Military veterans Nick Ripplinger and Bennett Tanton have a new mission, developing an Air Force technology that lets troops write important messages in the dark like “Stop! Minefield ahead.”
On November 28, the duo’s startup, Battle Sight Technologies, licensed a patented invention from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate called “one-part, pressure activate chemiluminescent material.”
“Our first product is the MARC. It’s a marker that enhances communications in the dark. The infrared version lets you write other messages that you can only see with night vision devices, to prevent the enemy from seeing the message” Ripplinger said.
Glow sticks, more commonly known as chem-lights in the military, have been available since the 1980s, with the pioneering science taking place at a Navy laboratory.
Ripplinger, 31, is an Army veteran from Miamisburg, Ohio, and Tanton, 43, is a former Marine from Syracuse, New York. Both are familiar with the military’s love for chem-lights, which are used by the millions every year to mark helicopter landing zones, vehicles, and soldiers under the cover of darkness.
Based on a fresh idea from the Air Force Research Lab, the MARC (Marking Appliance Reusable Chemiluminescent) constitutes a powerful enhancer if not a replacement for the traditional glow sticks that rely on the mixing of two liquids when the inner chamber of the stick is broken.
“It allows for writing specific messages in visible or infrared spectrums,” Tanton told TechLink. “That’s the kind of dynamic communication that commanders need, especially if radio comms are down.”
Instead of two liquids, the MARC is made of microscopic plastic capsules of dyed oxalate solvent, which are coated with finely-milled hydrogen peroxide catalyst, within a wax binding, which allows the glue-stick-like marker to writing on almost any surface.
These tiny capsules–one-half of a millimeter wide–have the consistency of dry powder, but when crushed by the slight pressure of writing, allow the chemicals to mix and glow.
“This invention relieves the need of packaging a two-part system, allowing more versatile applications,” wrote the Air Force’s Dr. Lawrence Brott and his three co-inventors in their patent, which envisioned a glow-in-the-dark pen and perimeter security applications.
The powder can be divided into amounts dictated by the user’s needs, thereby reducing waste,” the inventors wrote. “The transformation of the starting chemicals to solid forms also improves the shelf life of the system.”
While the MARC is Battle Sight’s first product, Ripplinger and Tanton have other product ideas pulled from their military and civilian experiences that can benefit from this Air Force invention.
Sunita Chavan, head of the technology transfer office at AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, led the effort to partner with the veteran’s startup company with help from the Technology Acceleration Project at The Entrepreneur’s Center in Dayton.
“Our goal is to take Air Force science beyond the laboratory. If our technology can be used for military and commercial uses we’ll pursue a partnership like this,” Chavan said. “Industry partnerships allow Air Force inventions to become great products for civilian and military uses. It’s a win-win deal.”
With the patent license agreement, the small Ohio-based company will receive some transfer of knowledge and know-how from the laboratory and rights to begin commercial production of the glow-in-the dark technology – including markers for military and civilian customers. That means the two veteran entrepreneurs are now working on the first MARC prototype for military field testing and starting discussions with future investors.
“You’ve got to admire these two vets,” said TechLink’s Joan Wu-Singel, the senior technology manager who helped facilitate the patent license agreement. “They know the military’s needs and they’ve got a vision and a plan to commercialize a great piece of technology that includes a sizable civilian market.”
Troy Carter can be reached at [email protected] or 406-994-7798.
This article originally appeared on TechLink. TechLink is the Department of Defense’s national partnership intermediary based in Bozeman, Montana, which focuses on marketing new inventions from defense labs and facilitating license agreements with small businesses. Troy Carter is TechLink’s senior writer and editor. A former Army infantryman and newspaper reporter, Troy now provides original writing on technology transfer and other R&D partnerships in support of the DoD laboratory system.
With the most wonderful time of the year behind us, Dayton Tech Guide has an exciting announcement:
This year’s basecamp will be at Dayton’s historic Steam Plant. Located at 617 E. 3rd Street, the Steam Plant is a former Dayton Power and Light steam generating facility that opened up in the early 1900’s and ceased operations in the 1980’s. The current owner has utilized its unique appeal and renovated it into an amazing event space that will be home to Techstars Dayton Startup Week in June.
If you look across the venue during Startup Week, you’ll see intense conversations about development and potential happenings over cups of locally roasted coffee. Walk a little further and you’ll observe a cluster of entrepreneurs scribbling on legal pads while startup experts offer sage advice from the stage. As you scan the room, you’ll notice a mix of young and old, experienced and inexperienced, formal and casual.
How can you describe Dayton Startup Week in one word? Collaboration. This week Dayton entrepreneurs and community members are coming together to support each other on their next steps. We’ve heard from tech companies, marketing experts, venture capitalists, and coffee roasters. It’s a diverse week, unified with the vision of bringing Dayton’s entrepreneurial community together.
Let us know what sessions and speakers you want to hear from this year at this month’s Pints & Preneurs. Register for Pints here.
A clear transformation for the Dayton region is emerging and the proof is in the stories shared at Catalyst on December 8, 2017 at the Sinclair Conference Center. Founded in 2014, by The Entrepreneur Center, Catalyst has become a signature event to bring the Dayton community together to share successes, resources and inspire the next wave of entrepreneurs. This year’s event was the largest event to date, and was produced as a partnership between The Entrepreneurs Center and Wright State Research Dayton Tech Guide. The Dayton Tech Guide also produces Dayton Start-up Week.
Wright Brothers Institute partners, SPGlobal, announced a $10M fund to accelerate startups in the region. On the heels of successes from startups like Globalflyte, CoreSyte, and saWyze, the commercialization company is excited to expand their investment in the Dayton region. In just 18 months GlobalFlyte has commercialized patented radio-based incident management and communications technology invented by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing. Read the full article about Globalflyte’s impact on the region.
This year, the pitches were next-level professional, thanks in large part to the efforts of The Entrepreneurs Center new service as Dayton’s Entrepreneurial Services Provider (ESP) which provides professional mentorship and coaching for regional startups, as well as the Dayton Tech Guide’s Early Risers series. Early Risers, an event that starts before traditional work hours, features startups that have a short amount of time to pitch their product or service to a wide audience of investors and potential partners. Succinct stories that clearly demonstrate the market need proved that Dayton startups are getting more polished and professional. The companies that presented covered a wide range of industry opportunities:
MILITARY
What it is: a material that allows users to mark surfaces in no-light or low-light environments, ideal for military use in contested environments.
Why it’s exciting: they are looking at rapid acquisition with Special Forces, which means bringing safety to warfighters, faster.
MANUFACTURING
What it is: a new milling manufacturing technique that will greatly reduce the time, labor and resources of traditional milling.
Why it’s exciting: faster production with more “spindle up time” can revolutionize the manufacturing process and put Dayton back on the map of manufacturing innovators.
MEDICAL
What it is: a workflow organizer for medical providers that will reduce medical errors.
Why it’s exciting: this healthcare solution, with potential to cross over to multiple health sectors, dovetails with Dayton businesses like CareSource and Ascend Innovations.
What it is: sensor technology that enables better imaging during vascular surgeries, and is projected to reduce patient exposure to radiation by 15% and save $2k in guidewire costs.
Why it’s exciting: this healthcare solution could adapt to multiple healthcare markets and save costs for critical medical procedures.
What it is: scanning technology that provides more accurate and less invasive wound measurements.
Why it’s exciting: a $240M market for diabetic wound care and the increased aging population means this solution could be standard practice medical providers and patients very quickly.
INFRASTRUCTURE
What it is: technology that gives municipalities better data, helping them better decisions about infrastructure budgets.
Why it’s exciting: accurate data can help cities, like Dayton, acquire larger budgets when competing for infrastructure funding.
RETAIL
What it is: a mineral supplement that creates consistent water chemistry, specifically for the specialized coffee market.
Why it’s exciting: following an appearance on NBC’s Shark Tank, the company is shipping their product worldwide and continues to expand.
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
What it is: an app that curates subscription-worthy social media content for end users.
Why it’s exciting: subscriptions include analytics and data that could entice anyone trying to sell products/services on social media platforms…an enormous market!
Scott Korndyk of The Entrepreneurs Center ended the day with an ask: share your story. He announced the launch of “500 Ideas to Action” a platform encouraging Daytonians in the startup ecosystem to share a cohesive community message. It’s clear that as Dayton’s transformation continues, the stories we tell ourselves, our networks and the world will be proof of Dayton’s success.
Photo credit Bryan Hunter, FPC.
DAYTON, Ohio – A small, high-tech startup company’s first sale means they’re planning to hire five more employees next year.
That’ll be a big deal for the company, said GlobalFlyte President and COO Tim Shaw. The staff currently numbers three.
In just 18 months GlobalFlyte has commercialized patented radio-based incident management and communications technology invented by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing.
It’s called Multi-modal Communications, and it takes multiple radio channels and applies a new 3-D spatial separation effect for listeners, Shaw told TechLink.
“And that means a 40 percent increase in comprehension,” he said.
The software also combines GPS mapping, imaging, and a real-time transcription of radio traffic that automatically searches the text for keywords like “shooter,” “man down,” or “mayday.”
This can help firefighters, emergency medical services, law enforcement, and public works managers make sense of chaotic situations, quickly communicate, and efficiently deploy resources. (see Shaw explain more in the video below)
“We have our first early adopter, the City of Fairborn right here in Ohio is going to use GlobalFlyte solutions and we’ll start testing with them right after the New Year,” Shaw said.
The successful company is also encouraging other businesses to link up with Air Force scientists and engineers.
On Nov. 1, Shaw, along with Dr. Brian Simpson, inventor of multi-modal communications, and Dr. James Kearns from the Air Force’s Office of Research and Technology Applications spoke about building business partnerships at a downtown “Bench to Business” event organized by the Wright Brothers Institute. The Wright Brothers Institute is an Air Force partnership intermediary, helping to market available technology.
For the first half of the day Air Force scientists shared successful technology transfer stories like GlobalFlyte.
“It’s important that 711th researchers who have taken their technologies from the bench to business showcase their accomplishments and to also share stories with their colleagues,” said Sabra Tomb, one of the event organizers and a 711th technology transfer specialist. “This way other researchers can learn about the process and possibilities available to them.”
Members of the business community attended afternoon educational sessions on the technology transfer process, namely patent license agreements and cooperative research and development agreements, which allow businesses to work with the Air Force.
TechLink, the Department of Defense’s national partnership intermediary, also presented and shared with the audience ways to find and license technology. Attendees were able to ask questions and network during the event.
“Small businesses need to know that there are opportunities to grow with technology developed in defense laboratories,” said Joan Wu-Singel, the senior technology manager from TechLink who attended the event. “And they can start by searching our database.”
Mindy Cooper from the Air Force Technology Transfer Program contributed to this report. TechLink Editor Troy Carter can be reached at [email protected] or 406-994-7798.
This article originally appeared on TechLink. TechLink is the Department of Defense’s national partnership intermediary based in Bozeman, Montana, which focuses on marketing new inventions from defense labs and facilitating license agreements with small businesses. Troy Carter is TechLink’s senior writer and editor. A former Army infantryman and newspaper reporter, Troy now provides original writing on technology transfer and other R&D partnerships in support of the DoD laboratory system.
10XTS was selected out of many applications to participate as one of five companies presenting at the Vet-Tech Accelerator Veterans Demo Day event on December 5, 2018.
Rob Slater, 10XTS co-founder and COO is former U.S. Air Force officer at the Air Force Research Lab and active duty member of the Ohio National Guard.
Vet-Tech is the premiere veterans startup accelerator with the mission to promote entrepreneurship among the active and retired members of the United States Armed Forces.
Ryan Micheletti, Vet-Tech co-founder, hosted the online event, which included guest judges, Christine Herron, Director of Intel Capital, and Larsen Jensen, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners.
All of the companies presenting were excellent examples of veteran entrepreneurs out working to solve problems and build sustainable companies.
10XTS was honored to be selected as the winner, advancing to semi-finals and attending the Vetcon veteran entrepreneurship conference in March of 2018 in San Francisco.
“Working to promote entrepreneurship and commercialization throughout the military community is near and dear to my heart,” said Robert Slater, 10XTS Chief Operating Officer, “We’re honored to be chosen as an example of a leading veteran organization and excited to continue the mission.”
Get in the holiday season with your fellow entrepreneurs at Dayton Startup Week’s Jingle and Co-Mingle!
We work out of coffee shops, coworking spaces, and our homes all year so let’s all get together for our own cubicle free holiday party–friends from cubes can join too! Food and drinks will be available and entertainment will be provided by Liftoff Entertainment.
The event is Monday, December 11th, beginning at 5:00PM at 444 E Second Street in Dayton. This event will officially mark 6 months until Dayton Startup Week in June so we’ll also be collecting ideas for sessions, speakers, and other activities!
Do not miss out on this amazing opportunity to get into the holiday spirit with other Dayton Startups!
You can register HERE.
Last week, Startup Grind Dayton‘s Greg Meredith sat down with Michael Bridges, CEO and Founder of Peerless Technologies for our November fireside chat. If you don’t know Peerless, they are a professional services firm that specializes in Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity and Information Technology, Space and Aerospace, and Innovation and Research support services for federal government clients in Defense, Space, Energy, and Homeland Security.
They went from a three-person gig as The Entrepreneurs Center’s first tenant 17 years ago to what is now a $70 million business that just graduated from the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program. In case you missed it, here are highlights from insight and knowledge Michael shared.
Don’t forget to invest in yourself. Michael spoke about the importance of professional development for both founders and their leadership team as the company grows. For the business to evolve, it’s leaders also have to develop personally and professionally.
“Find good people that have deep knowledge in areas that you don’t.” Michael discussed the tendency for many entrepreneurs to wear all the hats in their business. While founders do need to have a breadth of understanding across their company, they have to rely on people with expertise in law, accounting and other professional services that they will need.
Start with the end in mind for your company. If you have a goal, you’ll probably hit it.
“What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith. Here, there are 20 bad habits to avoid as a company scales.
Our next session will feature David Fisher of Dayton-based Milano’s and R Taco on December 11. If you’re in franchising or in the restaurant business, you won’t want to miss this event.
Candace Dalmagne-Rouge is the Co-Director of Startup Grind Dayton and the Business Director at Ascend Innovations.
The holiday shopping season is quickly approaching. With Black Friday four days away, many begin planning their shopping sprees this time of the year. The Dayton area has lots of unique startups that could provide a great gift for a friend or loved one this holiday season. Lucky for you, we have a list, with links provided, to make your life a little easier.
Airborne Outfitters is a veteran owned company that is dedicated to the outdoors. They have a wide range of high-quality products including:
Spend $75 or more and receive free shipping!
Looking for some family friendly games to keep your kids off their phones this winter? Check out local game maker Dolphin Hat Games for family-friendly options like Emoji Says and Frog Pig Pug, both available via Amazon Prime.
Fronana offers a delicious, banana based ice cream that is free of the top 8 allergens. This tasty treat is free of added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial ingredients. Get some Fronana this Holiday Season for all of your parties and family get-togethers. Send your loved ones a Fronanagram this holiday season! We recommend the Fronatic Favorites pack for first-timers. Their flavors include:
Designed for fans of Super Smash Brothers and Overwatch, Galatune is simple enough for casual players and families new to tabletop, and yet rich enough strategy to challenge serious gamers. Each player leads a Champion into battle to fight for knockout victory points. First to 3 knockout points wins, but Champions keep respawning so that everyone stays in the battle the entire time. The game also features an exciting battle system where everyone attacks simultaneously.
Galatune is now available on Amazon and is a Prime eligible present!
Products available include:
A versatile sauce that can be used for any meal. Charlynda Scales’ tasty sauce recently won an award at Bob Evans Farms’ “Heroes to CEOs” program designed to help veterans in the field of entrepreneurship. Mutt’s Sauce was highlighted on Dayton Tech Guide’s website. To read the exclusive article, click here.
Get some Mutt’s Sauce for your holiday dinners or share a bottle with your neighbors. Flavors include:
Sports or Theatre fan in the family? Neet Seat has them covered with their uniquely designed seat pocket, with a spandex blend fabric, a rear zipper, and a front elastic band that together form a secured pocket beneath your seat, allowing for a hands-free viewing experience. Clap, cheer, eat, and drink in comfort while keeping your personal items clean and protected.
Noxgear provides running equipment for the late night or early morning run that will keep you safe and visible to motorists.
Products include:
Looking for a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal for the family? Pig of the Month BBQ provides amazing, natural meals, happiness guaranteed. All products are responsibly raised and all natural free range animals.
Meal options include:
If your tie gets caught in the wind, Tame Ties are for you! Their unique neckties stick to the shirt, making you look even more professional! Buy one for your favorite startup lawyer or accountant now!
Tie options are:
It’s a stated fact that entrepreneurs love coffee. The Wright Cup offers lots of high-quality coffee machines and coffee itself. The subscription service offers freshly roasted craft coffee from the largest choice of Ohio roasters delivered directly to the door of your favorite caffeine fiends. Sign up for a subscription yourself while you’re at it!
They offer:
Coffee is 98% water so, it makes sense that the quality of your H2O makes an impact on your favorite cup of Joe. But what many coffee drinkers don’t know is that minerals and allowable contaminants found in water vary dramatically across the globe. This affects not only the flavor of water, but also your cup of coffee. Want the flavor of your favorite coffee beans to taste fresh, no matter where you are? Now it can. Third Wave Water, as seen on Shark Tank, makes the optimum mineral content in water to brew the best cup of joe.
Third Wave Water offers a classic water profile as well as an expresso version to brew the best coffee or expresso you can!
Want to add your startup to this list? Email me at [email protected]!
Let the Holiday Season Begin!
10XTS is excited to announce having been selected as one of the handful of companies nationally to present at the national Veterans Demo Day event on December 5th, 2017. This event is sponsored by Founder Institute, a Silicon Valley-based global startup accelerator and Vet-Tech, the nation’s leading veteran’s startup accelerator.
Robert Slater, 10XTS COO
Robert Slater, 10XTS Chief Operating Officer, is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having retired from active duty as a Major. He served as a program manager at the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Rob is still an active duty officer in the United States Air National Guard, and despite his busy schedule working to build 10XTS and entrepreneurship across the region, still serves his one weekend a month of duty and his two weeks of service once a year.
10XTS fully supports Rob’s service, and deeply appreciates the efforts of our military, who work to keep our nation safe.
The Founder Institute is the world’s premier startup launch program for talented entrepreneurs. If you are up to the challenge, their comprehensive step-by-step program will give you the structure, mentor support, and network of entrepreneurs you need to start an enduring company. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 60 countries, the Founder Institute’s mission is to “Globalize Silicon Valley” and build sustainable startup ecosystems worldwide.
Vet-Tech collaborates with startups, investors and partners to fulfill our mission of building successful veteran-led startups. In 2012, Vet-Tech was founded to help the best and brightest military veterans succeed in entrepreneurship. Today, they have helped over 100 veteran-led startups, with their top 20 companies having raised over $10 million in funding.
The December 5th pitch event is to showcase up-and-coming Vet-led companies to a live audience of hundreds of entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors. Be sure to register for this free event, and learn more about how veterans are building new companies and leading entrepreneurship across our nation.
Michael “HilesFiles” Hiles is a digital native and serial entrepreneur with 25+ years of software engineering, data, and information architecture experience with enterprise systems. As a senior exec with cross-over experience in multiple subsectors and industry segments he has a proven track record of growth and innovation leadership in the context of start-up, mid-sized and large corporate organizations, as well as large scale government platforms. His team won a Smithsonian Award for being the first to connect a judicial management system to the web. Michael is the managing director of the Cincinnati operation for the global Founder Institute accelerator based in Silicon Valley.
Stop giving away all of your valuable content for free on platforms such as Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.!
An innovative way for you to sell your online content is currently in the beta phase. Curafied, founded by Arielle Jordan, is a new way to monetize your content. Designed for digital curators, experts, and tastemakers like you, this online program allows you to generate revenue through online subscriptions to your premium content.
Curators can include experts in their respective fields of study, bloggers, fitness and life coaches, celebrities, publishers, television and radio shows, and many more! This will allow all of the hard work to pay off, literally! Content can range and there is no limit to what can be published. Some examples include:
The process is simple. Users sign up for an account and begin posting their premium content. Once the page is set up, users will share their new page and encourage readers to subscribe. The subscription is affordable to anyone; just $2.99 per month! As a curator, you will earn $1 per subscriber. Curators will be paid at the conclusion of the month for the subscribers to their channel. The more subscribers, the more money you can raise!
Sign up for the beta if you would like to start monetizing your content!
And be sure to check out Arielle pitching Curafied at this year’s Catalyst event. Registration is now open.
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