Abell Investments

Investing in a Better Tomorrow

Among the Foundation's investments are investments in companies that create jobs in Baltimore and promote various social objectives, such as increasing energy efficiency and producing alternative energy. Below is a list of some of these investments with links to the companies' websites, if available.

BioMarker Strategies

BioMarker Strategies is developing a novel automated tumor biopsy processing and testing system, called SnapPath™, that is being designed to quickly test and analyze a patient’s live solid tumor sample at the point of biopsy. These functional, pathway-based, ex vivo biomarker tests will help guide an oncologist’s use of targeted cancer therapeutics. The SnapPath™ technology is also being designed to reduce patient waiting times for molecular diagnostic test results from several weeks to several hours. The company is one of the first commercial tenants at the Johns Hopkins Science + Technology Park in East Baltimore developed by the Forest City-New East Baltimore Partnership. The company’s CEO, Kären Olson, was recently awarded the “Leadership in BioScience Award” by the Greater Baltimore Committee and a previous Maryland Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Visit the website, www.biomarkerstrategies.com

CeraTech, Inc.
CeraTech Inc. is a worldwide designer, manufacturer and supplier manufacturer of all-weather, high-performance cementitious materials that have begun to redefine industry standards for concrete repair, rehabilitation, architectural & new construction solutions. Founded in 2001 and based in Baltimore, MD., CeraTech's concrete repair & rehabilitation products are currently in use by the US Military in combat operations around the world as well as domestic Transportation Departments, Municipalities, Aviation & Port Authorities and commercial construction companies. The material technology was created over ten years ago in an effort to develop commercially viable concrete repair materials incorporating waste streams. The combination of inert minerals and various waste streams yielded a non-traditional cementitious material possessing a highly flexible base chemistry with extremely unique properties that address nearly all of the constraints posed by traditional cemtitious products. Visit the website www.ceratechinc.com.

Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, Inc.
Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, Inc. is a pioneering high-technology corporation specializing in applications of plasma physics, including fusion power and high-power X-ray sources for infrastructure inspection. Its lead project is the development of a dense plasma focus (DPF) fusion generator, using hydrogen-boron (pB11) fuel, an approach called "Focus Fusion". This work is aimed at producing an extremely economical, compact, environmentally safe and essentially inexhaustible source of electric energy that could be more than ten times cheaper than any existing sources. The project has already achieved major experimental milestones, including the achievement of plasma confinement at energies equivalent to two billion degrees, high enough to fuse hydrogen and boron. LPP, Inc. is now engaged in a two-year-long experiment to demonstrate the scientific feasibility of Focus Fusion. More details are available at www.lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com.

OTEC, International LLC
OTEC has developed a proprietary design that harnesses the earth's largest natural solar collector, the ocean, to produce a renewable source of power and fresh water. The company's customized components are designed to efficiently convert thermal differences between the ocean's surface and deep water into a commercially viable low-temperature power cycle.

PAICE Corporation
This pioneering company has developed a patented hybrid powertrain system which virtually eliminates emissions and dramatically increases fuel economy.

ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc. (TRI)
This technology development company markets a proprietary gasification technology that will help transform the pulp and paper industry into biorefineries of the future which will not only produce paper, but also renewable energy in the form of green electric power and bio-based fuels and chemicals. TRI's proprietary gasification process converts cellulosic feedstocks (including wood chips, bark, forest residuals, agricultural waste and energy crops) into a synthesis gas ("syngas") which can be used to replace natural gas and fuel oil, and can be converted into biofuels and biochemicals. Additionally, TRI's technology is uniquely capable of recovering energy and chemicals from spent pulping liquors. TRI licenses its proprietary gasification technology, and provides specialized equipment and engineering services to pulp and paper companies seeking to integrate TRI's process into their mill operations. TRI's proven technology currently is in commercial use at two mills in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc., www.tri-inc.net.

Contact Information

It is difficult to fully understand an investment opportunity based on a phone call. If you have a funding proposal for a company located or willing to locate in Baltimore City, please send us an executive summary, and an email address where you can be reached.

Please send executive summaries either via email to embry@abell.org, or by mail to:

Robert C. Embry
President
The Abell Foundation, Inc.
Suite 2300
111 S. Calvert Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

Phone: (410) 547-1300
Fax: (410) 539-6579