Top 5 Reasons to Apply

1. SELECTION COMMITTEE: The Incubator Awards program gives you the opportunity to put your company in front of a cross-section of the most prominent early stage investors and industry leaders in the region.

   "The Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards provides a great opportunity for early stage technology companies. The review committee consists of key venture capitalists and leaders in the state’s technology community – important stakeholders who can play an essential role in the further growth of a startup organization." Boro Dropulic, CEO of Lentigen Corporation

   "Everything else being equal, the funding community often views an incubator company as a better bet from an investment perspective since it's had a superior support network to develop an infrastructure. A company selected as a finalist for the Incubator Company of the Year Awards sets itself apart from its peers and increases its credibility as a viable business to potential investors."Richard A. Kohr Jr., Managing Member of the Chesapeake Emerging Opportunities Club, LLC.

2. CREDIBILITY: The opportunity to highlight being a finalist or award recipient in your business plan and marketing materials provides instant credibility with investors and customers.

   "We received excellent exposure through our participation in The Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards. The program not only increased our recognition and credibility, but allowed us to be honored alongside Maryland’s most promising and successful companies. We are truly honored to be a Incubator Company of the Year winner and highly recommend participation in the program." Carole Teolis, CEO of TRX Systems.

"The Incubator Company of the Year Award has helped Syntonics demonstrate to our stakeholders that we're a credible company with good momentum. This is something that is really important to a young company." Bruce Montgomery, President of Syntonics LLC

3. VISIBILITY: In addition to being exposed to the Selection Committee, the Incubator Awards program provides visibility for your company.

"Participating in the Incubator Company of the Year Award program provided PharmAthene with a valuable opportunity to showcase our strategy and continuing success. Winning the Graduate Company of the Year award was an important honor of which we’re very proud." David Wright, CEO of PharmAthene.

"The exposure you receive within the state’s technology community and beyond is reason alone to participate in the award program. The Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards elevated our name recognition within the information technology community." Kurk Heckman, President and CEO of Sycamore.US, Inc.

4. VALIDATION: The third party validation of your business model helps attract customers and employees

   "The Incubator Company of the Year Award that we received last year provided an excellent validation of DataStream's business model and strategy. In addition, the exposure that this award gave our company was exceptional and directly resulted in a significant contract with a new customer." Mark Anstey, President of DataStream Conversion Services, LLC
   

5. GIVING BACK TO YOUR INCUBATOR: The Incubator Awards program helps educate the public on the role of an incubator for economic development purposes and recognizes the achievements of the incubator managers.

   "This Incubator Company of the Year Awards highlight and publicize the activities of the selected companies, often enhancing access to capital and/or strategic partnership opportunities. In addition, I think this program gives us an ability not shared by any other incubator community in the country to showcase our brightest and best clients.”
   Ann Lansinger, Executive Director of the Emerging Technology Center in Baltimore and President of the Maryland Business Incubation Association.
   

Added Benefits

• All applicants will be invited to present in front of the Selection Committee
• All applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of a cross-section of the region’s most prominent early stage venture capitalists and other members of the business and investment community.
• Applicants may apply for the Incubator Awards and for the 13th Annual Early Stage East Venture Fair by completing one application form.
• Applicants who also apply to the 13th Annual Early Stage East Venture Fair will receive preferential review of their application for Early Stage East.
• All finalists will be invited to exhibit their company at the award ceremony in June 2010.
• All finalists will be recognized at the ceremony and acknowledged.
• All finalists will have the opportunity for an exclusive meeting with the Selection Committee members at a pre-Awards Ceremony at the Center Club on June 15, 2010.
• All award recipients will be featured at the award ceremony.
• The recipient winner of the Best Life Science Company Award will be invited to present at Early State East's 8th Annual Bio-Life-Tech Venture Conference in December 2010 at no charge.
• The recipient winner of the Best IT Company Award will be invited to present at the 13th Annual Early Stage East Venture Conference in June 2011 at no charge.
• All award recipients will be invited to attend an Orioles game with members of the Selection Committee in the Governor’s Box at Camden Yards.