Week in Review: June 17, 2013

The Silicon Bayou has been buzzing with tech and entrepreneurial news. Here are the most popular stories published on Silicon Bayou News in the past seven days:

 

Bioceptive Closes $1.1M Investment Led by New World Angels

Local biotech startup Bioceptive has been working for three years on their first product, a patent-pending intrauterine device (IUD) inserter that simplifies the insertion procedure while reducing risk. The company has reached a new milestone. New World Angels, along with First Light Ventures and the Special Equities program of Calvert Equity Portfolio, has closed a $1.1 million investment in Bioceptive.

Data Backup in New Orleans: Absorb’s Non-Traditional Approach

Absorb.com has recently launched as the go-to data backup system in New Orleans. The company contributes backup beyond the traditional providers by running copies of your servers and workstation. “We help people utilize their websites as a tool, protect their data and achieve greater profitability through proper data management,” said Absorb Owner Frank Otillio. For more information, click here.

Clean Technology Startup Accepted into Largest Entrepreneur Training Program of its Kind

Aestus Power (Aestus), a startup currently developing a proprietary thermal cooling system for energy production, has been accepted into the Cleantech Open business accelerator program. The energy efficient company is a semifinalist in the 2013 accelerator class, the largest entrepreneur training program of its kind. The Cleantech Open has awarded over $6M to support clean tech companies and initiatives since its 2006 inception. Its mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges.

Hackeroo Crowns Winners, Allows App Developers to Continue Working Inside Bonnaroo

Bonnaroo, Nashville’s four-day music and camping festival, hosted its first official hackathon, Hackeroo last weekend (June 8-9). In partnership with Bonnaroo founder and producer Superfly and Nashville-based Aloompa, Codemkrs recruited up to 100 developers and creatives for the 24-hour event. The grand prize was split between two teams: Festrunner.com and Roowall.com.  Second place went to Legend of Bonnaroo, a digital scavenger hunt app. Third place went to Ask-A-Roo, a question-and-answer app limited to people at the festival.

Center Stage: Costuming

Contributor Patrick Comer breaks down the importance of costuming in business. He wrote: “Costumes are so important because they help the audience understand who each character is and how they relate to each other.  You must consider how the clothes you wear will be received and translated by your audience.   Your costume gives immediate information to everyone you meet about your character, your status, your mood, and your sense of self.  You are judged long before you ever utter a single word.

Legislation Passes to Advance BioScience and BioMedical Centers Across Louisiana

GNO, Inc., along with support from a number of other partner organizations and individuals, has announced the passage of the legislation HB 549 in the research and development sector. The bill passed establishes the MediFund as a special fund for advancement of seven biosciences, biomedical and medical centers of excellence statewide.

Healthcare Technology Nonprofit Health 2.0 Debuts New Orleans Chapter

Health 2.0 promotes healthcare technology through a global series of conferences, code-a-thons and more targeted at tech and startup communities. Health 2.0 New Orleans will host its inaugural meeting on July 18th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. “Beyond what’s been announced on the Eventbrite page,” said Co-founder Lem Sanders, “we’re asking a few local startups to demo their products at the event and hope to confirm with them shortly.”

Franchise, Start or Buy a Business – Which is Right for You?

Mark Lewis weighs the pros and cons of franchising, starting or buying a business. He recently talked to Ted Fireman, President of FranNet Louisiana and he provided me with good insight. “Starting a business is relatively easy; succeeding in business is the real challenge,” he wrote. “Knowing what you want when it comes to risk and your ultimate interest (you better have passion) and fulfilling your goals is an even greater challenge when going into business for yourself.  But IT CAN BE DONE.”

4 Cardinal Business Lessons Straight From the Dragon’s Mouth

SBN’s newest contributing writer, Kristy Oustalet, shares four important business lessons she learned while watching the Master Dragon Showcase: keep it consistent, keep it authentic, create an experience and close the deal. For a more detailed description of the lessons, click here.

A Lesson In Resilience from New Orleans Entrepreneur

This interview was conducted by Patty Rasmussen, an Atlanta-based freelance writer. She interviewed Marian Pierre, Founder and CEO of Crescent Guardian, Inc., who founded Crescent in 1993, the first woman in the state to start a security company. The full interview can be found here.