MDB Capital Group Announces Winners of 2nd Annual Bright Lights Awards

NEW YORK, May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MDB Capital Group, Wall Street's only IP Investment Bank, is pleased to announce the winners of its 2nd annual Bright Lights Innovation Awards held during the Bright Lights Conference at Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York City on May 10-11, 2011. Chosen from 40 of MDB Capital Group's "Best and Brightest" small-cap companies, the award-winning companies represent IP leaders based a number of variables including, patent applications, patent novelty, quality, and impact and other factors as identified by MDB Capital's PatentVest, a proprietary IP business intelligence platform.

Recognized for innovation leadership measured by the highest Patent Application CAGR and number of patent applications on file and adjusted for Application Conversion Rate, the ASTRUM Award went to BioLase Technology (Nasdaq: BLTI), ChipMOS Technologies (Nasdaq: IMOS), Energy Focus (Nasdaq: EFOI) and Johnson Outdoors (Nasdaq: JOUT).

Acacia Research Corporation (Nasdaq: ACTG), Digmarc (Nasdaq: DMRC), Inovio Pharmaceuticals (AMEX: INO), Kopin Corporation (Nasdaq: KOPN) and Verenium (Nasdaq: VRNM) received the CLARUS Award for technology leadership, achieving the highest Tech Score and number of patent grants.

The PROVECTUS Award or "The Best of Best" recognizes the most advanced companies across all industries with the highest combined Tech Score, Patent Application CAGR and number of patent grants. The award was presented to Crossroads Systems (OTC: CRDS), Electro Scientific Industries (Nasdaq: ESIO), Misonex (Nasdaq: MSON), Telecommunication Systems (Nasdaq: TSYS), and Uni-Pixel (Nasdaq: UNXL).

The MICO Award, represents MDB's choice for the most potentially disruptive or market changing IP, was presented to Applied Nanotech Holdings (OTC BB: APNT), Dais Analytic (OTC BB: DLYT), Dialogic (Nasdaq: DLGC), GraphOn Corp (OTC BB: GOJO), and Superconductor Technologies (Nasdaq: SCON).

MDB's proprietary IP business intelligence solution, PatentVest, is a fully integrated, analytic and reporting platform, powered by the world's most comprehensive patent database and a dedicated data center - the first and only one of its kind. PatentVest renders patent and IP data for more than 4,000 U.S. public companies in an easily searchable, digestible format.  

Bright Lights is the only conference with an exclusive focus on companies possessing disruptive and market changing IP, providing institutional investors a venue to discover the largely unrecognized value of embedded IP.

Bright Lights is showcasing approximately 40 public companies ranking in the 90th percentile for their respective technology leadership from more than 1,500 small-cap companies with granted U.S. patents, as rated by PatentVest. In addition to company presentations, IP industry thought-leaders are leading Bright Lights sessions, providing insightful analysis and discussions on innovation and IP monetization topics during this exclusive, invitation-only event. Keynote speakers include: David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office; Paul Ryan, CEO of Acacia Research Corp. (Nasdaq: ACTG), one of Wall Street's largest IP holders and licensing companies; Marshall Phelps, author, IP Hall of Fame member and former Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property and Licensing at Microsoft; and John Cronin, CEO & Founder of ipCapital Group, one of the foremost experts on IP development and licensing and former head of the IBM Patent Factory.

About MDB Capital Group

MDB Capital Group, LLC is an institutional research and investment banking firm focusing exclusively on small and micro-cap companies possessing market changing, disruptive intellectual property.  For more information on MDB Capital Group, visit:  http://www.mdb.com

About PatentVest

PatentVest® is a proprietary intellectual property (IP) business intelligence platform developed by MDB Capital Group. PatentVest quantifies the appropriate valuation of IP and enables the emergence of IP as an investible asset class. For more information on PatentVest please visit: http://www.patentvest.com

DISCLAIMER

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. MDB Capital Group, LLC expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking or other business relationships with the covered companies mentioned in this press release. For important disclosure information regarding the covered companies in this press release, please contact: The Director of Research at (310) 526-5000 or write to: MDB Capital Group, LLC, Attention: Director of Research, 401 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1020, Santa Monica, CA 90401.

SOURCE MDB Capital Group