Bentek Manufacturing 2350 Harris Way
San Jose, CA 95131
Bentek is a medium-sized contract manufacturer, focused on making system controllers: the "brains" of large manufacturing tools. Central to the turnkey solutions that the Bentek provides is the electronic/electrical modules and systems which range from intelligence-based controllers to fully integrated systems. Bentek provides a domestic option to the current trend of international outsourcing for smaller manufacturing needs. In existence for 20 years, Bentek has grown from low-complexity assembling to high-complexity subsystem engineering and manufacturing, giving it the experience to provide a wide range of services including: specification creation; prototype design and development; new product introduction build; full sub-systems production and testing; failure analysis; and on-going engineering support. A majority of the company’s employees are from the Vietnamese community in the San Jose area, a low- to moderate-income (LMI) neighborhood. Bentek will create more manufacturing jobs with good benefits as it grows. In addition, management is enthusiastic about developing a set of appropriate social bottom line programs.
Efficas, Inc. 3260 Blume Drive, Suite 310
Richmond, CA 94806
Efficas seeks to become a leading biotechnology company focused on the discovery and rapid development of proprietary nutritional bioactives with clinically-proven efficacy for the management of human and animal health. Efficas is addressing an emerging need for rigorous science to support the efficacy of bioactives, bringing the skill and experience of biotechnology to the development of nutritional foods and non-prescription supplements. Efficas’ lead product will be a product derived from an edible fruit to assist in the control of atopic dermatitis. Efficas is committed to hiring low- and moderate-income employees from the local community, providing biotechnology and agricultural jobs.
Elephant Pharmacy, Inc. 1912 Bonita Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
909 Grand Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
Elephant Pharmacy is a natural health retailer, focusing on natural/organic products, integrating traditional and alternative wellness solutions, and providing a high-end shopping experience to the customer. Elephant Pharmacy offers traditional and alternative medicines, natural foods, personal care products, vitamins and supplements, photo lab, DVD/video rental, flowers, seasonal products and a traditional pharmacy. The stores are a new concept in the industry and present a clear alternative to the Walgreens-type big box pharmacies. The first store in Berkeley has reached exceptional revenue goals and has been turned into an expansion model for additional Bay Area stores. The second store was recently opened in San Rafael, and a third store may be located in the South Bay. As an essential aspect its business model, the stores offer a large array of free services provided to the community, including: medical consultations; advice from pharmacists, herbalists, nurse practitioners, nutritionists, ayurvedic practitioners, aestheticians; a large number of daily classes, workshops and seminars. Elephant Pharmacy’s employees receive: livable wages; co-paid healthcare; generous stock options for employees of six months or longer; employee training and career counseling.
Five Prime Therapeutics 1650 Owens Street
San Francisco, CA 94158
Five Prime Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative therapeutic proteins and antibodies. Five Prime’s proprietary process, the ProScreen Engine, improves the efficiency, quality and scale of protein collection and screening by systematically scanning all relevant proteins within the human body to find the best protein for treatment of a given clinical indication. The industry’s typical process formerly dealt with one protein at a time. At this time, Five Prime has chosen to first focus their engine’s application on cancer, immune diseases, type II diabetes and regenerative medicine. The engine is applicable to all diseases treatable with this type of therapy. Five Prime has had its own record of second bottom line achievements before investment by the Bay Area Equity Fund and seeks to further these activities going forward. Areas of focus will be; location, employment, wealth creation, environmental impact, and community engagement.
InSpa Corporation 4001 First Avenue S
Seattle, WA 98134
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, InSpa is the nation's fastest-growing chain of mass-market day spas. The company opened it's first Bay Area location in Santana Row, San Jose in the Fall of 2006. InSpa emphasizes simplicity, quality and value and believes that everyone should be able to enjoy the health and emotional benefits of spa services in a welcoming environment. InSpa's bath, body and skincare lines are available at all InSpa locations.
Labcyte Inc. 1190 Borregas Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Labcyte is a high-value laboratory instrumentation company with a novel approach to dispensing small volumes of liquids for life sciences applications. Labcyte’s acoustic dispensing technology uses a focused beam of acoustic energy to eject nanoliter-scale droplets of fluid from one plate to another, with high accuracy at low volumes and reduced consumables costs. Labcyte has sold instruments to 7 of the top 10 pharmaceuticals since product launch in Q3:04. Labcyte manufactures its instruments on-site, within a LMI neighborhood and seeks to hire more manufacturing and assembly employees as it grows. In addition, management is enthusiastic about developing a set of appropriate social bottom line programs.
MeeVee, Inc. 500 Airport Blvd.
Burlingame, CA 94010
MeeVee has created an integrated search and discovery platform for video entertainment built upon a personalized navigation system and patented metadata generation technology. MeeVee has patented IP and technology to look prospectively into the granular details of programming information to find content segments of interest to viewers before they are broadcast or become public information. The result is a comprehensive television search and personalization service for multiple platforms (e.g., PC, TV, DVR, Set-Top Boxes and mobile devices). In addition to the Bay Area Equity Fund, investors include Walden VC, Labrador Ventures and B&E DeRosthschild Ventures.
Pandora 360 22nd Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Pandora's mission is to define what radio is in a connected world. Pandora is an online unicast radio station which instantly creates personalized streaming stations tailored specifically for each user. Users can influence the station by giving songs "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-down". Users can create up to 100 different stations. The company began in 2000 when founder, Tim Westergren, launched The Music Genome Project to create the most comprehensive analysis of music ever. Pandora is bringing its extraordinary catalog of music analysis to the masses, using it to drive effective personalized music discovery and a unique on-line listening experience in a $30 billion radio market, capitalizing on an industry-wide transition from broadcast to internet and from radios to PCs and mobile devices. In addition to the Bay Area Equity Fund, investors include Walden VC, Crosslink Capital, Labrador Venutres and King Street.
Peninsula Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1751 Harbor Parkway
Alameda, CA 94502
Peninsula Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing antibiotics to treat life-threatening infections. The lead antibiotic candidate, Doripenem for injection, is currently in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of serious bacterial infections in hospitalized patients. Peninsula’s other product candidate, PPI-0903, is an intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotic for the treatment of severe and difficult to treat infections. Peninsula completed dosing in a Phase I trial for PPI-0903 in healthy volunteers in the United Kingdom in September 2004. In Q2:05, Peninsula was acquired by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
PhotoTLC 3925 Cypress Drive
Petaluma, CA 94954
PhotoTLC is the leading provider of personalized photo gifts and digital photo restorations to America's largest retailers. PhotoTLC provides its products in partnership with over 15,000 brick-and-mortar retail locations, as well as online merchants. In addition to the Bay Area Equity Fund, investors include Steamboat Ventures and El Dorado Ventures.
PowerLight Corporation 2954 San Pablo Ave
Berkeley, CA 94702
PowerLight Corporation is one of the world’s largest integrator/installers of large photovoltaic (PV) solar electric projects. PowerLight designs, manufactures, installs and maintains commercial-grade, large-scale, grid-connected solar power systems. The company was founded in 1991 and has over 75 US and international patents issued or pending covering its technologies, including lightweight non-invasive PV roof systems and single-axis ground-based tracking arrays. PowerLight’s core business mission is driving the adoption of a non-polluting, renewable energy source, solar power, as an alternative to fossil fuels. PowerLight also provides energy efficiency services to its customers, reducing their overall use of power. As the company grows it will create more jobs, including those in system assembly, customer service, facilities and office operations that will be accessible to the residents of the LMI neighborhood where PowerLight is located. In addition, PowerLight already has in place many social and “green business” practices.
ReShape, Inc. 2077 Gateway Place, Suite 300
San Jose, CA 95110
ReShape is a software company which has developed a new class of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software called Chip-Level Design Automation (CLDA). ReShape’s software automates away the labor intensive aspects associated with hierarchical physical design of computer chips, allowing integrated circuit designers to focus on full-chip design optimization, and not be consumed with block-level construction details. ReShape’s software is used by leading integrated device manufacturers and enables chip companies such as Philips to improve turn-around time, engineering productivity, cost savings and chip performance. ReShape is located near a priority LMI neighborhood, and has committed to hiring larger numbers of African American and Latino engineers as well as other low- and moderate-income employees to fill support staff positions. ReShape also has plans to offer financial education to employees and other residents of the low- and moderate-income neighborhood, and to utilize the Bay Area Green Business Program for comprehensive environmental assessment leading to Green Business Certification for its facilities. Additionally, ReShape sources from local vendors and has a company recycling program.
Revolution Foods 1327 61st Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
Revolution Foods transforms school food service by providing healthy food, nutrition education, and operational support for schools in California. The mission of Revolution Foods is to dramatically improve the food and food service experience in schools, by being the first company to provide the combination of tasty, quality food, nutrition education, and operational support to schools at a price that fits the requirements of the National School Lunch Program. The impact of Revolution Foods in communities it serves is to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity, to improve overall health among children, and to enhance the educational experience for all students.
Tesla Motors 1050 Bing Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
Tesla Motors designs and sells electric cars that break the compromise between performance and efficiency, combining world-class automotive design and Silicon Valley technology with an innovative sales and support strategy. The company's first car is an all-electric roadster with exceptional performance, mileage, and range, and with zero emissions. Tesla's patented and proprietary technologies change the automotive energy equation. In addition to the Bay Area Equity Fund, investors include Vantage Point Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Elon Musk, founder of PayPal and CEO of SpaceX.
XDx, Inc. 750 Gateway Blvd., Suite H
South San Francisco, CA 94080
XDx (Expression Diagnostics) is a novel molecular diagnostics company whose mission is to improve patient care by developing molecular diagnostics that translate an individual’s immune status into clinically actionable information. Using genomic techniques and the results from a major clinical study, XDx has developed an accurate blood-based diagnostic test to detect rejection in heart transplant patients. XDx plans to develop similar tests for lung transplants, and possibly other organ transplants and autoimmune disorders. XDx has a high level of benefits for employees, including: stock options; 90% co-paid healthcare insurance; 401K plan and optional life insurance. XDx also has extensive internal training and provides financial education for employees.
