Michael Ham and Molly Cernicek are co-founders of SportXast, LLC, a mobile app startup that enables fans, parents, athletes, and coaches to broadcast photos and video highlights from local sporting events. Courtesy/LANL
LANL News:
Nine local businesses receive $340,000 in LANS, LLC Venture Acceleration Funds
- Unmanned solar aircraft manufacturers, app developers among recipients
Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS) awarded $340,000 to nine local businesses this year to help them grow and develop in Northern New Mexico.
The grant awards are under the auspices of LANS’ Venture Acceleration Fund and coordinated by the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Technology Transfer Division. LANS invested $315,000 while Los Alamos County invested $25,000.
“Over the last two years, Los Alamos County has contributed more than $75,000 in cash and in-kind resources in support of the Venture Acceleration Fund,” said Los Alamos’ Technology Transfer Division Leader David Pesiri. “We hope to see more communities contributing in the future to support the growth of exciting companies such as the current set of recipients. It’s a great partnership.”
Awards were given to two in Los Alamos, four companies in Santa Fe, two in Rio Rancho and one in Moriarty.
Venture Acceleration Fund recipients for 2013:
- GeoEnergy Monitoring Systems, Inc. – Los Alamos: seismo-acoustic system to monitor seismic activity.
- SportXast of Los Alamos – Los Alamos: mobile app for sports broadcasting.
- Aerolenz, LLC – Santa Fe: insulated aerogel skylights.
- Awesome Harvest, LLC – Santa Fe: cloth growing pots.
- PlanitMapper, LLC – Santa Fe: app used for outdoor activities.
- Seamless Medical Systems, LLC – Santa Fe: electronic medical record keeping system for medical offices.
- Customizabooks – Rio Rancho: digital publishing house for children’s books.
- NuAira, Inc. – Rio Rancho: power-assisted bicycles.
- Titan Aerospace – Moriarty: solar-powered aircraft manufacturing.
Since the program’s beginning in 2006, LANS has awarded $2.8 million to 39 businesses, which have generated $24.7 million, or nine times return on investment, through job creation, increased revenues and attracting additional financing. The fund was originally created to commercialize technologies developed at the Lab but now includes all types of businesses in every stage of development.
The Venture Acceleration Fund is part of Los Alamos Connect, a program administered by the Regional Development Corporation that aims to help entrepreneurs and businesses reach the next level of success and grow the economy in Northern New Mexico.
