ANN ARBOR – Four past winners in the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest business plan competition have been selected to receive $10.7 million in funding from the Michigan 21st Century Jobs Fund competition. The largest award went to the GLEQ’s 2003 Grand Prize winner ? Adaptive Materials ? located in Ann Arbor.

The GLEQ alumni awarded funding include:

Adaptive Materials, Inc. ? portable fuel cell systems ? 2003 GLEQ Top Company – Ann Arbor, MI – $6,271,190

Accuri Instruments ? high performance flow cytometer ? 2005 GLEQ Runner-up ? Ann Arbor, MI – $2,000,000

Polytorx, LLC ? concrete reinforcing helix materials ? 2002 GLEQ Runner-up ? Jackson, MI – $1,500,000

T/J Technologies ? rechargeable lithium battery ? 2002 GLEQ Top Company ? Ann Arbor, MI $952,665

?We are delighted that past participants in the GLEQ program continue to succeed in the marketplace? said Raj Kothari, managing partner at the venture capital firm Seneca Partners in Birmingham and GLEQ board president. ?Their success validates the impact of the GLEQ?s training, coaching, networking and business plan feedback has had in helping to develop technology businesses in Michigan.?

GLEQ sponsors two statewide business plan competitions each year. The Quest is structured into two distinct maturity ?paths?: companies with more developed businesses compete in the Emerging Company (EC) path while teams with new or less developed business ideas compete in the New Business Ideas (NBI) path.

The EC teams must complete and submit an 8 to 12 page business plan, while the NBI teams must develop and submit a five-page executive summary describing their business or business idea. The GLEQ provides the assistance of coaches and educational programs to help all entrepreneurs with their business plans. Cash awards up to $25,000 and in-kind awards are provided to the EC and NBI winners. In addition, Innovation Awards sponsored by Automation Alley, NextEnergy and Southwest Michigan First provide investment amounts up to $12,500 for teams meeting the sponsor criteria.

The GLEQ is currently sponsored by the Ann and Carman Adams Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, Wayne State University, Apjohn Group, Southwest Michigan First, Automation Alley, NextEnergy, the Samuel Zell and Robert H. Lurie Institute at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and Lambert, Edwards & Associates. Additional cash sponsors include MPI Research and The Right Place.

To register online, click on GLEQ.Org