The Center For Innovation (CFI) is pleased to be hosting the 18th annual National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF) Conference. The conference, going through Wednesday at the Arlington Sheraton, features leaders of government innovation capital, state and regional funding programs, and angel and venture capital organizations working to advance innovation through new capital programs.
As part of the excitement generated at the conference, the CFI announced several new initiatives representing technology transfer; including a new partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and a new consortium to support development for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) industry in Texas.
Michael West, the coordinator of financial programs at the Texas Department of Agriculture, announced a new capital fund with $36 million earmarked to create jobs in Texas. The fund will focus efforts on growing small business through venture capital and loan support. The TDA will administer and distribute the funds in concert with existing venture capital funds in the state. According to Michael West, the new 2-year fund "will expand credit available to small business and be the catalyst to venture capital."
Arlington, Texas has been on the forefront of the move toward implementing the UAV into real world police activities. Representatives from the City of Arlington UAV Police Task Force were on hand at the NASVF Convention's CFI booth to demonstrate and discuss their testing programs in concert with the FAA and other government agencies. The City of Arlington, The Arlington Police Force and the CFI created the consortium in partnership to expand UAV into practical civil applications in North Texas.
Wes Jurey, CEO and President of the CFI, was proud to announce the new relationships during a panel discussion at the NASVF Conference. "It's gratifying the efforts of the CFI are being recognized by such prestigious entities. They accelerate the objectives of the CFI and provide funding resources with real world implications."
About the Center For Innovation
The Center For Innovation is a non-profit LLC, established in 2002 to serve as a catalyst for technology based economic development, focused on three strategic initiatives; (1) creating world class deal flow; (2) catalyzing the formation of venture capital; and (3) training, recruiting, and retaining the talent and know how necessary to support the innovation economy.
