We're hosting a Lunch & Learn session April 19 featuring a panel discussion by representatives from innovative Vermont tech companies supporting the healthcare and medical technology fields. It's part of the Vermont Technology Alliance's "Let's Tech Together" lunch & learn and networking sessions to highlight the unique Vermont-based businesses and organizations that are driving tech innovation (and job opportunities) in all aspects of the economy, both inside and outside the state. Come learn about the work being done by Physician's Computing Company (PCC), ThinkMD, Data Innovations, and OhMD.
With the Vermont Legislature actively working through its agenda, the vtTA has provided input on bills in the legislature that could support or impact Vermont tech sector. A few examples include:
Data Broker Bill
H.764
, a bill requiring businesses defined as "data brokers" to register with the state to provide more transparency to Vermonters. The vtTA has been working with the Attorney General and others to address concerns about defining a data broker as a business that may have publically available "personal information," such as name and address, which could potentially impact a number of Vermont-based tech businesses who collect information as part of their services.
Right to Repair Bill
S.180
calls for a study committee to consider legislation that requires consumer, computer and other electronics and technology manufacturers to make their schematic, diagnostics and other repair information publically available, to make it easier for consumers to repair their own electronics. The vtTA wants to make sure consideration is given to concerns that the requirement could compromise proprietary information and intellectual property of some Vermont tech businesses.
Business Portal Bill
The vtTA
testified
in support of
S.85,
which calls for a "one-stop" state website to create an easily navigable portal to access information about starting and operating a business in Vermont and to conduct state business reports and payments.
Blockchain Technology Bill
The vtTA also
testified
in support of
S.269
, a bill creating the framework to support Blockchain technology-based businesses in Vermont. Vermont has an opportunity to be a welcoming and preferred location for blockchain and related financial technology businesses, much as it did for captive insurance businesses 35 years ago.
Let us know if you have any questions or comments on these or other public policy issues, and we look forward to see you at our "Let's Tech Together" event.
Jeff Couture
Executive Director, Vermont Technology Alliance
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Useful Links
We have sponsorship opportunities in our newsletter, for our Lunch & Learn and social events, on our website, and much more.
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Pitch It, Fab It
(April 18, 2018 - Generator, Burlington)
Join UVM's Instrumentation and Modeling Facility (IMF) and Generator for an evening of invention and ingenuity. Dubbed Pitch It, Fab It, this fast and interactive evening of pitches is aimed at exciting the IMF to collaborate with you on your idea.
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Let's Tech Together: A Lunch & Learn Panel Discussion with Vermont Health Tech Innovators
(April 19, 2018 - CCV, Burlington)
 This Lunch & Learn session will focus on innovators in the health and medical technology fields, and will feature a panel of representatives from Vermont tech companies that are enabling the healthcare industry. Come learn about these Vermont-based tech businesses and discover what they are delivering for different segments of the medical and healthcare industry.
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Brattleboro Area Tech Social Event
(April 19, 2018 - Brattleboro)
The next meeting of Brattleboro Area Tech is a social event at Duo's Restaurant in Brattleboro, VT. Brattleboro Area Tech is an informal networking organization for people who work with technology in Southeastern Vermont.
Find more here
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Project Management Institute Annual Symposium
(April 20, 2018 - Trader Duke's Hotel, Burlington)
 The Champlain Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute hosts its annual symposium with remarks by Governor Phil Scott, motivational speaker, Alan Mallory and workshops led by David Bieg and Vijay Desai.
Find more here
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Spring Bio & Tech Beer Networking Event
(May 2, 2018 - Generator, Burlington)
 The Vermont Technology Alliance and the Vermont Biosciences Alliance are hosting a Spring Bio & Tech Beer networking event on May 2. Come network and enjoy one of Burlington's finest breweries at this fun and casual gathering.
Find more here.
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US Ignite Reverse Pitch Launch Event
(May 4, 2018 - UVM Larner School of Medicine, Burlington)
 BTV Ignite is hosting a launch event to announce its participation in this year's US Ignite series of "Reverse Pitch" Competitions, focused on digital solutions for education. The launch event will include representatives from Microsoft, the UVM Tarrant Institute for Education, and the Champlain College Emergent Media Center.
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Launch VT Pitch Event
(May 17, 2018 - Main Street Landing, Burlington)
LaunchVT holds the final pitch competition of its annual early-stage acceleration program. The final pitch competition provides investor exposure and the opportunity to win over $100,000 in cash and in-kind services.
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Vermont Technology in the News
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Lawmakers crafting bill to promote blockchain in Vermont
(April 15, 2018 - VTDigger)
 Lawmakers in the Vermont House are working on a bill that could pave the way for businesses and other organizations in the state to use blockchain technology. Blockchain is widely known as the technology underlying cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin.
But tech experts and politicians see opportunity to apply blockchain to a variety of other industries. They also recognize a possible opening in Vermont to boost economic development by making it easier for businesses to harness the technology.
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Canadian EV Charger Firm Partners with GMP
(April 13, 2018 - Vermont Business Magazine)
 Canadian electric vehicle charging station installer FLO is partnering with Green Mountain Power (GMP), Vermont's largest electric utility, to participate in a pilot project to deploy residential electric vehicle charging infrastructure while finding ways to lower the cost of the grid for all customers. Through this project, FLO will provide GMP with 50 FLO Home EV charging stations that will be distributed to Vermont home owners to test automated demand response systems.
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Tech Firms among Eight Startups in 2018 LaunchVT Pitch Competition
(April 13, 2018 - Vermont Business Magazine)
LaunchVT announced eight Vermont startups, including tech-focused businesses such as vtTA member Home Outside, will be participating in the final pitch competition next month. This is the sixth cohort of startups to come through LaunchVT's early stage acceleration program and pitch competition, which has supported 35 startups.
Read more here.
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UVM Engineering Students Work With NASA to Develop New Lunar Rover Wheel Technology
(April 11, 2018 - UVM)
 Does NASA really need to reinvent the wheel? Yes - with the help of a team of UVM students. The team has been working to develop a single-wheel test bed that would aid NASA's Resource Prospector mission, which aims to be the first robotic rover to search for water ice trapped in the lunar soil.
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Dealer.com Awarded TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal
(April 10, 2018 - Dealer.com)
Dealer.com has joined a group of elite companies to earn the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal from the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), becoming the first and only automotive-specific digital advertising company to carry this highly coveted designation. TAG is the leading global certification program fighting criminal activity and increasing trust in the digital advertising industry.
Read more here.
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Mack Moulding Makes Major Investments in Vermont Operations
(April 5, 2018 - Mack Moulding)
 Mack Molding has welcomed spring with capital investments at its Vermont-based headquarters. The leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services in Arlington, Vermont says the investment is in response to a significant wave of new product development, including robots, 3D printers and new medical devices.
Read more here.
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Innovation Lab Gives Woodstock Students Technology Access
(April 11, 2018 - WCAX-TV)
Students at Woodstock Middle and High School are taking learning to the next level, working in a new Innovation Lab/Studio. The 2,000 square-foot studio includes production and media spaces, tools, 3-D printers and even a laser cutter. The $350,000 lab was made possible by a grant from an anonymous donor organization.
Read more here.
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Northern Power Reports 'Break Even' 2017
(April 11, 2018 - Vermont Business Magazine)
 Northern Power Systems Corp, a renewable energy and energy storage technology company based in Barre, announced financial results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2017. Northern Power reported that in 2017 it had its first break-even year with approximately $40 million in revenue. However, wind turbine manufacturing is expected to be suspended and with it furloughs are expected in Vermont.
Read more here.
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Marlboro's "Teaching with Technology" Program Goes Fully Online
(April 11, 2018 - Marlboro College)
Marlboro College's Master of Arts in Teaching with Technology program will change from a low-residency format to a 100 percent online curriculum starting in fall 2018. This transition is intended to make the program more accessible to prospective students outside of New England and internationally. Marlboro will also change the name of the program to Master of Arts in Teaching: Learning Design and Technology.
Bottom of Form
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Champlain College Cuts Online Tuition in Half
(April 10, 2018 - Vermont Business Magazine/Champlain College)
Champlain College Online announced that it will reduce its online undergraduate tuition by 50 percent to $318 per credit, effective fall 2018. The college's decision to reduce tuition was driven in part by data from a survey it commissioned that found a significant majority - 60 percent - of U.S. adults ages 23 to 55 without a bachelor's degree have considered returning to school, but costs and student debt remain their biggest deterrents.
Read more here.
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UVM-Developed Technology Earns Smart 50 Award
(April 9, 2018 - UVM)
Digging a hole in most major cities - for new construction or infrastructure repair - is no minor undertaking. The inspection and permitting process can take 18 months or more. Transformational new technology being developed jointly by the University of Vermont and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga could reduce the inspection process to an afternoon's work. The ongoing research project, "Underground Infrastructure Sensing," recently won a Smart 50 Award from a coalition that includes
Smart Cities Connect
, the Smart Cities Connect Foundation and
US Ignite
honoring the 50 "most transformative smart projects each year."
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Featured Member: Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA)
For over four decades, the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) has partnered with Vermont banks and other lenders to provide low-interest loans to Vermont businesses and farms. VEDA's unique public financing mission and effective collaboration with private lenders and other partners have enabled the Authority to contribute in critical ways to the sustainable vitality of Vermont's economy.
Created by the Vermont General Assembly in 1974, the Authority's original statutory focus was the support of industrial development in Vermont. Over the years, though, VEDA's enabling statute has been updated repeatedly to keep pace with Vermont's growing economy.
A good example is VEDA's Entrepreneurial Loan Program. VEDA recognizes that Vermont-based businesses in seed, start-up and growth stages are a vital source of innovation, employment, and economic growth in Vermont. This program provides financing to meet the working capital and capital-asset financing needs of businesses that may not have access to conventional means of financing because their primary assets used to secure loans are typically intellectual property or similar nontangible assets.
Today, the Authority is a self-funded economic development finance lender, providing loans, loan guarantees and revenue bond financing for all types of business projects, both large and small. Since inception, VEDA has provided over $2.49 billion in financing assistance to thousands of eligible Vermont commercial and agricultural businesses, helping them grow and create jobs.
To learn more about VEDA's financing programs, visit
www.veda.org
or call 802-828-JOBS.
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Useful Information & Links
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Vermont RFP for Information Technology Services
The Vermont Office of Purchasing and Contracting issued an RFP for the Retainer Contract Opportunity for Information Technology (IT) Services to pre-qualify information technology providers in one or more IT services categories. The RFP will establish contracts with multiple vendors to provide IT services to departments and agencies of the State.
The RFP will prequalify businesses to bid on state IT service and support projects with a value of up to $500,000. You can find more information on this opportunity with links to the bid documents on the Vermont Technology Alliance website here. The deadline to respond to the RFP is April 26.
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BTV Ignite Announces "Reverse Pitch" Competition
to Develop Digital Solutions for Delivering Education
BTV Ignite will participate in this year's US
Ignite series of "Reverse Pitch" Competitions. Digital solution developers and educators are invited to compete for cash grants to demonstrate innovative ways high-bandwidth ideas can help deliver education - in Burlington, across Vermont and by linking our students with national communities and resources.
$30,000 in total grant funding will be made available through this program, in awards for best solution ideas and, subsequently, for best proof-of-concept developed "application solutions". An "application solution" can be any combination of software, equipment, digital systems, and related "services" that demonstrate new ways of delivering education. Anyone can participate, from individuals to companies and teams.
The Competition will be launched at an event on May 4 at 4pm, hosted at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.
Find more information here.
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INSTIG8 Spring Workshops and Events for Startups and Entrepreneurs
This spring the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation's INSTIG8 program is offering several workshops to help small businesses. INSTIG8 is partnering with local experts specializing in management, leadership, technology, SWOT Analysis, and workplace efficiencies.
Registration and additional information are available here.
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vtTA Career Center
Vermont Technology Alliance member companies are hiring, and when you visit the
Career Center
on the
Vermont Technology Alliance website
you can browse and search for these job openings
. The Career Center features more than 100 tech and non-tech jobs. Jobs available from vtTA members are listed at no charge in the Career Center as a member benefit.
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The vtTA Thanks Its Annual Sponsors
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© 2017 Vermont Technology Alliance | 70 South Winooski Ave., Box 270, Burlington, VT 05401 | (802) 735-0840
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