Germany Engineering Quality China Work Ethic Cost Savings Japan Manufacturing Efficiency

2. Countries’ Core Capabilities • Germany • Engineering • Quality • China • Work Ethic • Cost Savings • Japan • Manufacturing Efficiency • Miniaturization • United States …

3. Our Core Capability INNOVATION

4. What is Innovation? Our Story

5. Our Story Randy Reibel Pete Roos Jay Brasseur • Bridger Photonics’ unlikely beginnings • 3 MSU Grad Students moved away • Returned to Bozeman to raise families • Wrote 3 proposals for government funding • No external investment • Almost ended before it even started • Hit 2 of first 3 proposals • Leadership by default

6. 2007 Meth chemicals Hit 2 of initial 3 proposals Strong MSUcollaboration Receiver Meth lab detection Laser Directly in line with why we wanted to live here

7. 2008 Hit first proposal we wrote together as Bridger employees Long-range distance measurements 4 Employees High resolutiondistance measurement Wrote21 proposalsin 2008 Short-range distance measurements

8. 2009 7 Employees Delivered first distance measurement prototype Realized that imaging was very important Opened additionalMSU collaborationfor imaging Developed prototype laser for gas sensing New Old

9. 2010 13 Employees Company jackets Developed focus control commercial prototype Vice Pres.Reibel atsummer retreat Delivered first infrared commercial prototype laser First full product release:Distance measurement system

10. Bridger Photonics Today • Core technologies • Precision LADAR • Highest resolution distancemeasurements in the world • Precision LIDAR • Only compact high-energy mid-infrared laser in the world • Advanced Imaging • Only existing high-flexibility MEMS membrane mirror in the world • Performance • Rapid growth • 3+ years of operation, • 2 → 17 employees, • $110k → >$2M annual revenues

11. Success With Proposals • Government funding gave us our start • We are now actively capping this revenue stream 31% 33% 42% 70%

12. Growth Projected 22% • This growth should put us in the Inc. 500 fastest growing small businesses in the U.S. for 2011 • First volume commercial deal last week • Goal: 50% of revenues from commercial by 2013

13. What Is Innovation?

14. The Idea? • Ideas are a very small and easy part of innovation • The idea isn’t even 0.1% of the journey

15. Special Start? Randy Reibel Pete Roos Jay Brasseur • Bridger Photonics’ unlikely beginnings • 3 MSU Grad Students moved away • Returned to Bozeman to raise families • Wrote 3 proposals for government funding • No external investment • Almost ended before it even started • Leadership by default

16. Special Planning? Bridger Photonics Core Value #3: We deeply value one another, our families, our community, and a sense of balance in life Stable Equilibrium

17. No Special Plan Unstable Equilibrium

18. What is Innovation? • The heart of innovation is converting ideas into products that help society • Innovation is the blood, sweat, tears, sacrifice, perseverance, and passion. • Innovation is never, ever, ever giving up.

19. Innovation Is About the People Aaron Kreitinger Trent Jackson Aaron Anderson Trent Berg Cecelia Rossetti Sandy Reibel Randy Reibel Dave Kozicki Eric Seger Charlie Keith Brant Kaylor Chris Wilson Nathan Greenfield Pete Roos Lisa Roos • These people will enable future job creation

20. How do you stimulate our economy?

21. Guidance "I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." The Lord of the RingsGandalf and Frodo Baggins, Chapter 'The Shadow of the Past'

22. The Problem • Congressman’s recent visit to Bozeman and discussion with business leaders: "What would it take for you to start hiring again?" Improved Economy: Job Growth Businesses: Improved Economy Not willing to take risk

23. The Solution • Go back to our country’s core capability: Invest in Innovation • Mitigate the risk for innovators and reward them if they succeed. • Here is one example of how to do that …

24. MSU’s Role in Our Success • Professional training • Graduate education • Proposal writing • Grant management and performance • Contacts and networking • Strong research collaborations • MSU Spectrum Lab (Randy Babbitt, Zeb Barber) • MSU Engineering (David Dickensheets, Joe Shaw, Kevin Repasky) • MSU Physics (David Klumpar) • Flexible employment • Spectrum Lab able to employ us part time to help transition (w/ COI management plans) • Equipment availability • Can write use agreements into proposal budgets if not collaborative • Employee pool • More than 80% of technical employees are MSU grads • Related Centers and Programs • TechLink (Ray), Optec (Joe), TechRanch (Gary & John), MMEC (Mark), MMF (David & Phil) Risk Mitigation

25. My Challenge to You • Let our country’s Core Capability guide you • Invest in Innovation • Figure out how to mitigate the risk of innovation • Follow MSU’s lead • Many other possible methods for other styles of business: • Lenders, real estate, manufacturers … • There’s no prescription. You must get personal!

26. Thank You