Two Rochester technology startups awarded grant from Launch Minnesota
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced Tuesday that Launch Minnesota has awarded nearly $440,000 in matching grants to 17 local startups, two of which in Rochester.
The 17 local startups were also competitively awarded over $8 million in federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer funding (SBIR/STTR).
Of the 17 grantees, 10 are BIPOC or woman-owned businesses and/or are located in Greater Minnesota.
“We believe in the importance of fostering these technologies, which is why MN-DEED financially supports the Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator and startups through our innovation grants,” said Kevin McKinnon, DEED Deputy Commissioner for Economic Development.
The startups received support from the Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator™, which is Minnesota’s designated resource for SBIR/STTR assistance. The Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator delivers free, hands-on expertise and technical assistance to startups and small businesses to access this funding. It provides this assistance through funding provided by the US Small Business Administration, MN-DEED and other private and academic partnerships.
“These businesses underwent a very competitive and rigorous technical and commercialization evaluation on the national level to be awarded funding,” said Pat Dillon, Founder and Director, Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator.
Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR and STTR help small businesses explore their technological potential and provide the incentive to profit from its commercialization.
All 17 of the SBIR/STTR award recipients and their locations include:
Radwave Technologies (Saint Paul): Developing an electromagnetic navigation system that provides accurate object tracking for advanced surgical procedures.
LifEngine Animal Health Laboratories (Rochester): Using gene-editing technology to reprogram living cells for use as a cancer therapy in animals.
Inkit (Minneapolis): Developing a streamlined automated process to automatically generate paperless PDF documents at scale.
Advisory Aerospace OSC (Minnetonka): Developing a plug-and-play production scheduling optimizer for aerospace manufacturers using their current data streams.
Fybraworks Foods (Saint Paul): Developing a fermentation-based meat alternative that more closely mimics the taste and texture of animal meal through recombinant protein technologies.
Ability Interactive (Eagan): Developing a novel computerized assessment tool to improve outcome measures in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s clinical trials.
SuraMedical (Minneapolis): Development of an innovative Wound Alert treatment monitoring system enabling real-time monitoring.
Darcy Solutions (Excelsior): Developing a novel method of storing and recovering heat energy in the shallow subsurface using an innovative geothermal heat pump.
GogyUp (Minneapolis): Developing assistive reading technology to increase patients’ ability to understand, manage, and communicate information about chronic disease.
MineraLogic (Duluth): Researching and developing a novel predictive modeling tool and method for determining site-specific data to help companies optimize mining projects for increased CO2 sequestration.
TFWireless (Minneapolis): Developing a novel wireless communications technology based on physical (PHY) layer rateless codes.
Xanthos Health (Saint Paul): Develop and pilot a novel electronic-health record (EHR)-enabled standards-based mobile health information technology.
COHI Group (Arden Hills): Researching and developing a deep learning algorithm and otoscope that parents can use at home to diagnoses ear infections in children.
Conway Medical (Rochester): Developing a novel large-bore thrombectomy system appropriate for transradial access.
AdvancedCPR Solutions LLC (Edina): Researching and developing novel resuscitation technologies.
CD3 (Saint Paul): Developing a biosensor for use in aquaculture to detect customers’ target aquatic pathogens.
Rowbot Systems (Minneapolis): Developing a novel artificial intelligence technology that enables corn farmers to optimize nitrogen fertilizer applications based on field characteristics, rainfall, and growing conditions.
For more information on the grant recipients visit here.
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