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In this Issue: Valley Ventures Demo Day 2018 | Save the Date! | WET Member Highlight | Company Highlight | In the News | Staff Highlight | Events & Webinars | Grants & Opportunities | Did you know?
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 Cohort Two Graduates at Valley Ventures Demo Day 2018
 
Thanks to the efforts of the Valley Ventures cohort two and the BlueTechValley team,
Demo Day was a great success!
Held at the beautiful Fresno State Smittcamp Alumni House, attendees networked and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and Fresno State wine and listened to cohort two companies give their pitches as they graduated from the three-month long accelerator program. Congratulations to ventures Herddogg, BLH Aqua Technology, Agri-Logix, Tiny Farms, BoxPower, Spooky Action, Map Thread, BioFiltro, Re-Nuble, Sweep Energy, 6B Technologies, WaterFind, Azadi, and AjO!
David Zoldoske, former Director of the Center for Irrigation Technology, moderated a panel of growers who discussed issues facing agriculture today and the ways that innovation and new technologies are vital to meet grower needs. Audience members asked many insightful questions of the panel, which included Danny Royer of Bowles Farming, Daniel Hartwig of Woolf Farms, and John Chandler of Chandler Farms. Following the pitches, companies GroGuru and ECO2MIX presented their progress and successes as graduates of the fall 2017 cohort.
Watch the highlight reel of Demo Day here!
Preparations for the third cohort in fall 2018 are already underway. Applications are currently being accepted. Visit valleyventures.org for more information or to submit an application.
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Save the Date! |
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Central Valley Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum
November 15, 2018
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The Central Valley Venture Forum and Central Valley Stock Exchange are holding the second annual Central Valley Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum, called “the largest event for innovation and entrepreneurship in the Central Valley” by Fresno State News.
The forum is an evening full of networking opportunities and startup companies pitching their venture to an audience of investors to win cash prizes, as well as a shark tank-style stock exchange. Last year’s CVIEF was a success as companies came away with not only networks built but cash prizes as well. Former NFL fullback Lorenzo Neal was one of the few keynote speakers,
sharing his life and his pathway to success. The event is also accompanied by
wine and hors d’ oeuvres.
Tune in by following us on Twitter @BTVcluster to find out which companies will be pitching and participating in the stock exchange, and who this year’s keynote speaker will be.
Keep an eye out for more information as it comes on our events page.
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Innovations in Ag Irrigation Technology Demonstration & Showcase November 1, 2018
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The second annual Innovations in Ag Irrigation Technology Demonstration and Showcase will take place on November 16, 2018. Hosted by Fresno State’s Center for Irrigation Technology, the event brings together the latest in irrigation and water management technologies, highlighted by exhibitor displays in the Water, Energy and Technology Center! Over 100 growers are anticipated to attend and will have the opportunity to see what new irrigation and water management products are being used on the University Agricultural Laboratory and to meet the vendors! Exhibitors and sponsors will have the chance to showcase their innovative irrigation products and will get to speak directly to attendees!
Exhibits, presentations, and exclusive sponsorship opportunities are available to interested companies and range from $300 to $3,000. The event will be free to growers and includes a lunch for all attendees. It is scheduled to start around 8 AM and is expected to end by 2 PM.
For more information about sponsorship opportunities or to register as an exhibitor click here.
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WET Member Highlight |
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Intellecy is a member of Fresno State’s Water, Energy & Technology Center and was founded in 2015 by Emilio Vargas and Johannes "Joost" Boerhout. Vargas was working at another startup that developed a smart irrigation controller. While conducting research there, he learned that water leaks in homes were a very big and growing problem. Vargas approached Boerhout, and, drawing from their technical know-how, they conceptualized the Intellecy Smart Water System called BluView.
Intellecy is a producer of smart home and IoT technology based in San Diego, and is currently developing a smart water system that will help homeowners manage their water use and protect against water leaks. In developing their strategy, Vargas says they have seen the importance of the agricultural and multi-unit markets, where there is a prominent need for water-management.
“Entrepreneurs have to commit to the long haul. There will undoubtedly be many setbacks and delays. Don't let these discourage you,” says Emilio Vargas, CEO of Intellecy. “Make sure you have a good team that is committed to the idea and each other. Professional relationships are key to startups and process helps with efficiency and long-term success.”
One of Intellecy’s long-term goals is to help people throughout the world who do not have access to clean water, and they hope to become a solution provider for that problem in the future.
Visit their website to learn more about Intellecy.
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Company Highlight |
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carbonBLU was founded in 2014. The idea came from a small group of people who were working in the testing services and engine certification industry who realized there was a dire
need for software that could help fleets become more efficient.
carbonBLU is a combination software and service company focused on improving fleet efficiency and helping fleets become more sustainable by adopting advanced vehicle technologies. Staff is able to gather large amounts of high quality data, which they then feed into their AI-enabled software platform. This software can then help fleet managers make smart decisions for the future, whether they are replacing old vehicles, or operating the vehicles they have. When working with an organization that manages thousands of vehicles – from small cars to bulldozers – these improvements can result in millions of dollars saved and thousands of
tons of carbon emissions that never reach the air.
Cody Hanson, COO of carbonBLU, feels that any business venture requires hard work, the right people, and a bit of luck, and suggests to work smarter, not harder. He says his mentality has forced them to think creatively about the problems they are trying to solve. “Usually, we can come up with a new solution that works better and requires less work than if we had just started grinding,” says Hanson. “This frame of mind has allowed us to grow faster than most.”
“Think twice before gunning for a job at that big household-name company. Many college graduates – especially in business or tech – want to work for a cool company like Apple, Facebook or Amazon,” says Hanson. “There's nothing wrong with that, and you'll gain incredible experience at those organizations, but keep in mind that there are so many problems out there that need to be solved. Some of them may not seem glamorous, but usually they offer more opportunity to do great work and make a positive impact on the world.”
To learn more about carbonBLU, visit their website.
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In the News
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| Advocates welcome Senate farm bill — with caveats |
WET Member WaterBit Secures $11.4M Financing led by NEA
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India Increases Its Massive 2022 Renewable Energy Target By 28%
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"The Senate Agriculture Committee will take up its version of the 2018 farm bill Wednesday, setting the stage for conflict with a more partisan measure in the House." Click here to read more.
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"Precision irrigation company to accelerate delivery of autonomous irrigation and ramp up sales and marketing"
Click here to read more.
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"For the last several years, CleanTechnica has covered renewable energy development in India quite closely."
Click here to read more.
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Staff Highlight: Annette DeCarlo
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 Annette DeCarlo is Director of Program Expansion for BlueTechValley at the Chico State Cluster Hub. She works with community members to find and help guide entrepreneurs and innovators who can benefit from what BTV has to offer. She began working with BTV in January 2018. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at Chico State in recreation, hospitality, and parks management (RHPM) with an option in event management and a minor in sustainability.
DeCarlo says she loves being outdoors. She enjoys hiking and swimming in Bidwell Park in Chico, and as an avid concertgoer loves to dance and listen to live music. “If there's a concert, I probably want to go,” says DeCarlo. She is originally from Red Bluff, California.
“I love that I have been given the opportunity to play such a valuable role in the BlueTechValley program as an undergraduate,” says DeCarlo. “I'm challenged daily with new situations and each one of them teaches me valuable lessons and transferable skills that I intend to carry with me throughout my career."
DeCarlo loves motivational quotes; a few of her favorites are "Work will win, where wishing won't" by Mary Kay Ash, and "Great things never come from comfort zones" by Unknown.
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Upcoming Events and Webinars
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Curious about what BlueTechValley and Valley Ventures are exactly?
Join us and learn what the BlueTechValley Innovation Cluster and the Valley Ventures Accelerator Program are all about, what services they offer and how it can help your start-up.
August 3rd at 10 AM
Click here to register.
Want to learn how to run your venture like CEOs do by understanding
its key components? Join our 2018 CEO Crash Course!!
BlueTechValley's CEO Crash Course is a business development boot camp being offered this summer in Fresno. By the end of the course, you should have developed concrete ways to advance your venture including marketing, human resources, funding, and business model development.
July 18, August 15 & September 12 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
A limited number of ventures will be accepted! To complete an application click here.
Central Valley Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum
November 15, 2018 - visit our events calendar at bluetechvalley.org/events for more information.
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Grants and Other Opportunities |
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Valley Innovators has announced the launch of its entrepreneurial program and annual
pitch contest on August 29th, 2018. For more information or to participate click here.
Submissions are now being accepted for the 2018 SACRAMENTO
REGION INNOVATION AWARDS.
Does your local startup or established business have an innovative product, process or service? Maybe your clients or colleagues are disrupting an industry and deserve to be recognized? Self-nominations are encouraged for recent innovations born and raised in Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Yolo & Yuba counties.
For more information or to register click here.
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Did you know?
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Our WET Member GreenBlu just received $1.6 million in U.S. Energy Department funding to commercialize adsorption desalination technology!
Read the press release to learn more on GreenBlu's website here.
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June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month AND National Dairy Month! We love agriculture and #agtech!
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Follow us on social media or contact us at bluetechvalley@csufresno.edu! |
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