(Were you forwarded Maine Startups Insider? If so, subscribe here)

🌞 Good morning. Welcome to the 212th edition of Maine Startups Insider. You are one of 2,015 subscribers receiving this email.

This week I broke the news that a biotech startup based in Ellsworth has raised a significant amount of capital to further its quest to develop a drug that could—if the founders’ hypotheses are correct—help survivors of heart attacks to regenerate damaged heart tissue. Interestingly, COVID patients who experience a so-called “cytokine storm” also suffer from heart damage, so the company’s drug candidate is extra relevant at the moment. Read more below, but the science backing up the company’s plans are strong and originated at the MDI Biological Laboratory on Mount Desert Island, which also makes this an excellent example of technology transfer and research commercialization.

I consider this newsletter to be in perpetual beta, which means I’m always open to feedback and suggestions for new features you think would bring added value. Drop me a line and let me know.

Keep creating, keep innovating, keep curious.

-Whit Richardson

/ News

Novo Biosciences raises $4M in its pursuit of FDA approval for clinical trials

Novo Biosciences, a seven-year-old biotech startup that is working on developing a drug that could help survivors of heart attacks to regenerate damaged heart tissue, has raised $4 million as it pursues clinical trials in humans.

Recent UMaine grad students launch skincare startup using lobster glycoprotein

Two recent graduates of the University of Maine’s biomedical engineering graduate program have launched a skincare company and unique flagship product, Marin Skincare, which blends lobster glycoproteins with other ingredients to treat dry skin conditions commonly associated with eczema.

/ Briefly Mentioned

🔑 Portland-based cybersecurity startup Defendify is included in a list of “5 Tech Companies to Turn to During Uncertain Times.” It is in good company; other companies on the list include Zoom, Asana, and QuickBooks.

👩🏻‍💻 Legal IT Insider published a short Q&A with Nicole Bradick, founder and CEO of Theory and Principle, a Portland-based legal tech software design firm. Nicole shares some recent accomplishments, the highlight of her career, and who she’d hang out with in a bar if she could choose anyone, living or dead.

🏘 Maine Public Radio published a piece looking at anecdotal evidence of more urban dwellers moving to Maine amid the pandemic. I feel like everyone has a bit of anecdotal evidence to support the hypothesis that there has been a bump since March of people deciding to move out of Boston and New York and picking, in may cases, Portland as their new home.

/ Jobs

If you apply for a job you see here, let them know you saw the opportunity in Maine Startups Insider.

+ Northeastern University is hiring a Director of Entrepreneurship for The Roux Institute at Northeastern University.

+ Neuright, a biotech startup in Orono that is developing a new medical device for the early diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy, is hiring a part-time R&D staff member. This employee should be comfortable with administrative tasks, have a basic level of R&D knowledge, and will be required to assist with data presentations and reports in collaboration with the research team and company leadership. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, a current CV, and the name and contact information for three relevant references to neuright@gmail.com.

+ Running Tide Technologies, a technology startup in the aquaculture space, is hiring a full-stack software engineer. If interested, search out Phillip Connaughton, Running Tide’s head of software development, on LinkedIn.

+ HighByte, a Portland-based B2B software startup, is hiring a Senior Java Developer.

+ KinoTek, a Portland-based startup at the intersection of health and augmented reality, is looking for a software developer with experience with C++ unity integration. Those interested, email the company at contact@kinoteksoftware.com.

+ Farming robotics startup Farmhand Automation is hiring a mechanical engineer.

+ AskGMS, a Portland-based company that provides benchmarking and data analysis tools to the insurance industry, is hiring a Quality Engineer/Manager.

+ VETRO Inc., a software company in Portland, is looking for a UX/UI designer.

+ MedRhythms, a Portland-based medical-device startup, is hiring a mobile/front-end developer.

+ Defendify, a cybersecurity startup in Portland, is hiring a full-stack developer.

+ Arkatechture, a Portland-based company that provides business intelligence and data analytics services, is hiring a senior software engineer, AWS cloud engineer, senior data scientist and financial analyst, among other positions.

+ Introspective Systems, in Portland, is looking for a lead software engineer and a software engineering intern.

+ Theory and Principle, a legal-tech product design and development startup in Portland, is hiring a quality assurance engineer.

Seeking a full-stack engineer? A technical co-founder? A sales or biz dev superstar? Send me your job postings to make this a great resource!

/ Events

Big Gig Pitch-off COVID-19 edition
Tues., July 28, 5:30-7 p.m. — Online
Big Gig, the Bangor area’s business-pitch competition, goes online with a virtual pitch-off. Three entrepreneurs will pitch their business ideas for a chance to win $2,500 for first place, $1,500 for second and $1,000 for third. Machias Savings Bank is providing the awards. More info.

Robot Hack Night
Tues., July 28, 7-10 p.m. — Online
Hack Portland hosts a virtual Robot Hack Night for folks interested in DIY robotics (e.g., LEGO Mindstorms, Arduino, nodebots, homemade exoskeletons, etc.). The group’s goal is to culminate the year with a local Hebocon – The Robot Contest for Dummies. More info.

MTI’s Virtual Office Hours
Wed., July 29, 8 a.m.-noon — Online
Wed., Aug. 5, 1-5 p.m. — Online
The USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program provides equity-free funding up to $700k for companies in certain sectors. SBIR solicitation is currently open and applications are due October 23. Meet with MTI to see if your company may be eligible to apply. More info.

Please send me your event or calendar item for possible inclusion.