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2008 Five Ventures® Business Plan Competition and Conference Announces Finalists and Keynote Speaker at www.Five-Ventures.com

Fourteen High Tech Entrepreneurs Compete for over $100,000 in Cash and Services
2008 Five Ventures Business Plan Competition and Conference

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Future business leaders face-off for cash and entrepreneurial assistance next week at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The annual business competition event, Five Ventures®, has announced the finalists for the seventh annual business plan competition. The conference is presented by the Charlotte Research Institute and will take place Thursday, April 10, at the Barnhardt Student Activities Center on the campus of UNC Charlotte.

Influential author, angel investor and successful entrepreneur Dr. Scott Shane provides the morning keynote for the event. His most recent book, Illusions of Entrepreneurship ranks as an amazon.com business top seller. The Wall Street Journal lauds Shane’s “myth-busting findings and analytical rigor” about the real value of entrepreneurism.

Shane’s message will be aimed at everyone from aspiring entrepreneurs, economic developers and investors looking to provide capital for emerging start-ups. Policy-makers who strive to facilitate the formation and survival of new businesses will find guidance in Shane’s presentation. Researchers interested in the economic impact of entrepreneurial activity will learn how to mesh research and business more effectively.

Fourteen entrepreneurs from the Southeast will compete throughout the day for more than $100,000 in cash and in-kind professional business services.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

GOPS Group International (aka AlgaMax) – Develops a system called AlgaMax which takes algae matter and converts it into either a Bio Diesel product or as a source to power an energy turbine (called the ProGen) to produce electricity.

SpherIngenics, Inc. – Allows for the encapsulation of cells in microbeads (microspheres) which are then easily injected into a patient for therapeutic procedures and aesthetic soft tissue augmentation.

VibeTech, Inc. – A medical device development and manufacturing company that produces non-invasive, vibration-based medical devices to reduce or reverse bone and muscle loss associated with aging, disability, injury and reduced activity level.

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

Filigree Nanotechnology, Inc. – Develops an innovative manufacturing process utilizing silver nanowires which will improve the performance and safety of silver zinc batteries.

VeritasCNC, Inc. – Dedicated to developing next generation products to remedy the current sub-optimal use of tooling and machine tools for computer-controlled machining centers.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

AccesStream, LLC – An IT security software company that develops, markets and sells an embeddable security solution that allows Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and corporate IT organizations that develop their own in-house security applications.

Jute Networks, LLC – Builds web software that organizes, searches and stores information based on how a user defines a business relationship within a closed and/or shared network.

Wisteme – Is a web-based platform where anyone can collaboratively help to build a high-quality, content-rich, question-driven knowledge system by asking, answering, and editing questions.

SERVICE & RETAIL

Aretae, Inc. (aka 411Fit.com) – A fitness and health platform that supports both students trying to meet fitness and health goals and those whose mission it is to help the students to succeed (i.e., nutritionists, personal trainers, and health experts).

iRealtyManager.com – Provides a set of web-based property management tools that enable real estate professionals (owners, managers & investors) to manage every aspect of their income producing properties via an online interface.

MyEIS, Inc. (aka LKNfun.com) – An online platform that allows users to manage content, deliver metrics to advertisers, and manage all significant internal business work flow through a paperless online end-to-end process interface.

STUDENT & NON-PROFIT

PBMobile – Plans and develops Mobile Commerce (M-commerce) applications and websites for cell-phones, PDAs, and other mobile devices.

Throwback Sports, LLC – A non-profit business designed to support young athletes and youth teams within the Charlotte-region through the acquisition and recycling of gently used, never used or out-dated sports-related items of value.

Virtual Officer – The use of a virtual human interface to administer police lineups through guided conversation and interactive feedback.

“The quality and diversity of the participants in the competition demonstrate the increasing identification of the Charlotte Research Institute as a place of innovation,” said Robert Wilhelm, Executive Director of the Institute, “and it’s clear that entrepreneurship is thriving in our region.”

In addition to the 14 entrepreneurial teams, nearly 80 volunteers are participating as sponsors, service providers, coaches, judges and mentors.

Five Ventures® is a free competition, open to any aspiring entrepreneur with an early-stage high-growth business within the Southeast region of the county. Registration for the all day competition is now open at www.Five-Ventures.com.

Sponsors of the 2008 Five Ventures® Business Plan Competition and Conference include: Belk College of Business at UNC Charlotte; Charlotte Research Institute at UNC Charlotte; NC Research Campus; Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.; City of Charlotte; North Carolina Biotechnology Center; Grant Thornton LLP; Defense & Security Technology Accelerator; Wallace Printing; Business Wire; Hammer & Hanf, PC; Bright Yellow Jacket; The Business Law Advisors; BIG Council; Frontier Capital; Summa, Allan & Additon, PA; The Ben Craig Center; SEBIO; Charlotte Regional Partnership; Cabarrus Economic Development; Fisher Family Foundation; Organizational Science Consulting at UNC Charlotte; SwampFox and the SBTDC of North Carolina.

About the Charlotte Research Institute

The Charlotte Research Institute is the portal for business-university partnerships at UNC Charlotte. CRI operates eight multidisciplinary research centers and The Ben Craig Center, a business incubator. CRI supports new research ventures, partnerships with regional and national enterprises, and spin-off companies created from UNC Charlotte research results. The centers focus on Precision Metrology, eBusiness Technology, Optoelectronics and Optical Communications, Visualization, Motorsports Engineering, Bioinformatics, Life Sciences and Biomedical Engineering Systems. http://www.CharlotteResearchInstitute.org

About UNC Charlotte

A public research university, UNC Charlotte is the fourth largest campus among the 17 institutions of the University of North Carolina system. It is the largest institution of higher education in the Charlotte region. The university offers 18 doctoral programs, 61 master’s degree programs and 89 programs leading to bachelor’s degrees. Fall 2007 enrollment exceeds 22,300 students, including almost 4,800 graduate students. http://www.uncc.edu

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