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In this Issue: WET Center facilities expansion | UC Davis Big Bang! Competition Awards $100,000+ | WET Member Highlight | In the News | Staff Highlight | Upcoming Events & Webinars | Did you know? | Grants & Other Opportunities
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WET Center facilities expansion |
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Click here to see a clip of the before and afters photos!
If you are interested in becoming a WET member or tenant, or would like a tour, please contact Helle Petersen at hellep@csufresno.edu or call 559.278.2066. |
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Renovations are complete and the WET North is open for business! The former California Agricultural Technology Institute (CATI) at Fresno State is an expansion of the original WET Center. The 2,700 sq. ft. facility doubles the number of office spaces available for startups from six to twelve and provides a variety of flexible working and meeting space including:
•Informal meeting space in the reception area
•Dedicated plug-and-play area
•Conference room equipped to host web meetings |
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UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition Awards $100,000-plus
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On May 24, 2018 five finalist teams – with innovations in Energy, Engineering, Food and Ag, and Health – competed in the finale of the annual UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition. And the winner is Japa Inc. taking home the $10,000 first prize. Cognivive received $5,000 for second place team with Anu Snacks taking home the $2,500 People’s Choice Award.
The other 2018 finalist teams making presentations to the judges and audience were:
•Anu Snacks of Sacramento: all-natural barley grain snacks
•Cognivive Inc. of Davis: digital medicines for impaired brain function
•Compassionlit of Los Angeles: phototherapy for developing-world newborns with jaundice
•DTE Materials of San Luis Obispo: sustainable building insulation derived from natural fibers
•Japa Inc. of Davis: a smart parking system that delivers real-time availability |
Big Bang! is organized by the Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. For almost two decades the event has been helping entrepreneurs start or grow business ventures. This is the first year for the BlueTechValley partnership with UC Davis. Kicking off last October, Big Bang! provides workshops, mentorship, and networking to aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs.
Sixty-two teams — representing 250 aspiring entrepreneurs — participated in this year’s contest, which is open to the public. Could you be next year’s winner? Click here to learn more about the Big Bang! competition.
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WET Member Highlight: Hyper-Chute Systems
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The original idea came to Joseph Santos, Founder of Hyper-Chute Systems, while he was fishing. “We were moving at a very low speed, just a few miles per hour, and I tried to collect some water off the side of the boat with a bucket,” says Santos. “The bucket was instantly ripped from my hand. That's when I wondered if water moving past a stationary object would have a similar amount of force. Then, while anchored in a swift current, I tossed a bucket over the side, and feeling the pull of the water in the bucket, I realized I was on to something. This is what spawned the Hyper-Chute system.”
Santos says that slow-moving water is known to be the planet's most reliable and predictable natural energy resource. Hyper-Chute Systems is making it possible to convert this energy directly into a mechanical force, capable of driving generators and pumps effectively enough to create storable energy in the form of pressures, and hydro-power storage.
The system has been referred to as a water piston engine by Dan Clawson, former engineer at the Center for Irrigation Technology. The ultimate goal is to create endless amounts of clean energy worldwide, with no hazardous byproducts. Santos feels it cannot happen soon enough. He is hoping to maximize the benefits of this technology, providing the quickest path to an oil industry alternative.
“With the help of BlueTechValley,” says Santos, “Hyper-Chute Systems has been able to accomplish many of the tasks necessary to go from a newly established business entity to a fast moving clean-tech company.”
Santos’s advice to early stage investors is this: use your imagination to see the true value of a project, rather than just financial projections and valuations. For early-stage entrepreneurs, Santos says to follow your dreams, and believe in yourself. |
In the News
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Featuring BlueTechValley:
Chico on the Verge? Part three
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California's new solar energy standards: Here's how it could affect homeowners
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Why you should invest in Fresno and the Central Valley |
Agriculture is just one component of California’s economy, which is now ranked as the world’s fifth largest, with a Gross Domestic Product of more than 2.7 trillion dollars.
Click here to read more!
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On May 9, California gave the solar industry a huge boost by requiring solar panels on most new homes built after January 2020.
Click here to read more! |
"But experiencing those different tech environments also gave me some good insight into what’s particularly unique about the ecosystem here in Fresno, California, and the whole of California’s Central Valley. While the region has largely been overlooked by VCs, there’s a lot going on here."
Click here to read more! |
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Staff Highlight: Chelsea Walterscheid
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Chelsea Walterscheid began working for the Sierra Business Council and the Sierra Small Business Development Center, a BlueTechValley Hub, one year ago. She previously worked for the Truckee Downtown Merchants Association, giving her a background in small business. She manages the Sierra SBDC Cluster Hub, which includes a large territory of rural counties. They are constantly on the lookout for innovators who will benefit from the program.
Walterscheid's grandparents came to Truckee in the 1960's, where she and her parents were raised. Her children are third generation Truckee High School students.
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She says she went back to college a few years ago. "My kids are in high school and it was a good time to show them that you can finish something you started - even if it is years later," says Walterscheid. "It was also a good lesson for them that college in your twenties can be easier than college in your forties." Walterscheid's degrees are in History and Social & Behavioral Science.
Walterscheid says she takes a special interest in history. She ran a local museum for twenty years and was often hired as a guest speaker and tour guide for visiting groups, local organizations, and schools.
"I love seeing a small business thrive and grow," says Walterscheid, "and knowing that we can offer help, guidance, and support for these businesses is very rewarding."
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Upcoming Events and Webinars
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June 1-3 - Startup Weekend Tahoe
For more information or to register click here.
June 13 - Demo Day at Fresno State
*Use code: VVDD18
For more information or to register click here.
June 26 - The Mixing Bowl’s “FOOD IT: The Whole Stack”
For more info or to register click here.
November 1 - Central Valley Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum
For more information click here.
November 16 - Innovations in Ag Irrigation Demonstration & Showcase
For more information on sponsorship or exhibiting, click here.
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Did you know?
May is Water Awareness Month!
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Although May is Water Awareness Month,
this nationally recognized holiday is not limited
to just one month anywhere in the world.
The BTV Central Valley Regional Innovation Cluster
offers services that enhance the ability of innovators to
commercialize their technologies helping save water at the
industrial, household, and agricultural levels.
Happy #WaterAwarenessMonth! |
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Grants and Other Opportunities
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ARPA-E Funding Opportunity
Our client, Opcondys, recently won a grant throught the ARPA-E program.
If you are interested in learning more about the grants they offer, click here.
Join the Urban Drinking Water Challenge 2018!
Water technology startups are encouraged to apply. For more
information or to register click here.
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Follow us on social media or contact us at bluetechvalley@csufresno.edu! |
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