Ten high-tech Milwaukee- and Madison-area companies have received $875,000 in grant funding from the state SBIR Advance program.
The state matching grants are awarded as an extra commercialization boost to companies that are already completing a project through the federal Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer programs. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and University of Wisconsin System Administration’s Center for Technology Commercialization administer the program.
The Phase I recipients, each of which has been granted $75,000, are:
- Madison-based Onexio Biosystems LLC, which develops solutions for drug development and toxicity testing;
- Milwaukee-based Protein Foundry LLC, which manufactures proteins used in biomedical research and preclinical drug testing;
- Madison-based Pyran LLC, which uses renewable wood and crop waste products to produce a chemical used in paints and plastics;
- Fitchburg-based Stem Pharm, which supplies biomaterials for cell and tissue manufacturing;
- and New Berlin-based Universal Real Time Power Conversion LLC, which has created an efficient, compact power conversion solution for use in aircraft, ships and micro grids.
Phase II recipients, which have been awarded up to $100,000 each, are:
- Madison-based Flexcompute, which offers on-demand scientific computing;
- Milwaukee-based Imagen Energy, which has developed technology used to reduce the size and cost of energy storage systems;
- Madison-based NCD Technologies, which engineers and optimizes diamond film coatings used in manufacturing and medical devices;
- Middleton-based PhylloTech Inc., which has engineered disease-resistant plants that produce defensive proteins;
- and Pewaukee-based V-Glass, which has developed energy-saving, vacuum-insulated window glass.
“SBIR Advance is an important tool to help young technology-focused businesses move from the pure research phase into business development, sales and growth,” said Aaron Hagar, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at WEDC. “Wisconsin is one of the top states for companies securing SBIR funding, and we are excited to provide this needed assistance to capitalize on the federal dollars coming into the state.”
