Desert Angels

Southern Arizona biosciences continue to grow in tough economy

Curtis Gunn — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:26:39 +0000

Article includes a few Desert Angel portfolio companies.

Southern Arizona biosciences continue to grow in tough economy

By Robert S. Green, Arizona BioIndustry Association
Published on Friday, July 9th, 2010
AzBiz.com

Tucsonan’s drug pump among top inventions

Curtis Gunn — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:35:07 +0000

PRECISE DELIVERY DEVICE ASTOUNDS RESEARCHERS, MAY BE USED GLOBALLY

A Tucson man’s invention – a programmable pump that delivers measured doses of drugs – has been named one of the top 10 inventions of the year by Popular Science magazine.

Full Article in the Arizona Daily Star regarding a Desert Angels portfolio company – Medipacs.

Tom Beal Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Saturday, May 22, 2010 12:00 am

Medipacs Mini-Infuser Listed as One of the Top-10 Inventions of 2010

Curtis Gunn — Sat, 15 May 2010 21:40:09 +0000

The June 2010 issue of Popular Science magazine has listed the Mini-Infuser product from Medipacs as one of the top-10 inventions of 2010.

June 2010: Inventions of the Year

Invention Awards: A Drug Pump That Delivers Perfect Dosages By Lisa Katayama

Momentum is gaining in Tucson on promising early-stage companies

Curtis Gunn — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:18:34 +0000

Momentum is gaining in Tucson on promising early-stage companies

Article on AzBiz.com that discusses positive momentum of the start up community in Tucson. All three companies in the article are Desert Angels portfolio companies – Amplimed, Tempronics and High Throughput Genomics.

By Joe Pangburn, Inside Tucson Business
Published on Friday, April 16th, 2010

SynCardia wins FDA trial OK

Curtis Gunn — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:54:59 +0000

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a clinical trial called an Investigational Device Exemption study for a Tucson company’s portable power source for artificial hearts.

The FDA uses IDE studies to collect safety data in order to approve devices for the market.

The Tucson-based SynCardia Systems, Inc.-manufactured Freedom driver system will allow heart patients to leave the hospital as they await their transplants rather than be stuck in hospital rooms to giant, immobile drivers.

As soon as two weeks from now, as many as 60 patients from around the country will be selected to use the driver.

The study will follow the patients until 90 days after they’re discharged from the hospital following their heart transplants. The study, initiated by SynCardia to gain the FDA’s approval, will be jointly conducted by various medical centers around the country.

A SynCardia spokesman said the study could be completed by the end of the year. At that point, the FDA will be able to evaluate the study and whether to give final approval to the Freedom driver.

Currently American patients awaiting heart transplants are tethered to 418-pound drivers called Big Blue and can’t leave the hospital.

The Freedom driver, which weighs 13.5 pounds and fits into a backpack or shoulder bag, will let patients return to regular life. Batteries run two to three hours, and patients can plug the driver into the wall as they sleep and into a vehicle’s cigarette lighter as they travel.

The driver connects to the artificial heart via two tubes that enter the body through the abdominal wall.
The Freedom driver has been in development for 10 years, said SynCardia co-founder and chief technical officer Rich Smith, who manages the project.

Smith, an engineer who works in tandem with cardiologists and surgeons to treat heart patients at University Medical Center, said the device will eventually free up hospital rooms, cut costs for patients and allow medical professionals to give more attention to more patients.

SynCardia CEO Rodger Ford anticipates expanding the business, creating more jobs in Tucson.

Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com

Reported in Arizona Daily Star

McGuire Entrepreneurship Team Redesigns Desert Angel’s Website

Micky Thompson — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:56:52 +0000

Recently, Jarret Hamstreet and Micky Thompson wrote about their experiences in redesigning the Desert Angels website and integrating AngelSoft. The article was published on blogs at Eller College including Eller MBA.

To read the article highlighting the redesign of our website, click here.

Desert Angels mentioned in Arizona Daily Star Article

Curtis Gunn — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:41:48 +0000

State seeing venture capital dry up

[...]

When Tarek Makansi went looking for money to get his Tucson-based company’s technology for energy-converting computer chips into production, he soon found he’d have to look beyond the state borders.

About two weeks ago, his Tempronics Inc. announced that it had landed a $2.7 million venture financing round led by the San Francisco-based venture firm Nth Power, which specializes in the energy sector.

Makansi, an electrical engineer who spent 21 years with IBM Corp., said the venture funding will help Tempronics move from research to prototyping and limited production of its thermoelectric computer chips.

The technology, which exploits heat conversion on the microscopic level, has the potential to create a whole new category of solid-state devices for cooling, heat conversion and power generation, Makansi said.

Though Tempronics’ venture round included investments from members of Tucson’s Desert Angels angel-investor group, the lack of local venture capital funds troubles Makansi.

[...]

In March 2009, Tucson-based startup Salutaris Medical Devices Inc. received $1.5 million in financing from TRAC, along with funding from the Desert Angels to bring the investment to more than $2 million.

TRAC also has made investments of undisclosed amounts in Tucson-based Calimmune Inc., which is developing a stem cell HIV/AIDS therapy; and Cancer Prevention Pharmaceuticals, which is initially focused on colon cancer therapies.

[...]

David Wichner Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, March 7, 2010

Tucson’s Tempronics raises $2.7M in financing

Curtis Gunn — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:14:12 +0000

Tempronics Inc., a Tucson-based company developing new solid-state electronics technologies for heating, cooling and power generation, has raised $2.7 million in venture-capital financing in a deal led by the San Francisco-based venture firm Nth Power.

Tempronics is led by CEO Tarek Makansi, an electrical engineer who spent 21 years with IBM Corp. Matt Jones and Brian Walsh from Nth Power will join the Tempronics board of directors.

Investors from Tucson’s Desert Angels also participated in the financing round.

Tempronics said its nanotechnology improves energy conversion in solid-state electronics and could help boost the development of solid-state replacements for current rotary devices like compressors, gas turbines, steam turbines and electrical generators.

Tempronics contracted services from the University of Arizona Micro/Nano Fabrication Center for its early prototypes.

Reported in Arizona Daily Star, Saturday, Feb 27, 2010

University of Arizona Innovation Day

Micky Thompson — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:43:46 +0000

Spend an extra day in Tucson to review student companies from the award-winning McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship and companies from the incubator Arizona Center for Innovation. Angels will serve as judges who select a handful of companies to deliver a full venture pitch. For more information, visit http://innovation.arizona.edu.

Location: UA Student Union Memorial Center, Tucson, AZ
March 23

Agenda:
2:00-4:00 pm New Venture Showcase
4:00-5:00 pm New Venture Presentations
5:00 pm Reception

3rd Annual Southwest Regional Angel Summit

Micky Thompson — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:19:02 +0000

You Are Cordially Invited to Attend the 3rd Annual Southwest Regional Angel Summit in Tucson, Arizona.

Click here to download invitation.

Please join fellow angel investors from across the Southwest to discuss key angel issues, including deal syndication, term sheets, developing a regional deal database, and receive updates on the state of follow-on VC funding.

March 21-22, 2010
Lodge on the Desert
306 N Alvernon Way
Tucson, AZ 85711

Special group rate of $129/night available for Summit participants. Visit www.lodgeonthedesert.com and use Group Code ANGEL to reserve your room at the special rate.

Golf Tournament
Sunday, March 21st
Skyline Country Club
$66 fee

University of Arizona Innovation Day
Tuesday, March 23rd
Angel investors encouraged to judge student and incubator companies
Visit http://innovation.arizona.edu