Not your usual imitation sharkskin.

• Author: Taylor, Mike
• Position: SMALL [biz] - Sharklet Technologies - Company overview

Imitation sharkskin brings to mind cowboy boots, gaudy belts and flashy wallets. But University of Florida professor Anthony Brennan looked more closely at the skin of a shark--through an electron microscope--and discovered that the distinct diamond pattern and tiny riblets were what kept micro-organisms from growing on the shark's body.

That was back in 2002, when the Office of Naval Research asked Brennan to help find chemical-free ways of combating the buildup of marine crustaceans on ships' hulls and submarines, a persistent problem that increases the drag on marine vessels up to 60 percent and hence adds to fuel costs.

Brennan's tests on sharkskin-like models yielded astonishing results: Green algae accumulation was reduced by 85 percent compared to smooth surfaces. From this discovery, a new company emerged--Sharklet Technologies.

Launched in 2007 out of a biotech incubator associated with the University of Florida, the company announced in mid-August that it was moving its corporate headquarters to the Bioscience Park Center, a biotech incubator in the Fitzsimons Life Science District in Aurora.

Reasons for the move were twofold: First, three of Sharklet's executives were already living in Denver and commuting to Florida for work. Second, Fitzsimons BioScience Park, where 25 to 30 new ventures are incubating at any given time, was a great fit for the emerging company.

"They offer great laboratory resources," said Sharklet CEO Mark Spiecker. "And Denver's a very centrally located area. Different investors and partners come in to see us and work with us. We also have folks who'll help small companies like ours with business planning, introductions to venture capital communities, introductions to strategic partners. And we've got the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center right across the street."

The company's target markets have expanded to include not only ocean vessels but hospitals and laboratories, where keeping surfaces bacteria-free is crucial.

Tests show that micro-organisms such as staph and E. coli find the Sharklet surface inhospitable. Investors have taken notice of the potential applications. In June last year, Sharklet closed on $1.5 million in Series A financing led by Austin, Texas-based Limestone Ventures.

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