Baltimore Tech Roundup: TEDCO investments, a virtual museum and accelerator news
Published 11/24/21 in the Baltimore Business Journal
Welcome to the tech roundup, a monthly column created by my predecessor. These are nuggets of news you might have missed, including acquisitions, announcements, new hires and other tidbits from Maryland’s tech scene. If there is any relevant news I haven’t included, or if there is anything going on in the tech sphere you’d like to tell me about, email me at jbologna@bizjournals.com.
I’m new to covering tech (and new to Maryland), so please feel free to reach out!
Incubators and accelerators
There’s still time to apply to AccelerateBaltimore. The application deadline is Dec. 5. Last year’s accelerator was virtual but program director Brendan McAdams said the program is back to being in-person. This year’s accelerator will have an emphasis on sales and marketing, McAdams said. It’s a 13-week program with $50,000 of seed funding available. Learn more about the program by clicking here.
UpSurge Baltimore announced its first class for the Techstars Equitech Accelerator. According to a press release, the class of 12 early-stage companies is one of the most diverse accelerator classes in the country. Some of the companies hail from outside the country, including Toronto, Berlin and Dublin. Three Baltimore companies were selected for the 13-week program:
- EcoMap Technologies Inc., which “builds platforms that help people navigate ecosystems, from entrepreneurial communities to corporate networks and beyond.”
- Femly, which “increases access to eco-friendly and sustainable personal care.”
- MindStand Technologies, which “utilizes AI to detect workplace harassment and provide personalized insights on workplace inclusion.”
Funded
TEDCO announced it has invested $1.8 million in 12 startup companies. Six were spun out of Johns Hopkins University, and two apiece from University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Maryland, College Park; and University of Maryland, Baltimore County. TEDCO also invested more than $4.4 million in 36 university projects as part of its Maryland Innovation Initiative. The following companies received $150,000 in funding:
- BLOCKsyncop, of Highland
- Capsulomics, of Baltimore
- Empower Therapeutics, of Baltimore
- Envicis Bio, of Baltimore
- Geminus Therapeutics, of Baltimore
- Geothermal Technologies, of Bel Air
- Haystack Solutions, of College Park
- Kubanda Cryotherapy, of Baltimore
- ML4Cyber, of Baltimore
- PreSquared, of Cockeysville
- Silvec Biologics, of Rockville
- Synteris, of Rockville
TEDCO also announced it invested $25,000 in Opal HTM, a tech company based in White Plains. The investment was part of TEDCO’s Rural Business Innovation Initiative. According to TEDCO, Opal HTM “improves hospital efficiency by reshaping how medical equipment is managed and maintained.”
Higher education
Bowie State University was one of three Historically Black Colleges and Universities selected for a new STEM scholarship program, according to a press release from the school. Penn National Gaming is dedicated $4 million over five years to fund scholarships and internships with the company.
FastForward U, the student entrepreneurship hub of Johns Hopkins, recently held Fuel Demo Day. According to spokesman Danny Jacobs, InfernoGuard, a sensor that helps with wildfire and environmental monitoring, won the grand prize. StetPulse, which focuses on stethoscope decontamination, won the crowd choice award, Jacobs said, and Cabilde, a Mexican civic engagement web app, won the cohort prize.
The University of Maryland Strategic Partnership announced that it has awarded $150,000 to eight professors over three years as its inaugural class of MPower Professorships. According to the press release, four professors are from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and four are from the University of Maryland, College Park. The professors can put those funds toward their salary or to “support supplemental research activities.”
News and notes
LifeSprout, a regenerative medicine company based in Baltimore, has hired a new CEO, Michael Kranda. Kranda previously worked for gene therapy company AskBio.
Fearless, a digital services company in Baltimore, said that it has been working with the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., to create a virtual complement to a museum exhibition. “The immersive, online experience for the Slavery and Freedom exhibition aims to evoke the same kind of powerful emotional response that an in-person visit to the museum does, while expanding learning opportunities through additional digital resources,” the press release said. The hope is that the virtual exhibit can be used by students or anyone who can’t afford to travel to the museum or can’t visit due to the pandemic or any other reason. Check it out by clicking here.
