Maryland's Top Incubator Companies Recognized

American Express Tax and Business Services, the Maryland Business Incubation Association (MBIA), the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation and Saul Ewing, LLP, recently announced the winners of the fourth annual Maryland Incubator Companies of the Year Awards during a reception at The Center Club in Baltimore.

The awards, whose winners were chosen by a selection committee comprising venture capitalists and government and business leaders, recognized the achievements of six current and graduate companies of Maryland's incubators. The categories and award-winners (incubator) included:

Best New Incubator Company - BD Metrics, Inc. (techcenter@UMBC, Catonsville). The company develops technology to make it easier for companies to create business relationships by recommending which business deals to make, matching a company's product or services to potential buyers and partners, and producing reports to prove the value of the relationships.

Biotech/Life Science - Pharmathene, Inc. (Chesapeake Innovation Center, Annapolis). The company treats and prevents diseases caused by bioterrorism, including anthrax poisoning, with emphasis on long-term and short-term immunity, and treatment for those that have been hospitalized.

Graduate - Syntonics LLC (Howard County Economic Development Authority's NeoTech Incubator, Columbia). The company develops high tech communications and timing systems for use on land, at sea and in space.

Other winners included Agentsmith, Inc. (Emerging Technology Center, Baltimore City) for Information Technology; Telecontinuity, Inc. (Maryland Technology Development Center, Rockville) for Technology Service, and Advanced Vision Therapies, Inc. (Maryland Technology Development Center, Rockville) for Technology Transfer.

When choosing the winners, judges considered a company's technology or product development, increase in employee numbers, growth in revenue or earnings, engagement of significant customers and strategic partners, technology transfer, receipt of awards or grants, attraction of outside investors, innovation; self-sufficiency, impact on the region and ability to use an incubator's services.

"The incubators in Maryland provide the support needed to create a foundation for success for small, startup businesses," said Ann Lansinger, MBIA president and executive director of the Emerging Technology Centers in Baltimore. "In cooperation with this year's sponsors, we are able to highlight just a few of the many wonderful companies currently working in our incubators."