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Business Facilities didn’t let the COVID-19 crisis skew the results in our 16th annual rankings report: They remain the most credible and comprehensive location leaderboards.  Virginia was ranked #1 for Cybersecurity, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and Digital Infrastructure; #2 for Business Climate; and #3 for Workforce Development and Offshore Wind...  The broadband network that connects Stafford County schools will soon be used to bring high-speed internet to about 130 private homes in the Hartwood area as part of a new program slated to begin next month.  Fortune 1000 California software company to acquire Pype PUBLISHED JULY 23, 2020BY SYDNEY LAKE Since 2017, Autodesk has acquired Assemble, BuildingConnected and PlanGrid — totaling more than $1.1 billion. Pype has been backed by Blackhorn Ventures, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Scott Garber and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. It has also received funding from the Herndon-based Center for Innovative Technology’s CIT GAP Funds, which are seed-stage investments in Virginia-based technology companies.  Startup Spotlight: RoundlyX, which enables investments in digital assets, plans growth with CIT investment | “You don’t need to be a cryptocurrency expert to invest responsibly, and dollar cost averaging is a proven, responsible strategy to build a digital asset portfolio,” said Alex Euler, investment director at CIT GAP Funds. “RoundlyX has an experienced, innovative leadership team with a strong vision to build a global, full spectrum digital asset financial services platform.” Elliott said the investment by CIT, which supports early stage companies in Virginia, shows there is a future in digital assets.  “These award recipients are advancing a number of new technologies, such as therapeutics, including those for infectious disease; unmanned systems for agriculture, utilities and smart buildings; and increased cybersecurity for the healthcare industry,” Albrigo said.  Small technology-based businesses to receive funds for projects in clean energy, cybersecurity, data analytics, life sciences, and unmanned systems  Press release & list of award recipients here | https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2020/june/headline-858245-en.html RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced 26 small technology-based businesses and four universities will receive incentive grants to commercialize their research in clean energy, cybersecurity, data analytics, life sciences, and unmanned systems. The new Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) grants award $2.48 million in funding and leverage more than $13 million in matching investments to drive progress in emerging technologies.
“These entrepreneurs and innovators are on the front lines of bringing new products and technologies to market, while driving job creation and supporting Virginia’s economic recovery efforts,” said Governor Northam. “I am pleased that the Commonwealth is able to support these growing companies as they develop high-potential solutions in emerging industries and build businesses from research started right here in Virginia.” Administered by Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), CRCF invests in priority research and commercialization activities through the private sector, academia, and nonprofit research institutes. The fund accelerates innovation and economic growth in Virginia by advancing solutions to important state, national, and international challenges through technology research, development, and commercialization. Since it began in 2011, CRCF has awarded more than $30 million to help launch nearly 380 early-stage technology projects in strategically important industries.  Weithman will join other panel members to discuss innovative approaches to gain access to capital Richmond, Va. – June 16, 2020 – The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced that CIT GAP Funds Managing Director, Tom Weithman, will participate as a speaker during InBIA’s 2020 International Conference on Business Incubation (ICBI34). For more than three decades, ICBI has brought together champions for entrepreneurship around the globe to form connections, share ideas and resources, and reinvigorate professional perspectives. The panel discussion, which will be hosted virtually as part of the full online event, will focus on innovative approaches to gain access to capital. Weithman will join fellow speakers Judy Mahan, Director of Economic Development at Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Anne Lufkin-Riaño, U.S. Regional Manager at Kiva; and Mysty Rusk, Director at The Brink SBDC. For more information on this year’s conference, visit inbia.org/icbi34. When: Tuesday, June 23, 2020 from 4:15 PM to 5:00 PM ET Where: To register for the virtual event, please click here. What: Innovative Approaches to Access Capital With the right approaches, startups and other early-stage companies can access a much deeper pool of capital that was previously unavailable to them. During this panel discussion, experienced investors and experts in entrepreneurship will share insights on the many different, innovative approaches to accessing capital, as well as best practices for pursuing funding. Weithman brings his perspective on CIT GAP Funds’ investment strategy and outcomes, as well as the applicability and portability of CIT’s model for other state and regional ecosystems. Who: Tom Weithman, Managing Director, CIT GAP Funds As architect and leader of CIT GAP Funds, Tom has established himself as one of the nation's foremost experts on quasi-public fund formation, early stage investment, accelerator development and the contribution of "catalytic capital" to innovation, commercialization and economic development. Under his leadership, CIT GAP Funds has placed more than 200 equity investments in emerging tech, life science and clean tech companies, leveraging more a billion of private capital onto CIT GAP Funds portfolio company balance sheets. CIT GAP Funds has been acknowledged by Entrepreneur Magazine, CB Insights and the Association for Corporate Growth as one of the nation's leading early stage venture funds.  RVA's best startups, innovators and stakeholders of 2020 While we’re only halfway through 2020, the tech and innovation ecosystem has provided no shortage of startups and entrepreneurs deserving of Richmond Inno’s highest accolade.  National Science Foundation’s 2019 SBIR award winner uses machine learning to convert key data into guidance for farmers that helps boost crop yields The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced that CIT GAP Funds has invested in Alexandria, Va.-based Agrology, developer of prediction agriculture technology that helps farmers boost crop yields. Agrology’s solution uses machine learning to convert high-quality data into predictive guidance for crop growers that directs them to the right amounts, location and timeframe to apply inputs to their farm for maximized results. “Over 90% of farmers do not have any sensors or software to guide their irrigation and inputs, a process that is overwhelmingly manual across a majority of farms. As a result, many farmers do not get the coverage they need to monitor the individual micro-climates on their farms,” said Tom Weithman, Managing Director of CIT GAP Funds. “Agrology is meeting a critical market need for the agriculture industry, allowing farmers to achieve maximum profitability across their entire farm while using optimal levels of inputs. CIT looks forward to following Agrology this year as they continue to grow.”  “Gritty Frontlines: Authentic Stories on Starting a Company” goes behind the scenes to showcase what it’s really like to build a startup The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) is proud to share that CIT GAP Funds Senior Investment Director, Marco Rubin, has launched a new podcast series, “Gritty Frontlines: Authentic Stories on Starting a Company”. Along with co-host Erin Pearson, Client Partner at 3Pillar Global, the independent podcast will feature interviews with a wide range of entrepreneurs and founders to showcase the often untold journey of building and growing a company...  VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., June 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DroneUp recently partnered with Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) in tests designed to determine how unmanned aerial systems can assist with critical delivery during times of crisis under the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Part 107 regulations.  Scout, recently rebranded from Eighth Continent Technologies, conducts in-space inspections to extend satellite lifetimes and prevent space debris The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced that CIT GAP Funds has invested in Alexandria, Va.-based Scout Inc., formerly Eighth Continent Technologies. Scout, provider of non-invasive risk assessments and mitigation services to reduce failures in spaceflight environments, conducts on-site inspections of space assets using small, inexpensive satellites, producing data that saves customers hundreds of millions of dollars. CIT GAP Funds’ investment will help Scout build prototypes, expand the team with critical expertise, and enable growth of industry and government customer acquisition.  Vienna, Va.-based startup launches new solution to accelerate analysis of patient and population data for COVID-19 using NLP and AI The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced that CIT GAP Funds has invested in Vienna, Va.-based MetiStream, developer of a platform that uses big data, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning to reveal hidden insights in unstructured clinical data. MetiStream’s Ember Platform delivers better analytics to decrease health risks, and improve quality and outcomes for healthcare organizations. MetiStream will leverage the GAP Funds investment to help expand and accelerate sales, marketing and product development efforts.  No one is happier than Ed Albrigo with the outcome of Virginia’s long effort to shop the iconic building on 26 acres across the Dulles Toll Road from the Innovation Station stop on the Metro Silver Line. “This is a great outcome for Virginia,” said Albrigo, president and CEO of the CIT, which will become the operating arm of the new Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority on July 1. “The research that can be done with that money is going to be phenomenal.”  Additional funding supports the fintech startup’s approach to improving the insurance quote process for both applicants and insurers The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced that CIT GAP Funds has made a follow-on investment in Richmond, Va.-based Fenris. Over the last 12 months, Fenris has expanded their sales operations and enhanced their data delivery and analytics platform. The company plans to use this additional funding to further build out their product suite to meet demand from current and prospective clients. “Fenris clients are seeing real results, including an increase in conversions accompanied by a 25% decrease in cost of acquisition due to smarter ordering of downstream reports, and up to 80% reduction in manual effort,” said Jennifer O’Daniel, Investment Director, CIT GAP Funds. “CIT is pleased to expand our relationship with Fenris through this follow-on investment, and we look forward to the company’s continued growth in 2020.”  Seed funding sources for Embody included both CIT GAP Funds & Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF)  "Designed and manufactured on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Mobile Sentinel is a commercialized version of an earlier technology, originally developed for NASA and still in use. With a grant from the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) in 2019, SRS developed this new system. SRS looks to grow its market share in the autonomous security industry while creating valuable career opportunities required for rapid production/distribution."  Automated micro deposits round up purchases to the next dollar to buy, secure and store digital assets on a user’s chosen exchange | The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced that CIT GAP Funds has invested in Richmond, Va.-based RoundlyX, a digital asset wealth management platform.  Herndon, VA, May 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The skies in Brunswick County were buzzing with activity last week. Leading unmanned aerial vehicle companies were demonstrating the viability of using drones for medical emergency package delivery. This operation took place in response to the White House task force on Coronavirus (COVID-19). The former Saint Paul’s College campus located in the Town of Lawrenceville, Virginia provided the perfect test location. Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) coordinated the multiday testing effort that was led by DroneUP of Virginia Beach and included UPS and its subsidiary UPS Flight Forward, Workhorse Group and AirBox Group based in Richmond. The group was researching how unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, might assist medical professionals in their fight to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. The experiment evaluated the commercial drone industry’s ability to scale up small UAS deliveries in order to assist the U.S. healthcare system during the pandemic.  Herndon, VA, May 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced that four contracts have been issued to build Stafford’s technology testbed, a key milestone for the public-private partnership developing Virginia’s first ground-up “smart community.” Expected to be up and running in six weeks, the smart city technology testbed will focus on Internet of Things (IoT) device security to help prevent community ransomware attacks, and protect the privacy of citizens, while providing critical data to help the county improve operations and services. The Stafford testbed will act as a living laboratory - testing emerging technologies in real-world situations and providing a long-term capability that can be used to validate innovation before bringing it into the operational “Smart Stafford” infrastructure. It’s been a dream of county officials for more than a decade, but there’s new support from the state for Stafford as a Smart Community test site, and a private partner is ready to begin construction on the first phase of the project. The region’s next urban destination might be just right around the corner.  Partners at the state’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) spent $100,000 last summer to develop the specifications for this smart downtown.
In announcing the deal last spring, David Ihrie, chief technology officer at CIT, said other communities around the state are excited to learn from Downtown Stafford. “Stafford County is moving ahead at an exciting time in the development of these ideas, and our collaboration will provide one model for how a community can establish a vision for their future and then take the steps towards making that future a reality,” Ihrie said. The state has gone beyond that initial investment to help make Downtown Stafford a test lab for new efforts in public safety technology — work has already started at the county government center to test these new technologies. https://www.insidenova.com/news/business/stafford/downtown-ready-a-distant-vision-for-an-urban-district-is-on-the-fast-track/article_2f3821d8-8bea-11ea-ae1a-af967ee960b7.html  Proceeds to Fund Advancement of Programs Addressing Acute Lung Injury Due to COVID-19 and Severe Birth Asphyxia (HIE)
April 21, 2020 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time NORFOLK, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc., today announced that it has successfully closed an oversubscribed Series A2 financing of $14 million, bringing the total Series A financing to $26 million. The financings were led by Children’s Research Holdings and Marathon Pharma, as well as additional undisclosed investors. ReAlta Life Sciences is a biotech company dedicated to harnessing the power of the immune system through its PIC1 technology platform to address life-threatening medical needs. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200421005101/en/ReAlta-Life-Sciences-Closes-14-Million-Series Tom Walker joined Neil Cavuto today on Fox Business Network to discuss DroneUp's recent drone delivery testing with UPS, Center for Innovative Technology Virginia (CIT), and Workhorse Group Inc. Click through to watch now: https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6151637756001/#sp=show-clips Neil Cavuto @TeamCavuto | Senior Vice President, Managing Editor and Anchor for both FOX News Channel and FOX Business Network. Anchor of FNC's Your World, Cavuto LIVE and FBN's Cavuto: Coast to Coast.  Interview Tom Walker, DroneUp CEO, discusses how his company is teaming up with UPS to deliver medical supplies to frontline COVID-19 workers | Tom Walker | CEO of DroneUp | CIT GAP Funds Portfolio Company | Virginia Center for Unmanned Systems at CIT Advisory Board Member
Apr. 23, 2020 - 2:26 - Tom Walker, DroneUp CEO, discusses how his company is teaming up with UPS to deliver medical supplies to frontline COVID-19 workers
Interview Tom Walker, DroneUp CEO, discusses how his company is teaming up with UPS to deliver medical supplies to frontline COVID-19 workers | Tom Walker | CEO of DroneUp | CIT GAP Funds Portfolio Company | Virginia Center for Unmanned Systems at CIT Advisory Board Member
Video link:https://video.foxnews.com/v/6151617096001
To determine how UAS could help medical professionals in their fight to stop the spread of the Coronavirus, DroneUp, UPS and its subsidiary UPS Flight Forward (UPSFF), Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), and Workhorse Group recently came together to test the technology in Lawrenceville, Virginia.  |
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Updated 8/3/20