FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ETALYC’s federally funded, university-based research highlighted in APLU/AAU hosted-social media campaign

ETALYC Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Anuj Sharma and his team will present their software platform technology, which aims to improve traffic flow and safety, during the APLU/AAU-hosted Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase the week of Dec. 7, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Bayh-Dole Act.

AMES, Iowa (December 7, 2020) — The Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations today announced ETALYC, founded by Iowa State University-based researchers, is among just 22 startups from across the country selected to be highlighted in the national University Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) Showcase, featuring a social media-based campaign the week of Dec. 7, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Bayh-Dole Act.

Hosted by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the Association of American Universities (AAU), the showcase spotlights companies that have created products and services using federally funded, university-based research.

ETALYC’s innovative technology is focused on improving traffic flow and safety.

In 2016, Dr. Anuj Sharma, an Iowa State associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, and a research scientist at the Institute for Transportation (InTrans) and co-founder, Vishal Mahulkar, established ETALYC, which evolved from a novel traffic incident management system, called TIMELI (Traffic Incident Management Enabled by Large-data Innovations) the researchers developed at InTrans.

Using the latest machine learning and data analytics, TIMELI sorts through real-time traffic data to quickly find problems and alert the staff in traffic management centers.

“Our software platform harnesses data streams – such as cameras mounted on traffic signals, signal timing plans, weather information, traffic logs and even drivers’ cell phone data – to provide the vital information,” Sharma said. “Our cutting-edge solution aims to make daily commutes quicker, safer, less costly and better for the environment.”

In 2016, the research team was awarded a three-year $1 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) grant to advance, adapt, and integrate the technology into a specified, human-centered smart service system.

More recently, ETALYC was awarded $225,000 in Phase I SBIR funding from NSF to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of its adaptive traffic signal solution technology.

“Our original focus was really big – basically any transportation problem,” Sharma said. “But talking with potential customers narrowed our focus. We identified traffic signal managers’ immediate pain point and decided to focus on an adaptive traffic signal solution as our beachhead market.

“Our proposed solution has the potential to reduce traffic delays by 15-40%, save travel times by up to 25% while decreasing stops by 10-40%. Moreover, there is the potential to reduce fuel consumption by 10%, leading to a nation-wide savings of 170 billion gallons of motor fuels per year and a decrease in harmful emissions of 22%.”

Additionally, Sharma says adopting such a re-timing strategy will enable cities to see a reduction in implementation time as well as capital and maintenance expenditures.

ETALYC is a member of the Iowa State University Startup Factory’s second cohort of entrepreneurs. The Startup Factory, administered by the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, is a 52-week intensive program which provides an avenue for students, faculty, staff and community members to create technology-based, platform businesses. Entrepreneurs in the program receive formal training, resources, and access to a network of business mentors, advisors, counselors, and investors in two 26-week blocks: the first a formal curriculum centered on business validation, and the second, customized to their individual business needs.

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About the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations
The Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations (EDIR) at Iowa State University assists external stakeholders, both individuals and companies, in accessing Iowa State’s unique capabilities and services. EDIR is a single point of contact to streamline the process of making connections between industry and the university. For more information, visit econdev.iastate.edu

About ETALYC
ETALYC is a software as a service (SaaS) provider focused on improving traffic operations through the integration of modern technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and big data analytics. ETALYC’s products harness the widespread data collected from various transportation modes, such as connected vehicles or GPSs, to analyze and optimize traffic flow in various areas. For more information, call +1-765-430-0023 or visit etalyc.com

About ISU Startup Factory
The Iowa State University (ISU) Startup Factory is a 52-week intensive program administered by the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs in the Startup Factory receive formal training, resources, and access to a network of business mentors, advisors, counselors, and investors in two 26-week blocks: the first a formal curriculum centered on business validation, and the second, customized to their individual business needs. For more information on the ISU Startup Factory program, visit isustartupfactory.org

About the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship
The Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship works campus-wide to create a culture that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation, offers a wide array of experiential and competitive learning opportunities for entrepreneurs, and provides the tools and resources necessary to build and improve Iowa businesses. For more information, visit isupjcenter.org

Contact:
Julie Lelonek, Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations Communications, 515-294-1562, jlelonek@iastate.edu

Iowa State University
Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations
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Ames, IA  50010
Web: http://www.econdev.iastate.edu
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