Versa Drives, which recently received global recognition by DuPont for its exemplary performance and dedication to energy sustainability, will incorporate the 麻豆原创-developed fan blade design into its award-winning Superfan series of ceiling fans. Marketed as India鈥檚 first super-efficient ceiling fan, Superfan uses less than half the power required by a conventional fan to deliver the same or greater air flow.

鈥淲e are excited about the opportunity to combine this energy efficient fan blade design with our super-efficient fan motors and drives鈥攊t鈥檚 a winning combination,鈥� said Sundar Muruganandhan, managing director, Versa Drives. 鈥淎s a company, we are committed to聽energy saving and green products鈥攔ight down to the recyclable materials we use for our packaging. Adding this 麻豆原创-developed aerodynamic blade technology to our Superfan series will significantly enhance energy savings and open the door to new, international markets.鈥�

FSEC is well-recognized within the industry for its research and development of energy-efficient building technologies, hydrogen research, renewable energy technologies and its innovative ceiling fan blade technology. The FSEC-developed Gossamer Wind庐 series of ceiling fans鈥攚hich offer 40 percent higher airflow with no additional energy use鈥攆eature the prestigious Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 Energy Star designation for energy efficiency. Through several licensing agreements, more than 1.9 million Gossamer Wind庐 ceiling fans have been purchased, saving consumers more than $20 million annually.

The average ceiling fan using 25 鈥� 100 watts is in operation 6-12 hours or more each day.聽 Thanks to advances in motor, drives and blade technologies, energy efficient ceiling fans can run on lower power consumption using only 4 鈥� 40 watts and enhance overall air circulation. With improved air flow, these fans also allow consumers to adjust their cooling thermostats to more efficient settings.

鈥溌槎乖粹�檚 Florida Solar Energy Center is on the forefront of energy research developing some of the most advanced technologies,鈥� said Thomas O鈥橬eal, Ph.D., associate vice president of 麻豆原创’s . 鈥淐ompanies such as Versa Drives recognize the groundbreaking work being conducted right here in Central Florida and are looking to the Florida Solar Energy Center for continued innovation and energy savings.鈥�

The license agreement with Versa Drives was executed through the 麻豆原创 .

Photo: Celebrating the licensing agreement were (seated L to R), Thomas O鈥橬eal, 麻豆原创 and Sundar Muruganandhan, Versa Drives, along with members of 麻豆原创’s Office of Technology Transfer (standing L to R) Andrea Adkins, Narasimha Nagaiah (Raju), Durgasharan Krishnamurthy, Versa Drives, Svetlana Shtrom, and Shan Venkatachalam, Versa Drives.

Versa Drives Private Limited (VDPL) is a Coimbatore, India-based company specializing in custom designed motor control solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers and super-efficient appliances. The company features a highly experienced team of engineers who understand the requirements of its customers to develop variable frequency drives and BLDC motors & drives using state-of-the-art design and simulation tools. VDPL is ISO 9001:2008 certified for design and manufacturing of super-efficient motors & drives and appliances.聽 Versa Drives has manufactured and supplied more than 100,000 drives to date that are working in the field. For more information, visit & superfan.in

The first community affiliate to offer the acclaimed National Science Foundation鈥檚 (NSF) I-Corps Lean Startup program to high-growth entrepreneurs in Central Florida is Starter Studio.

Starter Studio was launched by Gregg Pollack, founder of Envy Labs and Code School, as a passion project to help tech startups in Orlando thrive. Starter Studio provides education, mentorship, legal and financial resources, networking opportunities, and the right culture to help innovative solutions grow.聽 Ninety-day accelerator classes are offered for aspiring tech startups.聽 Currently, the third class is preparing for graduation.

鈥淭he partnership with 麻豆原创 gives our Starters additional support to grow their new venture.聽 Participating in the 麻豆原创 I-Corps program opens up the opportunity to apply for the National NSF I-Corps program as well as SBIR/STTR grants,鈥� said Pollack, founder of Starter Studio.

As a Community Affiliate, organizations such as Starter Studio, will receive training and support from 麻豆原创 on delivering a tailored version of the Lean Startup education, as well as access to software and other tools for providing the various program elements.

鈥淲e are pleased to have Starter Studio as our first Community Affiliate.聽 This is the first step towards our goal of offering this proven program through a premier network of affiliates to university researchers and technology entrepreneurs throughout the region,鈥� said Ivan Garibay, program director for 麻豆原创 I-Corps.

Local area entrepreneurs selected for the program, receive I-Corps seed grant funds along with other legal and financial services offered by the Community Affiliate.聽 The I-Corps funds are applied to business, market, or early product prototype development.聽聽 麻豆原创 was awarded the NSF I-Corps grant in November 2014 for a three year timeframe.聽 Plans are in process to support the program through the network of affiliates beyond the period of the grant.

鈥淭his is an example of 麻豆原创 as 鈥楢merica鈥檚 Partnership University鈥�.聽 We have shown that contributing like this to the entrepreneur ecosystem in Central Florida benefits the entire economy through increased high-wage jobs and wealth creation鈥�, added Thomas O鈥橬eal, founder/director of 麻豆原创 I-Corps and the.

Meanwhile, Starter Studio is preparing for its on April 14th where each team from its accelerator class will showcase their work.

Teams include:

For more information about 麻豆原创 I-Corps, please visit or contact Ivan Garibay at ivan.garibay@ucf.edu or via phone at 407-882-1163.聽 Information about Starter Studio visit .

The secretary made the announcement during a press conference at 麻豆原创 and praised the university for having a comprehensive plan for taking ideas from the research lab to market. 麻豆原创 was one of 26 institutions to receive a total of $10 million from the department, and one of only two universities to earn both i6 Challenge and Cluster Grants for Seed Capital Funds.

鈥淭his achievement is a recognition of the university鈥檚 leadership in using innovation and commercialization to help Central Florida recover from the downturn in this region鈥檚 manufacturing sector,鈥� Pritzker said.

She described 麻豆原创鈥檚 approach as well-developed and deserving of both grants.

鈥淭his is an exciting day for 麻豆原创, the region and the state,鈥� said Thomas O鈥橬eal, associate vice president of the Office of Research and Commercialization at 麻豆原创 who has led 麻豆原创鈥檚 I-Corps project, which is one of the reasons 麻豆原创 was named a winner of both grants. 鈥淲e are working with partners and industry to make Central Florida an epicenter for innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship. 麻豆原创 has had much success through a variety of programs in helping some of our students and community members take great ideas through the commercialization and marketing process. These grants will enhance our ability to help more future entrepreneurs across five counties.鈥�

The counties are Orange, Seminole, Brevard, Osceola and Volusia. Building on the resources developed at 麻豆原创 over the past 15 years, the i6 grant will support the university鈥檚 new I-Corps project鈥檚 鈥淧roof of Concept Center,鈥� where talented engineers from the five counties hardest-hit by changes in the local economy can translate new products 鈥� like technology for stronger and quicker prosthetic limbs 鈥� into businesses.聽 The commerce grant is for $500,000 with another $500,000 in matching funds.

The center鈥檚 mission will be supported by a second $249,933 grant for 麻豆原创鈥檚 StarterCorps Seed Fund, which will deploy early-stage capital into innovative technology and advanced manufacturing startups across Central Florida.

This program addresses the gap in seed funding for local entrepreneurs 鈥� which is considered one of the largest barriers faced by startups around the country, and Central Florida鈥檚 tech startups are no exception.

麻豆原创 I-Corps helps teams of innovators go through all the necessary steps before taking an item to market and uses the College of Engineering and Computer Science Maker Spaces created with generous industry partners at 麻豆原创 to help them through idea, design and prototyping. O鈥橬eal estimates that in the fifth year of the program 195 companies will be created, producing 1,730 new high-wage jobs through the Maker Spaces teams.

The Economic Development Administration鈥檚 Seed Fund Grant will be used to raise, deploy and manage a $5 million evergreen StarterCorps Seed Fund that will be deployed in innovative technology and advanced manufacturing startups in Central Florida. Specifically, StarterCorps will provide the most promising and high potential teams access 聽to incremental rounds of seed funding that will be critical in maturing these 鈥淪tarter鈥� teams into companies that are attractive to angel groups, early-stage venture capitalists and federal SBIR 鈥� Small Business Innovation Research agencies.

Starter Studio is a three-month program that surrounds technology entrepreneurs (called 鈥淪tarters鈥�) located in the Canvs co-working space in downtown Orlando with a curated educational program, constant exposure to successful technology startup founders, and the opportunity to pitch their companies in a well-attended Demo Day showcase event. Starter Studio, which was organically funded with a Kickstarter campaign, had 64 teams apply from which thirteen were selected.

The $10 million awarded Monday nationwide comes from the Commerce Department鈥檚 Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) program, which is being run by the Department鈥檚 Economic Development Administration鈥檚 (EDA) Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE). The program is designed to advance innovation and capacity-building activities in regions across the country through three different types of grants: i6 Challenge grants, Cluster Grants for Seed Capital Funds, and Science and Research Park Development Grants. Secretary Pritzker announced the recipients of the聽first two聽funding opportunities today. Recipients of the third grant will be announced in the coming weeks.

GrowFL companies account for nearly 14 percent of the top 500 Florida companies and 11 percent of the top 5000 Florida companies on the fifth annual edition of the list.

鈥淭his is an impressive affirmation of the quality level of the companies that we assist,鈥� said Tom O鈥橬eal, associate vice president for research and executive director of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute, which oversees the GrowFL program.

鈥淭hese are the companies that are making a difference in the new economy,鈥� he said.

Jacksonville-based 聽A. Harold & Associates, ranked 36th on the list, is the top-ranked Grow FL company.聽 A. Harold, which provides technology, education, engineering and training support services to governments and others, grew 5509 percent over the last three years, and recorded聽 revenue of $10.9 million.

GrowFL offers business resources to help second-stage companies grow to the next level.

A Harold & Associates CEO Andy Harold credited GrowFL with providing management consulting services in marketing, future growth areas and technology.聽 He said the individualized 聽support for a small business would be out of reach if it were not for the GrowFL program.

Inc. reports that in a stagnant economic environment, the median growth rate of 2011 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains 94 percent. The companies on this year鈥檚 list report having created 350,000 jobs in the past three years, and aggregate revenue among the honorees reached $366 billion, up 14 percent from last year.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/5000.

The GrowFL program, which helped 300-plus companies in Florida create more than 3,200 new jobs statewide since November 2009, offers a suite of services including business strategy review, market research and competitive intelligence, internet/social media strategy, and search engine optimization.聽 聽

The Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the 麻豆原创 was established in 2009.聽 Initially funded by the Florida Legislature, the Institute has provided services via the State of Florida鈥檚 Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Pilot Program, known as GrowFL.聽 With various partnerships throughout the state, including Orange County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, the Institute collaborates with statewide partners to support the growth of second-stage businesses through localized entrepreneurial ecosystems.聽 Additional information is available at .

Other GrowFL companies represented in the rankings include A+ Tutor U (Kimball Companies), Alinean, American Home Companions, Atlantic International Distributors, Avalex Technologies Corporation, Bari Furniture, Bit-Wizards, Cosmetic Solutions, Engineering & Computer Simulations, H2 Performance Consulting, Health Designs, IMS ExpertServices, Infinity Technology Solutions, Innovative Data Solutions, Moore Consulting Group, Moten Tate, MyGreenBuildings, ReStockIt.com, Telovations, That! Company, Total Medical Solutions and聽Wireless City.

麻豆原创鈥檚 Thomas O鈥橬eal will be testifying Thursday, July 14, about the revolutionary nature of nanotechnology before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Science and Space.

The Subcommittee is part of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Committee Chairman, John Rockefeller IV invited O鈥橬eal to provide his expert testimony as the group considers reauthorizing the National Nanotechnology Initiative . Sen. Bill Nelson will preside over the hearing, which begins at 10 a.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

O鈥橬eal, the associate vice president of the Office of Research and Commercialization at 麻豆原创, is the founder and executive director of the well-known 麻豆原创 Business Incubation Program. He was asked to speak about how 麻豆原创 has succeeded in technology transfer, industry partnerships and the overall impact on economic development.

鈥淐entral Florida is in many ways a model for how governments, the university and industry can work together to grow the companies that stimulate the economy,鈥� O鈥橬eal said. 聽鈥淭he committee is interested specifically in how research in nanotechnology can be developed through systems like ours.鈥�

O鈥橬eal is president of the Florida Business Incubation Association and serves on the board of directors for the National Business Incubation Association. He is a leading U.S. proponent of business incubation and economic gardening efforts to stimulate local economic growth.

O鈥橬eal, who鈥檚 led 麻豆原创鈥檚 incubation efforts for the past decade, calls nanotechnology a revolutionary field of science and technology, comparable to the introduction of electricity, biotechnology, and digital information revolutions.

Since its founding in 1999, the 麻豆原创 Incubation Program has helped more than 200 emerging companies (including 108 current clients) create more than $500 million in annual revenue and more than 900 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the metro Orlando community, the Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between 麻豆原创, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, the City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, the City of St. Cloud and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.