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4 n e w h a v e n B I Z | J a n u a r y 2 0 2 3 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m Quinnipiac Univ. receives final approval for $293M South Quad project Quinnipiac University has received final approval to construct three build- ings at its Hamden campus, part of the school's South Quad project. Construction is expected to begin this winter, with the new buildings opening during the 2024-25 academic year. e $293 million project includes an academic building, which will span about 142,000 square feet, along with an 80,000-square-foot business school and 417-bed residence hall for first-year students. Construction will be funded through a combination of the university's endowment, philanthropic efforts and debt financing. IMAGE | COURTESY QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY Sikorsky loses out on Army bid for long-range assault craft Stratford-based Sikorsky lost out on a $1.3 billion bid to supply the U.S. Army with long range assault aircra to Tex- as's Bell Textron, the Army announced in December. Bell Textro's V-280 Valor tilt-rotor aircra are intended to eventually re- place the Army's Sikorsky-made UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter fleet. Sikorsky, a division of Lockheed Mar- tin, developed the Defiant-X helicopter as part of its bid for the Army contract. Several test flights of the stacked-rotor assault cra were publicly test-flown in the months prior to key meetings on the Army contract. Versions of the Black Hawk continue to sell: In August Sikorsky won approval from the U.S. State Department to sell $1.95 billion worth of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Australia in a gov- ernment-to-government transaction. PHOTO | LOCKHEED MARTIN Sikorsky's prototype Defiant X Future Long Range Assault Aircraft flew a test mission in March 2022. Meriden's Planet Home Lending adds New York team, A r o u n d t h e R e g i o n expands to the south Meriden's Planet Home Lending add- ed a 20-member team in Woodbury, N.Y. to its portfolio of mortgage profes- sionals and announced further plans to expand in Queens and North Jersey. e new group is led by Regional Vice Presidents Jason Morano and Chris Wubbenhorst. Morano said the brokers were drawn to Planet Home Lending due to its ability to help borrowers who may be self-employed or part of the gig econ- omy. Planet Home Lending has opened two offices in New York in recent months and plans to expand in 2023 by adding an additional 20 loan origina- tors in Queens and North Jersey. New 7.4-MW FuelCell project goes online at Groton Navy base Danbury-based FuelCell Energy's 7.4-megawatt fuel cell project at the U.S. Navy Submarine Base in Groton began commercial operation on Dec. 16. e Groton fuel cell will operate at 6 megawatts during its first year of operation, bringing the company's generation operating portfolio to a total of 43.7 megawatts, according to a statement. FuelCell Energy partnered with East West Bank on a $15 million tax equity financing transaction to build the Gro- ton project over three years. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Fuel cell at the U.S. Navy Submarine Base in Groton. Bioasis Technologies to merge with Midatech Pharma Bioasis Technologies Inc., a New Ha- ven-based biopharmaceutical company, announced in December that it has reached an agreement to merge with U.K.-based Midatech Pharma. Bioasis is working to develop drugs that can cross the brain's filtering mechanism, known as the blood-brain barrier, to treat brain cancers and other central nervous system disorders. Midatech, headquartered in Cardiff, Wales, is a drug-delivery technology company. Midatech separately an- nounced the planned acquisition of Bioasis for approximately $5.5 million. e combination of Bioasis and Midatech will create a rare and orphan disease company with a new name: Biodexa Pharmaceuticals PLC. e agreement is subject to financing and shareholder approvals. It is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2023. The Place 2 Be opens fifth location, in New Haven e Place 2 Be has expanded into southern Connecticut, with the opening of its New Haven location in December. e eatery, known for its "all day brunch," is located at 338 Elm St., in a space that previously housed American bar and grill Box 63. e new restaurant spans two floors and has two bars. It features a two-sto- ry-tall real tree indoors under a sky- light, and a 1,500-square-foot rooop patio. It is e Place 2 Be's fih location, with others in West Hartford, down- town Hartford, the south end of Hart- ford, and Springfield, Massachusetts. A location in Dallas is being developed. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED The Place 2 Be's new location at 338 Elm St. in New Haven. Yale professors' startup wins two grants from Gates Foundation RIGImmune, a drug startup found- ed by two Yale professors, recently received two grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to advance development of its antiviral candidate. e Gates Foundation's $2.5 billion Strategic Investment Fund awarded the company funding for its drug platform for the treatment of viral respiratory illnesses. e amount of the funding was not disclosed. Yale professors Akiko Iwasaki and Anna Marie Pyle launched RIGIm- mune in September to focus on RNA immunotherapeutics for viruses in- cluding the flu and COVID-19. Based in Farmington, the startup was formed as part of the UConn Technology Incubation Pro- gram. Akiko Iwasaki Wallingford- based CPS Fluidics acquires Canadian manufacturer A Wallingford manufacturer has acquired a Canadian company, Hexa- no Corp., that produces microfluidic cartridges, which allow microscopic samples of substances to be mixed together as part of scientific research. CPS Fluidics, which designs, develops and manufactures a range of custom fluidic products, has integrated Hexano into its company, the companies said. CPS Fluidics is headquartered at 50 Barnes Park Road in Wallingford. CPS Fluidics, a B2B contract manu- facturer focused on the life sciences sec- tor, said it plans to increase its domestic and international sales of microfluidic and flow cell manufacturing services. Stony Creek Brewery teams up with Bigelow on tea- infused beers Branford-based Stony Creek Brew- ery and Fairfield's Bigelow Tea brewed up two new beers with flavors of black tea, spices and citrus, the companies announced. e tea-infused beers, a Ger- man-style lager and a hefeweizen wheat beer, will be sold at grocery and liquor stores and bars and restaurants across the region. Stony Creek's No Comment lager is flavored with Bigelow's flagship tea Constant Comment, and its Carpe Tea- em hefeweizen incorporates the flavors of Bigelow's Earl Grey blend. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Paraco acquires Milford- based Chickos Energy Paraco Gas, a Rye Brook, New York-based propane company, recently acquired Chickos Energy Services of Milford. e deal expands Paraco's new heat- ing, ventilation and air conditioning division into Connecticut. Financial terms were not disclosed. Michael Chickos, whose family has owned and operated Chickos Energy Services since the 1950s, said it shares a similar culture with Paraco. Paraco has been in business for more than five decades. e family-owned Paraco currently serves 120,000 cus- tomers spanning eight states. It pro- vides propane for homes and businesses for heating, cooking, generators and more. Paraco's HVAC is a new division of Paraco Energy, and it focuses on heating, ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing services. Chickos' certified and licensed tech- nicians will be handling installations, service and repairs for Paraco's HVAC customers. B R I E F S

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