Blog 
VCIR 2010 – Technology Showcase Panel Comments (Veverka, Primack, Cohen)
VCIR 2010 – Technology Showcase (BlipSnips and Prieto Battery)
VCIR 2010 – Technology Showcase (Hydraulic Hybrid and Grogger presentations)
VCIR 2010 – Technology Showcase Video (Intro and Pitch Engine)
VCIR 2010 – Dan Caruso’s Keynote Address
VCIR Video and Audio
I’m going to put up a series of posts with video and audio from the 2010 VCIR conference. This is the first year at the conference where we’ve made an effort to capture the sounds and images of the conference in a systematic way. Many thanks to Brian Patrick of On-Site Media for coming up to film the event. You can see Brian around town at various tech events and see many of the videos he captures at ColoradoTechTV. I’m also going to put up some video interviews conducted by VCIR’s media partner 104West who did a great job of helping us increase the media exposure for the event again this year.
The value of VCIR sponsorship
Bill Houston from VCIR sponsor ViaWest wrote us the note below about the value they’ve found in their long time sponsorship of VCIR.
ViaWest has been proud to support VCIR over the years as we see it as a critical component of our regional entrepreneurial community. But truth be told ViaWest has secured multiple partnerships with the presenting companies that have grown significantly with us. Bottom line, the money we have invested in VCIR represents just a very small fraction of what we have gained. Two thumbs up to any company that seeks to sponsor VCIR and desires to foster relationships with our regions brightest up and coming companies.
VCIR 2010 – Cool Energy
Cool Energy has developed an advanced-materials engine that converts heat to electricity. This low temperature engine is primarily used in solar applications (SolarFlow® System) and in waste heat recovery applications. The smart grid connected SolarFlow® System home energy system allows homeowners to cut their energy bills by as much as 75% and provides U.S. homeowners annual returns of up to 20%. Each installation emits zero pollution. The waste heat recovery application can be used with diesel generators, industrial processes and pellet stoves.
Market
Residential/Commercial—Target customers are owners of homes or commercial buildings in cold and reasonably sunny regions. Target regions in the US include the Northeast, Mid–Atlantic, Northern California, Rocky Mountain, Northwest and Midwest. International target markets include Canada, Northern European countries and Japan. The total addressable US residential market for the SolarHeart System is estimated at $1.2B. New home builds, commercial building installations, and exports more than double this total addressable market to exceed $3B.
Waste Heat—Using the wasted heat (exhaust and cooling fluid) from a diesel generator or microturbines, the SolarHeart Engine provides up to a 20% gain in power. For military and remote power applications where the effective fuel price can be as high as $15 per gallon, this new boost in efficiency is extremely valuable. Cool Energy has engaged in preliminary meetings with the Department of Defense and diesel generators manufacturers for validation and estimated market potential is $500M.
Management
¡ Dr. Samuel Weaver (Chairman, founder) has worked in the advanced materials industry for over 40 years and holds nine issued patents in the area of advanced materials. He has completed the sale Millennium Materials to Dyson Group PLC, and previous corporate sale of US Nuclear to Eagle–Picher.
¡ Sam P. Weaver (CEO/President, founder) has valuable sales, product development and engineering management experience (Network Photonics, InPhase Technologies, dBm Optics), as well as co–founding Colorado Photonics, and serves on the State of Colorado Clean Energy Development Authority board.
¡ Glenn Booth (VP, Marketing and Business Development) has deep experience in startup business development, marketing and engineering, bringing products to market with companies such as Boeing, Earthlink, Level 3 Communications, Vivato and Bay Networks/Nortel.
¡ Leslie Weise, (VP, Legal & Policy Affairs), LLM Environmental Law & Policy, has 20 years of business, policy and legal experience in the cleantech and semiconductor industries, including as corporate counsel for companies such as Applied Materials, Redback Networks, Honeywell and Xerox.
Financing
Cool Energy has been funded to date from $2.5M in private investment combined with $880k in grants (SBIR/NSF, DoE and State of Colorado). Cool Energy is seeking $3-5M that will cover beta/FCS units, testing and channel deployment.
Venture Capital in the Rockies Winter 2010 Unveils Promising Growth Companies Ahead of Conference
Twenty Companies Ranging From Seed Stage to Mezzanine Will Showcase Next Generation Technologies from Various Industries at the 27th Annual VCIR Winter 2010 Conference
Denver, CO, February 23, 2010 – The Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association today unveiled its final lineup of growth companies at the 27th annual Venture Capital in the Rockies (VCIR) 2010 Winter conference. This year’s conference will highlight twenty promising early-growth companies; all based in the Rocky Mountain region and a majority of which are focused on clean technology, a burgeoning industry in the area.
The VCIR Winter 2010 conference will be held at the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek, Colorado, February 23-25, showcasing early-growth companies from Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
Along with company presentations and ample networking opportunities, Dan Caruso, CEO of Zayo Group, will give this winter’s keynote address. As an active member of the telecommunications and Internet community, Caruso will address the attendees about the virtues of starting a company in the Rocky Mountains.
The conference will also feature a Technology Showcase, an inaugural demonstration of five very early stage technology companies that is designed to feature the next generation of innovation from the region and further VCIR’s legacy of entrepreneurial mentorship.
“The Venture Capital in the Rockies 2010 Winter conference is a premier event for both promising companies and attendees,” said Seth Levine, chairman of VCIR and a managing partner at the Foundry Group, a Boulder, CO-based venture capital firm. “Over the last 10 years we have seen impressive numbers that show the conference being an initiator in the future success of presenting companies.
“That is why the conference has become an annual opportunity to identify great companies from around the Rocky Mountain region,” he continued.
Companies from Colorado represent the majority of presenters and constitute all of the clean technology and new energy companies participating in the conference.
· zettasun manufactures efficient commercial rooftop solar panels using proprietary optical technology to dramatically reduce the cost of solar electricity to be at or below grid costs.
VCIR Launches 20 Promising Companies/Page 2
· Cool Energy is an energy technology company that has developed a 100% clean conversion engine that transforms heat to electrical power for solar-based combined heat and power home applications and for waste heat recovery.
· RavenBrick delivers innovative solar-controlled windows, which reduce energy costs by up to 50 percent.
· BioVantage offers an algae-based, “green” alternative to classical wastewater lagoon aeration significantly reducing costs while helping municipalities to comply with new stringent mandates.
· Eco-Products is the nation’s leading brand of single use food service products made from renewable and recycled resources.
· Ice Energy delivers distributed energy storage and smart grid solutions to leverage higher efficiencies associated with generating and transmitting less expensive off-peak power.
· Pure Energy Solutions is the developer of superior wire-free charging technology and rechargeable battery solutions for consumer electronic devices.
· VanDyne SuperTurbo offers a product that increases horsepower and therefore improves thermal efficiency in vehicles, potentially improving fuel efficiency 36% in gasoline cars and trucks, with no loss of performance.
· Green Garage is a new kind of garage that makes cars gentler on the planet and easier on the wallet. Green Garage aggregates proven, sustainable, energy saving automotive maintenance/repair related products and delivers them through convenient consumer valet and corporate mobile on-site services.
Additional Colorado Representatives
· TruEffect merges the interactivity and reach of the Web, with the precision and effectiveness of direct marketing to deliver increased media performance and unparalleled new insights to global advertisers.
· UniversityParent.com provides college parents with critical campus information and connects parents with local services near campus, such as restaurants, hotels, and storage facilities.
· TopSchool, Inc. is a leading SaaS provider of Student Lifecycle Management (SLM) solutions for higher education, empowers student-centric institutions to drive growth, reduce costs and meet accountability requirements.
· Clementine Arts markets the first full line of natural art supplies for children. All of the products are made in the USA and are naturally non-toxic, while functioning on par or better than traditional art supplies.
Consumer, Information Technology, Medical, and Imaging Technologies also Represented
· iMemories provides a single Web destination for consumers to digitize, preserve and store their full length home videos and photos online, regardless of the original media format, and share them across multiple consumer platforms, ranging from televisions and mobile phones to popular social networks and blogs.
· Mangia allows sports fans to order food and merchandise (and eventually tickets) using a mobile phone and have it delivered right to a stadium or arena seat.
· DICOM grid is a healthcare information technology that helps hospitals, imaging facilities and physicians manage and distribute radiology health records to meet the needs of the rapidly evolving healthcare industry.
VCIR Launches 20 Promising Companies/Page 3
· Infopia is a leader in SaaS (Software as a Service) eCommerce platform solutions—giving retailers the tools they need to sell effectively online and helping merchants grow their business faster and more effectively than any other technology provider.
· CradlePoint engineers and manufactures wireless 3G/4G broadband routers and software platforms that facilitate secure Internet access via 3G/4G wireless (cellular) broadband networks.
· Firerock Technology develops, licenses, and sells proprietary hardware and software that improve the performance, security, and reliability of Information Technology systems.
The three-day conference is about both new companies and new ideas, as well as giving attendees a chance to network with over 300 investors, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and service professionals.
About VCIR
Venture Capital in the Rockies (VCIR) is the region’s oldest and best attended venture capital conference and will hold its 27th annual VCIR Winter edition in Beaver Creek, Colorado in 2010. Along with the annual VCIR Fall conference, the two VCIR conferences encompass the premier venture investing conferences in the Rocky Mountain region and among the most respected venture conferences in the country. Creating a dynamic marketplace for ideas and investment, both editions of VCIR invite over companies seeking investment to present to panels of venture investors, as well as an audience of other entrepreneurs, CEOs and professionals servicing the venture community. More information can be found at www.vcirwinter.com
VCIR 2010 – Clementine Art
Clementine Art offers a line of naturally non-toxic, environmentally friendly children’s art supplies presented in eco-chic packaging — a new subset within a multi-billion dollar category. The company chose to distribute its products first through premium channels before penetrating the mass market.
Clementine has six products with ingredients that provide an innovative alternative to the materials currently available. Its products do not contain artificial dyes nor chemicals, are be responsibly sourced from renewable resources, is environmentally friendly (including recyclable packaging), and tested to be completely safe. Clementine is the first company in this space to fully disclose ingredients on the back panel of every package and all products are manufactured in the U.S.A.
Market
Clementine is effectively creating a new product category that intersects two markets: children’s arts & crafts, and natural products. The United States Toy market is worth over $21 billion; Clementine is targeting both the Arts & Crafts ($2.5 billion) and pre-school and infant ($3.1 billion) segments. The Natural Products industry stands at $68 billion.
A single traditional company, Crayola, has dominated the art supply arena for almost 100 years. Crayola and other large competitors are managed for efficiency, not innovation; Crayola does not currently offer a natural product line.
Management
John Maggio, Founder, President and CEO. John founded natural food company Boulder Potato Company (Boulder Chips) in 1994 - he successfully grew the company before an exit by acquisition to the Inventure Group (NASDAQ: SNAK). John has run other consumer product companies and has been involved with the launch of several new brands and well over 100 products within those brands.
Diana Mercer, Passionate Founder. Diana brings 20 years experience in the field of Education, Arts Education, Early Childhood Education, and Child Development to Clementine Art. Her experience inspired her to provide parents and children at Clementine with a fresh perspective on art and the development of creativity.
Gordon Cooper, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing. Gordon’s previous experience includes sales and marketing in multiple channels with Nestle and Celestial Seasonings. Most recently he was Director of National Sales for Larabar, which he led from $3 million to over $35 million in sales before an acquisition by General Mills in the summer of 2008.
Katherine Gregory, Vice President of Operations. Katherine’s background includes over 15 years of supply chain experience in both high-end retail and consumer packaged goods. Most recently, she held roles in both operations and marketing at Williams Sonoma, Inc.
Financing
To date, the Company has been capitalized on founder, management and angel investments in a Friends & Family round . It has raised over $1 million
