NUVO Group’s INVU Technology used in Study on Prenatal Distress

Connecticut Patent of the Month - February 2021

NUVO Inc. has connected with the University of Utah’s Child Adaptation and Neurodevelopment (CAN) lab to study the effects of prenatal maternal distress on infant health. NUVO received FDA clearance on their proprietary INVU technology which provides remote pregnancy monitoring for both the mother and the baby.

Following extensive R&D to successfully develop the INVU technology, they are happy to commercialize their product and expand research in the scientific community. This study is the first time UNVU is being used to analyze both fetal and maternal heart rate variability. CAN lab will use INVU to measure heart rates in more than 200 women in their third trimesters. The lab wants to research how children develop physical, emotional, and behavioral attributes while in utero. They believe these attributes are linked to the mother’s emotional experiences during pregnancy. INVU offers remote measurement capabilities which expands and diversifies the available study participants and helps to reduce stress caused by doctor’s visits. Amit Reches, CTO of NUVO Group says, “We are thrilled to see our measurement and data capture tools being used in a new and unique way through this partnership with the CAN Lab. At NUVO, this is what we envision for the future of maternal-fetal health—a holistic approach that brings together a variety of providers and disciplines to ultimately improve the health of future generations.”

Are you developing new technology? 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? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). 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. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

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

Bridger Helmets Amps Up for Release of Adaptable Helmet

Bridger Helmets Amps Up for Release of Adaptable Helmet

The founders of Bridger Helmets are no strangers to flying over their handlebars. In fact, the brothers split their time between R&D and exploring the outdoors. After one too many times being thrown into a tree, they decided to redesign helmets as we know them. They realized that, historically, helmets have been designed in a one size fits all way, rather than for their intended purpose. So they decided to design an adaptable helmet.

In a patented two piece design, the outer shell is removable to adjust to the scenario. With options for more ventilation in the summer or more insulation in the winter, the helmet will suit your needs. This design did not come easily; Bridger spent three years working through 523 prototypes before achieving their goals. They designed the helmet with safety in mind, using XRD foam which is comfortable and hardens on impact for protection. Even the buckle has been redesigned, replaced with a magnetic strap for easy use. The process was long and difficult, but Bridger is finally ready to release their adaptable helmet for direct-to-consumer sales.

Are you developing new products? 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? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). 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. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

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

Californians turn to a startup to check their air quality

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During the California wildfires, air pollution was a major concern, and a crowd-sourced Utah startup became an unlikely hero. PurpleAir monitors air quality in real-time, thanks to a network of sensors across North America. The sensors sell for $179 to $259 and can be easily set up at a person’s home. They then link to Wi-Fi, and upload data to the cloud. This data is then displayed on the PurpleAir’s map; it’s popularity increased by 100-fold after California’s wildfire season began this year.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses high-tech monitors to measure air quality. However, these monitors are expensive and sparsely spread around the country. They give residents an averaged idea of air pollution, but aren’t specific. And, in the case of the 2019 wildfires, some of the government monitors gave incorrect readings. In comparison, PurpleAir’s network includes thousands of sensors – 3000 in California alone. While they may not be as high-tech, their coverage gives a good indication of pollution in specific areas, and can help people instantly.

How do they work?

PurpleAir’s sensors use a fan to push air past a laser beam. Any particles in the air will reflect light onto a detection plate. This plate measures the reflection like a pulse; large particles make a long pulse, small particles make a quick pulse. Doing this, the sensor can count particles in sizes of 0.3 to 10μm (micrometers). Anything bigger than 10μm will get breathed in and trapped in the throat, while smaller particles will get inhaled and affect the lungs.

After monitoring the particle sizes, PurpleAir’s algorithm calculates the concentration of particle matter in the air. It measures PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0. In context, PM2.5 is described as fine particles, and about 40 fine particles make up the width of human hair. These fine particles are actually more harmful than the larger, because they’re more likely to go deeper into the lungs.

The big-time hero had to start somewhere

The company started in 2015, when the founder, Adrian Dybwad, set out to measure dust from a gravel pit near his home. “I said to myself, it’s 2015, surely there must be a sensor that can tell me how much dust is in there,” Dybwad said. With a lack of affordable, accurate sensors and his background in computer networking and electronics, Dybwad started making his own. His community donated a few thousand dollars – enough for the area to have 80 sensors. “We didn’t set out to do better than the government’s own monitoring, we set out to satisfy our own curiosity,” he said.

But, more and more people are turning to PurpleAir’s monitors. In November 2018, PurpleAir moved out of Dybwad’s house and into a full-time workshop, where production continues to increase. In July 2019, a PurpleAir sensor was installed at its highest altitude: on the side of a small astronomy dome in California’s White Mountains, at approximately 13,000 feet.

Are you developing technology to improve shared data or help people know about their environment? 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 one of the U.S.’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.

2019 Innovation Rankings By State

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The United States is usually accredited as one of the most innovative nations in the world. However, that does not mean the country’s technological and innovation quests are divided equally around the nation.

Burgeoning technology and innovative concepts usually find their inception in major regions such as San Francisco and New York, while middle tier states in the nation try to play catch-up.

With the United States predicted to spend approximately $581 billion on Research and Development (R&D) in 2019, and New York City recently no longer under consideration for Amazon’s 2nd headquarters, finance and research website WalletHub recently published an enumeration ranking the 50 U.S. States and District of Columbia in terms of innovation rate.

It came as no surprise that the least innovative states on the list included the Midwest states, usually ignored by leading tech firms in favor of metropolitan areas that have historically enticed top tech talent and major tech firms.

In order to come up with the rankings, Wallet Hub based its findings on multiple metrics divided into two different categories: innovation environment and human capital.

The human capital category includes units such as projected STEM job demand in 2020, the share of STEM professionals, and participation and performance in high school level science and math exams.

The innovation environment category, on the other hand, included each state’s tax-friendliness, number of jobs in new companies, level of research and development spending, and every state’s share of firms that are tech oriented.

Below are the most and least innovative states in the U.S. according to WalletHub:

Most innovative states

  1. Massachusetts
  2. Maryland
  3. Washington
  4. District of Columbia
  5. California
  6. Colorado
  7. Virginia
  8. Utah
  9. Delaware
  10. Oregon

Least innovative states

  1. Oklahoma
  2. Nebraska
  3. Hawaii
  4. Kentucky
  5. Iowa
  6. Tennessee
  7. Arkansas
  8. West Virginia
  9. Louisiana
  10. Mississippi

USTAR-Supported Technologies Help Pave Way For STEM Workforce Development

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In the era of unprecedented technological revolution, Utah’s tech industry is growing faster than any other state in the United States. However, the state lacks in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workers, which could cause it to lose the competitive advantage it enjoys at present. In addition, the shortage of a skilled, technical workforce affects the government’s efforts for job creation and growth. This is where the state-sponsored USTAR (Utah Science Technology and Research) organization comes in. USTAR helps local companies and enterprises to expand their technical knowledge-base through entrepreneurial support programs and competitive grants.

In order to minimize the gap between jobs and skilled laborers, a key part of USTAR’s mission is to endorse sustainable growth and diversification of the economy. This is achieved by building STEM workforce development opportunities through technological activities at universities and by supporting start-ups. According to the STEM experts, the technology and science industry support programs are necessary for the continued, long-term growth of the engineering and science industry in the state.

This is an urgent requirement because most of the STEM vacancies remain unfilled in Utah. To address this challenge, over the past two years, USTAR has provided more than 360 student tech-based STEM workforce development projects, along with a 7% increase in trained students in the STEM workforce. The organization also provides opportunities to the undergraduate and graduate students to work on technology commercialization projects while they are enrolled in higher education institutions. Along with these tech commercialization projects, the organization also offers technical workforce development opportunities through its project BioInnovations Gateway (BiG), which aims to propose biotech start-up businesses and communal student facilities, technical resources, equipment and talent.

It can be concluded that USTAR is playing a crucial role in bridging the gap between job creation and STEM workforce availability in Utah. To ensure the growth of the tech industry and economic diversification, the organization must keep capitalizing on R&D activities at different universities and businesses, along with expanding its support programs.

The secret Snapchat R&D project is not so secret anymore..

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Keeping a major project secretive in a globally successful company has always been a challenge in LA or SF and when that hugely successful company happens to be Snapchat, this mission proves to be all the more challenging. Now the secret is out; Snapchat R&D is building a new office in the remote location of Lehi, Utah, located 30 miles of Salt Lake City.

This remote location was selected as it is a respectable distance from other social media giants such as Facebook and will allow Snapchat to develop new app features and hardware devices beyond the prying eyes and ears of its competitors.

Snapchat has been able to tap a supply of engineering talent from Brigham Young University as the University is only a 25-minute drive away. Snapchat’s association with BYU has proven to be very significant in the past. They struck gold by acquiring the founders of Scan.me who were studying at the University at the time. The founders of Scan.me worked together with Snapchat to develop QR codes that evolved into Snapchat’s scannable Snapcodes.

Lehi is also home to the massive Intel and Micron-backed semiconductor fabricator plant, IM Flash Technologies. IM Flash Technologies led Lehi to produce one in 12 of the world’s flash memory chips as of 2013.

Snapchat’s new Lehi lab allows the company to recruit where other companies cannot, as talent from BYU and IM Flash might not be as eager to leave the quiet Utah life for the big cities, where other social media giants are based.

The whispers of Snapchats new R&D lab first began when a major Apple engineer from Utah announced he was leaving the company to start a new job at Snapchat. Snapchat have since confirmed the rumours and are excited about the opportunity to hire local Utah talent. Snapchat already have several offices across the U.S. and international cities, and this expansion is a product of the company’s growth.

Just like Snapchat, if your company is also engaging in research activities, it may be eligible for an R&D Tax Credit. An R&D Tax Credit reduces the cost and risk of undertaking R&D activities for your business. The benefit helps companies doing eligible work to create new or improved products, processes and services by reducing their tax. To find out if your company could be eligible, complete Swanson Reed’s quick and simple contact form.

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

IKEA is going to Mars?

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While IKEA is commonly known as the Swedish King of flat packs and the ‘build your own furniture’ company, the design team are now taking on an entirely new venture.. or should we say an entirely new planet!

Recently the IKEA design team traveled to and lived inside the Mars Desert Research Center in Utah for three days. The visit was intended for their space-inspired furniture collection scheduled to launch in 2019 as well the possibility of IKEA actually making it to Mars one day!

The center is operated by the NASA Mars Society and simulates a Mars environment for humans taking part in experiments and training. Astronauts spend long periods of time inside this research center to prepare themselves for space flights and ultimately the future endeavors of one day exploring the actual planet Mars.

The IKEA designers were able to learn about how space affects an entire design process by gaining a firsthand insight of how the designing of furniture is affected by the demanding space environmental forces.

As air is very limited in space and must be reused for many months or even years, this then reflects on the living materials as it must be designed with this in mind.

The creative leader of IKEA referred to the experience as “crazy and fun”. The team were completely isolated for three days and got first hand insights into what astronauts go through for three years. The research center consists of a tight two story space which is only eight meters in diameter.

IKEA designers also learnt about the huge costs involved in space transportation, as it can cost about $2 million to transport just one kilo of mass to the surface of Mars.

While this currently makes it impractical for IKEA to send materials to Mars, it generated an entirely new design process perspective. Storage and furniture would need to be created in an entirely new and innovative way which is completely shifting from traditional methods.

Marcus Engman, Ikea’s Head of Design, said putting the designers in this demanding environment forced them to think much more creatively and ultimately producing completely innovative solutions. These solutions have the potential to work better than anything else ever seen on Earth.

IKEA designers will continue working with people from NASA and students from Sweden’s Lund University and are excited about the future of IKEA’s space-inspired collection.

Swanson Reed assist clients that have innovative businesses everyday to help them achieve the best R&D tax credit possible. If you think your business may be eligible for any R&D Tax Credit or would like to simplify the process, contact a Swanson Reed R&D Tax Adviser today.

Top States for Doing Business 2016

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How does your state rank for doing business? CNBC ranked all 50 states for business using a range of publicly available data.  They used a points-based system for each of the 10 categories of competitiveness.

Here are the results:

Workforce

Rating based on education level of the workforce, the numbers of available employees, and the states’ demonstrated abilities to retain college-educated workers.

Top 5

  1. Colorado
  2. Massachusetts
  3. Virginia
  4. North Dakota
  5. Arizona

Bottom 5

  1. Maine
  2. Missouri
  3. Hawaii
  4. Vermont
  5. Kentucky

Cost of Doing Business

Rating based on the competitiveness of each state’s tax climate, as well as state-sponsored incentives that can lower the cost of doing business. Utility costs can add up to a huge expense for business, and they vary widely by state. Also considered was the cost of wages, as well as rental costs for office and industrial space.

Top 5

  1. Indiana
  2. Iowa
  3. Mississippi
  4. South Dakota
  5. Kentucky

Bottom 5

  1. Hawaii
  2. California
  3. Maryland
  4. Connecticut
  5. Massachusetts

Infrastructure

Rating based on the vitality of each state’s transportation system by the value of goods shipped by air, waterways, roads and rail. The availability of air travel in each state, the quality of the roads and bridges, and the time it takes to commute to work was taken into account, as was the condition of each state’s drinking water and wastewater systems.

Top 5

  1. Indiana
  2. Tennessee/Texas
  3. Tennessee/Texas
  4. Georgia
  5. Minnesota

Bottom 5

  1. Rhode Island
  2. New Hampshire
  3. Maine
  4. Connecticut
  5. Hawaii

Economy

Rating based on economic growth, job creation, consumer spending, and the health of the residential real estate market. Each state’s fiscal health was measured by looking at its credit ratings and outlook, as well as its overall budget picture. Also considered was the number of major corporations headquartered in each state.

Top 5

  1. Texas
  2. Colorado
  3. Utah
  4. Florida
  5. Oregon

Bottom 5

  1. Mississippi
  2. Maine
  3. Alabama
  4. West Virginia
  5. Louisiana

Quality of Life

Rating based on livability, including several factors, such as the crime rate; inclusiveness, such as antidiscrimination protections; the quality of health care; the level of health insurance coverage and the overall health of the population. Also evaluated were local attractions, parks and recreation, as well as environmental quality.

Top 5

  1. Hawaii
  2. Minnesota
  3. Vermont
  4. New Hampshire
  5. Maine

Bottom 5

  1. Arkansas
  2. Missouri
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Louisiana
  5. Tennessee

Technology and Innovation

Rating based on support for innovation, the number of patents issued to their residents and the record of high-tech business formation. Also considered were federal health, science and agricultural research grants to the states.

Top 5

  1. Washington
  2. California
  3. Massachusetts
  4. New York
  5. Maryland

Bottom 5

  1. Mississippi
  2. West Virginia
  3. Wyoming
  4. Arkansas
  5. Louisiana

Education

Rating based on the number of higher-education institutions in each state, as well as long-term funding trends for higher education. Also evaluated were several measures of K–12 education, including test scores, class size and spending, as well as digital and lifelong learning opportunities in each state.

Top 5

  1. Massachusetts
  2. Minnesota
  3. Wyoming
  4. Illinois
  5. Virginia

Bottom 5

  1. Nevada
  2. Idaho
  3. Mississippi
  4. Arizona
  5. Alabama

Business Friendliness

Rating based on the freedom each state’s legal and regulatory frameworks provide for business.

Top 5

  1. New Hampshire
  2. South Dakota
  3. Virginia
  4. North Dakota
  5. Idaho

Bottom 5

  1. California
  2. West Virginia
  3. Illinois
  4. Mississippi
  5. Hawaii

Cost of Living

Rating based on cost of housing, food and energy.

Top 5

  1. Mississippi
  2. Kentucky
  3. Arkansas
  4. Alabama
  5. Tennessee

Bottom 5

  1. Hawaii
  2. New York
  3. Delaware
  4. California
  5. Connecticut

Access to Capital

Rating based on venture capital investments by state, as well as small-business lending on a relative basis.

Top 5

  1. Illinois
  2. North Carolina
  3. California
  4. Michigan
  5. New Jersey

Bottom 5

  1. Wyoming
  2. Vermont
  3. West Virginia
  4. Delaware
  5. New Mexico

Many US businesses can take advantage of the state and/or federal R&D tax credit. Please contact a Swanson Reed representative to find out what is available in your state and whether your business qualifies.

How Does Your State Rank on the Innovation Scale?

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Innovation Is Key

Innovation is crucial to sustainable economic growth, but for innovation to occur businesses must have both the incentive and the capacity to invest.

As innovation is key to the United States’ economy as a whole, many U.S. states are showing off while others are falling short when it comes to patents, R&D, venture capital and academics.

So which states are excelling in innovation and which ones are lacking, you ask?

Patents

The top states in patents per population include:

  1. Wisconsin
  2. Washington
  3. Texas
  4. Utah
  5. California
  6. Massachusetts

The bottom five patented states include:

  1. Alaska
  2. Mississippi
  3. Tennessee
  4. West Virginia
  5. Wyoming

Venture Capital

The top states for venture capital are:

  1. Massachusetts
  2. California
  3. Utah
  4. Washington
  5. Colorado

The lowest are:

  1. Arkansas
  2. Alaska
  3. Hawaii
  4. Wyoming
  5. Iowa
  6. South Dakota

R&D Spending

The leaders in R&D spending are:

  1. Delaware
  2. Michigan
  3. California
  4. Connecticut
  5. Massachusetts

The states that spent the least on R&D include:

  1. Arkansas
  2. Wyoming
  3. Louisiana
  4. Alaska
  5. Mississippi

Academics

As for academics, the top states include:

  1. New Mexico
  2. Maryland
  3. Rhode Island
  4. Massachusetts
  5. Alabama

The lowest academic rankings were for:

  1. Louisiana
  2. Arkansas
  3. Delaware
  4. Wyoming
  5. Nevada

If you are a U.S. based company conducting R&D you may be eligible for the federal and/or state research tax credit. Please contact a Swanson Reed representative to find out further information.