Ann Arbor Welcomes Aernnova

Ann Arbor SPARK was pleased to announce with Governor Granholm, President and CEO James C. Epolito, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, Ambassador Javier Rupérez, Consul General of Spain in Chicago and Grupo Aernnova Chairman and CEO Iñaki López Gandásegui that Grupo Aernnova, a company based in Spain that designs and produces aeronautical structures and components, has chosen Michigan over competing sites in 15 states to establish a new, state-of-the-art aerospace engineering center in Washtenaw County’s Pittsfield Township.

An economic analysis conducted by the MEDC estimates that increased economic activity created by the new facility will generate up to 657 indirect Michigan jobs in addition to the up to 600 created directly by the company. The project is expected to generate more than $908 million in personal income for Michigan workers over the life of the tax credit.



Aernnova Aerospace, SA is a Spanish company that designs and produces aeronautical structures and components, operating through five business units: aerostructures, engineering, composite components, metallic components, and product support services. These activities are presently conducted in production and service centers located in Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. The company has a total workforce of more than 3,000 and annual sales of $500 million USD.

News from MEDC - Michigan Rises to Top of Midwest Venture Capital List

Michigan has moved to first place from last in venture capital investment among the Midwestern states in the second quarter of 2007, and from 28th to 20th nationally in the first quarter. Major recipients include Ann Arbor-based life science firms Accuri Cytometers ($5 million) and Meditrina Pharmaceuticals ($4.4 million), both of which won funding awards in the 21st Century Job Fund competition a year ago and QuatRx Pharmaceuticals ($44 million). Rankings were compiled by the National Venture Capital Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Pre-Seed Fund Announcement

The Pre-Seed Fund has made four investment decisions totaling $1 million in the month of September. The total investments now exceed $3 million.

The new investments are:

Avidimer, sponsored by Ann Arbor SPARK
Compendia, former Boot Camp participant and BA client, sponsored by Ann Arbor SPARK
RazorThreat, former Boot Camp participant, sponsored by Automation Alley
Saleztrack, sponsored by Tech Town

Each company received a $250,000 investment. Matches from each of the companies came in part or whole from angel investors. Matches from the four companies totaled more than $1,750,000.

For more information on the Pre-Seed Fund click here.

University Research Corridor Announces Wet Lab Incubator Tenants

The University of Michigan and Ann Arbor SPARK have created a new wet lab incubator, SPARK North, located near Pfizer's main Ann Arbor campus. With the help of a $1 million state grant, U-M and SPARK have assumed Pfizer's lease of a 34,400 square-foot lab space.

Three initial tenants of the wet lab incubator have signed leases, and the fourth company is finalizing negotiations. Tenants include:

OncoImmune Ltd., an Ohio-based company licensing patents from U-M and Ohio State University, has opened an Ann Arbor office with three to four researchers initially working on treatments for multiple sclerosis and cancer.

SensiGen, LLC, uses proprietary technology invented by Dr. David Kurnit, U-M professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases, to improve the ability to diagnose early stage kidney disease and cervical cancer.

Genomatix Software Inc, a new Ann Arbor-based subsidiary of Munich, Germany-based Genomatix Software Gmch, which works with U-M, Wayne State University and Pfizer, has occupied 900 square feet of the incubator since August but expects to move to another location outside the incubator as tenants needing lab space move in later this year. The company hopes to have 40 employees within three years.

Through its Business Accelerator and Entrepreneur Boot Camp program, Ann Arbor SPARK is able to identify and support startup biotechnology companies who have expressed need for space within a wet lab incubator. For information on the wet lab space, contact Tim Robinson at Tim@AnnArborUSA.org.

MIED Distributes Lab Consumables

In October the Michigan Innovation Equipment Depot (MIED) released consumables to companies certified by the Michigan SmartZones. There were over 50 companies who participated, each receiving between 20 and 30 boxes of consumables.

The consumables consisted of serological pipets, pipet tips, centrifuge tubes, syringes, assay plates, gowns, gloves, filters, filter bottles, vials, culture plates, tubes, flasks, glassware, connectors, storage bottles, clamps, chromatography columns, surgical supplies, freezer racks, bench sheets, parafilm and many miscellaneous lab supplies. Most companies took 1-5 cases of each item, some as many as ten. For more information on the MIED program, contact Skip Simms at Skip@AnnArborUSA.org.