 The city of Fredericksburg is partnering with the Center for Innovative Technology to make Riverfront Park a "smart" location.  Running Headfirst into the Regulations “At DroneUp, we run head first into the rules, not away from them” - Tom Walker, CEO Around the same time Wing was obtaining its Part 135 certification, DroneUp was testing the limits of Part 107 with funding and researchers from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT). At the former campus of Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia, the team conducted 200 drone flights and successfully delivered 1.275-pound payload packages to 10-foot diameter targets on 1500-foot round trips using off-the-shelf commercial tech within FAA Part 107 flight rules. This Operation Last Mile exercise involved 10 pilots working through seven test scenarios, including one dubbed “E-VLOS to determine variables in performance between test operations within visual line of sight of the remote pilot in charge (RPIC), and operations where visual line of sight (VLOS) of the RPIC is occluded by terrestrial obstructions.” Fast forward in time. DroneUp is now routinely conducting short-range final mile deliveries of COVID-19 at-home self-collection kits under Part 107. At locations in Las Vegas, Nevada, Cheektowaga, New York near Buffalo and, more recently, El Paso, Texas, DroneUp is flying home self-collection and contactless at home COVID test kits with a forty-five minute turnaround time from order placement to doorstep. In a little more than seven weeks, the company has racked up 1,340 miles, 114 flight hours in local neighborhoods and hundreds of deliveries.  The City of Roanoke, VA is working with the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) on a flood sensor project. The city was chosen for the project by CIT due to its history of flooding and the city’s existing flood resiliency efforts.  The new Board appointees are as follows: • Jay Bellissimo, Managing Partner, IBM • David Berteau, President and CEO, Professional Services Council • Jennifer Chronis, Vice President, Federal, Verizon • Ted Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Altamira Technologies Corporation • Damon Griggs, CEO, Dovel Technology • Craig Halliday, Chief Executive Officer, Unanet • Diane Leopold, Chief Operating Officer, Dominion Energy • Paul Misener, VP, Global Innovation Policy and Communications, Amazon • Bob Stolle, President and CEO of Centers of Innovative Technology • Doug Wagoner, President and CEO, LMI • Dr. Gregory Washington, President, George Mason University  Investment program spanning the Commonwealth continues to drive critical technology sectors during unprecedented times Richmond, VA, Nov. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced today that CIT GAP Funds has again been named Virginia’s most active investor by CB Insights, a developer of a tech market intelligence platform that analyzes millions of data points on venture capital, startups, patents, partnerships, and news mentions to predict future technology trends. For the sixth year in a row, CIT GAP Funds joins an impressive list of VCs in the U.S. “CIT’s sustained commitment to investing at the earliest stages of company development positions CIT GAP Funds as a fundamental building block of the Commonwealth’s startup ecosystem,” said Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “Even in these trying times, CIT’s investment outcomes are a fitting tribute to Virginia’s entrepreneurial vitality, community spirit, and economic and social diversity.” Mallon is a familiar face: He previously worked for CIT GAP Funds and has now returned to the nonprofit to lead this new division focused on strengthening programs for entrepreneurs throughout Virginia.  State of Virginia - CIT is a nonprofit corporation that invests in technology companies within the state. The Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Division is one of four the nonprofit recently created as the operating arm for the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority. Investment, Commercialization and Strategic Initiatives make up the other three divisions.  Richmond, VA, Nov. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Innovative Technology announced the appointment of Sean Mallon as Vice President for its Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Division. The division is one of four recently created at CIT in its role as the operating arm for the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA). The other three divisions are Investment, Commercialization, and Strategic Initiatives.  Food safety and supply chain solution keeps global food chain safe, predictable and flowing despite market uncertainty Richmond, VA, Nov. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced that Virginia Founders Fund (VFF) has invested in Rosslyn, Va.-based Mesh Intelligence, developer of a proactive food safety and supply chain solution to predict upcoming and evolving risks and disruptions globally to help organizations plan and act faster. Mesh Intelligence helps food organizations identify, predict, and mitigate critical food safety risks in their global food supply chain before they happen. The company plans to use this VFF capital to invest in hiring key talent, enhancing the company’s technology, building the company’s presence in Virginia.  The city has partnered with Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology to bring specialized flood sensors to certain tributaries in the city. Chuck Kirby with CIT says that came about thanks to ongoing efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to combat certain natural disasters – including urban flooding.  "Investments in an operating business like Micronic are countering early signals that opportunity funds are focused only on real estate deals." | ImpactAlpha, Nov. 4 – Virginia-based Micronic Technologies raised $3 million for its water purification technology. The Center for Innovative Technology’s CIT GAP Funds and The Pearl Fund led the investment, with participation from CAV Angels.  "BEYOND builds on the success of its forerunner, the UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP), which was led by the U.S. Department of Transportation and managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). That three-year program, which ended on Oct. 25, brought together companies, research organizations, state and local governments, and federal agencies on teams focused on high-impact drone-integration projects. Virginia’s selection for the program in 2018 kicked off two-and-a-half years of remarkable progress in a state that already had a reputation as a trailblazer in this field. The state’s team, which will continue in the BEYOND program, is led by the Center for Innovative Technology. The Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP), an FAA-designated UAS test site whose leadership of multiple federal drone projects has propelled the industry forward, has managed the team’s three projects in collaboration with corporate partners Dominion Energy, State Farm, and Wing..."  Roanoke, VA, Nov. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the 35th anniversary of The Flood of 1985 approaches, a unique partnership has emerged to seek flood safety improvements. The Commonwealth of Virginia, through the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), with support from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate, has collaborated with the City of Roanoke in a flood sensor project. CIT has identified Roanoke as an ideal location for flood sensors in Virginia, based on the history of flooding throughout the valley and the City’s existing flood resiliency efforts. These flood sensors would provide real-time, web-based information on flooding conditions that City staff can use in a variety of ways, such as evacuating flood-prone homes, proactively closing roadways, and floodplain management.  On Wednesday, the company, based in Southwest Virginia, will announce a $3 million seed round, led by Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology and The Pearl Fund Limited Partnership with participation from CAV Angels. Micronic is the kind of rare company that is seen as critically important and a possible model for future development. It’s a DeepTech company, led by a woman, emerging from a tiny university on the front lines of one of the biggest economic transformations in the United States, as Appalachia and the country’s energy infrastructure move away from coal.  Southwest Virginia-based and woman-led, early stage clean technology company delivers a patented water purification solution that cleans water from virtually any source The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) and The Pearl Fund today announced that CIT GAP Funds and The Pearl Fund L.P. led a $3 million seed round investment in Micronic Technologies, Inc, with participation from CAV Angels. Located in a Southwest Virginia Opportunity Zone, Micronic Technologies is a developer of a breakthrough Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) water purification technology that reduces wastewater volume by 95% and removes over 99% of contaminants in a sustainable and cost-effective way that hasn’t been achievable until now. “We are pleased to join The Pearl Fund in this investment for Micronic Technologies. This round builds on our initial Virginia Founders Fund seed financing for the company in 2019, and proves out the application of an Opportunity Zone investment framework for funding tech startups and founders in traditionally underserved geographies,” said Tom Weithman, Managing Director, CIT GAP Funds. “Opportunity Virginia has also played a role in Micronic’s success and execution, and we look forward to replicating the Micronic investment model in other Opportunity Zone investments.”  These VC firms span the D.C., Northern Virginia and Baltimore areas. Whether you're seeking seed funding or raising a Series B, there's probably something here to propel your business. (CIT GAP Funds listed) By Michael Martz, Sep 15, 2020  Bob Stolle, a former top state commerce official and member of a prominent Virginia political family, has been named the new president and CEO of the Center for Innovative Technology. Stolle, who previously has served as senior vice president of policy and regional initiatives at CIT, will succeed Ed Albrigo, who has led the state-supported technological research initiative for five years and will help the leadership transition through mid-October. https://richmond.com/business/local/former-state-official-named-new-leader-at-center-for-innovative-technology/article_2b37e704-6402-5028-af96-330e9154aafe.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_RTDNEWS
 Photo - Richmond Times-Dispatch Weekend: Jan 26, 2020 Richmond, Va. – September 11, 2020 – The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) Board of Directors today announced Bob Stolle as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer and President of CIT. Stolle previously served as CIT’s Senior Vice President of Policy and Regional Initiatives as well as the head of CIT’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Division.  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. 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.  Drone-assisted deliveries have often been thought of as the future, but a recent partnership between United Parcel Service (UPS), Workhorse Group, DroneUp and the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology has proven that future is now.  *DroneUp is a CIT GAP Funds Portfolio Company, and DroneUp CEO Tom Walker serves as a CIT Unmanned Systems Advisory Board Member.
Herndon, VA, April 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) recently partnered with UPS’s (NYSE:UPS) drone delivery subsidiary UPS Flight Forward (UPSFF) and drone technology companies DroneUp and Workhorse Group (NASDAQ: WKHS) in tests designed to determine how unmanned aerial systems can assist medical professionals in their fight to stop the spread of the Coronavirus.
“I am encouraged to see so many private sector partners stepping up and thinking innovatively as we work together to combat COVID-19,” said Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. “Drones can be an important way to deliver medical supplies while people stay home to adhere to our social distancing guidelines. Virginia is well-positioned to be a leader in the unmanned system industry, and we are pleased to be part of this initiative.” Press release here: http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/04/21/2019373/0/en/VIRGINIA-CENTER-FOR-INNOVATIVE-TECHNOLOGY-CIT-UPS-DRONEUP-AND-WORKHORSE-GROUP-TEST-UNMANNED-SYSTEMS-FOR-CORONAVIRUS-RESPONSE.html  With sale of iconic building imminent, CIT looks to reinvent itself in Richmond
By MICHAEL MARTZ Richmond Times-Dispatc |
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Updated 11/23/20