building successful renewable energy companies in western ny
TRANSCRIPT
Directed Energy
The right products now
C-1. Allegany C-2.
Chautauqua C-3.
CattaraugusC-4. Erie C-5. Genesee C-6.
Livingston C-7. Niagara C-8. Orleans C-9. Steuben C-10.
Wyoming
What you do not know about Western NY
2,515 megawatts (MW) from 13 Generators
Niagara Power Project
13%
22%
9%32%
1%
19% <1%
2%>1%
GAS - 17,126 (13%)
OIL - 195 (<1%)
GAS & OIL - 30,133 (22%)
COAL - 12,618 (9%)
NUCLEAR - 43,487 (32%)
HYDRO (PS) - 1,525 (1%)
HYDRO - 26,420 (19%)
WIND - 2108 (>1%)
OTHER (2) - 2,888 (2%)
NY Energy Fuel Types
NYISO
What you do not know about Western NY
NYPA Begins Review ofOffshore Wind Project
ProposalsJune 4th 2010
Steel winds, 2.5 MW
Participants
Universities: University at Buffalo Alfred University
Incubators: Vantage Center Harvester Center & Harrison PlaceUBTI
Other: BNE/BNPInsyte Consulting Hodgson Russ LLPTCIE Canadian Consulate numerous companies & individuals
Six Thrusts…1) Asset Inventory2) Best Practices in Higher Education3) SBIR Phase O program4) Workshops/Programs (& Business Attraction (5))
6) Direct Assistance
Best Practices in Higher Education in Energy
orHow does a modern University
adapt to new opportunities/challenges, i.e.
ENERGYSchool a big liftDepartment still a big liftDegree achievableConcentration very achievableCourse faculty? Course development funds?
Research University? interdisciplinary?Content problem sets, guest lecturers, books, articles, websitesOther community involvement, special lectures, special days,
internships
Students want this in their curricula!New hires should be consideredResearch $ are abundant (stress opportunities to faculty/admin.)Many faculty “brush up against” energy, but may not know it
SBIR PARTICIPATING AGENCIES(# AWARDS FY 2007)
Department of Defense 1,982 sporadicHealth and Human Services 654 quarterlyNational Science Foundation 396 yesterdayDepartment of Energy 279 NovNational Aeronautics and Space Administration 260 SeptDepartment of Agriculture 83Homeland Security 38Environmental Protection Agency 36 MayDepartment of Education 28Department of Transportation 18 NovDepartment of Commerce 1
Source: State Science & Technology Institute
~$2.5 B/yrNo repayment
Not overly competitiveBusiness focused
Excellent networking toolAngel/preseed funding follows this money
SBIR PHASE O PROGRAM LEVERAGING YOUR FEDERAL $
$2K per company for successful proposal applicationReimbursements after receiptRenewable energy focus (mostly DOT, DOE, NSF, DOD)No late applicationsConsultant services mostly (writers, technical, etc.)Expanded to include Phase 1-2 transitionsManaged by our local TDO (Insyte Consulting)Central New York, Capital Region, North Country, Southern Tier, and Mohawk Valley regions Marcie Sonneborn
Western New York and Finger Lakes Regions Jack McGowan
New York City, Long Island, and Mid-Hudson Regions Franklin Madison, Jr.
SBIR/STTR SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATIVE RESEARCHSMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
A PRESENTATION FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM COMPANIES
(EMPHASIZING DOD AND DOE OPPORTUNITIES)
STEP; 14 Oct. 2009
Direct Assistance Program:
Client Companies are motivated to: - participate in the SBIR program - develop their business plans & accept
investment- introduce products & export them- know that this is competitive
How it works… - Co. cash match (@25%) used first - no salaries, facilities, OH - favorable buyout terms - convertible debt / royalty on sales
Direct Assistance Program
~$10 K grant for business planning (3-6 months)
< $75 K investment for project assistance (6-18 months)
We bring nonfinancial resources including:Committee of Professionals & all their
contactsAccess to all incubator programs
Direct Assistance Program
What drives us (milestones)…
Directed Energy does well when its clients succeed –
- obtain additional investments ($250K)- launch products- make money (to pay us back!)
Other programs that we find work
Venture Pitch
Smartstart/UNYTECH, WNYVA, Buffalo-Niagara High Tech Venture Fair
VC in Residence
UVANY
Preseed Workshop
HTR’s EIR
Ask investors to work with you and supply candidates
Pitching to Investors (a 4-part series)
Jan 20th (8:30‐10 am) “The investment Landscape” Kevin Albaugh, Intensive Energy
Feb 3rd (8:30‐10 am) “Making your pitch work” Jack McGowan Insyte Consulting
March 3rd (8‐12) Registrants Deliver Their Pitch to a Panel
April 1st (8:30‐10 am) “They are Interested, What Next?”
Judy Albers, Excell Partners
12 companies (not all energy)2 sets of 4 panelists listening to their pitchVideotapedmedia invited
Specific Example: Sprung Brett
~$10 K grant for business planning (3-6 months)
Developing a business plan to develop a novel wind technology/business
Prior to award, the company1) secured IP2) developed a strong team (academics, consultants, large
companies)3) invested a large amount of time
SPIR match, >25% cash match, SBIR DOD topic
Specific Example: Graphene Devices
~$70 K investment to launch a new product (9 months)
Producing a type of patent pending graphene currently only available in the lab
Prior to award, the company1) secured IP2) developed a strong team (academics, consultants, large
companies)3) invested a large amount of time4) awarded NYSERDA, DOD, Panasci,
NSF funds5) many applications (too many?)
issue: business/application focussolution: customer involvement
Specific Example: Isolation Sciences
~$70 K investment for launching product (18 months)
Launching a patented fume hood energy saving device.
Prior to award, the company1) secured IP (awarded this
week) 2) developed a strong team
(consult., partners)3) awaiting cost share4) working with Trillium
issue: business follow through
solution: pay them for delivery and sales
Specific Example: Solar Hydrogen
New technology – new company?
Patent pending technology to harness solar energy using dyes coupled to chemical systems capable of directly producing hydrogen gas
Meet with inventorspressed workshopGrad student mentorshipFederal and state fundingtimed startup
The Business of Energy Series 2010 Smart Grid Opportunities April 21 Biofuel AdvancementsJune 16 Photovoltaics - Silicon and BeyondSeptember 15 Marcellus Shale OpportunitiesNovember 10
Smart Grid Opportunities AgendaRegistration: www.businessofenergy.orgWednesday, April 21, 2010, Buffalo Niagara Marriott, Amherst, NY
Biofuel Advancements Agenda (June 16)
7:30-9 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast 8:00 a.m. A Comparative Overview of Biofuels and their Potential to Meet Our Energy
Requirements Carl Lund, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo; Director, Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Laboratory
8:40 a.m. Ethanol - Sources, Production, and Economics, Including the Future of Cellulosic Processes Michael Sawyer, Executive Vice President/CFO, WNY Energy LLC
9:20 a.m. Biosolids Engineering and Management Rob Sampson, President, N-Viro Systems Canada LP
10 a.m. Break 10:15 a.m. Deriving Fuels From Forest Products
Joel R. Howard, CEO, Applied Biorefinery Sciences, LLC 11 a.m. Biodiesel - Sources, Production, and EconomicsJohn Vavalo, Senior Vice President, Northern Biodiesel 11:40 a.m. Lunch 12:30 p.m. Innovation Needed to Drive Biotechnology Approaches to Bioenergy DevelopmentLarry P. Walker, Professor, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering and Director, Cornell Biofuels Research Laboratory
Advice: Find PartnersA lot of work, but worth it
Thank you for your kind attention Martin K. Casstevens Business Formation and Commercialization Manager University at Buffalo Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic
Outreach (STOR); www.stor.buffalo.edu
Director Directed Energy; nydirectedenergy.org 1576 Sweet Home Road, Suite 103 Baird Research Park Amherst, NY 14228 Phone: (716) 645-8133 Fax: (716) 645-3436