NEW YORK, March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MDB Capital Group is pleased to announce the preliminary list of presenting companies for its 2nd Annual Bright Lights Conference to be held on May 10-11, 2011 at Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York City. Selected from MDB's 2011 list of 150 "Best and Brightest" small-cap companies, this group of presenting companies is advancing some of today's most innovative and market-leading intellectual property (IP). Bright Lights is the only conference with an exclusive focus on publicly-traded companies possessing disruptive and market changing IP, providing institutional investors with a venue to discover the largely unrecognized value of embedded IP.

Bright Lights will showcase approximately 40 public companies ranking in the 90th percentile for their respective technology leadership from more than 1,500 small-cap companies with granted U.S. patents, as rated by PatentVest, MDB's proprietary IP business intelligence platform. In addition to company presentations, IP industry thought-leaders will also be joining Bright Lights sessions, providing insightful analysis and discussions on innovation and IP monetization topics during this exclusive, invitation-only event. Keynote speakers include: Paul Ryan, CEO of Acacia Research Corp. (ACTG), one of Wall Street's largest IP holders and licensing companies; Marshall Phelps, author, IP Hall of Fame member, former Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property and Licensing at Microsoft, and John Cronin, CEO & Founder of ipCapital Group, one of the foremost experts on IP development & licensing and former head of the IBM Patent Factory.

Bright Lights underscores MDB Capital Group's commitment to advancing the financial markets' understanding of IP as a primary source of asset creation in emerging technology companies. Christopher Marlett, CEO of MDB Capital Group, commented, "Market leading IP is an indicator of superior business performance and investment returns. Our Bright Lights conference is a one-of-a kind forum that bridges IP innovation leaders and institutional investors in an environment that shapes policies and strategies for IP monetization and value creation."

                                   PRESENTING COMPANIES
                              2011 BRIGHT LIGHTS CONFERENCE

          Company       Ticker              Sector - Industry
          -------       ------              -----------------
      Acacia Research
         Corporation      ACTG            IP Services - Research
      ---------------     ----            ----------------------
           Alexza
      Pharmaceuticals,
            Inc.          ALXA       Healthcare - Drug. Manufacturing
      ----------------    ----       --------------------------------
           Altair
      Nanotechnologies,
            Inc.          ALTI    Basic Materials - Specialty Chemicals
      -----------------   ----    -------------------------------------
          Ambient
         Corporation      ABTG     Technology - Wireless Communications
         -----------      ----     ------------------------------------
      Applied Nanotech
       Holdings, Inc.     APNT     Technology - Diversified Electronics
      ----------------    ----     ------------------------------------
     Arrowhead Research
         Corporation      ARWR          Healthcare - Biotechnology
     ------------------   ----          --------------------------
          BioLase
       Technology, Inc    BLTI       Healthcare - Medical Instruments
       ---------------    ----       --------------------------------
         Broadcast
        International     BCST     Technology - Wireless Communications
        -------------     ----     ------------------------------------
          ChipMOS
        Technologies,               Technology -Semiconductor Equip. &
            Inc.          IMOS                   Materials
       --------------     ----     -----------------------------------
     CounterPath Corp.    CPAH            Technology - Software
     -----------------    ----            ---------------------
         Crossroads
        Systems, Inc.     CRDS          Technology - Data Storage
        -------------     ----          -------------------------
       Dais Analytic
         Corporation      DLYT                Conglomerates
       -------------      ----                -------------
     DARA BioSciences,
            Inc.          DARA          Healthcare - Biotechnology
     -----------------    ----          --------------------------
       Dialogic, Inc.     DLGC     Technology - Communication Equipment
       --------------     ----     ------------------------------------
          Digimarc
         Corporation      DMRC           Technology - IT Services
         -----------      ----           ------------------------
      Dot Hill Systems
            Corp.         HILL          Technology - Data Storage
      ----------------    ----          -------------------------
     Electro Scientific
         Industries       ESIO     Technology - Diversified Electronics
     ------------------   ----     ------------------------------------
     Energy Focus, Inc.   EFOI     Consumer Goods - Business Equipment
     ------------------   ----     -----------------------------------
      Harris & Harris
         Group, Inc.      TINY     Financial - Diversified Investments
      ---------------     ----     -----------------------------------
           Inovio
      Pharmaceuticals,
            Inc.          INO           Healthcare - Biotechnology
      ----------------    ---           --------------------------
     Johnson Outdoors,
            Inc.          JOUT       Consumer Goods - Sporting Goods
     -----------------    ----       -------------------------------
     Kopin Corporation    KOPN    Technology - Semiconductor/Broad Line
     -----------------    ----    -------------------------------------
      Lightwave Logic,
            Inc.          LWLG      Consumer Goods - Rubber, Plastics
      ----------------    ----      ---------------------------------
        Lpath, Inc.       LPTN          Healthcare - Biotechnology
        -----------       ----          --------------------------
     Microvision, Inc.    MVIS     Technology - Diversified Electronics
     -----------------    ----     ------------------------------------
       Misonix, Inc.      MSON Healthcare - Medical Appliances & Equipment
       -------------      ---- -------------------------------------------
         Network-1
          Security
       Solutions, Inc.    NSSI  Technology - Security Software & Services
       ---------------    ----  -----------------------------------------
      NewCardio, Inc.     NWCI Healthcare - Medical Appliances & Equipment
      ---------------     ---- -------------------------------------------
         Provectus
      Pharmaceuticals,
            Inc.          PVCT   Healthcare - Drug Manufacturers (Major)
      ----------------    ----   ---------------------------------------
          Ramtron
        International
         Corporation      RMTR   Technology - Semiconductor, Memory Chips
        -------------     ----   ----------------------------------------
         Reis, Inc.       REIS         Services - Business Services
         ----------       ----         ----------------------------
       Superconductor
        Technologies,              Technology -Semiconductor, Integrated
            Inc.          SCON                   Circuits
       --------------     ----    --------------------------------------
     TeleCommunication
        Systems, Inc.     TSYS     Technology - Communication Equipment
     -----------------    ----     ------------------------------------
      Uni-Pixel, Inc.     UNXL     Technology - Diversified Electronics
      ---------------     ----     ------------------------------------
          Verenium
         Corporation      VRNM    Basic Materials - Specialty Chemicals
         -----------      ----    -------------------------------------
                                    Consumer Goods -Home Furnishings &
      Vu1 Corporation     VUOC                   Fixtures
      ---------------     ----     -----------------------------------
          WaferGen                  Technology -Scientific & Technical
      Biosystems, Inc.    WGBS                  Instruments
     -----------------    ----     -----------------------------------
         ZBB Energy               Industrial Goods -Industrial Electrical
         Corporation      ZBB                    Equipment
        ------------      ---      ---------------------------------------

About MDB Capital Group

MDB Capital Group, LLC is an institutional research and investment banking firm focusing exclusively on small and micro-cap companies possessing market changing, disruptive intellectual property. For more information on MDB Capital Group, visit: http://www.mdb.com

About PatentVest

PatenVest® is a proprietary intellectual property (IP) business intelligence platform developed by MDB Capital Group. PatentVest quantifies the appropriate valuation of IP and enables the emergence of IP as an investible asset class. For more information on PatentVest please visit: http://www.patentvest.com

DISCLAIMER

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. MDB Capital Group, LLC expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking or other business relationships with the covered companies mentioned in this press release in the next three months. For important information regarding the covered companies in this press release, please contact us at (310) 526-5000 or write to: MDB Capital Group, LLC, Attention: Research, 401 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1020, Santa Monica, CA 90401.

SOURCE MDB Capital Group