Finals will be held May 14 at the LES (USA & Canada) Spring Meeting in Boston

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2012-- The LES Foundation, along with the Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada) and LES International, announced finalists for the 2012 International Graduate Student Business Plan Competition during the LESI Annual Conference in Auckland, New Zealand. 

A total of thirty-five teams of entrepreneurially-minded students from around the globe entered the LES Competition by submitting business plans that focus on ground-breaking technologies and strategies for how these technologies will be commercialized.  The six finalist teams include:

• Purdue University, USA: Medtric Biotech is offering a new class of antimicrobial wound dressing that relies on a physical mechanism (cell level) for eliminating bacteria.
• Swinburne University of Technology, Australia: Relivit is looking to commercialize a new industrial treatment technology to process niche waste streams.
• University of Arizona, USA: Kulira Technologies is focusing on the development of its proprietary SliceX Gel Technology, a novel medical process aimed at revolutionizing post-operative tissue assessment.
• University of Illinois, Chicago, USA: NovoView Diagnostics is developing an innovative method for assessing a patient's risk for ischemic stroke.
• University of Nebraska, USA: NeuroNano Pharma is developing and commercializing breakthroughs in nanotherapeutics for degenerative, inflammatory, and infectious diseases.
• University of New South Wales, Australia: Pluvision is aiming to commercialize intellectual property for the development of novel and long-lasting eye drops for the treatment of dry eye.

These teams will receive expenses-paid trips to compete in the LES Finals on May 14, 2012, and to attend the LES (USA & Canada) Spring Meeting, May 15-17, in Boston. They will present their plans to a world-class panel of judges in hopes of taking home the $10,000 Grand Prize, or the $5,000 LESI Global Award.  Runner-up teams will receive $1,000, and all of the teams will select from a valuable pool of in-kind prizes.

“Our concentration on intellectual property strategy makes the LES Competition stand out in the now crowded field of business competitions,” said Annemarie Meike, Ph.D., 2012 LES Foundation Competition Co-Chair.  “It’s a multifaceted event that allows us to share critical IP and licensing skills, expert feedback and mentorship, and industry connections with student entrepreneurs, even in preparation for the first round of judging. The experience ensures that every participant walks away a winner.” 

Visit www.lesfoundation.org for more information on the 2012 LES Foundation Competition and winners! For more information on the LES (USA & Canada) Spring Meeting, visit www.LES2012Spring.org.

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About Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada) Inc., LES International and the LES Foundation: The Licensing Executives Society, (U.S.A. and Canada) Inc. is the pre-eminent professional organization in the field of intellectual property transfer and commercialization in the U.S.A. and Canada. It is one of over 32 national societies (representing 90 countries) of the Licensing Executives Society International, which has over 11,000 members worldwide.

The LES Foundation was established by the Licensing Executives Society, (U.S.A. and Canada), Inc., to increase awareness and understanding of the licensing of intellectual property rights and to communicate the critical role licensing plays in bringing creativity and innovation to the commercial marketplace.