As part of our commitment to innovation and incubation, NAB Labs has joined the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship as an angel investor in the Dingman Center Angels program.

The Maryland based incubator invests in early stage companies and startups in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and we will be on the lookout for new technologies and ideas that could help shape the future of broadcasting.

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship is based out of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, and was a recipient of the prestigious NASDAQ Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence Award in 2014, which recognizes “the unique achievements and outstanding efforts of entrepreneurship centers across the world.”

The Center also has a history of investing in companies that could help keep broadcasting on the cutting edge of content delivery. During FY15, 34% of investments were made in software, 33% were made in Internet and web services, and 11% were made in cybersecurity.

The Dingman Center Angels portfolio includes the Astrapi Corporation, which was added in 2013. Astrapi offers new ways to combat noise and interference, as well as improve spectral efficiency across a wide range of radio communication systems. Astrapi was also an exhibitor in the 2015 Futures Park, a section of the NAB Show floor that is reserved for media R&D projects from around the world.

Another portfolio company added in 2015, OmniSpeech, is an innovative software technology company that aims to revolutionize the enhancement of voice communication in speech-enabled applications and digital mobile devices.

The Dingman membership complements other recent Labs’ initiatives, such as our recent partnership with the DC based incubator 1776, and membership in North Carolina State University’s Center for Innovation Management Studies (CIMS).

Stay tuned for updates on our happenings with the Dingman Center Angels, and visit the NAB Labs website to learn about other incubators and investments we are involved in.