Helping Startups Secure Federal Funding
Federal funding can make a huge difference for a startup. The
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, also known as America's Seed Fund, are one of the largest sources of early-stage capital for technology commercialization in the U.S. Here at Oregon BEST, we operate the
SBIR/STTR Support Center, helping entrepreneurs navigate the application process. And our support works! As you'll read below, two local startups were just awarded $450,000, and to date, we've played a role in helping 10 startups secure more than $3.2 million in SBIR/STTR funding. Let us know if we can help you! And check out the calendar below to see events with SBIR/STTR connections.
Best wishes,
David Kenney,
President & Executive Director
Oregon BEST
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Clean Technology Saves H2O, Improves Crops
SmartVineyards' sensor network technology boosts yields and quality
Applying stress to grapevines by withholding irrigation during key periods of the growing season can influence everything from the size of the ripened fruit to the flavor of the wine. Oregon startup
SmartVineyards LLC is receiving impact investment support from Oregon BEST to team with researchers at Oregon State University and the Washington State University to fast-track a new technology that helps vineyard owners monitor soil water tension in order to manage irrigation, control plant stress, and save water. Watch the
KATU TV video. Read the
Capital Press article.
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Startups Land $450,000 in SBIR Funding from NSF
New technologies aim at safer sunscreens and bettering indoor air quality
With assistance from our
SBIR/STTR Support Center, two Oregon startups have been awarded a total of $450,000 in
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Corvallis based
Gadusol Laboratories (
co-founder Taifo Mahmud, pictured above) received a $225,000 Phase I SBIR grant to advance a technology for producing UV blocking compounds found in marine life that can be used in environmentally friendly, all natural sunscreens.
Diatomix, Inc., a Beaverton startup (
see story, below), also received a $225,000 SBIR grant for a bio-engineered smart material that improves indoor air quality by adsorbing and then breaking down hazardous, airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Full story.
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Enlisting Tiny Skeletons to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Tiny diatoms and light transform VOCs to harmless CO2 and water
What if household cleaners, wood flooring, and wall paints contained a “smart” material additive that, when exposed to light, continuously removed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor air? Beaverton startup
Diatomix, Inc. has developed just such a material and, with support from Oregon BEST’s
SBIR/STTR Support Center, recently won a $250,000 SBIR grant to commercialize its product, which utilizes tiny, barrel-shaped diatoms coated with titanium dioxide to break down VOC molecules into water and carbon dioxide.
Full story.
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Celebrating and Supporting Women Entrepreneurs
Opportunity to connect, learn about SBIR funding, and listen to experts
In our ongoing commitment to build diversity among entrepreneurs, we are proud to be co-hosting a collaborative event on March 8th at our Portland office focused on building a supportive network and providing resources for women entrepreneurs. This free event, co-hosted by Women in Science-PDX, the Oregon Bioscience Incubator, and the Oregon Clinical & Translational Research Institute, will include a Q&A panel (with Robin Klemm, Rachel Dreilinger, Patti White, and Holly Rockweiler), a presentation about SBIR resources, networking opportunities, and food and beverages.
Register here. (
Photo: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and women entrepreneurs of Oregon BEST Companies at BEST FEST.)
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Sequestering CO2 Deep Down
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Oregon State University professor
DORTHE WILDENSCHILD is studying ways to capture carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels and inject it deep into the Earth, where it can be locked away. Ironically, the process stems from methods used by the fossil-fuel industry to extract oil trapped in small pores of geological formations near existing wells. Wildenschild admits that CO2 sequestration will not solve climate change, but it could provide a bridge as the world transitions from fossil fuels to renewables. What’s needed most, she says, is national leadership and funding to speed the research.
Full story.
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FUNDING, EVENTS, &
DEADLINES
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EVENTS...
Building a supportive network and providing resources for women entrepreneurs, this free event takes place at Oregon BEST's office in Portland.
See details in story, above.
Oregon BEST's Leon Wolf will discuss the ins and outs of applying for SBIR funding with help from Oregon BEST's
SBIR/STTR Support Center. Klamath Falls
Attend what is known as the nation's best solar conference. Portland
Celebrating the excellence and achievement in the region's technology industry by honoring outstanding individuals and companies for accomplishments, leadership, and commitment to the industry and community.
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FUNDING | SUPPORT | VISIBILITY...
Oregon BEST helps cleantech startups and university researchers find a range of support, visibility, and
FUNDING
.
Application Deadline: March 2, 2018
Are you a businesses, group, or individual who has a creative, ambitious, radical, and resilient solution to our most difficult problems? If so, apply for the Model the Way Awards
here.
If your product or service is “Made in America,” your company could qualify for this matching grant funding from the Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center.
A group of investors contributes time, expertise, capital, and connections to help founders gain access to the right people and resources to grow their business their way.
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We're Here to Help!
Resources and expertise for Oregon innovators
Oregon BEST
supports great ideas from entrepreneurs, university researchers, and startups. We create global impact, one startup at a time by working with you to transform your ideas, research, and/or products into successful enterprises.
For
Oregon-based companies developing proprietary, technology-based products
, we offer assistance in securing
early-stage funding
, as well as access to
critical support channels
. Talk to us!
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