Picasolar Ties for Second at National Clean Energy Contest

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PicasolarUniversity of Arkansas startup Picasolar, which developed a way to make solar cells more efficient, tied for second at the National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition this week in Washington, D.C. The event, in its second year, is put on by the U.S. Department of Energy and brings together six regional winners from across the country. Winners were announced on Tuesday, and SiNode Systems from Northwestern University was the overall winner. [Read more…]

BiologicsMD Signs Deal to Make Its Osteoporosis Treatment

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Fayetteville drug development startup BiologicsMD announced on Tuesday a partnership with an Oklahoma firm that will make the company’s osteoporosis treatment. BioMD, which has developed what it considers a breakthrough treatment for the disease called PTH-CBD, has contracted with Cytovance Biologics of Oklahoma City to develop a manufacturing platform for the drug. In addition, the firm has welcomed its newest board member, Ensysce Biosciences CEO Lynn Kirkpatrick, to help guide it through the Food and Drug Administration approval process. [Read more…]

Entrepreneur Jessica Haynes Launching JesKa Shoe

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Jeska Shoe Co.A burgeoning fashion company based in southern Arkansas has plans to patent and copyright a women’s shoe with interchangeable heels and accessories. JesKa Shoe Co. was started by 24-year-old entrepreneur Jessica Haynes, a native of Emerson (Columbia County) who conceived of the product in 2010 after experiencing a common mishap: breaking the heel off one of her favorite shoes. While she was a student at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Haynes competed at the 2011 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup business plan competition and took home the coveted Innovation Award at the graduate level. [Read more…]

Amerine: HomeDx and Picasolar ‘Highly Scalable, Investable’ Deals

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University of Arkansas startups HomeDx and Picasolar represent “highly scalable, investable deals,” according to IA advisor Jeff Amerine. (Despite what some Tri-State judges may think.) Amerine knows something about startup ventures. He provides his take below on the two ventures after HomeDx’s second-place Tri-State finish and Picasolar’s unexpected miss in Las Vegas. Also shut out were Arkansas undergrad representatives Catch-22 from UALR and eScout from Ouachita. [Read more…]

HomeDx Places Second, Wins Pitch Contest at Tri-State Governor’s Cup

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University of Arkansas startup HomeDx won the elevator pitch portion and finished second overall in the graduate-level division of the 2013 Donald W. Reynolds Tri-State Governor’s Cup business-plan competition Tuesday in Las Vegas. Four Arkansas teams — the top two winners in the undergraduate and graduate divisions of the Arkansas DWR Governor’s Cup — competed against the top winners from Oklahoma and Nevada. Teams from Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma took home top honors. [Read more…]

Winners of the 2013 Donald W. Reynolds Tri-State Competition Named

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The Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation, an affiliate of The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group, is pleased to announce that R2R Technologies of Oklahoma State University of Stillwater, Okla., and Field Focus of Oklahoma State University of Norman, Okla., are the 2013 winners of the Donald W. Reynolds Tri-State Award in Las Vegas. First place winners took home a $30,000 cash prize, a team trophy and individual plaques. The second place winners received $20,000 prize, a trophy and individual plaques. The teams’ faculty advisors earned a $3,500 check as well. “I am extremely impressed by the sophistication of the business plans this year,” said C. Sam Walls, chief executive officer of the Arkansas Capital Corporation and chairman of The Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation. “These students represent Arkansas’s economic future, and the entrepreneurial skills they have gained are invaluable.” [Read more…]

UA Building Successful Startups, This Year Led By Picasolar

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Startups launched from the Walton Business College at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville are earning both accolades at national business-plan competitions and money as viable, high-growth businesses. Picasolar is the latest graduate-level UA startup to fare well on the national business-plan circuit. Since 2008, the UA entrepreneurship program has launched 10 startup ventures that grew to become high-growth businesses. Those firms employ roughly 100 Arkansans and pay above-average salaries, and they’ve raised more than $16 million in private investments, grants and incentives. They are: [Read more…]

5 UA Startups on the Cusp of Big Things

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Picasolar’s 2013 successful run in national business-plan competitions is reminiscent of past University of Arkansas startups. Here’s a look at five teams formed over the past five years in the entrepreneurship program at the UA’s Walton Business College that are becoming viable businesses: Movista, cycleWood Solutions, Boston Mountain Biotech, Silicon Solar Solutions and BiologicsMD. [Read more…]

UA Startup Picasolar Wins MIT Clean Energy Contest

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Picasolar, a University of Arkansas startup that created a way to make solar cells more efficient, won the MIT Clean Energy Prize business-plan contest and $250,000 Monday at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. Picasolar, fresh off its win at the 2013 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup and appearances at the prestigious Rice University and VLIC competitions, defeated 55 of the nation’s best sustainability startups to win the $150,000  top prize at MIT. In addition, the win earned the team a $100,000 prize from the U.S. Department of Energy. [Read more…]

Arkansas Capital Congratulates Charlott “Chotsie” Adney

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Arkansas Capital Corporation Congratulates Charlott “Chotsie” Adney on Receiving 2013 U.S. Small Business Administration’s Arkansas Small Business Person of the Year Award

Chotsie Adney Arkansas SBA Small Business Person of the Year Award 2013
Arkansas Capital Corporation Congratulates Charlott “Chotsie” Adney on Receiving 2013 U.S. Small Business Administration’s Arkansas Small Business Person of the Year Award.
The Arkansas Capital Corporation congratulates Advanced Aesthetics of Arkansas Owner Charlott “Chotsie” Adney on receiving the 2013 U.S. Small Business Administration’s Arkansas Small Business Person of the Year Award. “We were thrilled to help bring Chotsie’s dreams to reality by helping her get the necessary capital needed to expand her state-of-the-art aesthetics business in Little Rock,” said Al Hodge, senior vice president of Arkansas Capital Corporation. “Chotsie has a top-notch team and is dedicated to operating a first-class operation. She and her team are very deserving of the award.” [Read more…]

Four Ouachita Students Earn Honors at Governor’s Cup Business Plan Competition

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OBU-students
Ouachita students Connor Burke (left) and Jason Cantwell (center) earned second place in the undergraduate category of the recent Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup statewide business plan competition for their plan for eScout. Photo courtesy Ken West Photography
Ouachita Baptist University students recently competed in the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup statewide business plan competition in Fayetteville, Ark. Six students from Ouachita competed against students from colleges and universities across the state for cash prizes and the opportunity to move on to the 6th annual Tri-State Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup competition in Las Vegas from May 20-22. [Read more…]