Ping Sharp was one of the first I-Corps teams. They have developed an indoor positioning system that provides the customer relevant information on how to find what they need at a convention, mall, casino, etc. It also provides extensive analytical information to the host company concerning what their customer/attendees are doing. Their first beta customer was with the UNLV Student Union where the service has been deployed for just over a year. They have used that location to not only fine tune the technology, but also as a showcase for other potential customers. They are negotiating their next location, which is one of the major casino operators on the Las Vegas strip that operates nine locations in Las Vegas alone.
Food Genes and Me is a company founded with technology developed by a researcher from the UNLV’s Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine. It unlocks the information in a person’s DNA to provide a diet specifically tailored to that customer. It uses each individual’s genetic blueprint to determine what food his or her body needs most. It leverages research to personalize a report that includes dietary information to help customers live a healthy life. It can use sequencing completed by 23andMe and Ancestry.com and targets them as their initial customer base. Their beta site is live and they are taking customers. They have also raised another $100,000 from investors.
A faculty member in UNLV’s Traffic Research Center developed Demand Responsive Rumble Strips. They provide a real time traffic management solution to help improve pedestrian safety on roadways. Their prototype has been built with feedback from the NTSB and will be installed in beta in the coming months on the UNLV campus and on a public roadway in Las Vegas. They received another $150,000 in state funding for the UNLV test and continued prototype development. The funding has also been approved by state traffic agencies for live public roadway testing.
Aftaz Growing Systems is company founded by an MBA student, her husband, and her father after going through the I-Corp Site program. The company provides self-contained aquaponics system for individuals and educators. Since they completed the program, they now have national distribution contracts signed with an education supplier and a gardening supplier and are generating revenue. The founder is also serving on the board of a national aquaponics association.
FRP is a company founded by some MBA students that licensed a fire retardant technology from the UNLV office of Economic Development. Their primary product, PyroHalt, was developed by a university faculty member via the assistance of a Small Business Innovation Research fund granted by NASA and is protected via two patents for both chemical formulation and application. The product is cost effective, nontoxic, and has a long lifetime. The company has raised additional funds and has been accepted into a local accelerator program, StartUpNV. They are currently working to sublicense the technology to a global chemical producer.
