Company Assistance
Startup Assistance
The Institute for Physical Research and Technology is a critical resource for start-up companies in the state of Iowa. As of 2009, startups formed from or otherwise related to IPRT technologies have the equivalent of more than 270 full-time employees working in Iowa.
IPRT fosters start-ups in two ways. First, IPRT’s Technology Commercialization Group works with entrepreneurs and startups throughout the state, providing assistance at the critical early stages of a company’s formation. This group can help assess technology and identify new products and market penetration strategies. It can also develop research and development projects with Iowa State researchers, helping startups perfect their products and providing them with unbiased, third-party evaluations of their technology and products. IPRT’s technology commercialization associates also mentor IPRT scientists that want to start a company, assisting with business and commercialization plans.
IPRT’s other involvement in startups is more direct. Technology developed at IPRT’s world-class research centers is often the basis for a new company that licenses the technology and spins off from Iowa State. IPRT’s entrepreneurial culture helps these companies speed the movement of the technology from the research bench to the marketplace. In one way or another, IPRT has worked with more than 40 startups that have formed from ISU technologies since 1984.
Startup Experience
IPRT has been involved in dozens of start-up companies in the state of Iowa. IPRT-developed technology has been the basis for many of these companies. In other cases, IPRT has assisted startups by helping them at critical early stages and enabling them to garner additional funding necessary for continued growth. (As with startups of all kinds, these companies often merge with other companies or undergo other changes as they find a niche in their particular markets).
Startups Related to IPRT:
| Company |
Products/Services |
| 8VA Corp. |
Thermal management components |
| Advanced Structural Imaging |
Aviation materials inspection |
| Avello Bioenergy Inc. |
Conversion of biomass into liquid bio-oil via fast pyrolysis |
| Biotronics, Inc. |
Ultrasound evaluation of live animals and carcasses. |
| Carbon Energy Technology (CETECH) |
Biomass gasification technology |
| Catilin, Inc. |
Proprietary catalyst technology for biodiesel production |
| CombiSep, Inc. (merged with Advanced Analytical Technologies, Inc.) |
Electrophoretic instrumentation technology |
| Edge Technologies, Inc./ETREMA Products, Inc. |
Evaluates technologies for commercialization/Manufacture
and distribution of "smart" material alloys |
| Engineering Animation, Inc. (now part of UGS-Siemens) |
Internet-based tools for engineering communication |
| Infiscape Corp. |
Immersive visualization consultants and developers |
| Innovative Materials Testing
Technologies |
Advanced nondestructive evaluation |
| Integrated Sensor Technologies |
Optical sensors |
| Mechdyne Corp. |
Interactive,
advanced visualization solutions |
| MTEC Photoacoustics, Inc. |
Photoacoustic cells |
| NDE Technologies, Inc. |
X-ray simulation code |
| PowerFilm, Inc. |
Thin-film solar cells |
| Visual Medical Solutions, LLC |
Software for visualizing medical data in 3D |
Notable start-up companies assisted by IPRT:
| Company |
Products/Services |
| Actus Potentia, Inc. |
Software for manufacturing processes |
| Adaptivation, Inc. |
Adaptive medical devices |
| Advanced Analytical Technologies, Inc. |
Applications of microanalytical instrumentation |
| Anaerobic Biosystems Corp. |
Anaerobic technologies |
| Arete Software Co. |
Software for manufacturing processes |
| Bioforce
Nanosciences, Inc. (formerly BioForce Laboratory) |
Atomic force microscopy (probes) |
| Delta Tie |
Engineered structures |
| EndoMetric, Inc. |
Software to aid in colonoscopy screening |
| Engineering Analysis, Inc. |
Computational fluid dynamics |
| EnSoft, Inc. |
Software re-engineering |
| Envirotech Systems, Inc. |
Protein crystals from supersaturated solutions |
| Full Spectrum |
Laser fiber optics |
| MellO3Z |
Ozonation and granular activated carbon absoprtion to remove volatile organic impurities |
| Metabolic Technologies |
Natural biological compound |
| MTEC BioAnalytics |
Seed screening for breeding purposes |
| NERP Technologies, Inc. |
Nectar expression of recombinant proteins |
| NewLink Genetics Corp. |
Genomics and therapeutic products |
| NewMonics, Inc. |
Real-time Java software and computer memory management systems |
| Nitro Ice Cream |
Ice cream processing equipment |
| Novascan Technologies, Inc. |
Tools for visualizing, characterizing and manipulating
microscopic and nanoscopic environments |
| Osteoceramics, Inc. |
Animal orthopedics |
| Palisade Systems, Inc. |
Computer network products |
| Pefftronics |
Audio processing |
| Phytodyne, Inc. |
Plant transformation technology |
| Pioneer Precision Coatings, Inc. |
Hard coating surfaces |
| PK Biosciences |
Innovative medicines for neurodegenerative diseases |
| Potter Solar Services |
Electric motors |
| ProPlanner, Inc. |
Web-based manufacturing process management |
| SafeSoy Biodiesel |
Biodiesel production |
| Soyawax International, Inc. |
Production and marketing of advanced soy waxes |
| Vibroacoustics Solutions, Inc. |
Active noise and vibration control technologies |
| Vista R&D |
Video hardware, software |
