4 firms split $30K in awards

BYLINE: Kim Leonard

Four local firms collected a total $30,000 in cash awards Monday night as the Pittsburgh Technology Council announced winners of the second phase of its annual EnterPrize Business Plan Competition.

Two companies in the new business category won $7,500 each in the program at Olive or Twist, Downtown. They are:

= iNtelomed, a medical device company focused on commercializing technology to enable recognition of cardiovascular instability, or a nonambulatory patient's ability to adapt to stress. Team members are Jan Berkow and Drs. Michael Pinsky and Juan Carlos Puyana.

= NeuroBank Inc., concentrating on development of adult neural stem cells for therapeutic use, in treating diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. Team: Hassan Sultan, Raymond Sekula.

Two firms in the existing business category -- for companies at their earliest stages -- won $7,500 grants. They are:

= Falcon Genomics, a startup company for the Cancer BioChip System, a tool to help give patients personalized and genetically based cancer diagnoses and treatments. Team: Rula Abbud-Antaki.

= Staffing Direct Business Solutions LP, which provides low-cost contract staffing for professional services through a self-service, Web-based program. Team: Steven A. Richard.

The technology council's competition for aspiring entrepreneurs is in its eighth year. The second phase required detailed business plans, which were evaluated for growth and financing potential.