CCAT Scores Big "Spin-Out" Success
CAT Newsletter, June 3, 2005 — When local entrepreneur Bryan Bjorndal first agreed to serve on a panel of experts to help evaluate the commercialization potential of several new technologies proposed for CCAT awards and services, little did he know that one of the technologies presented would be the foundation for his own start-up company.
In August 2004, a technology developed by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego (SSC San Diego) to detect the presence of toxins in water and soils through the use of plankton reached the final stage of a CCAT award competition. The technology entitled "Use of Rapid Bioluminescent Bioassays to Assess Toxicity in Water and Sediments (QwikLite)" utilizes the unique characteristic of planktons' ability to emit a visible blue-green light known as bioluminescence. SSC San Diego had several years of experience and thousands of measurements that proved, when exposed to toxic substances, the bioluminescence of these plankton ceases, enabling researchers to use this as a bio-indicator and measure the levels of toxicity.
Prior to applying to CCAT for commercialization awards and services, SSC San Diego researchers had worked with the American Society for Test and Measurement to validate the technology through testing and received hundreds of peer reviewed comments resulting in a procedure that could be used routinely to measure toxicity.
Following a very successful presentation to the August 2004 panel by the technology's Principal Investigator, the CCAT Executive Board voted to grant an initial business development award and market study. The business development award was used to further develop the value proposition and business model, while the market study validated the existence of an estimated $70 million market in the area of environmental testing. Over 200,000 sites in the U.S. alone have permits requiring toxicity testing.
It didn't take long for Bjorndal to realize the vast potential of the QwikLite technology and he approached SSC San Diego to obtain the exclusive rights to further develop it. After securing the rights to the technology he approached CCAT for follow-on commercialization support. In January 2005, the QwikLite technology was awarded a product development award of $75,000. To take the QwikLite technology to market Bjorndal has incorporated a new company - Assure Controls - based in Carlsbad, California. Future sales have been estimated to exceed $20 million within 5 years. Shortly thereafter a briefcase-sized portable battery operated instrument called QwikLite 200 that interfaces with handheld PDAs, laptops, or PCs was developed.
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| Gary Wang SSC Director of Science, Technology and Engineering, Bryan Bjorndal of Assure Controls, Inc. and Dr. Stephen Lieberman, SSC Office of Research and Technology Applications |
The significance of this success can be appreciated when considering that within a period of 9 months a government funded and developed technology was licensed to a private party, a new company was formed, viable markets and customers identified, and the technology is well on its way to ultimate commercialization. CCAT congratulations SSC San Diego and Bryan Bjorndal for this remarkable success story.
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Contact Assure Controls:
Mickele Hughes Bragg
p: 760.505.3000 x3
f: 760.306.7872
mhughes@assurecontrols.com
www.AssureControls.com
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