Cottonwood Technology Fund Investments
edioma
Capitalizing on the greatest growing market in the country, CTF is partnering with edioma, which provides mobile education products for Spanish/English markets. edioma has developed highly effective, easily accessed, bilingual education products, delivered via mobile phones and the Internet. Its technology empowers companies to communicate more effectively with their customers, their employees, and their partners. As the fastest growing demographic in the United States, a significant number of Hispanics have limited access to traditional Internet and institutional English language education. Alternatively, they are three times more likely to consume mobile content and 50% more receptive to mobile advertising than non-Hispanics cell phone users. Hence, edioma is capitalizing on a tremendous consumer base with critical information and just the right technology. For example, 7-Eleven Corporation utilizes edioma’s language instruction system to better educate its franchisees in everyday transactional Spanish. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, edioma can be found online at www.edioma.com.
FIBERIO
FibeRio Technology Corporation, is an award winning enterprise that has pioneered a new process to create the microscopic nanofibers used widely from traditional textiles and filtration products to medical supplies and aerospace materials, with further potential applications ranging from tissue engineering to drug delivery. Originally developed at the University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA), Forcespinning™ is a much more environmentally sound breakthrough in nanofiber production that reduces manufacturing costs up to 75% while broadening the range of applicable materials. FibeRio’s experienced management team is dedicated to scaling up this powerful new technology to meet the most demanding industrial requirements and planned product launches from research scale to high output continuous in-line processing equipment. The capacities of these machines will far exceed currently used nanofiber production methods, resulting in broad implications for a huge variety of industries. "Despite our disruptive technology, being based in Edinburg, TX proved to be a significant barrier to attracting capital. Cottonwood was very comfortable in committing to the company and has been tremendous in supporting us in all areas critical to our success,” said Ellery Buchanan, CEO and Founder of FibeRio. The company can be found online at www.FibeRioTech.com.
RESPIRA
Respira Therapeutics is a drug delivery device company founded by CTF through an exclusive worldwide field of use license from the University of New Mexico. CTF has recruited a CEO with experience as a global director in large pharma plus having had founder start-up experience exiting via a successful IPO. CTF has also recruited product development partner Emergent Technologies and is providing the initial start-up funding. While the company is headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, initial product development will be based in Austin, Texas in the Emergent laboratory facilities. Respira’s technology has the potential to make a significant impact in the dry inhalant drug delivery industry. Their patented approach uses a single large bead coated with a drug powder which achieves sufficient velocity when launched against a mesh—the drug enters the deep lung at three to four times the rate of existing state-of-the-art inhalers. This has tremendous benefit to patents on existing drugs while solving the recent ban on CFCs, eliminating the need for a carrier material as currently required, solving inhalation capacity dependence, and allowing applications for new and existing drugs not previously available as a dry inhalant. A drug partner will help develop the initial product and Respire expects to enter clinical trials within 12 months. Respira Therapeutics can be found online at www.RespiraTherapeutics.com.
SKORPIOS
Skorpios Technologies, Inc., an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based company offers a unique intellectual property that represents a paradigm shift for the optical communications industry. The company’s technological advantage will permit the industry to move away from expensive and difficult Indium Phosphide materials to much lower-cost and widely understood Silicon materials. The process is made even more cost-efficient considering that existing facilities and equipment are utilized without requiring any expensive modifications, new processes or new facilities. This will be a first for the industry with potentially significant impact across a number of applications, not just within the traditional telecommunications infrastructure. By extending the benefits of silicon and Moore’s law to the optical communications market, costs can be reduced by as much as ten times while improving performance and reducing power consumption. The Skorpios team is comprised of top technical and general management talent with backgrounds in both successful start-ups and large enterprises. The company has recently signed a letter of intent with Nokia/Siemens and, having completed technical due diligence, are negotiating a first purchase order for its first products. They are also under NDA with several other leading equipment sales companies. www.skorpiosinc.com
EXAGEN
Exagen Diagnostics, Inc. is a leader in the discovery and development of genomic marker tests that assist physicians with disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with an office in Houston, Texas, Exagen Diagnostics, Inc. is a molecular diagnostics company focused on identifying and developing genomic marker sets. These marker sets are used to create laboratory tests for diagnosis, prognosis, and predictive treatment response across a number of disease categories. Exagen's current emphasis is on gastroenterology, particularly Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Exagen is a patient focused, discovery driven, CLIA registered, CAP certified laboratory with a growing menu of proprietary, internally developed tests. The Company is committed to personalized medicine, with tests specifically designed to provide objective information to physicians and patients for more accurate, efficient diagnosis and better disease management. www.exagen.com
