Summer 2006
Alliance of Angels Startup of the Year Award: Sonic Science and Skin Care Prove a Heavenly Mix for Pacific Bioscience Laboratories
Pacific Bioscience Laboratories, the Bellevue-based developer of the CLARISONIC skin care brush, rose above a strong field of six finalists to capture the 2006 Startup of the Year Award, which recognizes entrepreneurial excellence in the Pacific Northwest. The award was presented to CEO David Giuliani and COO Mike Stull at the State of Technology Luncheon in Seattle on May 15th.
The CLARISONIC skin care brush, which was launched into the $25 billion U.S. skin care market in 2004, combines proprietary sonic technology with an oscillating brush system to deep clean and clarify skin. The device, which is portable and waterproof, has been demonstrated by studies to be ten times more effective than manual cleansing. Having first introduced the CLARISONIC to consumers via dermatologists and other skin care professionals’ offices, the company has since made it available for purchase directly by the public on the Internet and through select retail department stores. Pacific Bioscience Laboratories was founded in 2001 by former leaders of Optiva Corporation, the company that introduced the world to one of the best-selling sonic-based consumer products of all time, the Sonicare® toothbrush.
“Vision, innovation, and passion are paramount to a startup company’s success and we are proud to have been part of Pacific Bioscience Laboratories’ success,” said Dan Rosen, chair of the Alliance of Angels and president and CEO of Dan Rosen & Associates. “This year’s competition was particularly intense, with many exciting and successful startups. Pacific Bioscience Laboratories’ commitment to offering its customers the finest products that incorporated advanced technologies was the edge it needed to win this competitive award.”
Pacific Bioscience Laboratories was unanimously selected by the Alliance of Angels’ award committee, rising above five other strong contenders to claim top honors this year: Escapia, developer of web-based vacation rental management and marketing software; OnRequest Images, provider of innovative custom stock photography solutions; Redfin, the first online real estate brokerage; ScaleOut Software, provider of scalable data storage software for server farms; and SNAPin, developer of self-service customer care software for mobile devices.
To be eligible for the Startup of the Year Award, companies must have presented their business plans to the Alliance of Angels membership within the past three years, received angel or venture funding, made significant, high-growth progress, and had a positive impact on the regional economy. Combined, the six finalists employ more than 150 people in the Northwest, nearly all of them in Washington.
For more information about Pacific Bioscience Laboratories and the CLARISONIC, visit the company’s web site at www.clarisonic.com.
Progress and Pitfalls: Measuring Washington’s Performance in the Key Drivers of a Vibrant Technology-based Economy
Excellent K-12 and higher education systems, to prepare our kids for the knowledge-based jobs of the future...
Strong research capacity, to generate the discoveries and technologies of tomorrow...
A robust entrepreneurial climate, to support the growth of innovative young companies that create new products, services, and jobs...
These are the essential elements of a successful technology-based economy. In 2003, the Technology Alliance benchmarked Washington’s performance in these critical areas against that of eight peer states with similarly technology-intensive economies: California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas and Virginia. Now, three years later, we measure Washington’s progress and examine the potential pitfalls for our state’s long-term competitiveness.
Flour Power: WSU Wheat Breeder Kimberlee Kidwell Concludes the 2005-2006 Season of Seattle Science & Technology Roundtable
Some fascinating science goes into the bread that we buy. Oatmeal may be the perennial favorite of the STRT faithful, but as we learned from Dr. Kimberlee Kidwell at the final breakfast of the 2005-2006 season, wheat is really neat.
Learn Something New – Register for the Science & Technology Discovery Series!
Get up close and personal with our state’s leading scientists. Discover groundbreaking research taking place in your own back yard. Experience science and technology like you never have before.
You don’t have to take notes, but you just might find that you want to.
The new season of the Technology Alliance’s popular Science & Technology Discovery Series* starts in September! With programs in Seattle and Spokane, the Discovery Series features presentations on the latest research at our preeminent institutions and innovative companies in an intimate setting.
The Seattle Discovery Series kicks off on September 8th with Dr. Steve Malone, professor of earth and space sciences at University of Washington, sharing his expert insights on the recent volcanic activity at Mt. St. Helens. The Seattle program features ten monthly breakfast presentations from September through June. For more information or to become a member, click here.
The Spokane Discovery Series has expanded! The new season will feature seven breakfasts between September and June, starting with Dr. Lee Siwek, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at Sacred Heart Medical Center, on September 22nd. Dr. Siwek will speak about the use of the da Vinci robot in cardiac bypass surgery. For more information or to become a member, click here.
*Formerly Science & Technology Roundtable
Technology Alliance Board Elects Marty Smith as New Chair, Welcomes New Members
The Technology Alliance is pleased to announce the election of Marty Smith, partner in Preston Gates & Ellis LLP and a long-time advocate for education, as our new chair. We also welcomed four outstanding business and community leaders to the board at its May 25th meeting: Mic Dinsmore of the Port of Seattle; Michael Martino of Sonus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Tom Vander Ark of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and Peter Wilson of Google.
Welcome New Alliance of Angels Fellows!
A warm welcome to our 2006-07 AoA program managers: Rebecca Lovell, full-time Preston Gates & Ellis Fellow, and Avniel Dravid, part-time Alliance of Angels fellow.
Our thanks and best wishes to our departing 2005-06 fellows, Edward Hansen and Erik Hanson.
Thank You to Our Geoffrey Moore Workshop Participants!
On July 13th in Seattle, the Technology Alliance was proud to present a special luncheon workshop with Geoffrey Moore, bestselling author of Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado. Geoffrey explored the different ways in which companies innovate and revealed how companies can overcome their own inertia and manage resources more effectively in pursuit of innovation. After the workshop, Geoffrey took the time to chat with members of the audience and sign copies of his latest book, Dealing with Darwin: How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution. If you missed it, you can download the podcast here.
The Technology Alliance would like to thank Geoffrey, Kim Ricketts Books, and the following sponsors for their part in making the workshop a great success: Cisco Systems; Enpria, Inc.; F5 Networks, Inc.; Microsoft Windows Live; Onyx Software; and Wells Fargo Bank.