Graphene Laboratories, a tenant at the Calverton Business Incubator and a client of Stony Brook University's NYSERDA-sponsored Clean Energy Business Incubator Program, has entered into a partnership with Lomiko Metals, a Canadian minerals explorer, according to a news release issued by Lomiko and available from both companies.

Graphene Labs is a leading supplier of the advanced material to R&D markets. Graphene is a one-atom thick layer of bonded carbon atoms, thought to be extremely promising for a wide range of industrial and technological applications. Lomiko explores for and mines graphite, among other raw minerals.

The Center for Sports Skills Measurement & Improvement, a tenant of our supporting member the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator, has been named a Top 100 University Startup in conjunction with the annual conference of the National Center for Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer. The Center for Sports has been covered previously on our website here. For more information, see the university news release. 

NYC ACRE, the NYSERDA-sponsored clean-energy incubator managed by our supporting member NYU-Poly incubation programs, reports the following tenant/client news in its February newsletter:

• Acquisition of energy-benchmarking firm Ecological by Premier Alliance Group (OTC QB:PIMO). News release here.
• Two awards from the Association of Energy Service Professionals to ThinkEco, developer of the Modlet, an energy-saving smart electric outlet. News release here.
• HB Photo, a new app released by Honest Buildings.

You can find the latest NYC ACRE newsletter here.

Here is a roundup of recent news from clients of the NYSERDA-sponsored clean energy incubators affilated with our member incubators:

• Watt Fuel Cell, a developer of solid oxide fuel cell systems that is client of the Clean Energy Business Incubator Program at our supporting member Stony Brook University Incubator Program, reported a strategic licensing and supply agreement with industrial systems giant Parker Hannifin Corporation, as well as a $100,000 R&D grant from NYSERDA itself. For more information, see the company's news releases
• Sweetwater Energy Inc., a client of the Clean Energy Incubator that is co-managed by our supporting member RIT Venture Creations incubator, announced a 15-year, $100 million deal to place its cellulosic ethanol technology at Front Range Energy's existing corn ethanol plant. Sweetwater also announced a separate deal with Ace Ethanol and was named among the hottest bioenergy and renewable chemical companies by Biofuels Digest. For more, see the company's news releases. 
• Tenrehte Technologies, Inc., developer of a smart-grid wireless plug and a graduate of the same RIT Clean Energy Incubator, was featured in the Rochester Business Journal for its strong showing at CES and upcoming appearance at the CeBIT show in Hanover, Germany. For more, see the company's news releases.

All three of these announcements are powerful demonstrations of the role of business incubator programs in connecting innovative startups to strategic partners in the mainstream industrial sectors. Ultimately, it is customer demand that drives investor interest and long-term success, and good incubators know how to make these connections. Congratulations to all!