Response Technologies named top winner of 2016 Rhode Island Business Plan Competition

RESPONSE TECHNOLOGIES WAS the top winner in the 2016 Rhode Island Business Plan Competition.
RESPONSE TECHNOLOGIES WAS the top winner in the 2016 Rhode Island Business Plan Competition.

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Business Plan Competition unveiled its 2016 winners Tuesday night, naming a two-man team that is developing a manufacturing process to make explosion-resistant fuel tanks the top winner.

Response Technologies’ Ed Bard, of Cumberland, and Dave Pettey, of Westport, were the Entrepreneur Track winners.

Prizes valued at more than $225,000 will be shared among seven winning teams. Response Technologies received $67,100 in prizes – $15,000 in cash and $32,100 in professional and consulting services, plus a $20,000 bonus cash award.

“Rhode Island is well positioned for Response Technologies. We are collaborating with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, nearby Natick Soldier Center in Massachusetts and Sikorsky in Connecticut. Our advanced processes will require talent from Rhode Island’s textile and chemistry base, and our 3-D textile process will benefit from RISD design graduates,” Bard said in a statement.

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The Student Track winner was PICCPerfect, led by Emily Levy, of Newport, a Babson College senior studying technology, entrepreneurship and design, who developed a functional accessory that enables chronically ill patients to manage peripherally inserted central catheter lines to avoid dislodging lines and preventing irritation or infection.

PICCPerfect was awarded $15,000 in cash and $31,650 in professional and consulting services. The company is already manufacturing in Rhode Island the first of a projected line of products.

Also, Neurocurious, led by Kurt Spindler, of Providence, won the new MedTech Award. Spindler is developing a computer vision algorithm to automate collection of rodent behavior data, aimed at reducing costs related to this component of pharmaceutical research and development. He won $10,000 in cash and $49,150 in professional and consulting services.

“The judges had a special challenge this year selecting the winners, as all the finalists have exceptional promise. They’re addressing problems that will enable them to build scalable businesses that serve large markets well beyond the state, and we look forward to helping them grow,” Competition Co-chair Margaret “Peggy” Farrell said.

More than 35 past Rhode Island Business Plan Competition participants are currently operating, having created more than 300 jobs and buying services from Rhode Island suppliers.

In addition to the winners, Entrepreneur Track finalists were:

  • Neurotecnix, which proposed an electroencephalography system for non-invasive recording of brain activity with software, which objectively measures and localizes pain. Principal applicant: Adam Nitenson, Providence.
  • XactSense, which has created a drone-based hardware-software system to survey and inspect hard-to-reach infrastructure components at significantly lower cost and time than traditional methods permit. Principal applicant: Andy Trench, Warwick.

Student Track finalists were:

  • Farmer Willie’s, which is developing a gluten-free, craft beer that serves the niche ginger beer market. Principal applicant: Nicolas Enriquez, Brown University.
  • Vinespect, which is developing a handheld optical tester that instantaneously and nondestructively determines sugar, pH, and acidity of on-vine grapes, allowing viticulturists to make more frequent field measurements. Principal applicant: Richard McDonald, Brown University.

Finalists in both tracks received $5,000 in cash, along with services valued at $8,350.

The winners were named at an event at the Chace Center/ Rhode Island School of Design Museum.

A total of 79 applications were received this year. To be eligible to win prizes, applicants agreed to establish or continue business operations in Rhode Island.

Lead sponsors of the 2016 competition are Bryant University; Focus Vision Media; Hinckley Allen & Snyder LLP; Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co. Ltd.; Locke Lord LLP; Pure Haven Essentials; and the Providence Journal Charitable Legacy Fund.

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