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Battling Health Problems with Mother Earth

With the world in utter turmoil over health concerns, we’re all looking to how we can improve our immune systems, and look after our bodies. But, this isn’t the start of this trend. In the past few years, there’s been a push for cleaner, healthier diets. Whether it be vegan food or less chemicals, millions of people are making better choices, and it’s having twofold impacts on both health and the environment. In fact, now more than ever we’re realizing how vital it is to have fresh, healthy nutrients in our bodies.

Medical company Mother Earth Labs understands the value in this, and has done for more than 15 years. The company crafts premium nutritional health products using the earth’s finest whole food ingredients – superfoods, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and botanicals – to help people replenish naturally.

The Company

From its founding in 2003, the Texas based company has endeavored to combine natural ingredients with science. The company is made up of experts with backgrounds in health sciences, pharmaceutical and nutritional health industries. Not only that, but it prides itself on small batch production to guarantee fresh and pure products. And, these products are free from gluten, soy, GMOs, and artificial flavors, sweeteners, and colors. The company works with like-mind suppliers and growers who share values of sustainability and traceability, and take pride in producing pure, high-quality, organic and non-GMO products. Even vegans, gym junkies and pets are taken into account…

Mother Earth Labs creates:

multi vitamins – single, one-ounce shots that are filled with potent natural vitamins, ionic minerals and other whole food ingredients,
humic and fulvic acid solutions, for GI health,
hormone-free, grass-fed whey or plant based protein powders, and
pet supplements.

The Impacts on Bodies

Every ingredient Mother Earth Labs uses, should be in an average diet. But, the key word here is ‘should’. Many people have problems getting it all into their diet, for a number of different medical or life choice reasons. Hence, the company aims to provide people with naturally stimulating products.

For example: vitamins. Vitamins and minerals are often put together, but they’re very different. Vitamins are organic substances that people get through food (i.e. from plants and animals). Minerals, however, originate from rocks, soils or water, and can be absorbed indirectly from the environment. Both are micronutrients that are vital in keeping our bodies functional, healthy and free from disease.

Fulvic acid is a yellow-brown substance that’s formed when animals and plants decomposed. It’s usually found in soil, coal and/or bodies of water (i.e. streams and lakes). Though that sounds horrible, it’s being used to alleviate a number of issues, like allergy symptoms, brain disorders like dementia, inflammation and potentially to slow the growth of cancer. It also seems to have immune-stimulating and antioxidant effects.

Macronutrients, like protein, are needed at much larger quantities. Bodies use protein to build and repair tissues, and to make enzymes, hormones, and other chemicals. It’s also important in the process of building bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. Basically the entire body.

The Impacts on the Environment

‘Organic agriculture’ essentially means that synthetic inputs are not used in the growing process. Simply, food and nutrients are farmed without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, veterinary drugs, genetically modified seeds and breeds, preservatives, additives and irradiation. ‘Sustainable agricultural practices’ by comparison, refer to the processes of focusing on a healthy environment, economic profitability, and social and economic equity during farming. Both involve taking a proactive approach to farming. The combination of the two has massive impacts on (pun definitely intended) mother earth, such as minimized pollution (both air and water); increased wildlife biodiversity; more nutrient-rich soil and water (i.e. faster growing, better tasting produce); and, long term farming sustainability.

Mother Earth Labs is a company concerned with not only our health, but also the health of the planet. And we should be too.

Are you developing innovative health products? Did you know your work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Is Artificial Photosynthesis the Answer to Reducing Carbon Emissions?

It’s a harsh reality that Global Warming is no longer a future concern, but it’s rearing its ugly head now. And while many argue over the political neglect that’s brought us to this point, others are wondering what can be done moving forward. On a small scale, individuals can make ‘greener’ choices: use public transport or walk; eat less meat and more vegetables; use a reusable water bottle; or take shorter showers. But, in 2017, the Carbon Majors Report confirmed that 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies. So, while millions of people making small scale changes may help, it’s large corporations who need to change the most.

And so, hundreds of companies are making the move to be more sustainable, especially energy companies. More and more are investing in carbon dioxide capturing, also known as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). This technology can capture up to 90% of the carbon dioxide emissions produced in electricity generation and industrial processes, preventing the CO2 from entering the atmosphere. But, even better is Carbon Capture Storage and Utilization (CCSU).

This is where a Houston based biotech startup may have the perfect answer. Cemvita created a CO2 utilization platform that merges electrochemical engineering and synthetic biology to mimic photosynthesis, turning carbon dioxide into glucose. The carbon negative company started with a brother and sister team; Moji Karimi has a background in oil and gas drilling, and Dr Tara Karimi in biochemistry. It was because of their mixed backgrounds that the co-founders began selling their technology to the oil and gas industry. The glucose is a great foundation for the creation of industrial chemicals and polymers. Oil and gas companies can specify what they want their CO2 converted to, and Cemvita will run a pilot program for less than $100,000.

The technology, however, isn’t limited to energy companies; Cemvita has started selling its tech to the aerospace industry. Mars’ atmosphere is over 95 percent CO2, making it the perfect place to capture carbon and convert it into a direct food source. Or, it can be used to manufacture other nutrients and pharmaceuticals needed for deep space exploration. The company is thinking big, with a mission to ‘create a sustainable future on Earth and Mars’.

Are you developing a technology to make Earth greener? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

WHO WE ARE:

Swanson Reed is one of the Texas’s largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim preparation & audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

How VR Tech is Helping Senior Living Communities Live Their Healthiest, Happiest Lives

The global population is aging, and with that comes a number of concerns. But MyndVR is proving you can teach old dogs new tricks. Or, more importantly, you can address serious elderly concerns with new tech. The Dallas based company is implementing its Virtual Reality (VR) technology into senior living communities and it’s showing amazing results combatting health and wellness issues.

Depression and Dementia

Dementia and depression often go hand in hand. While dementia affects 7% of adults aged 60 or older, it often looks like depression, or vice versa, because both illnesses share symptoms such as memory problems, sluggishness, and low motivation. Also, both can cause the other. Although the complex relationship between the two disorders is far from conclusive, the prevalence of depression in dementia patients is reportedly between 9% and 68%.

According to the CDC, depression affects up to 5% of the general elderly population. That number rises to 11.5% in older hospital patients, and 13.5% in those who require home healthcare. Why are these numbers so high?

Health Problems: Depression is more common in those with another illness, and about 80% of older adults have at least one chronic health condition. What’s more, certain medications are associated with depression, including blood pressure, arthritis, and high-cholesterol drugs.

Loss of Purpose & Social Isolation: Combine physical limitations with retirement and suddenly it’s harder, and less necessary, to leave the comfort of a home. This means many elderly people are spending more time alone, without a sense of purpose.

Misdiagnosis: Depression symptoms can look like regular aging: fatigue, difficulty concentrating or persistent aches or pains. Often this means that family and friends, health care professionals, and even the patients themselves miss the signs.

Companies like MyndVR are seeing the benefits of using VR to combat these illnesses. Studies and clinical trials have used the technology as a simulation and interaction tool, which can expose patients to their fears, and present interactive environments with cognitive-behavioral challenges. In doing so, these VR systems have been linked with: helping overcome mental illness; prompting cognitive and behavioral changes in patients with psychiatric disorders including autism and dementia; and reducing chronic pain and intensive stress.

Fear of Falling

Many older adults have a constant fear or falling, which cannot be explained by physical examination. Logically, it makes sense that seniors would be worried about fall-related injuries and how these can impact their lives, both in terms of life quality and health care costs. But for many, these concerns morph into a heightened psychological fear. This can result in mental or physical issues, such as anxiety or muscle depletion from self-induced mobility restrictions.

A 2016 study found that VR exposure therapy, in the form of serious games, can be used to treat the fear of falling. This is because it requires both sensory and cognitive processing. Top-down processing refers to cognitive perception, where your brain uses patterns to perceive and fill in information. Bottom-up processing requires piecing sensory information together to create a picture. VR requires the cognitive organization and execution of synchronized motion (top-down process), while serious games allow for embodiment (bottom-up process). The combination of these two had a positive effect on the psychological or phobic reaction that patients had to falling.

Quality of Life

MyndVR knows that not only can VR impact major health concerns, it’s also fun. The interactive technology encourages dancing, singing and laughing, often giving patients a sense of inclusion, relief and happiness. The company’s goal is to ‘lift spirits, improve quality of life, relive cherished memories, and create new ones’.

Are you developing technology with health benefits for elderly people? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Monumental medical technology: from at-home testing kits to AI software finding patients for clinical trials

In the 1600s, it was almost a miracle to celebrate a 30^th birthday. Now, our average lifespan is around 71 years. In fact, in 2014, there were 72,197 Americans over the age of 100. This isn’t an accident; we’re living longer, healthier lives because of medical improvements, enhanced by evolving technology. Medicine and technology go hand in hand.

Technology and People

In the 21^st century, technology is growing rapidly, and it makes sense that it’s used to help people. Augmented reality is being used help people with retinal degeneration and robot assistants are being implemented in hospitals.

Here’s some more companies whose remarkable tech is improving the medical industry:

Everlywell

Getting blood, urine and saliva tests at a GP can be inconvenient, timely and awkward. Everlywell’s modern-day solution is ingenious: the Austin-based company offers at-home lab testing kits and provides quick, digital results.

Patients can order more than 30 different tests, including food sensitivity, vitamins, STDs and thyroid. The testing kits come with instructions, sterile collection tools and pre-paid shipping. The company uses dried blood spot (DBS) testing so vials of blood are not needed, just a drop. CLIA-certified labs (used by hospitals and physicians across the U.S.) then review the samples, and patients receive secure, accurate results with actionable data and insights.

UnaliWear

UnaliWear creates wearable technology, in the form of watches, that have fall detection, medication reminders, and wandering notifications. The ‘Kanega’ watches are waterproof, voice activated and self-contained, meaning there’s no need to connect to a smartphone or other device. They do, however, have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect to other medical devices, like hearing aids. Their artificial intelligence (AI) technology learns the wearer’s lifestyle to provide predictive, pre-emptive support. The company’s goal is to help aging people keep their independence with dignity, and keep their family feeling assured.

Analyzing Medical Data

As well as living longer, there are also more people in the world – roughly 7.7 billion. That means there’s an enormous amount of diverse, confusing, health-related data in the world, which ranges from cell-level to population studies. To make use of this data, it needs to be collated and connected in a dynamic, intuitive way, which is where technology comes in again. We’re already seeing machine learning software being used to find patterns, predict at-risk patients and help find solutions.

Here’s some more companies with impressive data analytics technology:

Galen Data

This Houston company offers a secure, Cloud-based platform that connects to medical devices, including pacemakers and sleep apnea machines. The system can provide diagnostics, and keep clinicians, patients and families informed. This data is then collated and visualized for review. As well as meeting FDA and HIPAA compliance standards, the platform is mobile friendly, allowing for alerts and notifications. It’s also scalable and customizable, so starting small or with unique equipment is no issue.

By collating and analyzing the data, companies can also automatically update patient data and see common problems. The company’s goal is to simplify medical device connectivity easy, so clinicians, patients and their families have one less thing to worry about.

Deep6.ai

Deep6.ai’s software analyzes thousands of medical data points to find patients for clinical trials. The first step is extracting data such as symptoms, diagnoses, test results and socio-economic factors. It then analyzes this data – making connections, finding patterns and building clinical profiles. Researchers, analysts and doctors can use and compare these profiles to see who will benefit most from certain treatments.

By doing this, the best patients are selected for clinical trials. Hospitals and pharmaceutical companies can reduce their risks and gain quicker evidence of treatment-effectiveness. Completing these trials faster means more time for new research and innovation.

NarrativeDX

There’s no doubt that hospitals do fantastic work, but there’s always room for improvement, and negative patient experiences can be costly. Narrative DX makes this a simpler process by collating patient and employee feedback data to provide insights and suggestions. The company goes beyond a survey score, and instead collates survey comments, online reviews, social media posts and comments, and asks why. AI technology then analyses the results and identifies key issues. From this, hospitals can create focused, specific improvements. Because NarrativeDX analyses both patient and staff feedback, results mean happier patients and more engaged, driven employees.

Are you working with innovative medical technology? Did you know your efforts could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation & audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Machine learning robots might be the answer to recycling

Here’s something controversial: recycling is exhausting. Yes, it’s infinitely better for the environment than throwing all of our waste into landfill. But, we have to remember to take caps off bottles, or put ‘soft plastics’ in different bins, and it’s tiring.

Up until recently, China made a business out of recycling. In 2016 alone, the U.S. sent 7.3 million metric tons of waste to China, to be sorted and turned into recycled plastic. However, the waste it was receiving was unhygienic and polluting the country. And so, in an effort to clean up its environmental act, the country banned imports on a large number of recyclables. In 2017 and 2018, China stopped accepting 56 types of waste.

So where does America’s waste go now? Sadly, the answer is landfills. In some places, like San Juan Island, Washington, only certain recyclables are collected. Residents can recycle clean and separated cardboard, metal, aluminum cans, and clean wood; everything else is going straight into the garbage. Long term, limiting recycling could be a good thing; it could help us discover how to use less and re-use more. But it’s a slow and grueling process.

AMP Robotics has a solution. The tech startup developed AMPCortex: a high-speed robot that uses artificial intelligence (AI) software to identify, sort and process recyclables. While waste is moved forward on a conveyer belt, the robot effectively has a brain, eyes and hands. It uses machine learning technology with a pattern recognition vision system, which turns millions of images into data. This data then tells the machine’s three arms where to move and grab. The result is high-speed waste separation.

Because of the AI software, the machine learns, improves accuracy, and can adapt. This means it can sort waste from multiple industries: brands and materials of municipal waste, batteries and wires from electronic waste, and various metals, wood and concrete in construction waste. It also links to an online visualization tool, which can keep records of sorted waste and inform users of equipment issues or hazards.

AMP Robotics says its goal is to make recycling more sustainable and affordable. It recently raised $16 million in Series A funding, which it plans to use to scale up operations, and increase its efficiency. The company already has its robot in facilities across the U.S., including California, New York, and Texas, with more planned.

Are you developing robotics technology or an innovative way to clean up garbage? Did you know your efforts could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation to audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

r&d recycling robotics waste

Self-driving trucks begin deliveries in Texas.

Self-driving vehicles have been a massive conversation topic in the past decade, and have revolutionized the way we look at cars. But when you think about these vehicles, it’s usually a small car driving down a quiet street, or reversing into a parking spot. What about self-driving trucks? In August, 16 months after its founding, autonomous trucking startup Kodiak Robotics made its first commercial deliveries in Texas. The company’s fleet of eight trucks set off with human safety drivers behind the wheels, for now. The idea of a 40-ton vehicle being driven by technology might seem daunting, but the technological innovation could save lives and, simply put, it makes sense.

It’s no secret that truck drivers work long, tiring hours. Too often we see articles about drivers falling asleep, or crashing because of a mistake they made due to fatigue. In fact, research has found being tired behind the wheel is just as bad as being over the drink-driving limit. Even when following federal regulations, it’s a major safety concern for truck drivers to be working long, odd-hour shifts and driving a heavy vehicle, on consecutive days. In 2017, there was a national shortage of over 50,000 truck drivers, potentially because of these safety concerns.

But without the trucking industry America would shut down. 75% of the US depends on the trucking industry to make deliveries, according to Teletrac Navman. Truck drivers move about 10.5 billion tons of freight, and drive roughly 125,000 miles, each year.

This high demand, met with safety concerns, is exactly why Don Burnette and Paz Eshel founded Kodiak Robotics. The startup is revolutionizing and re-defining the trucking industry with self-driving freight trucks. This tech not only eliminates the need for tired drivers to be doing long hours, but it also just makes sense. Long-haul trucking involves a lot of highway driving, something structured and predictable, and perfectly suited to self-driving vehicles. Kodiak Robotics says, “As hard as it is to navigate city streets, autonomous vehicles are much closer to being able to drive on more structured interstate highways, which have no jaywalking pedestrians, no aggressive cyclists, and no runaway pets. That’s why we’ve focused on building technology specifically for long-haul trucks driving on highway routes, often referred to as the ‘middle mile’”. These autonomous vehicles also require fewer stops, so more efficient drive times can be accomplished.

The company built its software from scratch, rather than working from existing self-driving tech. In this way, the software is built for the trucks, so there’s no need to adaptor modify. This technology was then tested in simulations, and then on closed roads, before Kodiak Robotics rolled out the real thing across the state.

Before Kodiak Robotics, CEO Don Burnette worked on Google’s self-driving project and autonomous vehicle startup Otto. He says, “As industry veterans, we’ve seen where self-driving technology has fallen short, and have a clear vision for how to make it work and work safely.”

“Our trucks will not drive drunk, distracted or drowsy. Our trucks will never speed, or text while driving. While humans often repeat their mistakes, software learns from them. Most importantly, we will not put a truck on the road without a human behind the wheel until we have proven that our trucks are safer than a human driver. Full stop.”

Are you working with autonomous tech? Did you know your R&D work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

r&d self-driving Texas trucking

‘Data science’ is not a scary phrase, it’s imperitive for businesses to stay competitive

The New Program Dedicated to Keeping Mississippi at the Forefront of Technology

“Those who own data own the future, but only if you know what data you’ve got,” said Steve Holyer said during his presentation at Big Data LDN. And he’s right. In 2019, data is being created, stored and shared at an alarming rate, but data is useless unless you can collate it, analyze it and learn from it, which is where data science comes in.

What is data science?

If you see dark clouds, you can probably predict a storm. This is because your brain sees and feels this information, and from your past experience you know it means a storm. You probably move inside, because your prediction led you to a logical solution. Scale the clouds up to include data from almost everything – smart phone locations, CCTV footage, grocery store purchases and online searches. Brains get overwhelmed with this much data, but technology doesn’t.

Data science is a combination of tools, algorithms and machine learning that finds patterns from data. It will use known information and historical evidence combined with machine learning algorithms to make future predictions. Data analytics and data science give context and help form patterns – in the information age, this is cruical.

Why is it important?

Firstly, like getting out of the rain, data science can make predictions, which can be adressed and resolved with logical conclusions. Secondly, when data is being collected and collated, anything that stands out is noticed. This means that posibilities of risk and fraud are seen in minutes, not days or months. Thirdly, organizations can see, at a glance, who’s buying what, where and when. By understanding the target audience, any company can improve its customers’ experiences.

Introducing it into business

In the information age, data scientists play important roles in businesses, but not every company has the capacity for them. This is why companies like data.world were created. This Texas software startup creates a searchable, cloud-based catalog of a business’ data. It then uses specific graphing technology to help visually explain and map that data. Think of Facebook’s newsfeed and profiles mixed with Google’s searchability and library of information. data.world’s catalog is an inventory of metadata. The company uses it to classify and filter data, which is then better rediscovered, shared, understood and used.

Are you developing a new data science tool? Did you know your work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. Click here to learn more about our technical expertise.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

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Women in tech are making waves in Texas

It needs to be said: 2019 is the year of the woman, especially for women founding tech startups. There’s still a way to go before the male-female ratio is equal, but female-led startups are most definitely on the rise and pushing Texas towards a high-tech ecosystem.

Texas is a great state for females in business, with women making up nearly half of the state’s 12.4 million jobs. It’s also ranked second in the nation in the number of women-owned firms. In Houston specifically, 20 percent of founders are women, ranking 5th among 60 tech ecosystems for its share of female founders. 20 percent is still a small share, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Here’s some female-led companies that are impressively improving the tech industry:

Diligent Robotics

Andrea Thomaz and Vivian Chu co-founded this company, with the hopes of using robotics to make the lives of healthcare workers easier. With a motto of “enhancing, not replacing, human jobs”, they created Moxi: a hospital robot assistant that performs routine, non-patient facing tasks such as gathering and moving supplies, delivering lab samples, and removing soiled linen bags.

The company’s robotic assistants, like Moxi, operate with ‘social robotics’. This is an AI framework that includes social intelligence (an expressive face), mobile manipulation (a moveable arm and hand, and a mobile base) and human-guided learning (AI technology that learns from human teachers). The company’s hope is that Moxi gives nurses more time to care for and connect with patients.

PATH EX

This Houston-based biomedical device company, led by CEO and co-founder Sinead Miller, combats sepsis – one of the biggest killers in our hospitals right now. After partnering with Alex Wieseler in 2017, Miller created a device that takes a five-millimeter blood sample and can diagnose bacterial infection from this. It then goes a step further to circulate the blood, remove bacteria – including drug-resistant strains – and cycle the clean blood back into the patient.

Miller’s own experience battling a serious brain injury motivated her to help others in the same situation. Her determination shows; the company won big at this year’s Fire Pitch Competition, taking home a new award that came with a $100,000 investment from the Texas Halo Fund.

Rebellion Photonics

Allison Lami Sawyer is the co-owner and co-founder of Rebellion Photonics, a company that provides visual monitoring solutions that make the oil and gas industry safer, greener, and more profitable.

The company’s Gas Cloud Imaging (GCI) system uses specific imaging technology, both visible and infrared, to monitor, quantify, and display explosive, harmful gas leaks as they occur. The company’s AI driven software, Spectra, runs and monitors this GCI technology automatically. It can also be set with alarms at certain levels, for real-time results. Rebellion’s PEARL (Physics Enhanced Artificial Intelligence Real-time Logic) analytics uses data science, optical physics and AI to deliver valuable information to customers about their site. The machine learning means that this information will continue to add value as the facility runs and changes.

Any business woman will tell you there’s still a long way to go, but it’s clear to see that female-founded startups are doing incredible work and making waves in Texas.

Are you a woman creating a new business? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

AI technology and medical data might be the next thing to save a life

Humans bodies are all the same in theory, but in reality can be so very different. Almost all of us have 206 bones, 650 muscles and approximately 37.2 trillion cells. But there’s also eight main blood groups, and a unique set of DNA for each and every person. Add to this four different strains of influenza, more than 100 types of cancer, and infinite ways of breaking a bone. It’s clear to see that our health is a very confusing thing.

However, improvements to technology are helping both patients and professionals in the healthcare industry. This is where ClosedLoop.ai comes in; this healthtech company uses machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) software to find patterns in medical data, predict at-risk patients and recommend solutions. It’s been named one of Built In Austin’s 50 Startups to Watch in 2019, and it’s clear why. The company aims to tackle heathcare’s most difficult challenges by providing ‘personalized medicine’, something Nicole Martin of Forbes says is the way of the future.

‘Precision medicine’, or ‘personalized medicine’, involves creating personalized treatment, taking into account the patient’s genes, habits, location and environment. AI algorithms increase the accurancy of this personalized medicine and predict the outcomes the patient will have. To take this one step further, AI can process a mass of patient data, see patterns and can draw from this reasons why diseases may occur, who’s most likely to get them, and what to look for even before symptoms show.

ClosedLoop.ai uses predictive analytics to give patients early diagnosis, targeted interventions, and personalized care. It can also see trends and help identify the patients who will benefit most from certain treatments. This means that the best patients are selected for clinical trials, so pharmaceutical companies lessen their risks and gain real-world evidence of drug-effectiveness. Not only are patients getting the best treatments, but theses treatments are also more efficient, more readily-available, and more affordable.

Is your technology helping the medical industry? Did you know your development effort could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

First online check in and now online food ordering; how mobile apps are making airports easier

Sitting at an airport, about to board your flight to the Bahamas for your three week holiday – exciting. Trying to find the closest burger joint, then waiting in a ridiculous line for your food – not so exciting. One Texas startup is easing the pain of airport meals with their new mobile app.

Grab is a mobile software company that’s modernized the airport experience. They have developed an app that easily connects travelers to their dining needs. It allows people to: search for the food they’re after, find a map of restaurants in the airport, order remotely, keep track of their favourite meals and hold onto the receipts. Since it started in 2015, the company has expanded to more than 37 airports, including Dallas and Austin. Grab is on track to contiue this rapid expansion. This summery they landed one of Texas’ biggest startup deals – a multimillion dollar deal with London-based Collinson Group.

Grab founder Mark Bergsrud has worked in the travel industry for more than 20 years, and drew on this experience to design the app. “This feels like how mobile check in felt. There was a problem customers didn’t know they had — check in wasn’t that difficult anyway, but to be able to have that control, people love it,” he said.

And he’s right – technology is constantly making the airport process easier. Twenty years ago travelers would never dream of boarding a plane without their paper boarding pass. But these days, passes can be accessed via smartphones or even smartwatches. Virtual loyalty cards are helping customers shop, access airline lounges, and collect and redeem miles / points without even touching a computer. It’s even common for travelers to receive preflight, personalized emails offering discounts in airport shops, thanks to the sharing of their personal data. In another 20 or 30 or 100 years, who knows what the future of airport travel might look like.

Are you also developing software to make travel easier? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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apps r&d travel