The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are federal programs that provide non-dilutive seed funding to startup companies for early-stage product development. Both programs have three phases, with funding available to startups in Phases I and II.
Each year, eleven Federal agencies, including NSF, NASA, and DoD, allocate 3% of their budget, through SBIR/STTR, to fund research activities that address a specific need of each agency. The SBIR/STTR programs are highly competitive and the application and proposal writing process can be daunting. Hiring a SBIR/STTR consultant can help you both navigate the proposal process and help you write and apply to the right agency.
The SBIR/STTR Assistance Program is NYSTAR funded and helps eligible companies, based in New York State, hire a qualified SBIR/STTR consultant to help them develop a proposal. This program is administered by Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement. The SBIR/STTR Assistance Program provides matching funding (usually 1:1), up to a preset limit, so awarded companies can hire a qualified SBIR/STTR consultant.
Funded Startups
Through the SBIR/STTR Assistance Program, these companies were provided funding to hire a consultant to aid them in navigating the SBIR/STTR application process.
Soctera
$256,000 SBIR Phase I
National Science Foundation
OWiC Technologies
$999,885 SBIR Phase II
National Science Foundation
Med Dimensions
$254,580 SBIR Phase I
National Science Foundation
Intermix Performance Materials
$199,737 SBIR Phase I
$1,137,541 SBIR Phase II
US Department of Energy
Inso Biosciences
$250,894 SBIR Phase I
National Science Foundation
Heat Inverse
$1,000,000 SBIR Phase II
National Science Foundation
HairDays
$276,000 SBIR Phase I
National Science Foundation
First Water Technology
$255,849 SBIR Phase I
National Science Foundation
Ezra Bio
$256,000 SBIR Phase I
National Science Foundation
Exostellar
$1,149,868 SBIR Phase II
US Department of Energy
Dynamic Locomotion
$248,418 SBIR Phase I
National Science Foundation
Assistance in Motion
$256,000 SBIR Phase I
National Science Foundation
Antithesis Foods
$998,717 SBIR Phase II
National Science Foundation
Advanced Growing Resources
$255,786 SBIR Phase I
National Science Foundation
Company Spotlights
Inso Biosciences
Inso Biosciences is developing a microfludic platform that improves and automates DNA sample preparation for long-read DNA sample preparation for long-read DNA sequencing.
In January 2020, Inso Biosciences received a $225,000 SBIR Phase I award from the National Science Foundation to demonstrate the feasibility of a fundamentally different approach to multi-mic single cell processing. The broader impact of the project is to commercialize an automatable microfluidic technology capable of disrupting the existing sample preparation market. Since then, Inso Biosciences received a $250,000 SBIR Phase I award from the National Institute of Health in June 2021 to develop better sample preparation solutions for pathogen detection and sequencing to monitor diseases such as tuberculosis; and raised $2.275 million in pre-seed financing in March 2022.
HairDays
HairDays is innovating the hair care industry through AI, machine learning, and data science-backed technology.
In March 2022, HairDays received a $256,000 SBIR Phase 1 award from the National Science Foundation. HairDays is developing an AI-powered intelligence platform that empowers individuals to take their hair health into their own hands by offering users access to data-driven and personalized insights. Hair health plays an important factor in mental and physical health; however, an absence of transparent data has disproportionately disadvantaged access to quality products and care information, particularly among minority communities, leading to the use of products and hairstyles that adversely impact hair and scalp health.