ETC Firm Honored by the National Business Incubator Association as Incubator Company of the Year

April 22, 2009 Press Release

BALTIMORE, MD --- Baltimore City’s technology incubator, the Emerging Technology Center (ETC), announced today that CSA Medical, Inc. has been named Outstanding Incubator Client in the technology category by the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA).  

This marks the forth year in a row that an ETC company has been honored by NBIA – and a first in NBIA history.  The prestigious NBIA award went to, Millennial Media in 2008, Cynergy Group of Baltimore in 2007, and Social Solutions  in 2006 ..

“We are thrilled to have been singled out from over 35,000 companies for this award,” said Tim Askew, CEO of CSA Medical. “The ETC has been incredibly supportive of us from the start, and they understand our vision of eradicating cancer, and believe in it.”

“CSA Medical deserves this award because they are a great role model for other companies and entrepreneurs,” said Ann Lansinger, Executive Director of the ETC. “I am also proud that the ETC was able to contribute to their success and to the success of the dozens of other tech companies in our program – and the fact that we have had a tenant recognized four years in a row proves that the ETC’s efforts are paying off.”  

NBIA is the world’s leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship serving more than 1,900 members from 60 nations. Approximately 25% of the NBIA membership is from outside the United States. Each year, the NBIA Incubation Awards honor business incubation programs, incubator graduates, and incubator client companies that exemplify the best of the industry.

CSA Medical has been an ETC client company since February 2005.  The company’s technology spray cryotherapy uses supercold liquid nitrogen to destroy pre-cancerous or cancerous tissue resulting in the re-growth of healthy cells.  CSA Medical now serves patients with cancer at over 60 world-class healthcare institutions around the country including several in Maryland like Franklin Square and the University of Maryland.

Since the product launch as a gastroenterology device, the company has been overwhelmed with the requests to build a general use device from physicians in surgery, pulmonology, ENT and gynecology.  Its physician-customers see massive numbers of patients in need and feel CSA technology will allow them to treat previously untreatable conditions.  As of today the company has a large global backlog and will be raising a significant amount of capital this year to address that backlog.

(Tim Askew with the award)

About the ETC (www.etcbaltimore.com)
The ETC, a venture of the Baltimore Development Corporation, is a non-profit business incubator focused on growing early-stage technology and biotechnology companies.  The ETC promotes economic development, providing business, technical, and networking connections to help these companies grow and prosper – adding to both the job and tax base of Baltimore City. To date, ETC client companies have received over $819 million in funding and have been issued over 200 patents.  Since 1999 ETC has provided assistance to 165 companies; 77% of its graduate clients are still in business.

ETC’s incubator facilities provide participating companies with direct, customized business assistance, including technical assessment, marketing assistance, business modeling, mentoring, and access to funding sources in addition to a wide array of physical amenities, including fully wired office space, flexible leases, shared basic services and equipment, and technology support.

About CSA Medical, Inc. (www.csamedical.com )

Founded in 2003, CSA Medical, Inc. is dedicated to pioneering CryoSpray Ablation of pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions in the gastrointestinal tract and other organ systems. The company designs, develops and distributes a highly versatile platform of affordable CryoSpray Ablation (CSA) products that are considered safe and effective by patients, providers and payers, worldwide.  More than 6 million people in the U.S. have Barrett's esophagus, while 65 million people suffer from GERD. Approximately 350,000 persons with GERD develop more dangerous lesions, while 15,000 develop cancer annually. Physicians are currently using the FDA-cleared device to treat and prevent disease including cancer in the esophagus, chest and airways.

About the NBIA (www.nbia.org)

The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) is the world’s leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. Each year, it provides thousands of professionals with information, education, advocacy and networking resources to bring excellence to the process of assisting early-stage companies. NBIA is serving more than 1,900 members from 60 nations. Approximately 25% of the NBIA membership is from outside the United States.