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| | <div><p>YOU HAVE 960 PIXELS WIDTH TO PLAY WITH FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO EMBED! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Maecenas metus nulla, commodo a sodales sed, dignissim pretium nunc. Nam et lacus neque. Sed volutpat ante id mauris laoreet vestibulum. Nam blandit felis non neque cursus aliquet. Morbi vel enim dignissim massa dignissim commodo vitae quis tellus. Nunc non mollis nulla. Sed consectetur elit id mi consectetur bibendum. Ut enim massa, sodales tempor convallis et, iaculis ac massa. Etiam suscipit nisl eget lorem pellentesque quis iaculis mi mattis. Aliquam sit amet purus lectus. Maecenas tempor ornare sollicitudin.</p></div> | | <div><p>YOU HAVE 960 PIXELS WIDTH TO PLAY WITH FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO EMBED! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Maecenas metus nulla, commodo a sodales sed, dignissim pretium nunc. Nam et lacus neque. Sed volutpat ante id mauris laoreet vestibulum. Nam blandit felis non neque cursus aliquet. Morbi vel enim dignissim massa dignissim commodo vitae quis tellus. Nunc non mollis nulla. Sed consectetur elit id mi consectetur bibendum. Ut enim massa, sodales tempor convallis et, iaculis ac massa. Etiam suscipit nisl eget lorem pellentesque quis iaculis mi mattis. Aliquam sit amet purus lectus. Maecenas tempor ornare sollicitudin.</p></div> |
| | </div> | | </div> |
| - | <!---- START OF EXEC SUMMARY ---->
| |
| | <div> | | <div> |
| | <h2 class="title">Executive Summary</h2> | | <h2 class="title">Executive Summary</h2> |
| - | <h1> | + | <h3>The Company</h3> |
| - | <a name="_Toc51685496"></a>
| + | <p>Illinois Synth was formed in June 2012 to develop, market, and license products intended to further the progress of synthetic biology. Our founding team is comprised of six University of Illinois undergraduate students from a variety of backgrounds including bioengineering, biochemistry, molecular biology, agricultural engineering and chemical engineering. Brought together initially by the desire to work with synthetic biology in the context of the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition, we are now in the process of commercializing our research. </p> |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350784">Executive Summary</a>
| + | <h3>The Products</h3> |
| - | </h1>
| + | <p>The two product lines being developed by Illinois Synth are as follows:</p> |
| - | <p>
| + | <ul> |
| - | Overall two- to three-page summary of the whole business, including all the subsections below. Each of the sections below is about a paragraph each. So, it
| + | <li>Gene Expression Modulator (GEM) Toolkit – a PUF protein domain-based customizable ssRNA-specific toolkit to modulate and regulate gene expression.</li> |
| - | really has to be a condensed description of the essence of your business. This is the bottom line of what your company is all about. Effectively writing
| + | <img src="" style=" float: right;"/> |
| - | this section is the most challenging.
| + | <li>In Vivo Optimized Piceatannol Cascade (IOPiC) – an RNA-scaffold based enzymatic conveyer belt designed to produce piceatannol from L-tyrosine.</li> |
| - | </p>
| + | <img src="" style=" float: right;"/> |
| - | <p>
| + | </ul> |
| - | Ideally, you should write this section last, although it will be the first thing provided in the document. Once you have written the body of the business
| + | <h3>The Market</h3> |
| - | plan, you should be able to more easily come back and write or revise these summary sections.
| + | <p>Ever since the discovery of restriction enzymes in 1978, a new era of synthetic biology was ushered in, an era in which scientific discovery would meet engineering, and promised the ability to eventually control and modulate gene expression. Illinois Synth has a deep confidence not only in the growth of synthetic biology as an industry, but in the growing demand for technologies that will allow the modulation of gene expression in RNA. Such tools currently take the form of RNA recognition motifs, K Homology proteins, and CCCH Zinc Finger proteins that in many cases do not exhibit sequence specific binding, or are unable to be programmed to recognize specific, desired ssRNA sequences. With regard to the use of an in vivo enzymatic cascade to produce piceatannol, our analysis has shown that such a method would be faster, more efficient, and lower cost than chemical synthesis of the compound, which is the only current mode of production.</p> |
| - | </p>
| + | <h3>Competitive Analysis</h3> |
| - | <h2>
| + | <p>Our competitive analysis was broken into two components:</p> |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350785">The Company</a>
| + | |
| - | </h2>
| + | <li>Analysis of alternative RNA-binding proteins</li> |
| - | <p> | + | <li>Analysis of alternative ways to produce piceatannol</li> |
| - | What is your business purpose? What is your business model? Provide a summary of your company's history and current status, including major milestones
| + | </div> |
| - | achieved and the outlook for the key future milestones leading to success.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | Illinois Synth was formed in June 2012 to develop, market, and license products intended to further the progress of synthetic biology. Our founding team is
| + | |
| - | comprised of six University of Illinois undergraduate students from a variety of backgrounds including bioengineering, biochemistry, molecular biology,
| + | |
| - | agricultural engineering and chemical engineering. Brought together initially by the desire to work with synthetic biology in the context of the
| + | |
| - | International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition, we are now in the process of commercializing our research.
| + | |
| - | </p> | + | |
| - | <h2> | + | |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350786"></a>
| + | |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350788">The Product</a>
| + | |
| - | sWhat product or service will be delivered to solve the compelling opportunity described above? Answer in terms of market needs, not from the perspective
| + | |
| - | of a product or service. Don’t dwell on the underlying technology. Mention whether this is patented. Explain where you are in the development of the
| + | |
| - | product and the outlook for its completion.
| + | |
| - | </h2>
| + | |
| - | <p> | + | |
| - | The two product lines being developed by Illinois Synth are as follows:
| + | |
| - | </p> | + | |
| - | <p> | + | |
| - | · Gene Expression Modulator (GEM) Toolkit – a PUF protein domain-based customizable ssRNA-specific toolkit to modulate and regulate gene expression.
| + | |
| - | </p> | + | |
| - | <p align="center">
| + | |
| - | <img width=" 161" height=" 135" src="file: //localhost/Users/astomp/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_image002.gif"/> | + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <ul>
| + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | <em>In Vivo </em>
| + | |
| - | Optimized Piceatannol Cascade (IOPiC) – an RNA-scaffold based enzymatic conveyer belt designed to produce piceatannol from L-tyrosine.
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | </ul>
| + | |
| - | <p align="center">
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | width="311"
| + | |
| - | height="54"
| + | |
| - | src="file://localhost/Users/astomp/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_image004.gif"
| + | |
| - | alt="Description: https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012e/archive/c/c9/20121020220936%21Logo.png"
| + | |
| - | />
| + | |
| - | </p> | + | |
| - | <h2> | + | |
| - | The Market
| + | |
| - | </h2> | + | |
| - | <p> | + | |
| - | What is the size and growth of the targeted market segment, and why is it attractive as a business opportunity? Who is the buyer and what is the compelling
| + | |
| - | opportunity? Featuring the opportunity that you plan to address, what more needs to be done?
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | Ever since the discovery of restriction enzymes in 1978, a new era of synthetic biology was ushered in, an era in which scientific discovery would meet
| + | |
| - | engineering, and promised the ability to eventually control and <em>modulate</em> gene expression. Illinois Synth has a deep confidence not only in the
| + | |
| - | growth of synthetic biology as an industry, but in the growing demand for technologies that will allow the modulation of gene expression in RNA. Such tools
| + | |
| - | currently take the form of RNA recognition motifs, K Homology proteins, and CCCH Zinc Finger proteins that in many cases do not exhibit sequence specific
| + | |
| - | binding, or are unable to be programmed to recognize specific, desired ssRNA sequences. With regard to the use of an <em>in vivo</em> enzymatic cascade to
| + | |
| - | produce piceatannol, our analysis has shown that such a method would be faster, more efficient, and lower cost than chemical synthesis of the compound,
| + | |
| - | which is the only current mode of production.
| + | |
| - | </p> | + | |
| - | <p> | + | |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350787"></a>
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <h2>
| + | |
| - | Competitive Analysis
| + | |
| - | </h2> | + | |
| - | <p> | + | |
| - | Who are the main competitors? Why are they important? What are their weaknesses? How will the company beat them?
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | Our competitive analysis was broken into two components:
| + | |
| - | </p> | + | |
| - | <ul> | + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | Analysis of alternative RNA-binding proteins
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | Analysis of alternative ways to produce piceatannol
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | </ul> | + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | Analysis of alternative ways to bind to RNA yielded protein domains that are not as site specific as the PUF domain (8 nucleotide sequence specificity),
| + | |
| - | and/or are uncustomizable whereas PUF can be programmed to recognize a desired ssRNA sequence while being tethered to a functional domain such as an
| + | |
| - | endonuclease.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | Chemical synthesis is the only current mode of production of piceatannol, and has proven to be expensive due to the inefficiency of the chemical process.
| + | |
| - | Tocris Bioscience, in particular, has a base rate of $19/mg of piceatannol. Additionally, instead of competing directly with large pharmaceutical companies
| + | |
| - | to produce piceatannol at a low cost, we intend to license our technology to companies interested in using our RNA scaffold.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <h2>
| + | |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350789">Value Proposition</a>
| + | |
| - | </h2>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | What values will the company’s product and service bring to the customer, and what benefit will the customer receive? Don’t explain what the technology is
| + | |
| - | all about, but what measurable benefit the customer will get from using your product or service. Things like greater revenue opportunity, a competitive
| + | |
| - | advantage, reduced cost and expense, and new offering that expands current revenue should be discussed here.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | Our GEM Toolkit will provide an extremely novel, and efficient way to regulate and modulate gene expression in ssRNA. We expect such a toolkit to provide a
| + | |
| - | high degree of utility to researchers interested in varying gene expression levels. Additionally, we believe IOPiC will provide a low cost, biological
| + | |
| - | alternative to achieve the production of piceatannol without involving expensive chemical processes.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <h2>
| + | |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350790">Marketing and Sales Plan</a>
| + | |
| - | </h2>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | How will the company bring the product or service to market by identifying qualified customers and selling them the product or service?
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | Illinois Synth will adopt a two-step marketing plan for its GEM Toolkit and IOPiC technologies. It involves the systematic dissemination of our
| + | |
| - | technologies to academic and research institutions at highly discounted rates, followed by the targeted selection of pharmaceutical companies and chemical
| + | |
| - | manufacturers with our final full-price products. The specifics of the marketing strategy, including online marketing are detailed throughout the plan.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <h2>
| + | |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350791">Management and Organization</a>
| + | |
| - | <u></u>
| + | |
| - | </h2>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | What form of organization does the business operate under and why? Who are the key management team members, what skills do they have to help the business,
| + | |
| - | and what is their entrepreneurial experience? Outline the executive team and highlight their qualifications to run the business. How many years have they
| + | |
| - | been together? List past start-ups they’ve been involved in, any exits, and ROI of their past companies. Don’t copy their CVs. Simply highlight their role
| + | |
| - | in the company and relevant job history that shows why they are an excellent choice for the position, based on strength in technology and in business.
| + | |
| - | Also, spotlight the founder, CEO, and one or two impressive advisers or board members.<u></u>
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | Illinois Synth’s management board brings with it the ability to raise venture capital, make necessary contacts with representatives from academia and
| + | |
| - | industry, and develop our products methodically through cutting-edge research and development. The board members come from a variety of scientific and
| + | |
| - | engineering backgrounds, and also have the business development experience to set up the necessary infrastructure for Illinois Synth. In addition to the
| + | |
| - | management board, Illinois Synth is advised by an advisory board that represents an exceptional set of professors, graduate students, and researchers from
| + | |
| - | the University of Illinois. Resumes for management board members can be found in the Appendix.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <h2>
| + | |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350792">Financial Summar</a>
| + | |
| - | yWhat are the main conclusions that can be drawn from the financial statements, especially, revenue growth, date when cash flow positive, profitability,
| + | |
| - | break-even point, capital spending, debt, equity, and the sources and uses of the funds being requested? This is literally a one-paragraph job. A sentence
| + | |
| - | that starts, for example, “Over the next five years, annual revenue will grow to $Xm, resulting in a profitable business by XXX; being cash-flow positive
| + | |
| - | by XXX. The company is funded by an equity investment of $Xm, and will have no debt, etc.”
| + | |
| - | </h2>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | Illinois Synth will rely on equity financing, product sales, contract manufacturing, corporate partnerships, and interest income to fund its operations and
| + | |
| - | capital expenditures. Negative cash flow due to research and development of the two product lines is expected to continue for a minimum of 15 months,
| + | |
| - | through the first quarter of 2014. Due to the possible need for additional funds to expand product development, sales, and marketing capabilities, other
| + | |
| - | sources of capital such as venture and angel investments will be explored. Future capital requirements will depend on a variety of factors, including:
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <ul>
| + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | Progress in Research & Product development programs
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | Relationships with corporate sponsors
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | Relationships with academic or industrial collaborators
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | Competing technological and market developments
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | Patent filing, prosecuting, and filing costs
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | Commercialization activities
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | <li>
| + | |
| - | Industry growth
| + | |
| - | </li>
| + | |
| - | </ul>
| + | |
| - | <h2>
| + | |
| - | <a name="_Toc534350793">Investor Summary</a>
| + | |
| - | </h2>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | What are the major reasons why someone would want to invest in the company? Provide a short bulleted list. Items such as being the first in the industry,
| + | |
| - | unique patented technology, high barrier to entry, significant competitive advantage, and quick return on investment are the kinds of things that should be
| + | |
| - | listed. Describe the detail of what is being offered to investors and its basis.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | · Illinois Synth has a unique, significant and adaptable product line that is expected to generate rapid sales growth in an emerging industry.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | · The members of Illinois Synth’s management team have backgrounds in engineering, molecular biology, and business development, making them uniquely suited
| + | |
| - | to address the challenges associated with setting up a synthetic biology enterprise.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | · Experienced advisory board including faculty and researchers from the University of Illinois.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <p>
| + | |
| - | · Logistical and technical support from the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois, one of the premier biotechnology research
| + | |
| - | institutions in the United States.
| + | |
| - | </p>
| + | |
| - | <h1>
| + | |
| - | </h1>
| + | |
| | <div> | | <div> |
| - | <!---------- END OF EXEC SUMMARY ----->
| |
| | <h2 class="title">Market Penetration</h2> | | <h2 class="title">Market Penetration</h2> |
| | <div><p>Cras luctus fringilla odio vel hendrerit. Cras pulvinar auctor sollicitudin. Sed lacus quam, sodales sit amet feugiat sit amet, viverra nec augue. Sed enim ipsum, malesuada quis blandit vel, posuere eget erat. Sed a arcu justo. Integer ultricies, nunc at lobortis facilisis, ligula lacus vestibulum quam, id tincidunt sapien arcu in velit. Vestibulum consequat augue et turpis condimentum mollis sed vitae metus. Morbi leo libero, tincidunt lobortis fermentum eget, rhoncus vel sem. Morbi varius viverra velit vel tempus. Morbi enim turpis, facilisis vel volutpat at, condimentum quis erat. Morbi auctor rutrum libero sed placerat. Etiam ipsum velit, eleifend in vehicula eu, tristique a ipsum. Donec vitae quam vel diam iaculis bibendum eget ut diam. Fusce quis interdum diam. Ut urna justo, dapibus a tempus sit amet, bibendum at lectus. Sed venenatis molestie commodo.</p></div> | | <div><p>Cras luctus fringilla odio vel hendrerit. Cras pulvinar auctor sollicitudin. Sed lacus quam, sodales sit amet feugiat sit amet, viverra nec augue. Sed enim ipsum, malesuada quis blandit vel, posuere eget erat. Sed a arcu justo. Integer ultricies, nunc at lobortis facilisis, ligula lacus vestibulum quam, id tincidunt sapien arcu in velit. Vestibulum consequat augue et turpis condimentum mollis sed vitae metus. Morbi leo libero, tincidunt lobortis fermentum eget, rhoncus vel sem. Morbi varius viverra velit vel tempus. Morbi enim turpis, facilisis vel volutpat at, condimentum quis erat. Morbi auctor rutrum libero sed placerat. Etiam ipsum velit, eleifend in vehicula eu, tristique a ipsum. Donec vitae quam vel diam iaculis bibendum eget ut diam. Fusce quis interdum diam. Ut urna justo, dapibus a tempus sit amet, bibendum at lectus. Sed venenatis molestie commodo.</p></div> |
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