March 20, 2012

Four TechTown startups honored for tech and innovation leadership at DiSciTech awards

DETROIT, March 20, 2012-Four TechTown clients were recognized at Corp! Magazine's 2012 DiSciTech awards ceremony today in Troy honoring the companies leading the way in science and technology through innovation, research and applied science. These companies were Genome Dynamics International, Mymentalspace.com, ArtJen Complexus USA, LLC and Asterand.

"We are very proud to see these companies being recognized for their innovative work in technology," TechTown President and CEO Leslie Smith said. "These are the entrepreneurial leaders who are paving the way for a new economy in our state, and are helping make Detroit a hub of innovation once again. TechTown is honored to help these companies on their journey to success."

Genome Dynamics International, Mymentalspace.com and ArtJen Complexus USA are all members of TechTown's THRIVE accelerator program; Asterand was the first tenant to move into TechTown's facility back in 2004.

Four TechTown clients also were recognized in the 2011 DiSciTech award ceremony: Apolife Inc., Angott Medical Products LLC, Clean Emission Fluids Inc. and MitoStem.

Genome Dynamics International (GDI) is a biomarker discovery company that discovers and develops new blood tests to help diagnose and monitor treatment for disease. In particular, GDI focuses on diseases that are difficult to diagnose and are of great public need, such as overactive bladder, which affects 15 to 40 percent of the population at a cost of $26 billion a year. GDI is revolutionary in its approach to understanding and diagnosing disease through inexpensive and minimally invasive diagnostic by simple routine blood testing.

Mymentalspace.com (MMS) seeks to change the way people use the internet. The MMS team combined fundamental principles of behavioral psychology with innovative software development techniques to create "The Mentalspace Manager," a technology that allows people to manage their time online and block websites that have a negative impact on productivity and emotional well-being-helping to put an end to procrastination on the web. The entire MMS team is staffed by Michigan college graduates and intends to hire three more in 2012.

ArtJen Complexus USA, LLC was created to develop and market Mirafit fbcx, the dietary fiber that, unlike any other product or fiber available today, binds and eliminates nine times its own weight in dietary fat without unwanted side effects. Taken as directed; two Mirafit tablets per fat-containing meal will remove 3,500 dietary calories per week, or the equivalent of about 1- 1½ pounds of body weight. The company consists of its two Ph.D. cofounders and inventors of the Mirafit technology, which was developed at Wayne State University. All manufacturing, sales, distribution, public relations and marketing are contracted through third parties in Michigan. Mirafit is currently available on the web and in about 950 retail outlets internationally, including all 190 Meijer stores in the U.S.

Asterand plc is the leading global provider of high-quality, well-characterized human tissue and human tissue-based research solutions to drug discovery scientists. Its mission is to provide human-based solutions to accelerate the identification and validation of drug targets and enhance the selection of drug candidates with an increased likelihood of clinical success.

ABOUT TECHTOWN

TechTown is a community of passionate, diverse people and businesses driven by an entrepreneurial spirit to pursue extraordinary opportunities. Entrepreneurs join TechTown to gain guidance and get connected with resources needed for success. TechTown offers entrepreneurs unique access to Wayne State University's research, academic and technology assets.

By reigniting an entrepreneurial culture, TechTown is fueling business growth, job creation and the revitalization of Detroit's Midtown and beyond.

Learn more about TechTown at http://techtownwsu.org/.

Contact

Allison Guilliom
Phone: 313-879-4478
Email: allison@techtownwsu.org

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