An incubator program, called
Innovators in the Woods, was set up in May and recruits start-up businesses to
pitch their energy technology ideas. The companies present their business
concept to a three- to four-person panel, HTC Managing Director Charles Wohl
said. The panel includes venture capitalists and business consultants.
“Applicants are asked questions such as where the applicant sees their market,
where do they see themselves going and what are the financial requirements to
get there,” he said. “So that the reviewers and panel are able to identify needs
and wants and where the support is—is there a natural match to help support and
grow the business.” The pitch presentations, open to the public, offer a chance
for investors to hear and ask questions, Economic Development Partnership CEO
Gil Staley, said.
Established in December 2014, the incubator provides assistance with product
validation, patent filings, market and consumer acquisition, regulatory permits,
business plan development, connecting entrepreneurs to suppliers, and assembling
management teams. Assistant director Paul Sachs says that during its inaugural
year, the incubator picked up two additional municipal sponsors, Barry County
and Allegan County; raised an additional $75,000 in public and private
contributions; and officially took on four startup clients, with a fifth
expected to come on board before the year is over.
One day, hopefully sooner rather than later, a truly energy-efficient ultra-low
temperature (ULT) freezer will reach the market. Unfortunately for now, no
technology exists that provides significant gains in efficiency, without
compromising unit stability. Power savings can be achieved, but is the trade-off
in reliability and temperature uniformity worth the risk of damaging laboratory
samples?
Very low temperatures are needed to store biological samples for research, such
as cell lines. And ultra-low-temperature (ULT) freezers can keep samples at
temperatures below -80 C.
In the ULT freezer market there's a continued focus on sample protection. As
users store priceless samples, they need to have ULT freezers that provide them
with quick recovery and uniformity after door openings.