A
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point professor is among 12 UW faculty, staff,
students and affiliated companies selected to receive up to $25,000 each
through the Ideadvance Seed Fund.
Associate
Professor of Chemistry Mike Zach received the award for his EChemNanowires
Educational Foundation. It is the only educational idea awarded in the initial
round of successful projects. The grant will help Zach develop a business plan
that moves a nanowire technique from the academic lab to the classroom and
business world.
The
grants, awarded by UW Extension and its partners, also include business
mentoring to help awardees develop a strategic business model for ideas and
technologies generated at UW campuses. UW System and the Wisconsin Economic
Development Corporation (WEDC) created the $2 million seed fund, which launched
in February.
The
awardees include four students, three faculty, two staff and three companies
licensing technologies from the WiSys Technology Foundation or the UW-Milwaukee
Research Foundation. Teams that complete this first stage of Ideadvance
activities will be eligible for stage two funding, which offers grants up to
$50,000.
Zach
has developed an electroplating technique that allows the manufacture of
patterned nanowires and nanowire circuits without the need for an expensive
cleanup facility. Nanowires are tiny structures that are potentially useful in
electronics, sensing, medical devices and even engineering of infrastructure
such as bridges and buildings. These
wires are so tiny that a bundle of 1 million of the thinnest nanowires is
thinner than a single strand of a spider web.
His
NanoFab Lab is a kit allows high school science students to grow nanowires in
the classroom. They learn cutting-edge science as a challenge that mimics a
video game, which engages students. “NanoFab Lab … in a Box!™ kit is the best
educational tool I have been exposed to in my career,” said Sam Kutzler,
science teacher at Bradley Technology and Trade School in Milwaukee.
Training
students to be “nano-ambassadors” will introduce this technique to various
industries, where it can be used in fabricating, medical, electrical and
infrastructure, Zach said. “This is going to create jobs in central Wisconsin.
Making these kits is the tip of the iceberg.”
The
other inaugural stage-one awardees include:
Ø
NanoAffix Science led by Junhong Chen of
UW-Milwaukee
Ø
Innovative Foundry Technologies led by Dan
McGuire of UW-Whitewater
Ø
Cyder Technology led by Nathan Gullick of
UW-Extension
Ø
Tali Payments led by Carlton Reeves of
UW-Milwaukee
Ø
CSA Pros led by Kory Peterson of UW-Eau Claire
Ø
Grypshon led by Tom Burden of UW-Milwaukee
Ø
HealthPet led by Jonathan Geissler of
UW-Platteville
Ø
Paddle-Kicker led by Ashton Brusca of
UW-Platteville
Ø
Organic Research Corporation licensed technology
from UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation
Ø
Microionics patents through WiSys
Ø
Procubed licensed Technology from WiSys
“The
grant recipients represent a broad range of commercialized technologies,
solutions to problems and creative ideas enhancing the world in which we live,”
said Lisa Johnson, WEDC vice president for entrepreneurship and innovation and
member of the Ideadvance investment committee. “Ideadvance creates a foundation
for university entrepreneurs by setting the stage where they can take their
ideas and technology to commercialization and a successful company launch –
right here in Wisconsin. It also demonstrates that university entrepreneurship
can lead to long-term economic growth through company formation and job
creation.”
In
addition, UW-Extension’s Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
is opening another stage one funding round. Proposals are due July 25. Idella Yamben, new
idea concierge for the grant program, invites potential applicants to contact
her at uwideadvance@uwex.edu or
608-263-3315 for assistance in identifying resources to prepare a competitive
proposal.
The
Ideadvance Seed Fund provides support for entrepreneurs as they evaluate
product or service ideas, explore key markets, validate demand and develop
strategies for investment sources. Unlike most early stage funding, this seed
fund encourages ideas from all disciplines, including the humanities, social
sciences and liberal arts. Grants are available for faculty, staff and
students who are part of the UW System or affiliated with WiSys or the
UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation.
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