MC3 continues to spinout firms, plans to hire 2-6

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 | Source: Concentrate

MC3 grows by shrinking. It’s an odd concept to grasp, but the Ann Arbor-based firm has turned it into quite the successful money-making plan.

The University of Michigan spin-off makes its money by spinning off companies from it. It has spun off three firms since it began spinning in 1991. Two of those are still in the area, including it’s latest release - Accord Biomaterials. It's why MC3 only employs 10 people, two interns and a couple of independent contractors today.

"These companies have 70 employees and have raised their own money," says Scott Merz, president of MC3.

MC3 is short for Michigan Critical Care Consultants. It got its start developing blood pump technology that originated from U-M. It now makes a habit of taking those sort of early stage ideas and making them something bigger companies want to license.

MC3 is now working on applications for its blood pump technology and dabbling in other young technologies it sees as encouraging. That type of development is expected to lead to another 2-6 hires within the next year.

"We have a couple of emerging businesses that I think are encouraging," Merz says.

Source: Scott Merz, president of MC3
Writer: Jon Zemke