The Neutrino Donut is working with a startup developing a technology to help patients in the ICU. The company is seeking funding for this project.
Author: Earle Hager
Managing Partner, The Neutrino Donut, LLC
The Neutrino Donut Project – Member, White Paper on the 2020 R&D Agenda and the Future of Innovation
The Neutrino Donut was one of a group of companies / individuals asked to contribute thoughts to a a white paper on the future of R&D. The discussion, initially based on world view pre-pandemic, has changed considerably post-pandemic.
China will be a questionable member of the supply chain. Price and manufacturing manipulation, particularly in the area of rare earth metals, will be challenged as companies will pay a premium for stability versus the lower cost only standard. I have always viewed the economic race between China and India as favoring India.
Other Southeast Asia countries and Africa will benefit as economic development will expand to more options for supply chain.
Remote work will become standard. The impact of this will be higher paying salaries for remote workers who will move to smaller towns, upsetting the local property costs. CA workers moving to Idaho and Montana are not popular, as they are able to easily afford $300K homes, which were out of reach based on local salaries. These remote workers will create challenges for schools and consumer services (restaurants and food supply) for more diverse offerings.
In my personal experience, moving from Philadelphia to a small Texas town, these challenges were obvious. A large amount of the property taxes were raised against farmers, who where not happy with tax increases that burdened them more heavily.
Corporations have a one year view on incomes. The recent tax cut was targeted at job creation, when the overall unemployment rate was very low and the jobs which were leaving the country (manufacturing) were still leaving even with tax cuts (Carrier). The tax cut had to be spent, and it was spent on stock buybacks and automatically triggered bonuses. Fast forward a year, and the tax cut money would be better served in retaining workers.
We have had three once in a century economic shocks to the system since 2001. We are not prepared for the economic management of these problem.
The net effect is tax cuts may not be an effective tool to economic development at this point. Other solutions may be needed.
In the same way, the Keynesian model (C+I+G), which was key to getting us out of the recession of 2008, may not work in this space. President Trump’s economic stimulus will not have the same effect, as the world has changed.
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE and corporate blowhard, felt you should fire the bottom 5% of your organization every year. He was an idiot. But, we are about to see the bottom 5% of our economy come to an end. Malls are an obvious target.
We will come through this and we will be stronger.
The Neutrino Donut Project – Water Systems
The Neutrino Donut is assisting a company on their SBIR Phase 2 proposal. The technology relates to water systems. We are providing business development services on the project, identifying key players and developing marketing reach out strategies.
The Neutrino Donut Project – iCorps Application for Medical Device
The Neutrino Donut is working with a university startup on their iCorps application. The company is developing a medical device in the infant care market.
Presentation – Market Research and Competitive Landscape – Agriculture Markets
Our goal is to help companies understand their markets, distribution and partnership opportunities, develop an understanding of strengths and weaknesses and allow the company to target their efforts toward the appropriate customers.
Market research is about defining your market and identifying individual players in the market. The competitive landscape includes direct and indirect competitors, as well as “doing nothing.” They key to a successful market entry process is the identification of specific companies and individuals for contacts.
Competition is about challenging the market against the companies’ strengths and their weaknesses. We will focus on an understanding of the value and distribution models.
Navy strengthens defense industrial base with new small business funding opportunity
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/oonr-nsd042720.php
To support the national response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of the Navy (DoN) must leverage and sustain its research-and-development industrial base–and attract new small business partners.
The Navy and Marine Corps are doing so by harnessing the DoN’s agile Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs–both located at the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The programs announced today $30 million in rapid-funding opportunities through a new Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), which is a request for scientific or research proposals. The BAA can be viewed at https://www.navysbir.com/.
“During this national emergency, the Naval Research Enterprise must engage all activities to ensure we accomplish our current workload, make sure vital naval partners survive current economic conditions, and bring in new partners,” said DoN SBIR/STTR Director Bob Smith. “I’m proud the DoN SBIR/STTR programs are taking bold steps to maintain the defense industrial base through accelerated funding awards.”
The new BAA, titled DoN SBIR FY20.4, will close on May 28. It seeks proposals from innovative small businesses and startups for high-impact, scalable technologies that address both naval requirements and the needs of the commercial market. Areas of interest to the Navy and Marine Corps include:
- Modernization and sustainment (maintenance and repair of military assets)
- Digital logistics (security, analysis, management and flow of digital information and data)
- Deployable manufacturability (rapid, on-demand manufacturing of deployable systems supporting diverse payloads and missions)
- Resilient communications (expanded communications capabilities for fast, coordinated response during a global crisis)
BAA FY20.4 is just one facet of a broader DoN SBIR/STTR effort to sustain the defense industrial base during the COVID-19 response, by awarding more than $250 million in funding over the next 90 days.
SBIR provides the Navy and Marine Corps with innovative advances in technology created by small businesses–while STTR transitions products developed by both small businesses and research institutions.
Navy SBIR/STTR and NavalX
In addition to promoting BAAs like FY20.4, the DoN SBIR/STTR programs also look to strengthen new approaches, like serving as technology enablers for the Naval Expeditions (NavalX) Agility Office–created by the Hon. James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.
NavalX gives Sailors, Marines and DoN civilians tools to put good ideas into action. This enables naval organizations like ONR and SBIR/STTR to better connect warfighters with experts and small businesses.
SBIR/STTR also provides expertise at NavalX’s multiple Tech Bridge locations nationwide.
A partnership between ONR, NavalX, the Navy’s Technology Transfer Program Office, and all naval systems commands, Tech Bridges are regional innovation hubs where warfare centers, government, academia and industry can team up and work together on technology research, evaluation and commercialization–as well as economic and workforce development.
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Learn more about the DoN SBIR/STTR programs and BAA FY20.4 at https://www.navysbir.com/.
HOW ARE WOMEN, LOW-INCOME, AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES FAIRING? From Agency Capital (www.agency-capital.com)
https://www.agency-capital.com/oped/woman-minority-hubzone-sbir
Things aren’t looking great…
At first glance the SBIR funding rates for woman, HUBZone* (our shorthand for companies located in low-income areas), and minority founders looks pretty grim with funding rates in the low single digits
Getting below the headline…
After talking to reps from the funding teams it sounds like the percent of applications from woman, HUBZone, and minority owned businesses is also extremely low so the chances of winning if you are a woman, HUBZone, or minority founder are actually pretty good
Where the truth lies…
Sadly we don’t have access to data on the companies that applied and lost so we don’t know the truth, but we thought this could help prospective SBIR applicants make an informed decision.
The Neutrino Donut and LARTA – Seminar – Market Research and Consumer Landscape
 MARKET RESEARCH and CONSUMER LANDSCAPE Thursday, April 30, 2020 9:00AM PT | 12:00PM ET Our goal is to help companies understand their markets, distribution and partnership opportunities, develop an understanding of strengths and weaknesses and allow the company to target their efforts toward the appropriate customers. Market research is about defining your market and identifying individual players in the market. The competitive landscape includes direct and indirect competitors, as well as “doing nothing.” They key to a successful market entry process is the identification of specific companies and individuals for contacts. Competition is about challenging the market against the companies’ strengths and their weaknesses. We will focus on an understanding of the value and distribution models. REGISTER NOW About the Speaker Earle Hager Managing Partner, The Neutrino Donut, LLC www.neutrinodonut.com Earle Hager is a thought leader with an understanding of commercialization processes in the evaluation of technologies and businesses. He has completed multiple technology assessments and business development projects in innovative technologies over the last ten years for domestic and international clients. Project clients include grant reviews for DoE, DoD, NIH, NSF, and other agencies as well as US and foreign universities. Earle is also a member of the grant review panels with NIH and DoD. Larta’s mission and passion is to energize the transformation of technology ideas into solutions that elevate economic opportunities and make lives better for people around the world.   Larta Institute – Los Angeles www.larta.org The Neutrino Donut, LLC, Los Angeles and Austin www.neutrinodonut.com |
The Neutrino Donut – Networking – The Water Council – TECH CHALLENGE IS OPEN TO INNOVATORS!
https://watertechhub.com/challenge/spring-2020-tech-challenge/
The Water Council helps connect people deploying new innovations in water technology through corporate-sponsored open innovation tech challenges.
If you have a water tech idea or prototype with high potential for implementation or commercialization, we’re the link to get you to the next stage of development with corporate sponsors ready to help you make your idea a reality. As an applicant, your application will be reviewed by the corporate R&D team sponsors and if you are chosen, you’ll get the opportunity to present your innovation in-person to A.O. Smith, Badger Meter and Zurn and compete for:
- Funding with maximum total prize money of $25,000
- Opportunity for high potential for joint commercialization with market leaders
- Access to sponsoring companies’ R&D team expertise
Accepting applications March 2 to May 3
SPRING 2020 CHALLENGE TOPICS:
Sensors & Enabling Technologies for Leak Detection
Our Corporate partners are seeking innovative solutions for detecting small water leaks in a pipe to identify opportunities for early intervention to repair or replace the pipe. Enabling technologies for detecting water quality parameters inline at a pipe without the need for grab samples, and operational aspects of using artificial intelligence/machine learning and IoT will also be considered. The solutions may be complete systems, algorithms or concepts by talented individuals with the focus on optimization of operation, condition assessment, conservation, leak detection and water quality controls.
The applications may be of various scales including:
- Plumbing systems in residential, commercial or industrial facilities
- Cooling water systems
- Drinking water distribution
- Wastewater collection
- Water reuse distribution
Key success criteria:
- Long lasting
- Durable
- Low cost
- Low energy usage
- Rapid response or real time
- Non-toxic reagents or no reagents required
- Limit of detection commensurate with the regulatory limit or concentration of interest for the substance being detected
REGISTER & APPLY
Energy Harvesting from Water Networks
Our Corporate partners are seeking innovative solutions for recovering energy from water networks, both small scale (in home or building) and large scale (water distribution and collection systems). Supporting technologies that store energy are also of interest. Potential uses for the energy recovered include:
- Extend battery life/Recharge batteries needed for data transmission in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
- Powering meters and sensors
- Powering actuators for valves and other
Key Success Criteria:
- Long lasting
- Durable
- Low cost
REGISTER & APPLY
The Neutrino Donut – Service Offerings
The Neutrino Donut is a consultancy with a focus on technology commercialization. Our focus is on managing the commercialization process for SBIR programs as well as global market entry strategies. We have an extensive understanding of the ecosystems for universities, startups, grant programs, and global projects.
Over the last few years, we completed multiple programs and implemented processes for evaluation of technologies and demonstrated commercialization paths for execution. We have conducted technology assessment projects for multiple players in the marketplace on behalf of NIH, NSF, DoD, DoE, and other government agencies. We have been a member of grant review panels for NIH and DoD and provided services in the evaluation of technologies and budget processes.
In this process, we have completed over 300 technology assessments and over 250 business development projects in innovative technologies over the last ten years for domestic and international clients. A full list of recent projects is contained on The Neutrino Donut site. These research projects varied from 80 pages to 10 pages, based on client requirements, market definitions, and agency reporting requirements.
We were the founding members of two startups in technology commercialization and in negotiation for a third company. One company was a University of Pennsylvania startup in biotech field with a technology related to tRNA florescence. We provided marketing services for a diabetes medical technology developed privately in Santa Barbara. In these roles, we developed business strategy, grant application processes, review of IP challenges, and developed next stages for technologies and was a shareholder in each company.
Our international projects included being a senior member of teams responsible for commercialization of entrepreneurial efforts in Hungary, India, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Chile, Ukraine, Russia, Qatar and other countries. Responsible for closing deals for clients in each area across multiple technology areas. We delivered commercialization services and training programs in several of these countries.
We conducted assessment and development projects on behalf of the University of California, Irvine, The University of Texas at Austin, and projects for multiple universities in the area of technology assessments and business development.
We are interested in working with your organization to expand the resources available to you for commercialization of technologies.
