New venture seeks to fund and develop applications
Grants of $10,000 are to be awarded to photonic entrepreneurs by Open Photonics, a company that selects technologies that will solve problems for its corporate clients. Open Photonics is using a two-stage research and development model that emulates the US government’s small business innovation research programme combined with that of the Gates Foundation – its approach is viewed as having minimal paperwork. Each application will be peer- reviewed by Open Photonics’ experts. The two-stage development process will see $10,000 given for promising ideas that can be proven in the laboratory. At the first stage intellectual property is not sought by Open Photonics and its clients, but if the work moves to the second stage, where $100,000 could be provided, then IP does come into play. Such an IP deal could include an option agreement or a full license for the technology. ‘We want to tap into small companies
and inventors that have good ideas but don’t know how to commercialise them,’ said Dr Jason Eichenholz, a co-founder of
the company and its CEO. He also said of his approach: ‘I didn’t want people to spend three days dong the paperwork. You fill out the form online, the terms and conditions are very straightforward.’
Eichenholz declined to talk about specific areas in photonics his clients were interested. He expected to be able to talk about such details in the near future. He also expects to have anonymous problem statements on his company’s website in future. The anonymity is to hide the interested client. Eichenholz hopes these problem statements will attract companies and inventors.
Eichenholz has previously held roles including chief technology officer for Ocean Optics and director of strategic marketing for Newport and Spectra-Physics. He was also principal investigator for projects at the US Air Force and the Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, working on the small business technology transfer and small business innovation research programmes.
Prizes and sponsorship up for grabs in photonics entrepreneur competition
A total of $17,500 will be awarded to the top three competitors in the 2013 SPIE Startup Challenge, a live photonics business pitch competition. Preliminary judging has
begun, and winners will be announced during SPIE Photonics West in February at the Moscone Center, San Francisco. Ten finalists will receive sponsorship to attend entrepreneurship training organised by the University of California, Davis.
The 10 finalists will present three-minute pitches to a
www.electrooptics.com
panel of judges, followed by the announcement of the winners and a reception with presenters, judges and sponsors. The finalist presentation is open to the public with free registration. Pitches will showcase photonics technologies or applications that would be the basis for a viable new businesses. The focus is on new businesses and potential start-ups, so established companies must be pre- revenue at the time of the competition. As well as the sponsorship opportunity
for all finalists, first prize is $10,000, second prize $5,000, and third prize $2,500.
‘The SPIE Startup
Challenge has become an annual opportunity to see early-stage innovation in progress,’ said Jay Kumler, President of Jenoptik Optical Systems. ‘Partnering with SPIE as lead sponsor for the past two years is one tool that Jenoptik uses to encourage entrepreneurship in our company and in our industry. The event fits our values and our culture.’
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