WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13, 2021

'LAB ON A CHIP'
SMU Researchers are Developing a New, Faster COVID-19 Antibody Test

Two researchers and professors from SMU are leading a team that is creating "Lab on a Chip," a new antibody test that could detect coronavirus immune responses in two to three minutes via a drop of blood.

WORKING TOGETHER
Taysha and UTSW Launch Innovation Fund to Advance the Development of New Gene Therapies

The expanded alliance between Taysha and UTSW, which dates back to when Taysha emerged from stealth in April 2020, will support the discovery of novel gene therapy candidates and technologies in new disease areas.

NONPROFIT
The Deep Ellum Foundation is Leading a Petition for Small Business Relief

The nonprofit is supporting three legislative measures on the federal level and one at the state level to get small business owners in Deep Ellum the immediate relief they need.

150 Patents Granted for Week of Dec. 29

Dallas-Fort Worth ranked No. 9 for patent activity out of 250 metros. 

Patents granted include:
• Textron's foldable wings for UAS with a geared interface
• 7-Eleven's camera array for a scalable position tracking system 
• Avaya's selective communication event extraction 
• Cisco's active speaker naming in ICN-based real-time communication systems 
• Micronizing Technologies' beneficiation of hydrocarbons from mineral matrices 
• Toyota's telepresence drones
• USAA's digital identification system 
• Vpay's merchant portal system

THREE THINGS

⓵ CAPITAL: Dallas-Fort Worth had a "huge year with venture investments," attracting $370 million in venture backing in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to CB Insights in conjunction with the Q4 2020 MoneyTree Report. While that's down from the third quarter ($470 million), the period is four times the size year over year, per the Dallas Business Journal. The number of deals at 20 topped both the third quarter (16) and the year-ago period.

⓷ ACQUISITION: Dallas-based Black Box Intelligence, which provides data and analysis for the hospitality industry, has been acquired by Los Angeles-based Diversis Capital Partners, a tech-focused PE firm. Black Box Founders Wallace Blair and Joni Thomas Doolin will stay on as investors, strategic advisors, and board members, according to the DBJ. From here, Black Box (formerly known as TDn2K) plans to use the growth capital and operational expertise to expand into new segments of the broader food-service industry.

Meet the Finalists: Leaders From Children’s Health, Dallas Baptist University, Qentelli, and Istation
Leading up to the second annual Innovation Awards event next week, we’re sharing excerpts from Q&As with the 51 finalists—one category at a time. Here are the four honorees for CIO/CTO of the Year. Winners of The Innovation Awards 2021, presented by D CEO and Dallas Innovates, will be revealed at an exclusive virtual event on Jan. 21. Tickets are $20. To register, click here. 

"I would rather be trying to find solutions for small businesses than sitting on the sidelines trying to figure out when the right time to jump in is."

Eric Donnelly
CEO
Capital Plus Financial Partners
...on helping small businesses receive PPP loans, via the Dallas Business Journal.

When the Paycheck Protection Program first began last year, certified community development financial institution Capital Plus Financial Partners wasn't ready to handle PPP lending and instead directed applicants to The First State Bank, reports the DBJ.

With the PPP reopen as of Jan. 11, this time, Capital Plus is ready to handle the program through a partnership with BlueAcorn. The online platform is able to provide businesses with quick applications that Capital Plus will then process and underwrite. 

"It's certainly scary to jump out into an area that we don't have a lot of experience, but I sort of feel like everybody is in an unknown,” Donnelly told the DBJ.