Bexion Pharmaceuticals, Edunet24 and Clinical Engineering Consultants score $530,000 in funds

The Northern Kentucky ezone has delivered the goods for three local start-ups.

In its last round of funding, the ezone assisted Northern Kentucky companies Bexion Pharmaceuticals, Edunet24 and Clinical Engineering Consultants (CEC) gain a collective $530,000 from the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC).

"The ezone is an important resource for entrepreneurs and is helping start-up companies access funding opportunities available through the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation," says the head of ezone's entrepreneurship committee, Tom Prewitt.

The funding will be utilized by the three companies in diverse ways.

Covington-based Bexion Pharmaceuticals received $400,000 for cancer research.  The matching grant from the KSTC arrives following an award  from the National Institutes of Health.

Erlanger-based Edunet24 will use its $100,000 from the Kentucky Enterprise Fund to bolster its online academic performance enhancement offerings. Edunet24 will develop a system that will enable English language learners to create individualized learning plans.

And with assistance from the Northern Kentucky University Innovation Center, CEC, also based in Erlanger, will apply its $30,000 toward development of software that allows hospitals to manage their medical technology which will be dispersed to nearly 400 medical centers.

The success of these vibrant Northern Kentucky firms are a clear indicator of the region's innovation and entrepreneurial strength.

"We are known as an innovative and supportive region that fosters the growth of these types of companies," Prewitt says.

Kentucky companies focusing on high-tech and quickly growing fields can apply for funding through the Commonwealth of Kentucky until May 7, 2009.  Grant awards begin at $30,000, with other funding opportunities available from $100,000 to $750,000.   

To learn more about the Northern Kentucky ezone, visit here.

Writer:  Jonathan DeHart
Source:  Cheryl Besl, Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corporation