InPore Technologies was presented the first SmartZone Award at the GLEQ Awards Banquet recently. InPore Technologies was selected for the strength of its business plan, the industry, technical and entrepreneurial experience of its management team, and its ability to raise funds.
The Smart Zone Award is sponsored by the Michigan SmartZones, funded through the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund and administered by Ann Arbor SPARK. It was created to benefit early-stage entrepreneurial companies that have written a strong, technology-based business plan and are already moving ahead with implementation. Statewide, 84 companies initially applied and of those, 21 competitors submitted full plans which were reviewed by venture capital firms located in Boston, the Bay Area, and Chicago.
InPore is producing a unique platform technology in the form of Silapore™ particles, highly porous, sub-micron sized silica material. Silapore™ particles will be used as an additive for reinforcement in many polymer based products. InPore Technologies’ Roston intends to utilize the SmartZone award to quickly expand product testing and to enhance the development of Silapore.