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Photonics Tools Could Shine a Light on Diseases at Apogee Ventures Inc.

In a way, running the biomedical photonics company Brenda and David Hattery started two years ago is like a return to their undergraduate days. The husband-wife team started a metal casting company together more than 20 years ago and "always said we would do something again if we had the chance," Brenda Hattery recalled.

By Ellen McCarthy
Washington Post Staff Writer

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44702-2004Feb15.html?referrer=email

One military career and a couple of advanced degrees later, they had the chance. Their new firm, Apogee Ventures Inc.,http://apogee-biodimensions.com/ is a specialized medical equipment company developing tools that use light to detect diseases.

Brenda Hattery said light-based — or biomedical photonic — technologies measure differences in tissue density to find irregularities that sometimes signify the presence of diseases. The advantage of photonics, she said, is that they are less invasive than traditional diagnostic procedures.

The company’s current focus is on a product that can detect dental diseases like periodontitis and gingivitis. Today dentists use sometimes painful probes to diagnose potential problems. Apogee Ventures developed a prototype of a toothbrush-sized tool that gives an instant reading of gum density to test for diseases without poking or prodding into the sensitive area.

The Washington company is at a crossroads now. To conduct clinical tests, manufacture the tools and go through the Food and Drug Administration regulatory procedure, it needs about $2.4 million. Unlike some start-up companies that can grow slowly by doing contract work and building a customer base, Apogee needs cash to get on the market. The couple has just begun the fundraising process, but say they are excited by the initial feedback they’ve received from potential investors.

"We’ve made it past some of our own internal milestones and are able to say ‘By golly, look at this, it’s a good business plan,’ " Brenda Hattery said. "I’m not nearly as anxious as I was six months ago."

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In Profile

Name: Apogee Ventures Inc.

5630 16th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20011

(202) 726-1994 telephone

(202) 726-0007 fax

Founded: September 2001

Big idea: Create tools that can diagnose diseases using light to measure differences in tissue density.

Web site: http://www.apogeeventures.com

Who’s in charge: Brenda Hattery, co-founder and president; David Hattery, co-founder and chief scientist.

Employees: Two full-time and four part-time

Funding: The Hatterys, who are married, estimate they’ve spent between $500,000 and $700,000, including lost salaries, to get the company off the ground. The company is now trying to raise $2.4 million in venture money that would fuel Apogee’s growth for two years.

What’s in a name: A lot, according to the venture capital community. At the Early Stage Capital Forum earlier this month, the company’s founders were advised more than once to take the word "venture" out of its name. It will soon do business as Apogee Biodimensions.

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