The 16 NJ companies That Received a Total of $450K from CSIT for SBIR/STTR Assistance
The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) awarded a total of $450,000 to 16 early-stage companies through the state’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Direct Financial Assistance Program.
Each of the awardees is currently engaged in the federal SBIR and/or STTR programs. The awards will enhance the state’s innovation economy by strengthening the competitiveness of Garden State businesses participating in the federal programs, according to a release. To date, CSIT has awarded a total of $825,000 to 28 New Jersey companies during the program’s two funding rounds. (See previous story: The 12 NJ Tech and Life Sciences Companies Awarded CSIT Innovation Economy Grants, June 23, 2020).
Of the 16 companies in the second round, 14 received federal SBIR/STTR Phase I, Fast-Track or Direct to Phase II awards/contracts, and were each awarded a grant of $25,000. The remaining two companies received $50,000 each in bridge funding; they had successfully completed Phase I and have applied for Phase II of the federal SBIR/STTR programs. The company descriptions below were taken from their websites, other public materials, or from email interactions.
Recipients of the $25,000 grants:
- Atux Iskay Group (Plainsboro) – This company specializes in consulting, drug discovery, pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry, and organic synthesis and synthetic technology.
- BRISEA Group (Parsippany) – A New Jersey state-certified woman/minority-owned company, BRISEA provides professional environmental and energy services, technology and know-how to developing countries.
- DMK Pharmaceuticals (Gladstone) – This company’s lead, clinical-stage molecule is currently being developed for the treatment of opioid use disorder.
- Drone Go Home (Oceanport) – Drone Go Home, rebranded as AeroDefense, is a New Jersey State-certified woman-owned business that was founded in 2015. It offers solutions that detect drones and pilots at correctional facilities, stadiums, critical infrastructure and other high-value targets. AeroDefense’s drone detection system, AirWarden, detects and locates both drone and pilot simultaneously, providing actionable intelligence for security teams, thereby enabling them to respond safely and effectively to drone threats.
- Innovations Unlimited (Pennsauken) – This New Jersey State-certified woman-owned business is finalizing the design of its flagship product, the TrachAlarm, a patented novel, low-cost, life-saving accessory that automatically detects and alerts caregivers to accidental tracheostomy tube decannulation.
- Mgenuity Corporation (Princeton) – Mgenuity Research was founded in 2012 with the goal of developing exciting educational software that helps students deeply understand core concepts in science and mathematics. The team includes accomplished science writers and teachers, internationally known mathematicians and math-education experts, as well as enthusiastic 3D designers and software developers.
- MRIMATH (Voorhees) – MRIMATH’s technology delivers precise contouring of a tumor, distinguishing it from surrounding healthy tissue and organs to reduce the time it takes to plan radiation treatment and boost patient outcomes. The underlying technology is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) agent that prevents organ damage from radiation and decreases human error and variability. The AI agent interacts with the physician to achieve a precise delineation of the target boundaries within few minutes. Tumor delineation and quantification remains the weakest link in the search for accuracy in radiotherapy. Inaccuracy and variation in defining critical volumes could compromise treatment outcomes. This critical task is generally performed manually. Conventional manual delineation is quite tedious, time consuming and variable. The time of a segmentation can vary from 30 to 90 minutes per MRI, but some difficult cases can take several hours.
- Neutroelectric (Williamstown) – This New Jersey State-certified woman-owned company, now doing business as Becq, is a materials engineering startup that’s developing high-performance radiation shielding technology.
- RenewCO2 (Jersey City) – For chemical companies that want to get ahead of the competition in renewable sourcing, RenewCO₂ develops clean electrochemical processes that convert CO₂ into monomers and other organic chemicals. Different from traditional fossil-derived feedstocks, this company’s process is carbon negative and has a positive environmental impact.
- RizLab Health (Princeton) – This company is bringing complete blood count analysis to the patient’s fingertips using a wireless AI-fired pocket-sized fully electronic analyzer.
- SAPHTx (Newark) – With a dedicated team of engineers, biologists and inventors that have a passion for scientific innovation, SAPHTx develops protein-based therapeutic strategies for some of the biggest health issues we face. The company also excels at translating the innovations and inventions of engineers and scientists in academia.
- Shock Tech (Mahwah) – Shock Tech provides custom solutions to your vibration, shock-energy, noise and acoustic challenges — from innovation to manufacturing.
- SunRay Scientific (Eatontown) – Also a New Jersey State-certified woman/minority-owned company, SunRay Scientific has created a suite of engineered solutions called “ZTACH ACE,” which is an anisotropic conductive adhesive that will enable manufacturers to use high throughput processes in flexible electronics assembly and deliver on the low-cost promise of flexible electronics.
- Telluric Labs (Red Bank) – Telluric Labs develops data acquisition networks and systems.
Recipients of the Bridge Funding Grants:
- Andluca Technologies (Princeton) – Andluca, a Princeton University spin-out, has developed an ultraviolet-solar-powered smart glass for improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Andluca’s patented technologies can reduce building energy use by up to 40 percent, while significantly enhancing occupant comfort and productivity. Unlike wired smart glass products, which require installation and renovation by an electrician, Andluca’s wireless smart glass can be installed quickly and nondisruptively.
- BioInvenu (East Hanover) – BioInvenu is a biotech company that provides proprietary cell-based assay products and services to drug discovery researchers. The company develops these products/services by utilizing a novel cell-based protein–protein interaction assay technology: LinkLight technology.
