Boot Camp Success

Ann Arbor SPARK Business Accelerator Celebrates Entrepreneur Boot Camp Success
Success Stories include Compendia Biosciences and INVIA Imaging Solutions
June 15, 2006

The Ann Arbor SPARK Business Accelerator celebrates the success of the eighth Entrepreneur Boot Camp, held on June 1 and 2 at the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) in Ann Arbor. The “Best of Boot Camp” winner will be awarded an initial engagement with the Business Accelerator valued at $5,000. It will be awarded during the Celebration on June 20 from 5 to 8 p.m. at SPARK Central, 330 E. Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor.

“In the past three years, 12 companies have received acceleration services and more than 90 companies have been evaluated and referred to additional resources to help entrepreneurs develop their businesses,” said Skip Simms, executive director of the SPARK Business Accelerator.

Boot Camp has represented 100 teams and 250 participants during the five years of the program. Many of these participants have moved on to participate in the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest (GLEQ) business plan competition. GLEQ is a program offering educational training, networking events, coaching and written feedback from investment experts on business plans submitted. Four of the six GLEQ 2006 finalists were Boot Camp participants including Rapid BioSense, Space Weather, EnVironmental Transportation and ERT Solutions.

"Entrepreneur Boot Camp has once again demonstrated its value in preparing teams to communicate their message regarding their innovation based company,” said Simms.

Among the successful companies who participated in past Boot Camps include Compendia Bioscience, Inc., dedicated to the advancement of drug target and biomarker discovery through powerful molecular oncology tools, data, and analysis software. Compendia Bioscience's product, Oncomine, enables users to discover and prioritize potential cancer targets and biomarkers, improving efficiency, strengthening product pipelines, and increasing the likelihood of success.

INVIA Imaging Solutions is dedicated to improving health care, facilitating the work of medical imaging professionals and delivering best-in-class software solutions. The comprehensive, user-centered systems meet the imaging professional's demand for tailored, integrated solutions.

For more information about the Entrepreneur Boot Camp Celebration, please call Susanna Thomashefski at 734.615.9310 or e-mail sthomas@annarboritzone.org. To register, please visit www.annarboritzone.org.

About Ann Arbor SPARK Business Accelerator:
Launched in September 2002 with funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation SmartZone program and administered by Ann Arbor SPARK, the Business Accelerator engages seasoned entrepreneurs as mentors to assist with early stage business planning. The Accelerator funds critical activities to reach key milestones of business development. The goal of the Accelerator is value creation measured by sustained funding, business growth and recognition.

The Business Accelerator identifies high potential companies through its partners and semi-annual event Entrepreneur’s Boot Camp.

Click here for additional information about the Business Accelerator