High tech innovation may not conjure up images of household appliances, but with advanced technological knowledge, anything is possible. President of Hydromatic Technologies Corporation, Michael Brown, believes in the use of new technologies to conserve energy and increase efficiency.

It all began when Brown discovered the source of his soaring electric bills- his dryer. After conducting research on dryer technology, he found that 80 years had passed with minimal improvement in dryer technology and energy conservation. This led Brown to develop the first "hydronic" process for clothes drying. Using a heated liquid rather than a combustible source of heat, the dryer is able to dry clothes up to 41 percent faster, while using 50 percent less energy and is also safer than the traditional dryer.

Hydromatic's "Dryer Miser" retrofit kits can be purchased soon, which will allow consumers to benefit from energy savings without purchasing a new dryer. Brown credits the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission and UCF's Technology Incubator for helping bring his ideas to fruition.

To read more about Hydromatic, click here.

Watch Mike Brown, president of Hydromatic Technologies explain how the "Dryer Miser" works.

In the last few years, there has been a multitude of recalls of products, foods and medicines. But there are steps in place that are supposed to make sure this doesn't happen, and that the product, whether food or medicine, does what it is supposed to do. One Central Florida company is making this happen for drug manufacturers.

Amaro & Associates, Inc. (dba Comply Shield), a biopharmaceutical technology consulting firm delivers quality assurance testing and validation, quality IT business processes and performance testing to ensure pharmaceutical manufacturing systems function properly through the development of its Total Validation Management (TVM) system.

In a period of stronger pushes toward FDA regulation, this system consolidates multiple processes into one efficient program. The client is then able to create testable requirements, test plans, test scenarios and summary documents, which are not only less confusing but are accurate and complete.

Watch Jorge Amaro, president of Amaro & Associates, explain his company.

Nearly 700 venture capital deals have closed in the State of Florida since 2000, resulting in more than $6.4 billion in total venture capital spending. A new state program hopes to accomplish more of the same. To help lure tech investment to Florida, the State of Florida has created the Florida Opportunity Fund, a multimillion-dollar program that directs investments to high-performing funds committed to seed and early stage businesses. This program seeks to realize significant long-term returns from funds making investments in early stage Florida opportunities.

The Florida Opportunity Fund is a fund of funds established by Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development arm, and managed by Florida First Partners (FFP). The program is designed to build upon investment activities of leading national venture capital investors, such as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Benchmark Capital and Sycamore Ventures. These firms provide capital to companies focused on developing advanced technologies like surgical robotics design, business intelligence software, defense and aerospace applications, and green methods to create new products out of recyclables.

The first series of applications from state, regional and national venture capital firms to be considered for funds from the program will be accepted through January 30, 2009. Interested participants from the venture capital community should visit www.floridaopportunityfund.com.

Metro Orlando is increasingly recognized as a great location for growing businesses and entrepreneurs...and a new online resource is now available to assist start up and expanding companies located in the region.

The Virtual Entrepreneur Center is a one-stop web portal maintained by the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, in partnership with the Metro Orlando EDC and other local economic development organizations. The user-friendly and comprehensive site catalogs local, regional, state and global resources for starting and growing a business. Users can find information ranging from developing a business plan and addressing legal and tax issues to handling challenges related to growth and evaluating a variety of technology options.

The EDC worked with Florida High Tech Corridor Council and Web site developers at Daytona Beach Community College to provide contact links and other resource information from the counties and cities within our four county region. The Disney Entrepreneur Center, a national program located in downtown Orlando, is also a supporter of this entrepreneurial project.

Most of us living in Florida take our comfort for granted. We can even control our own personal environment with the simple flick of a switch -- until we walk outside. But what if there were a way to create a personal air conditioner portable enough to take with you anywhere you went?

This may seem a bit decadent for everyday life, even in our summer heat, but what if your job required you to wear a heavy, barely-breathable suit for safety reasons under harsh environmental conditions? Imagine a solider working in a sealed biohazard suit in a HazMat situation in Iraq, or a firefighter attempting to control an intense chemical blaze.

In these cases a personal air conditioner could actually save lives. The concept of personal climate control, one that has interested the military for decades, caught the attention of Dr. Daniel P. Rini, founder of Oviedo-based Rini Technologies, Inc. (RTI). An expert in cooling technology, Rini's company recently produced the first viable prototype of an ultra-portable personal air-conditioner.

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Many may see the resemblance of Iake Eissinmann in Tony, the young alien in Disney's popular classic family films Escape to Witch Mountain and Return From Witch Mountain, or from the short TV series The Fantastic Journey, among other roles before he moved behind the camera.

In his latest adventure, Iake, along with his actress/writer wife Alexi, escaped from L.A. to Orlando four years ago for a less hectic lifestyle, with "no business plan" in hand. In late 2005, the creative duo formed Mighty Mojo Studios, a digital animation company based in Celebration.

The Eissinmanns and team of artists are working on the studio's first project, The Mystery of?, a half animation/half live action children's production that seeks to inspire learning in kids through the mysteries of the natural world. The title is already under contract for distribution on DVD. It seems they have found their mojo.

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Dom Meffe is one of those instant-likeables. Maybe it's because he hails from the tight-knit, friendly hometown of Pittsburgh. Maybe it's because he's just a good guy...with a big heart for his family, his employees, his clients and his business. Maybe it's because he tells good stories and draws interesting comparisons to his life and work. Maybe it's because he's someone you can relate to...who admits failures, has had tragedies in his life, and has done good. Or maybe it's because he's a survivor.

Cancer has inflicted a number of people in his family, including himself and his wife, and took his sister's life. And this is what's driven him to do what he's doing now...own and acquire a growing number of nuclear pharmacies to better diagnose and treat chronic conditions such as cancer.

In fact, only one year after founding Orlando-based Triad Isotopes, Meffe, 43, who has been a central figure in the pharma business over the past decade, is heading up what is now the fourth largest radiopharmaceutical services company in the industry. Triad has grown from 24 to 291 people with $90 million in current revenue and projections to double that in two years. That growth has come from 13 strategic M&As throughout the southeast...with many more planned over the next few years. And, Triad is among numerous specialty pharmaceutical companies (CuraScript, Axium, ACS and ICore) that have made their headquarters home in the nation's newest emerging biotech hub of Orlando.

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