KTEC Success Stories
Enturia (formerly Medi-Flex)
 An inspiring Kansas success story of a homegrown, technology businessis is Enturia Inc. (formerly Medi-Flex).
Enturia's Economic Impact:
- 800% sales growth (1995- 2007)
- $140 million in annual sales in 2007
- Headquartered and staying in Kansas
- 100 highly paid jobs in Kansas (700 nationally)
- Kansas Founder Sold for $490 million |
Enturia announced on March 5, 2008 they would be purchased by Cardinal Health Inc. for $490 million dollars – with headquarters to remain in Kansas. This success escapes the KTEC impact data, as this milestone occurred after the five year measurement period.
Enturia was founded in 1985 by Joseph Brandmeyer, who started the company after leaving Marion Laboratories where he was President of its Scientific Division. His vision was to create a technology that would allow his company to command premium prices for an antiseptic it sold to hospitals and clinics.
In 1995, during a critical phase of Enturia’s development, KTEC approved an Applied Research Matching Fund loan of $98,800 to Enturia.
Brandemeyer discussed this early stage investment by KTEC in an interview with the Kansas City Star (April 11, 2006):
Brandmeyer reflected how his now thriving business faced great uncertainty in its early days. [Enturia] was straining under heavy debt stemming from Brandmeyer's purchase of a product line from Marion Laboratories. But a $100,000 KTEC [loan] provided a much needed boost.
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CritiTech
By Jason Gertzen
Kansas City Star
 Support from KTEC for five research centers at universities in Kansas is intended to produce innovations that could lead to new products and possibly companies.
That is exactly how CritiTech was born.
The Higuchi Biosciences Center in Lawrence, which receives support from the enterprise corporation, launched a project to solve a puzzling problem for the pharmaceutical industry.
Drug makers struggled to produce their products in tiny particles that are uniform in size and free from contamination.
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ImmunoGenetix
By Jason Gertzen
Kansas City Star
Venture capitalists are not known for accepting cold calls.
When Jim Laufenberg reached out to the founder of an influential group of biotechnology and health-care industry investors, he mentioned that his company, ImmunoGenetix Therapeutics Inc., had financial backing from the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation.
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