Seven WI startups receive SBIR Advance matching grants

Seven Wisconsin companies have been awarded a combined $675,000 through the latest round of the SBIR Advance program, a state matching grant initiative designed to help startups commercialize technologies that have already secured federal research funding.

The awards were announced June 9 by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC), which jointly administer the program.

The latest round includes six Phase II recipients eligible for up to $100,000 in matching funds and one recipient eligible for up to $75,000.

The companies receiving awards are:

BiaCure Therapies of Pewaukee, which is developing a non-invasive treatment for nail fungus using high-frequency energy.

Calimetrix of Madison, a company providing reference standards that help improve the accuracy and reliability of quantitative medical imaging studies.

Groupware Technologies of Wauwatosa, developer of Provide Enterprise, a platform used by state and local agencies to manage eligibility, enrollment and care delivery for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

Regenerative Medical Solutions of Madison, which is developing stem cell-based therapies aimed at treating diabetes. The company is building on more than 25 years of research conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Jon Odorico at the University of Wisconsin.

Sativa Building Systems of Wittenberg, which manufactures proprietary hemp-based building materials for construction applications.

Steam Instruments of Madison, a startup developing next-generation mass spectrometry technologies designed to improve spatial resolution, mass range and quantum efficiency.

Varizymes Corporation of Middleton, an early-stage biotechnology company producing enzymes and point-of-care diagnostic technologies.

The SBIR Advance program provides matching funds to companies that have secured awards through the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Because federal SBIR and STTR funding is generally restricted to research and development activities, the state program helps companies pursue commercialization efforts such as market validation, customer discovery and intellectual property development.

According to WEDC and CTC, this marks the 27th round of SBIR Advance funding since the program launched in 2014. Over that period, 203 awards totaling more than $17 million have been distributed to Wisconsin companies. Those recipients have gone on to secure more than $99 million in follow-on funding.

“We funded seven Phase II teams for the most recent round of SBIR Advance grants,” said Rob Baranowski, SBIR Advance program manager, in a statement. “We have a diverse group of companies that have received funding from the NSF, the NIH, the Army, the USDA, and NIST.”

The next SBIR Advance funding solicitation is expected to open later this summer.