"With these grants, we are investing in Texas companies, the long-term economic health of our economy and keeping Texas competitive with other states investing in emerging technologies," Perry said. "More importantly, though, our investments will accelerate the availability of new technologies that will make life better for Texans."
The TETF grants are going to:
- Monebo Technologies, Inc., of Austin, $500,000 for the commercialization of its new heart monitoring technology, CardioBelt. The device enables patients to obtain their own electrocardiogram while at home and wirelessly transmit the information to their doctor.
- Hanson Robotics, Inc., of Dallas, $1.5 million for the commercialization of its patent-pending robot that offers more lifelike appearance than existing robots and speech recognition software that creates more realistic human-robot interactions. Initial applications of the technology will be robotics for the entertainment field and for potential prosthetic research and applications.
Many states, including California, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, are pumping billions of dollars into high-tech research and development and warned that Texas could be left behind without the Emerging Technology Fund, Perry noted.
"Over the next decade, emerging technologies will generate $3 trillion in revenue worldwide," Perry said. "The question is, where will those investments be made and who will reap the benefits? Our TETF helps ensure that Texas has the competitive edge to provide greater opportunity, prosperity and a brighter future for all of our people."
