Frequently Asked Questions

WBTshowcase is the world's largest forum offering a prescreened, pre-prepped collection of undiscovered technologies emanating from top universities, labs and research institutions from across the country and around the globe. Each year's Showcase represents the collaborative effort of investors, licensees and tech commercialization professionals, offering an unparalleled forum that is both deal-focused and unbiased with regard to geography, funding source, or originating research institution. Participating technologies are selected by - and presented to - over 100 seasoned venture investors and Fortune 500 licensing scouts representing a variety of industries, each supported by private funding, federal R&D grants or both.

Eligible presenters are screened by a national panel of seed investors, venture capitalists and corporate licensing professionals experienced in commercializing new and innovative technologies. Up to seventy-five (100) presenters are chosen to make a 6-minute presentation. In the weeks leading up to the Showcase presenters are provided guidance on their 6-minute presentations and groomed by individually assembled mentor teams comprised of seasoned experts.

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• Seed and early stage venture investors
• Commercial and corporate licensing investors
• Corporate venture investors
• Technology officers
• CRADA Partners
• SBIR Award recipients
• Federal R&D Program Managers
• Scientists
• Business, legal, and finance experts

In March of 2008 over 500 participants attended the WBTshowcase. The audience can categorized into three groups: Investors/Licensees, Technology Presenters, and other attendees.

Click here for a representative list of investors and licensees who have attended recent WBT's.

• Technology entrepreneurs
• Researchers
• Research institutions
• Tech Transfer Directors representing university innovations
• Private enterprises and businesses
• Any individuals seeking to license and commercialize advanced technologies
• Any individuals seeking seed and early stage venture capital

Applicants can be at a variety of stages, from development stage to startups to second and third round venture stage. However, priority will be given to applicants that have a functioning prototype or beta version of the applicant's product or technology. Regardless of stage, successful applicants will showcase technology that are:

• Platform Technologies that could spawn many products,
• Close to Market, having few barriers remaining to commercial application and
• First in Space, having the potential to give rise to a whole new industry,

All applicants should be seeking either commercialization partners or growth capital. Ideal candidates will be able to demonstrate initial success in attracting outside funding, which may be in the form of research grants or seed capital.

Applications are open to the general public. However, priority will be given to applicants affiliated with, supported or sponsored by a Federal Lab or University. If your technology derived from research conducted at a federal lab or university research facility, be sure to indicate so in the application.

If the applicant represents a breakthrough technology not yet part of a new enterprise, the presenter should be one of the founding researchers.

If the applicant represents an existing business, the presenter should be part of the company's senior management team (Founding Researcher, CEO, CTO, COO, CFO, VP Business Development). Ideally, the founder or CEO is expected to present.

There are no industry restrictions for prospective applicants. However, priority will be given to companies seeking capital and/or licensing within industries known to attract venture capital and Fortune 500 licensees. Favored sectors include lifescience, advanced materials, nanotech, energy, software, semiconductor, chemical, and industrial machining/manufacturing.

All applications can be submitted on-line. There is no cost to apply on-line and no limit of the number of research or technology applications that can be submitted by an individual, organization, or institution.

To apply visit, Submit Your Technology, You will be asked to create an account including contact information. This account can be used to submit multiple applications. Once an account is created you are ready to submit an application, just follow the steps. All applications can be saved in draft form until you are ready to "Save as Final". Once the application has been saved as final is has officially been submitted and no further changes can be made.

For convenience there is also a word document application that can be downloaded and completed before submitting on-line.

* Don't forget to save all drafts as final before the application deadlines.

Our panel of screeners rate each technology application using a points system. Consideration is given to each application based on the science team, strength of technology or product, position in the technology marketplace, the market opportunity, the value proposition, the business model, and the management team. For details, visit Selection Criteria

The exhibitor application provides an opportunity to describe (in approximately 3 pages) the investment opportunity of your technology in an executive summary format.

Priority will be given to applications that:

• are easy to understand (written in plain English without a lot of technical jargon).
• convey the specific market need for the technology.
• clearly articulate the technology's sustainable competitive advantage.
• identify sizable target markets ($1 billion or more) with which the product or technology is applicable.
• illustrate the financial opportunity to an investor or corporate licensee.
  

And for those applicants which are operating companies:

• describe the basic business model (i.e. how the technology ultimately leads to making money) in terms of anticipated gross or net margins.
• match innovative technology with an experienced management team (if applicable).

All applicants will be notified of their selection status in January 2009 via email.

If you are selected to present the email will contain specific and timely instructions on the next steps. In the weeks leading up to the Showcase each selected presenter will have the opportunity to work with mentor teams in the preparation of the 6 minute presentation. All presentations will take place on March 25th, 2009 at the Arlington Convention Center.

To get a look at our Past Presenters, click on the links below.

• WBTshowcase 2008
• WBTshowcase 2007
• WBTshowcase 2006
• WBTshowcase 2005
• WBTshowcase 2004

The statistics reflected are based only on information on investments and licensing that have been made publicly available or reported directly by the participant. These figures do not consider subsequent federal R&D grants or licensing agreements of an undisclosed amount.

The World’s Best Technologies Showcase held in Arlington TX in March 2008 brought together over 75 world-class technologies and attracted over 500 attendees including over 140 bonafide investors and Fortune 500 licensees. To date approximately 46% (17 of 37) of the WBT02 selected presenters have successfully raised over $225 Million in first (or next) round venture capital or secured licensing agreements. This figure includes the $169 Million acquisition of MeshNetworks, a DARPA funded technology by Motorola. Likewise, since the WBT04, 32% (18 of 56) have successfully raised over $46 Million in first round venture capital or secured licensing agreements, including the acquisition of Sensant, a National Science Foundation SBIR sponsored technology, by Siemens AG for an undisclosed amount. This also includes the acquisition of OrganicID by Weyerhaeuser in 2006 for an undisclosed amount. Data on WBT05 presenters indicates that 17% (13 of 75) of selected presenters have raised over $125 Million in first (or next round) venture capital, including the $42 Million acquisition of Planning Systems, Inc, a US Army and NIH backed technology by QinetiQ North America. WBT05 results also include the purchase of the NASA spinout, Institute for Development's technology by Lextel Intelligence Systems, LLC for an undisclosed amount. NASA reports that the introduction, resulting in the purchase occured at the event. Preliminary figures indicate that of the WBT06 presenters 12% (9 of 74) have raised over $7 Million in first round venture capital or secured licensing agreements. Preliminary data on WBT07 presenters indicate that 3 of the 77 presenters have received funding totaling over $4.6 Million, to include TravellingWave’s undisclosed Series A. Preliminary information on WBT08 presenters is not yet available.

By becoming a WBT sponsor you support the nation's premiere event showcasing the largest collection of undiscovered technologies emanating from top universities, labs and research institutions from across the country and around the globe.

Sponsorship is an opportunity to:

• Gain exposure to an audience of investors, licensees, entrepreneurs, universities and federal representatives.
• Make strategic relationships in an environment conducive to networking.
• Support emerging technologies and support regional, national and international economic growth.

To become a sponsor please contact Paul Huleatt or Amanda Radovic. We are here to discuss how sponsorship can benefit you and your organization.

Please visit our Sponsor Benefits page for a complete listing of sponsorship opportunities.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor and getting a sneak-peek at some of the technologies that will participate, contact Paul Huleatt or Amanda Radovic. or call 480-477-6408. Mentors are selected and assigned based on a "best-fit" basis, where the type of technology and stage of development are considered. By agreeing to become a part of our mentor pool, you may or may not be selected to mentor a technology presenter in a given year.

If you are an investor or licensee interested in becoming a screener for WBTshowcase, and getting the opportunity to scout the technologies that have applied to participate, contact Paul Huleatt or Amanda Radovic. or call 480-477-6408. All of our technologies are selected by qualified investors. If you are a corporate licensee, venture capitalist, or angel investor, contact us to express your interest in becoming a screener.