Winning an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) or STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) grant can be the turning point in a founder’s journey. Described as “America’s Seed Fund,” this influx of non-dilutive funding gives them the resources to expand their research, conduct customer discovery, hire team members, and explore the commercialization of their innovation. However, time-intensive and complex application processes can make it difficult to submit a competitive application without the assistance of a grant writing consultant.
That’s where the SBIR/STTR Assistance Program comes in. Funded by NYSTAR and administered by Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement, the program has deep roots in New York and serves companies doing work anywhere in the state.
By providing up to $2,000 in matching funding for NYS-based startup companies to work with a qualified SBIR/STTR grant-writing consultant, the process is simplified and made accessible for aspiring entrepreneurs who might not have the capital to invest in hiring a consultant. Since 2021, 40 startups have received matching funding, with 15 of those applicants going on to win SBIR/STTR funding totaling nearly $8 million.
Read on for a Q&A with the founders of two of our recent SBIR/STTR-winning startups.
First Water Technology
Founded by Marcin Sawczuk, Cornell University PhD in Environmental Engineering | $255,849 SBIR Phase I from the National Science Foundation
Can you describe your tech and the problem you’re working to solve?
We are offering water treatment systems which are an enhanced version of the conventional coagulation-sedimentation-filtration process. Our technology allows for minimizing both capital and operational expenses, by decreasing the plant footprint and lowering the need for costly maintenance and service operations. We achieve that goal by relying on careful design of the tank geometry, which harnesses the fluid dynamics to do the job typically done by the costly mechanical components. It is a major factor differentiating us from the competitors, as they rely heavily on energy- and maintenance-intensive technologies.
What was it like to receive SBIR funding? How will the award further your work?
Due to the nature of our technology – which is a physical product in the field typically associated with a slow implementation of new solutions – our company was not particularly compelling to the investors before we were able to show the proof that it works. At the same time, in order to conduct tests and prove that our solution works we need a substantial amount of funding necessary to build a setup large enough to be considered as representative to our customers and run it for long enough to convince the regulators. It creates a chicken-and-egg type of problem, which was one of the things addressed during the I-Corps program. Through the program, we identified the SBIR grant as the most viable way forward, so in the company we focused our attention on securing it. For us, the SBIR award is both a result of many months of preparatory work, and many months of waiting for the grant. Now we have that opportunity and we are hoping to make the best use of it.
How has the SBIR/STTR Assistance Program supported your success?
More than anything else, the Assistance Program allowed us to lower the barrier to apply for federal funding. It was both through the financial assistance, but also through the collaboration with the consultant writing the grant application. Although it was a lot of hard work, preparation of the proposal was very smooth, in a sense that all the obstacles were right away addressed by our partner supporting the proposal preparation. It was a huge help and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without the Assistance Program.
Do you have any other connections to the Ithaca entrepreneurial ecosystem?
Yes. First of all, we received many hours of mentoring by great Cornell instructors, both through the formalized mentoring sessions and just informal conversations. First Water Technology was also a part of the 2021-22 Cornell eLab Accelerator cohort [Cornell’s student startup accelerator]. Additionally, I attended a regional I-Corps course at RIT in 2019, which is when I started to think about founding a business. As a part of my PhD., I was also part of a 2020 National I-Corps Teams cohort, which was mandatory for the beneficiaries of the NSF PFI grant from which my research was funded at that time. Besides the formal training and mentoring, we also received some pre-seed funding facilitated through the Cornell entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Founded by Sean Bellefeuille, DVM candidate at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine | $254,580 SBIR Phase I from the National Science Foundation
Can you describe your tech and the problem you’re working to solve?
Our project goal is to leverage artificial intelligence technology to create implants that fit dogs better and are created and fit based on their anatomy and not on current human solutions. The software will allow clinicians to plan for procedures and suggest implant selection and placement all the while providing us with data to support our implant design. For the purposes of this project, we are concentrating on implants to fix jaw fractures in dogs.
What was it like to receive SBIR funding? How will the award further your work?
It was thrilling for the team. It gave us a massive boost and will support us as we expand our surgical offerings with veterinary implants.
How has the SBIR/STTR Assistance Program supported your success?
We cannot thank them enough for their support! Working with William [Heptig, program manager] was great and he made the process very easy.
Do you have any other connections to the Ithaca entrepreneurial ecosystem?
I am active on the Entrepreneurship@Cornell email listserv and have been very impressed with the quality of content and the awesome network it has opened up. I have created multiple connections and actually hired a couple of employees I met through it! Additionally, I want to highlight the Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship. I work with them quite a bit and they have been incredibly supportive and helpful in providing resources and helping me connect with other parts of the Cornell entrepreneurial network.
Interested in learning more about how the SBIR/STTR Assistance Program can help take your startup to the next level? Join us for a virtual information session on July 6.
