Seed Fund to help give them the best possible chance of success.

About Rainbow Seed Fund:

http://www.midven.co.uk/Rainbow-Seed-Fund/

The £8.5m Rainbow Seed Fund was established in 2001 with funding from the Office of Science and Innovation to commercialise scientific research in a leading group of the UK publicly funded institutions, our partners. The Fund, which is independently managed by Midven Ltd, made its first investment in 2002, and currently has a portfolio of 16 companies with one exit.

The Fund invests at the earliest stages of a technology’s development, and helps to turn an idea into a business by actively identifying and supporting experienced management and facilitating additional coinvestment. Rainbow’s partners spend over £1 billion on research and development every year giving the Fund privileged access to high quality investment propositions at the earliest stage.

ProKyma is a spinout from Dstl. Founded by Ploughshare Innovations in 2006 with initial investment from the Rainbow Seed Fund, it has developed novel approaches in sample handling to enhance diagnostic technologies to provide improved information and simplified handling.

About Ploughshare:
Ploughshare Innovations manages the commercial licensing to industry of intellectual property developed by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). Ploughshare’s goal is to give clients a competitive edge, by lowering technology risk, reducing R&D costs, speeding time to market, and maximizing the business opportunity. It provides leading edge, application focused technology, backed up with the assurance of advanced IP support and protection. Ploughshare is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dstl.

Contact:
Chris Goff
Ploughshare Innovations Ltd.
Unit 2, Nine Mile Water Business Park
Nether Wallop, Stockbridge
Hampshire SO20 8DR
+44 (0) 1794 301602
info@ploughshareinnovations.com
http://www.ploughshareinnovations.com

Consumer Services, Education, Internet & Online, Society, Technology

The Learning Genome Project unveils a new solution to personalized education through crowd sourcing

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Educator Kelly Tenkely invites educators, parents and investors around the world to join in personalizing education.

Due to an increased disenfranchisement with the education system, Colorado educator, Kelly Tenkely, recognized the need for a product that would honor the uniqueness of children by personalizing learning. Kelly created the Learning Genome Project to fulfill this need.

“Every child deserves to be met right where they are in learning, rather than expected to fit a one-size-fits-all solution. In our society, we have managed to customize everything from ringtones to coffee, why should learning be different?” Said the Learning Genome Project creator, Kelly Tenkely.

The Learning Genome makes personalized learning available to children around the world by:
* Gathering information about an individual child including: their unique interests/passions, learning style preferences, multiple intelligence strengths, brain dominance, and maturation level.
* Crowdsourcing the tagging of both free, as well as premium, education resources and curriculum with hundreds of learning attributes (the ‘genes’ of learning).
* Matching resources and curriculum to students, recommending the materials that best meet their needs and creating a custom learning map for each child.
* Utilizing an open API so that schools, parents, and districts can build additional functionality to meet their specific needs.

This is the Learning Genome Project’s free “hub” that makes personalized learning available to every child.

Said Kelly, “Every child, regardless of their economic situation, deserves an education that is tailored to them. Society benefits when we help kids learn how to best utilize their unique gifts and passions.”

Premium features of the Learning Genome Project will include:
* A student information system
* An e-portfolio
* A teacher and student planner
* Blogging tools
* An e-learning center
* An individual learning map for each child

The premium features will work seamlessly with the Learning Genome hub giving students, teachers, and parents a complete solution to personalized learning.

The Learning Genome Project is seeking crowd-sourced funding through Indiegogo and will use the $85,000 raised to begin programming. The project has 45 days to raise the funds and can be found here: http://www.indiegogo.com/thelearninggenomeproject?c=home&a=1232629

In addition to her work on the Learning Genome Project, Kelly Tenkely is an educator, a prolific education blogger, and created a new educational model. This model is put into practice at Anastasis Academy, a school that Kelly co-founded that is just beginning its 2nd year in operation.

Contact Details: Kelly Tenkely
303-807-3012
ktenkely@gmail.com
http://www.indiegogo.com/thelearninggenomeproject?c=home&a=1232629
http://thelearninggenomeproject.com
http://ilearntechnology.com
http://dreamsofeducation.wordpress.com
http://anastasisacademy.us

Technology

“Technology Business Management—CIO Resource Planning” Focus of Forum

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The public is invited to the Government Technology Institute’s Community Technology Forum

Harrisburg, PA, May 18, 2012 — The public is invited to the Government Technology Institute’s Community Technology Forum: “Technology Business Management—CIO Resource Planning” featuring Bob Mori and Jay Wanek of Apptio, Inc. Sponsored by CISCO, the free event is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., June 12 at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Mr. Mori is senior account manager and Mr. Wanek is senior application development engineer at Apptio, Inc. Apptio is the leading independent provider of on-demand Technology Business Management (TBM) solutions for managing the business of IT.

The emergence of Cloud and SaaS options have shattered the IT monopoly, forcing CIOs to become a competitive service provider and prove their value to the business. Now more than ever, CIOs require a technology business management system to run the business of IT if they are to keep their seat at the table. This perfect storm brewing in today’s IT environment makes this event ideal for CIOs, consultants, programmers, application developers, managers, analysts, software engineers, enterprise architects and information technology professionals, as well as educators, faculty, staff and students in IT project management and computer or information sciences.

Attendees of the no charge event will learn how Apptio can:

1. Increase Visibility into the cost and performance of your services and applications to provide a comprehensive view into your fully loaded costs.

2. Identify Cost Reduction Opportunities and quantify the financial impact (ROI) of IT investments.

3. Effectively communicate the value that IT brings the business by delivering a Bill of IT to each line of business that reflects the cost, usage and value of each IT Service they consume.

4. Automate and align the Budgeting and Forecasting Process to IT Services to gain real time visibility into your budget variances by IT Service, plan for future demand, and proactively reconcile variances with your General Ledger before they impact your Profit & Loss Statement.

Seating is limited. RSVP at www.HarrisburgU.edu/RSVP

Contact:
Steve Infanti
AVP Communications
326 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717.901.5146
Sinfanti@HarrisburgU.edu
http://www.harrisburgu.edu/