Richardson based SNR Labs, a startup company dedicated to smoothly integrating radios with multiple radios, won a $750,000 Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) Award from the North Texas Regional Center for Innovation and Commercialization (NTXRCIC).

SNR received the award in order to advance development of its methods that allows telecommunications devices with different radios to seamlessly move from one coverage type to another. The technology can be applied to smart phones, laptops and other wireless devices. The technology can also help reduce power usage on those devices by as much as six times.

The award was presented from the $200 million Texas Emerging Technology Fund which was initially enacted by the Legislature and Rick Perry in June 2005. Its intention is to assist small, early-stage technology companies in expediting the commercialization of new, high-potential technology developments; and, simultaneously to provide economic development and new, high-value jobs in the state. Another element of the ETF also enables Texas universities to establish research superiority by recruiting established, world-class faculty with experience in moving technologies into commercial applications.

The 2008-2009 state budget recently passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor includes $75 million in new general revenue for the TETF, for a total of more than $193 million available for the 2008-09 biennium.

"We are very pleased that SNRLabs has joined previous NTXRCIC's client companies in receiving a significant 'Commercialization' investment by the Texas ETF. SNRLabs' world-class technology prototypes have already demonstrated dramatic performance innovations to a variety of potential major customers; and we are confident that they have the basis of rapidly-growing company with very high value products and services", said Mike Lockerd, Executive Director of the NTXRCIC.

Bill Sproull, President and CEO of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce said, "We're pleased that yet another Richardson based tech company has received an investment out of the state's Emerging Technology Fund."

In another Richardson connection, SNRLabs has an on-going collaboration with University of Texas at Dallas Professor M. Saquib. Professor Saquib's wireless group analyzes and quantitatively characterizes the gains from SNRLabs wireless multi-radio convergence algorithms.

Sudipta Sen, CEO of SNRLabs, said "My team and I are extremely pleased and excited to receive this Commercialization award from Texas ETF.  The N. Texas RCIC and ETF teams are providing valuable assistance and resources to new businesses and are doing excellent work identifying and nurturing local entrepreneurial talent.  We are indeed proud to be a part of the growing ETF community. SNRLabs Convergence Manager Technology will be the performance differentiator to our customers as they build their next generation handheld communication devices.  Our software uses adaptive algorithms that makes smart phones and mini laptops with multiple radios work seamlessly, transparently, and power-efficiently as the user moves around between coverage areas of the different radios (e.g. GSM + WiFi, WiMAX + WiFi, 3G + WiFi).  The ETF funds will go a long way in translating our vision for next generation smart handhelds into reality.  We are looking forward to applying the ETF funds towards marketing our product roadmap worldwide, while at the same time growing our company and our business relationships in the state of Texas."

The North Texas Regional Center for Innovation and Commercialization (NTXRCIC) and six other regional centers across the state are responsible for representing the TETF, processing all funding applications and supporting emerging technology companies in their regions. The NTXRCIC is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit corporation that assists technology-based entrepreneurs in starting and growing new ventures. Within its 64-county region the NTXRCIC collaborates with Economic Development Organizations, area Institutions of Higher Education, community volunteers and numerous other resources.

The core mission of the NTXRCIC is to encourage the development of new, technology-based, high-growth potential businesses in the region. In addition to its TETF activities, functions of the NTXRCIC include helping identify, evaluate, and develop new technologies in the region; and working to increase cooperation between regional industrial, financial, and higher education organizations to focus on encouraging the formation of new commercial entities based on advanced technologies. NTXRCIC support of client entrepreneurs utilizes full-time staff, many experienced volunteers and external resources from its regional resource partner organization network.