Brandon Seal, an assistant professor of BME, is a scientific founder and consultant with Moerae Matrix, a tissue-engineering company focused on therapeutic approaches to prevent abnormal tissue growth which inhibits recovery from surgical procedures and wound healing. He sees the trip to Silicon Valley as a significant step in the fledgling company's future. "It allows us to introduce our technology to a wider audience, which obviously helps with raising money."

According to Mark Lonergan, a founder of Lonergan Partners, one of the sponsors of the Fund Raising Boot Camp, this trip will hopefully make the complex process of translating ideas into products much simpler. "These three companies now can make formal pitches to major players in the venture capital world."

Joseph Hornett, senor vice president, treasurer and chief operating office of the Purdue Research Foundation adds, "Through our efforts in discovery, development and delivery, we are seeding companies and growing Indiana's economy."