North Bay startup develops winning technology to fight sleep apnea

<p>A North Bay startup that's developing diagnostic equipment for sleep apnea plans to move to Sonoma County after winning a competition giving it free office space and professional support for a year.</p><p>The contest was organized by North Bay iHub, an economic development group connected with the Sonoma Mountain Business Cluster, which is providing the office space. A pool of 36 contestants competed for a prize package worth $40,000 which also included cash and legal, marketing and accounting services.</p><p>K-diagnostics, based partly in San Rafael, is developing touchless technology to diagnose and monitor sleep apnea. The technology, called “Sleep ID,” can be used in a home or a medical setting and uses low-power radar to measure respiratory and heart rates.</p><p>“We're concerned with the problems that people have with sleep,” said Ayako Yamazaki, chief operating officer of K-diagnostics. “The prevalence of sleep apnea is actually quite strong now. There are more than 40 million Americans affected.”</p><p>The company is planning to move into the Rohnert Park business cluster and employ a staff of 30 by the end of 2012.</p><p>“It helps a lot,” Yamazaki said. “It's being able to be part of the community and being able to have all these networking opportunities.”</p><p>The Sonoma Mountain Business Cluster offered mentoring to the contestants and helped them develop concrete business plans. </p><p>“This type of initiative has a lot of potential to bring out entrepreneurs that no one else may have known about, and give them some exposure,” said Ivo Austin, business development manager for the SMBC. “We can start to develop an image of the North Bay as a place where as an entrepreneur you can come and get supported, get recognition, get noticed by investors.”</p><p>The contest began with 36 startups that sought help writing a business plan. Four finalists were given the opportunity to present to a panel of judges, including:</p><p>-- Barrier Free Adventures, a Petaluma firm developing a mobile app and social media technology to create a travel information service for people with disabilities.</p><p>-- E3, a Sebastopol firm that seeks to produce biomethane from municipal waste and integrate its system with existing natural gas delivery infrastructure.</p><p>-- GOasis, a Santa Rosa firm developing self-contained, energy efficient mobile shelters for disaster relief and other purposes.</p><p>“I think it's a huge and strong effort and action for the local economy,” said Vicki DeArmon, director of Neo Marketing Alliance, whose company will provide free marketing services to the winner. “To have all 36 of those businesses that much closer to having a viable business plan is very good for the local economy.”</p>