ANN ARBOR You could call last weeks list of money winners from the Michigan Tri-Corridor Fund a proof of concept for the Great Lakes Entrepreneurs Quest business-plan writing contest. Five of the 22 winners were winners in GLEQ.

GLEQ teams among Michigan’s Technology Tri-Corridor selections include:

SensiGen Corporation, GLEQ Grand Prize Winner (Spring ’04), GLEQ Honorable Mention (Spring ’03)

Sonetics, 1st Place regional winner (Fall ’03)

Pixel Velocity, 2nd Place regional winner (Spring ’04)

Polytorx, GLEQ 2nd Place Winner (Spring ’04) and 3rd Place regional winner (Fall ’03)

Biopolymer Innovations, GLEQ 3rd Place Winner (Spring ’04)

Ann Arbor-based SensiGen Corporation was the largest single award winner, bagging $2.6 million to develop a diagnostic test kit that will detect chronic kidney disease and the likelihood of future kidney failure.

“We are pleased to see many GLEQ teams, including the top three teams from this year’s competition, recognized and funded as key companies in Michigan’s Technology Tri-Corridor,” said GLEQ chair Dave Brenner, co founder of IdeaWorks in Grand Rapids. “These awards confirm the quality of business ideas and hard work put forth by Quest winners, as well as the opportunities available for teams competing in the GLEQ.”

Anyone who lives, works or attends school in Michigan can participate in the GLEQ competitions and free training programs. Last year more than 60 teams of entrepreneurs participated in the business plan competition and received training, coaching, and feedback on their business plans, as well as a chance to win $120,000 in cash prizes. Since 2000, when GLEQ was founded, some $600,000 in prize money has been handed out.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, Michigan Small Tech Association, Southwest Michigan First, Apjohn Group, Esperion Therapeutics, Lambert, Edwards & Associates, Fraser Trebilcock Davis & Dunlap and MPI Research are among the many supporters of this independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that serves to unite the entrepreneurial community and build the critical mass of technology, talent and capital necessary to make Michigan among the best places to start a high-tech enterprise.

For more information, click on GLEQ.Org