MADISON – Eight small businesses in Wisconsin will receive up to $700,000 to commercialize their innovations, thanks to the SBIR Advance program’s latest round of funding.
The state matching grant program provides assistance to companies in the process of completing a project in the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. This is the 25th round of SBIR Advance funding since this collaboration by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC) began in 2014.
Over the past decade 191 awards totaling over $16 million have been awarded. Those businesses reported obtaining $80.7 million in follow on funding since receiving the SBIR Advance matching grants.
The Phase 1 recipients, each receiving up to $75,000 match, are:
- Calimetrix, LLC of Madison delivers precise reference standards for quality assurance of quantitative medical imaging studies, increasing confidence in imaging results and reducing the risk of undetected problems that can lead to misdiagnosis.
- CIAN of Pewaukee is a start-up that is developing biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of brain injury. Their technology is based on the biology of blood flow that is altered in brain injury.
- Elif Environmental LLC of River Hills is developing a novel technology that enhances anaerobic digestion (AD) efficiency by pretreating organic matter with a combination of microwaves and electro-magnetic fields.
- UP Oncolytics, Inc of Milwaukee is a biotech startup working to bring an oncolytic virus for the treatment of glioblastoma to clinical trial.
The Phase 2 recipients, each receiving up to $100,000 match, are:
- Aquarius Systems of North Prairie has expanded to offer a stationary in-water debris collection system designed for small to medium-sized streams and rivers.
- BiaCure Therapies of Pewaukee is developing a novel treatment therapy utilizing High Frequency Energy ( HFE) to eradicate the underlying fungi causing onychomycosis, a pervasive, disfiguring, and often painful infection of the nail and surface of the nail bed.
- Fleet Cycles, Inc of Monona is a mobility and defense technology company becoming the global leader in electric bike solutions by blending best-in-class product with US manufacturing.
- Varizymes Corporation of Middleton is a privately held molecular diagnostics company that specializes in developing innovative diagnostic kits using their proprietary Torch™ technology, which enables the rapid detection of multiple pathogens directly from clinical samples in under 30 minutes.
“We funded four Phase I teams and four Phase II teams for the most recent round of SBIR Advance grants,” said Rob Baranowski, SBIR Advance Program Manager. “We have a diverse group of companies that have received funding from the NSF, the NIH, the Air Force, the USDA, and the EPA. We have made a concerted effort to increase the number of contracts awarded to our state, and we are always pleased to see our efforts pay off with more of these contracts being awarded to Wisconsin small businesses.
Baranowski continued, “We will once again be using the Innovation Within training group for our Phase I Lean Startup class. Innovation Within is involved in running some of the national I-Corps programs, and we are looking forward to the training they will provide to our Phase I teams.”
The U.S. government created SBIR/STTR programs to stimulate domestic high-tech innovation, budgeting over $4 billion in federal research funding annually. Because those funds cannot be used for commercialization activities, the SBIR Advance program fills the gap. Funds can be used to pursue market research, customer validation, intellectual property work or other areas that speed commercialization.
SBIR Advance grant recipients receive CTC staff support available throughout the commercialization process, including Lean Startup training, business plan review and other consulting.
“The SBIR Advance program demonstrates the impact collaboration among organizations. Working together, the Universities of Wisconsin and WEDC provides the needed resources to support startups, many which are innovating in the areas of biohealth and renewable energy technology, two key areas of Wisconsin’s economic future,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development agency. “The SBIR program provides these startups an opportunity to remove the gaps between innovation, customers, investors, and ultimately success for Wisconsin.”
For more details on the SBIR Advance program, visit www.wisconsinctc.org/sbiradvance or e-mail . The next solicitation is expected to open in late summer.
SBIR Advance is part of a Start-Seed-Scale (S3) initiative WEDC is pursuing with the help of the Universities of Wisconsin and other business leaders throughout the state to remove barriers to high-tech commercialization. Under the S3 umbrella, WEDC and its economic development partners are implementing financial and operational assistance programs designed specifically to address Wisconsin’s business startup and seed-funding challenges.
About Center for Technology Commercialization
The Center for Technology Commercialization is part of the Universities of Wisconsin Office for Business & Entrepreneurship. CTC provides one-on-one expert consulting to early-stage emerging technology businesses throughout Wisconsin. CTC has collaborated in acquiring more than $100 million in federal and other funding for clients. Learn more at www.wisconsinctc.org; follow @WisconsinCTC on X and Bsky.
About Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leads economic development efforts for the state by advancing and maximizing opportunities in Wisconsin for businesses, communities and people to thrive in a globally competitive environment. Working with more than 600 regional and local partners, WEDC develops and delivers solutions representative of a highly responsive and coordinated economic development network. Learn more at https://wedc.org; follow @WEDCNews on X.
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