Space Florida and Florida Venture Forum Announce Early Stage and Start-Up Winners of the 2019 Florida Early Stage Capital Conference

ORLANDO, FL (May 10, 2019) – Space Florida and the Florida Venture Forum are pleased to announce the winning companies of the 2019 Florida Early Stage Capital Conference, held at Omni ChampionsGate in Orlando. A total of 20 Florida-based companies from a variety of industry sectors were selected to present before an audience of investors, deal professionals and entrepreneurs.

A panel of judges reviewed each selected company’s presentation and supporting materials. The top Early Stage companies, SaferWatch and SegAna LLC will receive $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, of Space Florida’s Accelerating Innovation (AI) Award. Seed companies STAT3 Therapeutics and Capacitech Energy LLC will receive $15,000 and $10,000 of the AI Award, respectively.

‍SaferWatch, Boca Raton (www.saferwatchapp.com) provides the ability for citizens to send in photos, videos, audio files and text messages directly to local law enforcement and public safety organizations. SaferWatch also provides its users with real-­‐time safety notifications that are relevant to their area. SaferWatch Alerts are sent from official sources such as local law enforcement, cities or emergency management organizations.

‍SegAna LLC, Orlando is a medical device company that has developed a cloud-­‐based software platform utilizing artificialIntelligence and a proprietary algorithm that measures changes in patient specific tissue elasticity for enhancing radiation treatment of cancer. The company’s patent pending state of the art technology enhances the treatment of cancer by providing the Radiation Oncologist, in any setting or location, with the ability to accurately define the margin of the tumor on the day of treatment and predict an abnormal treatment up to 3 days in the future. The Radiation Oncologist utilizes this information to develop a new patient treatment plan which will ultimately reduce radiation damage to the tissue surrounding the tumor and improve a patient’s outcome.

‍STAT3 Therapeutics, Coral Springs (www.stat3therapeutics.com) is preclinical, biopharmaceutical company developing drugs that target the STAT3 pathway. STAT3, a signal transducer and activator of transcription protein, is found hyperactivated in 70% of all cancers, associated with immune suppression, and poor prognosis/outcomes.

‍Capacitech Energy LLC, Orlando (www.capacitechenergy.com) is commercializing patent protected, advanced energy storage technology from University of Central Florida. Capacitech sells 100ft spools of series-­‐connected and customizable Cable-­‐Based Capacitors (CBCs) to distributors selling to OEMs and end users. The CBC will be used to complement batteries in the solar & IT markets to reduce their cost of ownership. It can also help miniaturize electronics by replacing large, traditional capacitors on circuits.

“Space Florida congratulates all of today’s winners, SaferWatch, SegAna LLC, STAT3 Therapeutics and Capacitech Energy LLC, as well as all participating companies in another successful Florida Early Stage Capital Conference,” said Space Florida President and CEO Frank DiBello. “In addition to providing access to capital, these events provide a vital opportunity to showcase Florida’s flourishing start-up ecosystem, and, as always, we thank Florida Venture Forum for its partnership and leadership in hosting this year’s Florida Early Stage Capital Conference and promoting a thriving capital acceleration environment.”

“Congratulations to SaferWatch, SegAna LLC, STAT3 Therapeutics and Capacitech Energy LLC, and all of our winning and presenting companies, and special thanks to our sponsors, attendees and members for what was an amazing 2019 Early Stage Capital Conference,” said Kevin Burgoyne, President and CEO of the Florida Venture Forum. “The overwhelming number of applications for presenting slots at this year’s conference is a sign of an increasingly healthy seed and early stage startup ecosystem.”

The event marks the 12^th year the Florida Venture Forum has hosted the Early Stage Capital Conference. The 20 presenting companies were selected from a pool of more than 150 applicants by a committee of active Florida venture capitalists and other investors. Space Florida provided the Accelerating Innovation prize money totaling $100,000. To date, Space Florida supported capital accelerators, have attracted more than $223 million in funding and investments for the participating companies.

‍About Space Florida: Space Florida was created to strengthen Florida’s position as the global leader in aerospace research, investment, exploration and commerce. As Florida’s aerospace and spaceport development authority, we are committed to attracting and expanding the next generation of space industry businesses. With its highly trained workforce, proven infrastructure and unparalleled record of achievement, Florida is the ideal location for aerospace businesses to thrive – and Space Florida is the perfect partner to help them succeed. www.spaceflorida.gov

‍About Florida Venture Forum: The Florida Venture Forum is Florida’s largest statewide support organization for investors and entrepreneurs, helping emerging Florida companies connect with sources of capital from across the country. The organization provides programs statewide throughout the year in addition to hosting the Florida Venture Capital Conference, the Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition and the Early Stage Capital Conference. www.flventure.org.

‍Media Contact:
‍Sara Shell, Space Florida
Telephone: 321-730-5301 ext. 221
Email: sshell@spaceflorida.gov