Richmond, VA, June 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Governor Ralph Northam today announced $2.48 million in funding to support 26 small technology-based businesses and four universities in commercializing their research, leveraging more than $13 million in matching investments. Thirty Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) grants will help drive progress in five emerging technology sectors, including clean energy, cybersecurity, data analytics, life sciences, and unmanned systems.
Governor Ralph Northam today announced 26 small technology-based businesses and four universities will receive incentive grants to commercialize their research in clean energy, cybersecurity, data analytics, life sciences, and unmanned systems. The new Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) grants award $2.48 million in funding and leverage more than $13 million in matching investments to drive progress in emerging technologies.
“These entrepreneurs and innovators are on the front lines of bringing new products and technologies to market, while driving job creation and supporting Virginia’s economic recovery efforts,” said Governor Northam. “I am pleased that the Commonwealth is able to support these growing companies as they develop high-potential solutions in emerging industries and build businesses from research started right here in Virginia.”
Administered by Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), CRCF invests in priority research and commercialization activities through the private sector, academia, and nonprofit research institutes. The fund accelerates innovation and economic growth in Virginia by advancing solutions to important state, national, and international challenges through technology research, development, and commercialization. Since it began in 2011, CRCF has awarded more than $30 million to help launch nearly 380 early-stage technology projects in strategically important industries.
“Virginia’s public and private institutions of higher education, tech companies, federal labs, and nonprofit research organizations must have early-stage funding and support to launch and grow their ideas,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “We congratulate the recipients, and I look forward to watching them thrive in the Commonwealth.”
“Investing in research today is important for the future of Virginia’s technology economy, and these awards pave the way for continued innovation leadership,” said Ed Albrigo, President and CEO of CIT. “These award recipients are advancing a number of new technologies, such as therapeutics, including those for infectious disease; unmanned systems for agriculture, utilities, and smart buildings; and increased cybersecurity for the healthcare industry. We are very proud of our role in helping to bring these innovative solutions to market.”
The CRCF programs help Virginia companies, higher education institutions, and nonprofit research institutes commercialize early-stage technologies that offer significant potential for economic benefit to Virginia. Awards are in technology sectors strategically important to Virginia. For more information about the CRCF program, visit cit.org/crcf.
The following CRCF projects will be awarded, contingent upon acceptance of award terms and conditions:
Commercialization Program
Commonwealth Trading Partners, Inc. | Mr. Tom Fergus
Cloud Search Tool for Export Commodity Classification, $74,705, Data Analytics, Alexandria
Cowden Technologies, LLC | Mr. Mickey Cowden
A Smart Docking Station for Drones, $75,000, Unmanned Systems, Blacksburg
Eksdyne Inc. | Mr. Joshua Eckstein
A Magnetohydrodynamic Actuator System for Robotics, $74,915, Unmanned Systems, Blacksburg
GATACA LLC | Dr. Johanna Craig
GAT for NGS: A Bioinformatics Tool for Hepatitis B Virus Quasispecies – Incorporating Machine Learning, $75,000, Data Analytics, Newport
Lumin | Mr. Michael Hibshman
Promoting Residential Solar PV Development Through Curtailment of Excess Production Off-Grid, $64,917, Clean Energy, Charlottesville
Meru Biotechnologies, LLC | Mr. Daniel Rodenhaver
Development of the Minimum Viable Product for a Free Solution Biomolecular Characterization Device, $75,000, Life Sciences, Richmond
Onclave Networks, Inc. | Mr. James Taylor
Secure IoT: A Zero-Trust Platform for Elimination of OT Attack Surface, $75,000, Cybersecurity, McLean
Organizing4Innovation | Dr. Floor Blindenbach
Using Team-Learning and Teamwork-Quality Indicators as Objective Performance Assessments to Vet Early-Stage Innovation Teams, $50,450, Data Analytics, Vienna
SCOUT Inc. (formerly Eighth Continent Technologies, Inc.) | Mr. Sergio Gallucci
Demonstrating Small Satellite Technology to Enable Satellite Health Inspections in Geostationary Orbit, $74,816, Unmanned Systems, Alexandria
Sentinel Robotic Solutions, LLC | Mr. John Robinson
Sentinel Aerium: American-Made Class I UAS with Disruptive Flight Endurance Technology, $75,000, Unmanned Systems, Wallops Island
Service Robotics & Technologies | Dr. Gregory Scott
A Software Command Center for Scheduling and Optimizing Robots and Humans in Smart Buildings, $75,000, Unmanned Systems, Springfield
Techulon Inc. | Dr. Nrusingh Mohapatra
PPNA-Based Antimicrobial Therapeutics Against Multi-Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, $75,000, Life Sciences, Blacksburg
Matching Funds Program
Old Dominion University Research Foundation | Dr. Sachin Shetty
Blockchain-Empowered Cyber-Resilient IoT Security Solution, $150,000, Cybersecurity, Norfolk
University of Virginia | Dr. Leon Farhi
Machine Learning Technology for Prediction of Future Glucose Fluctuations to Enable a New Generation of Adaptive Glucose Control in Diabetes, $137,453, Life Sciences, Charlottesville
University of Virginia | Dr. Xi Yang
Novel Automated System to Measure Plant Health, $150,000, Unmanned Systems, Charlottesville
Virginia Commonwealth University | Dr. Frank Gupton
Development of Novel Heterogeneous Cross-Coupling Catalysts for Pharmaceutical Applications, $150,000, Life Sciences, Richmond
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Matching Funds Programs
AgroSpheres, Inc. | Mr. Ameer Shakeel
AgroSpheres Enabled RNAi Delivery for Agriculture, $75,000, Life Sciences, Charlottesville
Aquasys LLC | Mr. Tyler Locke
Commercializing a Precision Agricultural System for Irrigation, Fertilizer, and Spray Scheduling, $75,000, Data Analytics, Alexandria
Azimuth1 | Mr. Jason Dalton
EnviMetric: Geospatial Statistical Tools for Environmental Screening of Commercial Real Estate Sales, $75,000, Data Analytics, McLean
Babylon Micro-Farms Inc. | Mr. Graham Smith
Designing a Disruptive Platform for Hydroponic Vertical Farming: Addressing Challenges in Effective Urban Farming and the Elimination of Food Deserts, $75,000, Data Analytics, Charlottesville
BEM Controls, LLC | Mr. Rasheq Rahman
WiseMrkt: A Platform for Transactive Energy and Demand Response Applications, $75,000, Clean Energy, McLean
Burnshire Hydroelectric LLC | Dr. R. Lee Harvey, Jr.
Inverter Controlled Multigenerator, $74,981, Clean Energy, Star Tannery
Federal Foundry LLC | Mr. Geoffrey Orazem
Structured and Unstructured HR Analytics to Support Hiring, Staffing, and Partnership Decision Making, $73,140, Data Analytics, Arlington
ICBiome, Inc. | Dr. Srini Iyer
A WGS-Based Genomics Platform for Early Identification of MRSA Transmission in ICU Settings, $75,000, Life Sciences, Sterling
KeViRx, Inc. | Dr. John Lazo
Development of Novel Small Molecule Inhibitors of the Oncogenic Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase PTP4A3 for the Treatment of Human Cancers, $75,000, Life Sciences, Charlottesville
Li Industries, Inc. | Mr. Nolan Schmidt
Effective Materials Separation for Low-Cost Lithium Ion Battery Direct Recycling, $75,000, Clean Energy, Blacksburg
Micro Harmonics Corporation | Ms. Diane Kees
Cryogenic Isolators for High-Frequency Ship Radar and Drone Inspection Systems, $75,000, Unmanned Systems, Fincastle
ReAlta Life Sciences | Dr. Neel Krishna
Peptide Inhibitor of Complement C1 (PIC1) as a Treatment for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), $59,446, Life Sciences, Norfolk
Tympanogen, Inc. | Dr. Elaine Horn-Ranney
Preparation of a 510(k) Application for FDA Clearance of a Gel Patch for Nonsurgical Eardrum Repair, $75,000, Life Sciences, Richmond
WynnVision LLC | Dr. Olga Zolotarskaya
Preventing Ventilator-Associated Infections, $75,000, Life Sciences, Richmond
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About the CRCF
The CRCF advances science- and technology-based research, development, and commercialization to drive economic growth in Virginia, create and foster high-potential technology companies in the Commonwealth, and to encourage and strengthen collaboration and partnerships between the public and private sector. The Fund seeks to advance Virginia’s position in strategically important areas including, but not limited to human health, cybersecurity, smart communities, and unmanned systems.
About the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT)
Investing for Commonwealth Growth | CIT concentrates on the early commercialization and seed funding stages of innovation, helping innovators and tech entrepreneurs launch and grow new companies to create high-paying jobs throughout the entire state of Virginia. Founded in 1985, CIT, a nonprofit corporation, has been a primary driver of advocating for innovation and entrepreneurship in the Commonwealth. CIT accelerates next generation technologies and technology companies through commercialization, capital formation, and market development initiatives. Our programs include | CIT GAP Funds | Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) | Virginia Founders Fund | Broadband/Rural Broadband | Smart Communities | Cybersecurity | Unmanned Systems | SBIR/STTR Support (Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs) | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement on behalf of Virginia Entrepreneurship & Economic Development. CIT’s CAGE Code is 1UP71. Contact: 2214 Rock Hill Road #600, Herndon, VA 20170 | 703.689.3000 | www.cit.org | You can also follow CIT on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
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