Mercury Technology Labs

Mercury Supporting LaunchMemphis and Entrepreneurship at TechFuel

2009-04-20T12:47:00.001-07:00

Mercury Technology Labs proudly supports LaunchMemphis and the TechFuel to be held Thursday.

What happens when you
--fly in two top thinkers in innovation, culture, technology, and media for a panel discussion,
--retain the services of an international renown DJ,
--serve up good food and drink,
--get great supporters of entrepreneurship like Southern Growth Studios and MPACT Memphis
--and invite entrepreneurs, technologists, and new media mavens to chill for two hours?

You get the extravaganza LaunchMemphis calls TechFuel.

I hope you will take the time to join us, Adrian Ho, C.C. Chapman, and DJ Mr. White for an evening unlike any other served up in Memphis. The event will be held Thursday, April 23rd from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at EmergeMemphis (516 Tennessee Street, Memphis, TN). It will be a great time for you to meet with your fellow technology, social media, and startup enthusiasts. There is no cost to attend, but we ask that you RSVP on Facebook here http://www.facebook.com/events.php#/event.php?eid=74847833872 or to techfuel@launchmemphis.com.

About the Speakers

Adrian Ho, Founding Partner, Zeus Jones (Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area)
Adrian Ho is a founding partner at Zeus Jones. At Zeus Jones we believe actions speak louder than words, that modern brands are defined by what they do not what they say. We built our company around these beliefs. A company where strategy, creativity, design, digital expertise and user-experience flow directly into each other to solve business problems. Adrian was formerly director of strategic planning at Fallon in Minneapolis. Prior to that, Adrian worked at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and at Anderson & Lembke both in San Francisco. Adrian's thinking has been recognized by the IPA and EFFIEs. He is a former AAAA account planning committee member and co-chair of the national planning awards program. Adrian is a regular speaker and writes about the evolution in brands and branding along with developments in technology at http://zeusjones.com/blog.
Web: http://www.zeusjones.com
Video: http://www.vimeo.com/384568
Blog: http://zeusjones.blogspot.com/

C.C. Chapman, Co-founder and Managing Partner, The Advanced Guard (Greater Boston Area)
C.C. Chapman is a new media maven and digital dad living in the Metro Boston area who loves public speaking and working with people to understand the future of media. He is the Co-Founder and a Managing Partner of The Advance Guard. Formed in October 2007, The Advance Guard is a new media consultancy that creates radical marketing programs using emerging technology and community platforms. With offices in New York and Boston, their clients include American Eagle Outfitters, Coca-Cola, HBO, Verizon FiOS, Warner Bros and St. Martin¹s Press.
Web: Advanced Guard: http://www.theadvanceguard.com/
Blog and Podcast: Managing the Gray Blog: http://www.managingthegray.com/
Whitepaper on New Facebook: http://www.theadvanceguard.com/about_face_white_paper/

Memphis Startup nRange: Free GPS Rangefinder for Golf

2009-03-18T09:56:00.001-07:00

Memphis has a new startup on the scene with product rolling out. A friend of mine has developed a Golf GPS rangefinder app that runs on your Blackberry called nRange. The app has comparable accuracy to the Sky Caddie devices that cost hundreds of dollars. The app is still free, since they are still testing it. If you want to learn more, go to http://www.nRange.com

Blog Post on MemphisConnect

2009-02-17T10:13:00.001-08:00

I wrote a blog post on MemphisConnect.com on the Entrepreneurial Support Agencies in Memphis. Here is a link. Enjoy!
http://www.memphisconnect.com/2009/02/15/memphis-entreprenuerial-support/

Startups: It is THE Time to Get Talent

2008-12-30T15:12:00.001-08:00

All kidding aside, now is a great time to find the talent you need to turn your concepts into corporations.

Fertile Ground: Where Would Elvis Co-Work?

2008-12-05T13:57:00.001-08:00

Memphis is becoming fertile ground today for spontaneous entrepreneurial action. With major events focused on entrepreneurship such as BarCamp, Startup Weekend, and the LaunchMemphis Investment Forum, the cohesiveness that cannot be achieved with formal commercial events or trade groups is being built at low cost creating big effects. But that is not all that is occurring.

The latest success of the startup ethos comes in the rise of co-working space at EmergeMemphis, the tech business incubator in Memphis. Housed within the four story building of EmergeMemphis (used to be the old Royal Furniture warehouse), you will find the Mercury Launchpad, the first co-working space in Memphis designed with digital nomads in mind. When you enter the space you are engulfed with the cool design of Steelcase furniture and the creative reuse of the brick and wood timber building. One of the better kept secrets is that quite a few Memphis new tech startups have visited or are presently using the Launchpad on their road from concept to corporation, including most recently Resolute Games. In the past year the Launchpad has been home to a retired NFL player looking at startup, a financial modeling consultancy, emerging social media service, and many more.

So where would The King co-work? Maybe the Launchpad -- maybe not. However, if you are The King of Digital Nomads, you should be at the Launchpad.

BarCamp Memphis November 8th (Pre-Event on 7th)

2008-10-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

Mercury Technology Labs one of the main supports of entrepreneurship in Memphis, TN is helping organize BarCamp Memphis.

Technology enthusiasts check your calendars and sign up. Share what they know and learn what they don’t about the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship and technology. BarCamp is the conference that puts you in control.

BarCamp Memphis: November 8th with a pre-event gathering the evening of the 7th.

For more information check out this website: http://www.launchmemphis.com/2008/10/16/barcamp-memphis-2008-be-there-share-learn/

Satisfied Mercury Launchpad Customer

2008-10-15T11:44:00.001-07:00

Resolute Games: A satisfied Mercury Launchpad customer talks about starting up at the Launchpad and in Memphis . . .

Chris of Resolute Games from LunaWeb on Vimeo.

Mathews to Serve on MPACT Panel

2008-09-22T13:29:00.001-07:00

I will be speaking on a panel for MPACT on Creativity and Entrepreneurship. I'm looking forward to it. Details pasted here. Come on out.

Wednesday, October 22: Working Creatively: Entrepreneurs Discuss the Value of Creativity Across All Industries at Memphis College of Art's Callicott Auditorium at 6:00 pm

In conjunction with the "Creative Conversations" program by Americans for the Arts, MPACT Memphis and Memphis College of Art present this unique and engaging panel discussion on the importance and influence of creativity in all industries, not simply those that first come to mind such as the visual arts. The event begins at 6:00 pm and a networking and cocktail hour will be held after the panel discussion. It's free for MCA students, faculty, staff, and MPACT members; $5 for non-members.

Speaking on Angel Investment

2008-09-08T14:19:00.001-07:00

Mercury and LaunchMemphis were discussed in relation to angel investment:
"Mathews, who, despite his qualms about aggregating angels on a national level, is nonetheless impressed with Qualls' efforts to lower the economic barrier for angel investment."

As seen in . . .
Calling All Angels
Business Tennessee - Nashville,TN,USA
http://www.businesstn.com/content/200809/calling-all-angels

Nashville 'Startup Weekend' for tech ventures is still a long shot

2008-07-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

Eric was recently quoted for an online article. He spoke on speaking organizing Startup Weekends.

http://www.venturenashville.com/news.php?viewStory=70

Mathews Publishes Technology Research

2008-07-01T13:46:00.001-07:00

Eric Mathews of Mercury Technology Labs recently worked with Sidney D'Mello, Lee McCauley, and James Markham to publish some of the research they conducted at the FedEx Institute of Technology. They studied the characteristics of four commercially available RFID tags. Their aim was to evaluate the impact of position and orientation of RFID tags on simulated real time asset tracking in the supply chain.

As stated by the editors of the journal (JTAER) regarding our work, "This type of fine grained, empirical testing of RFID tag location offers valuable insight into the obstacles that confront firms seeking to implement RFID in the supply chain."

Here is the citation and a link to read it:

D'Mello, S., Mathews, E. C., McCauley, L., and Markham J. (2008). Impact of Position and Orientation of RFID Tags on Real Time Asset Tracking in a Supply Chain. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 3(1), 1-12.

http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1365659&jmp=cit&coll=GUIDE&dl=GUIDE

NanoTect in the June 2008 Issue of BusinessTN Magazine

2008-06-04T16:31:00.001-07:00

BusinessTN Magazine
June, 2008
Technology 3-2-1
By Alexei Smirnov

ANTI-CORROSION NANO-COATING
More than a Penny Saved
Eugene Pinkhassik is living proof that the terms "businessman" and
"scientist" need not be mutually exclusive. Since arriving in
Tennessee 11 years ago after completing post-doctoral studies at the
University of Colorado, the assistant professor of chemistry has done
well for himself and his current employer, the University of Memphis.
The native of Kazan, Russia, is now one of the principals of the
University of Memphis' first spinoff, NanoTect, which is on the verge
of commercializing the ultra-thin protective layer for metal piping
that Pinkhassik developed as part of his research in nanotechnology.
"Anti-corrosion sensors aren't as glamorous as sensors that diagnose
cancer, but it's a simple technology that can be easily
commercialized," says Pinkhassik, whose long-term goal is to develop
sensors capable of detecting cancerous growths early on as part of a
simple blood test. "It can happen in the next 10 to 20 years." It was
in this lofty research that Pinkhassik happened upon the curious
results of applying nano-coating to sensors for diagnosing illnesses.
Pinkhassik, along with colleagues Erno Lindner and Andrew Richter,
discovered that their coating solution could slow down corrosion in
copper by four times the current rate. Their side project won the
FedEx Institute's first business plan competition in 2006, followed by
another award from EmergeMemphis, as well as backing from Mercury
Technology Labs of Memphis.

Making Demo Video

2008-06-03T21:05:00.001-07:00

Nick and Jonathan make a video to demo facebook ap made at Memphis Startup Weekend.

Making a Facebook Group for Spynner

2008-06-03T21:02:00.001-07:00

One of the videos from Startup Weekend -- Making a facebook group for beta-testing.

Investment Forum - LaunchMemphis

2008-05-13T16:06:00.001-07:00

Marc Diaz talks about the upcoming LaunchMemphis (www.launchmemphis.com) Early Stage Investment Forum where Mercury Technology Labs will be looking for future deals.

Mercury Launchpad: Pre-Incubation Firm Scouts Incubator Clients

2007-11-07T12:46:00.001-08:00

Pre-Incubation Firm Scouts Incubator Clients

Vol. 13, Issue 6
November 2007

NBIA Updates

National Business Incubation Association

Incubator managers know that it's not just the number of potential clients walking through the door that's important. Quality matters, too. Most programs have entry criteria for would-be incubator clients to ensure that companies are ready and willing to accept incubation services.

But what about the entrepreneurs who have a great idea, but haven't yet started a business?

EmergeMemphis, a mixed-use program in Memphis, Tenn., has one way to capture such clients. It hosts Launchpad, a firm (started by an Emerge graduate) that helps nascent entrepreneurs turn their ideas into companies, in exchange for an equity stake in that company.

"We see [Launchpad] as a precursor to EmergeMemphis," says incubator President Gwin Scott. "They will be our pipeline for qualified companies -- all pre-screened."

That's important because Scott already has his hands full with his 27 incubator clients. "I spend a lot of time on them with strategy, sales, investments," he says. He also is raising funds to expand the incubator so it can take up to 15 additional clients. That leaves little time for the kind of hand-holding a totally new entrepreneur needs -- and that is Launch Pad's stock in trade.

Launchpad currently has three clients, including the winner of a business plan competition sponsored by the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis. As a competition partner, Emerge arranged to have Launch Pad services in the winner's package.

"Since we couldn't write a check, this was our way to help the cause," Scott says. And it was a way to help everybody involved: the competition winner, Launch Pad and the incubator itself.

"We're just trying to help entrepreneurs by building the right community with qualified companies," Scott says.

Mercury Launchpad Opens for Business

2007-11-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

From experience Mercury Technology Labs understands the struggles of entrepreneurs, one-man start-ups, small technology businesses, and free lance professional service providers in the Mid-South region – that’s how we started in 2006. You go without space, work at home, and/or have meetings in cafes, because in most cases the monthly costs of even an executive office suite can be too high or the terms too inflexible to accommodate the rapid changes faced by the business on-the-move addressing market needs. Staying at the home office has cost saving advantages, but at some point those advantages diminish.

With this in mind we have opened a new flexible work environment for entrepreneurs and technology professionals for the explicit purpose of launching and growing new business ventures -- we are calling it the Launchpad. Combining these benefits with networking, advising, and informal business interaction, and you have a recipe for swift and smart business growth. By creating an environment of mutual respect and collaboration, people will be able to do more value-added work, creating great value for our economy and community. By making it a members-only environment, we emphasize that this isn’t about the space, it is about collocating with others to achieve results. The space is a facilitator that provides visual information management, informal interaction, and a touch point for future customers.

Housed in EmergeMemphis, the focal point for entrepreneurship in the Mid-South, the office space is designed with flexibility as the overarching concept and will provide value to the smart business developer who not only realizes the value of the Launchpad and physical location, but also knows that it's smart not to waste money at the start of a new venture. Our membership based approach is a definitive advantage. Thanks to our partner MBI Marketplace, we have well-designed space, welcoming and accessible environment, and proper amenities to permit new business enterprises to scale appropriately meeting market needs.

People do better, more value-added work when working together -- come visit the Launchpad.

See http://launchpad.mercurytechlabs.com for pictures and more info.

Computable Genomix software package used like Google for Gene Research

2007-08-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

We recently had some news on one of portfolio companies, Computable Genomix . . .

Computable Genomix software package used like Google by gene researchers
Memphis Business Journal - August 10, 2007 by Michael Sheffield

. . .

Eric Mathews, a principal with Mercury, sees GeneIndexer as a valuable tool in the research and development of new drugs and antibodies.

"We find the best raw technologies and research talent from research and development labs, both academic and industrial, and create new technology business ventures," Mathews says. "Rapid business prototyping is a critically important component of technological innovation."

. . .

For more information on Computable Genomix visit http://www.computablegenomix.com/
For more information on Mercury Technology Labs visit http://www.mercurytechlabs.com/

NanoTect Spin-off Announced

2007-08-03T09:26:00.001-07:00

Recently had an article in the Memphis Business Journal on the launch of NanoTect one of the Mercury Technology Labs portfolio companies . . .

Conceived in research, NanoTect becomes first spinoff business at U of M
Memphis Business Journal - July 13, 2007 by Michael Sheffield

. . .

"We can deal with insulation or corrosion problems with electronics suppliers," Mathews says. "This could be a NutraSweet kind of thing, an incremental ingredient that people can brand with. They can say they've got NanoTect on their stuff, like 'Intel Inside.' "

. . .

For more news on NanoTect visit http://www.nanotectllc.com.
For more news on Mercury Technology Labs visit http://www.mercurytechlabs.com.

Business Plan Competition Wraps Up

2007-06-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

Impulsys Wins Grand Prize in U of M Business Plan Competition
For release: May 21, 2007
http://www.memphis.edu/releases/may07/busplan.htm

Impulsys Corporation won the grand prize in the FedEx Institute of Technology Business Plan Competition. The company will develop software applications for mobile phones that meet the demands of customers for information and shopping. Impulsys won $25,000 as well as support services to help launch its business. Team members are Rajesh Ramanand, doctoral student at the University of Memphis; David Lin, associate professor of computer science at the U of M; and Steve Morrison, Virginia Laster and Vivek Sheel, all of FedEx Corp.

The second-place finisher was Pierce-Safe Technologies, which offers an anti-microbial coating to assist in the prevention of infections and improve wound healing in body piercings. Pierce-Safe received $10,000. Team members are Ted Novitsky and Andrew Magenau, both of the University of Southern Mississippi, and Rob Smith of the University of Mississippi.

In third place was Trio Web Consulting, which specializes in consulting with a three-tier system of services that will help companies launch or renovate their Web sites, making them more aesthetically pleasing and increasing usability and accessibility. Trio won $5,000. Members are Sarah Petschonek and David Earnest, both of the U of M.

In addition to the cash prize, Impulsys will receive professional services provided by supporters of the Business Plan Competition. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz will offer legal services; EmergeMemphis will provide office space at its downtown location; Logoworks will donate a $1,499 startup package; mbi (Memphis Business Interiors) will supply office furniture; and Thompson Dunavant will provide accounting and financial services.

The competition encourages students and researchers to create quality businesses, and includes workshops on various aspects of starting and managing a business and business plan topics.

FedEx Institute of Technology Business Plan Competition

2007-05-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

Mercury Technology Labs just wrapped up organizing the FedEx Institute of Technology 2007 Business Plan Competition. This year's competition was fantastic with teams competing from all over the United States. Quality of the plans was high creating tough decisions for the judges. In the end there can only be one winner and two runners up taking home prize money.

Congratulations to our winners:
1st Place: Impulsys
2nd Place: Pierce-Safe
3rd Place: Trio

For more on the competition visit . . .
http://fedex.memphis.edu/bizplan/

For an article on the Finals and the Winners visit . . .
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/business/article/0,1426,MCA_440_5535345,00.html

Financial Times Article on Mercury Technology Labs

2007-03-05T21:14:00.001-08:00

Big business taps into expertise of smaller neighboursBy Sarah Murray, Financial TimesPublished: Feb 28, 2007

Here are some excerpts from the article . . .

==

At the same time, small, young companies are less wedded to ways of operating that in larger organisations, may be embedded in the culture and hard to change.

"It's a difficult proposition to find new business models when you have a current one that's working," says Eric Mathews, co-founder of Mercury Technology Labs, a venture creation company that is working with FedEx's IT Innovation group. "Small companies without bureaucracy and inertia have the flexibility to change and adapt quickly to technological opportunities."

. . . .

If venture capitalists can provide a role as middlemen between IT entrepreneurs and multinational corporations, this is something Mercury Technology Labs aims to do by developing a role as what it calls an "innovation connector". Mercury builds relationships not only with small companies but also with university research and development teams.

As companies continue to look on small companies as sources of innovation, intermediaries - whether they are business incubators, venture capitalists or organisations such as Mercury Technology Labs - are likely to become an important part of the process.

Mercury's Mr. Mathews says: "Large companies have a hard time keeping up with it all. They'll have an R&D group, but there's only so much that group can cover. So we are a force multiplier for them. We're scouts for new technologies."

Article can be seen herehttp://emergememphis.org/2007/02/28/ft-report-digital-business-big-business-taps-into-expertise-of-smaller-neighbors/
As well as here http://search.ft.com/ftArticle?id=070228000899

Business Plan Competitions

2007-02-22T12:17:00.001-08:00

Business plan competitions support "network creators" in technology
development. Participants in competitions transform uncertainties
inherent in any idea and turn them into an opportunity by answering
questions previously not answered by inventors. These network
creators change a problem into an opportunity through collaboration
and open innovation principles that are fostered through the
competition.

Business plan competitions are also designed to accelerate capability
building within participants by helping them to learn about business
strategy as well as innovation. The competitions help inventors learn
about, explore, and pursue business trajectories that were previously
not considered. In this way competitions permit business
experimentation, naturally filtering of poor ideas as well as
providing the most promising business opportunities constructive
feedback.

By helping participants to master the techniques required to make
solid business plans, participants in business plan competitions are
well-positioned to create substantial economic value.

--
Mercury Technology Labs (www.mercurytechlabs.com) is organizing the
FedEx Institute of Technology's 2nd Annual Mid-South Business Plan
Competition. For more information visit
http://fedex.memphis.edu/bizplan/

Mercury Technology Labs In the News . . .

2007-01-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

Contest looking for seeds of business greatness

commercialappeal.com - Memphis,TN,USA

Last year's FedEx Institute Business Plan Competition winner, Eugene Pinkhassik, offers advice to those competing this year. By Daniel Connolly ...

Latest News from James Clar and Associates

2007-01-21T21:51:00.001-08:00

--
http://www.teeboxmarketing.com/news/pr01_18_07.html
--

Tee Box Partners with James Clar and Associates on New 3D Cube

For Immediate Release: January 18, 2007

LITTLE ROCK, AR. - James Clar and Associates has partnered with Tee Box Marketing & Distribution to develop and implement a multi-level marketing strategy for the Lucent 3D Cube.

James Clar, founder of the company that bears his name, said, "Our firm specializes in making innovative lighting products for retail and private uses but one thing we aren't good at is marketing and distributing those products. We need Tee Box on board for that". Tee Box develops, tests, and implements a sales, marketing, and distribution strategy for small and early stage businesses that lack the in house talent to succeed.

"Tee Box will accelerate the sales revenues of the Lucent 3D Cube by creating and implementing an advanced and sophisticated sales and distribution network strategy," said Shea Mathews director of marketing strategy at Tee Box. He said that Tee Box focuses on two big factors: 1) creating the right sales approach, and 2) building effective communication tools to sell that approach. "It's all about converting interest into a sale", said Mathews. "And that takes developing and communicating the sales approach."

In addition to creating the strategy for companies like James Clar and Associates, Tee Box will actually take the strategy and marketing tools into test markets like Fort Worth, Little Rock, Memphis, and Chicago. After testing and refining the strategy, then Tee Box releases the product and strategy to independent sales reps nationally.

For more information about Tee Box Marketing & Distribution, contact Shea Mathews, marketing strategy director at 501-247-3436 or shea@teeboxmarketing.com. Visit them on the web at www.teeboxmarketing.com

For more information about James Clar and Associates, contact James Clar, founder, at 347.404.5203 or james@jamesclar.com. Visit them on the web at www.jamesclar.com.