The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology (CSIT) announced Monday that it has awarded a combined $3.9 million in grants to 45 startups statewide through its Catalyst Seed Research and Development Grant and Clean Tech Seed Grant programs.
The awards will help these young New Jersey companies accelerate development of their technologies and transform their discoveries from the research stage into commercially viable products and services.
“Cultivating companies within our state during their formative years helps us to promote financial growth, sustainability, and economic mobility for years to come,” said CSIT Executive Director Judith Sheft.
CSIT’s Catalyst Seed R&D Grant Program has awarded 27 early-stage startup companies a total of $2.6 million in funding through grants of up to $150,000 for life sciences startups focusing on drug development and therapeutics and up to $75,000 for R&D. Emerging companies receiving awards for R&D are involved in technological innovation across manufacturing, transportation and logistics, film and digital media, life sciences, non-retail food and beverage, finance and professional services, and technology sectors.
Of those receiving awards from CSIT, 95% of awardees have five or fewer employees; 43% are certified as minority-owned businesses; 30% are certified women-owned; and 22% have licensed technology from a New Jersey university.
“New Jersey’s startups are amongst the very best in the nation and truly place the State at the forefront of innovation and conservation,” said CSIT Vice Chair and BioNJ Founding President and CEO Debbie Hart. “The Catalyst Seed R&D Grant and Clean Tech Seed Grant Programs reinforce the state’s commitment to its small businesses and nurtures advancements in a range of innovation areas including technology, life sciences, and clean tech sectors.”
A total of $1.3 million in funding will also be awarded to 18 companies chosen in Round 2 of the Clean Tech Seed Grant Program, which was jointly developed by CSIT and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. This program provides grants for R&D activities to very early-stage, New Jersey-based clean technology companies that will help them to advance their development on products and services to a point where they can more readily appeal to outside investors and, in some cases, begin to generate revenue.
Of these awards, 72% of awardees have five or fewer employees; 15% of the awardees are certified as minority-owned businesses; 15% are certified women-owned; and 11% have licensed technology from a New Jersey university.
A list of all awardees can be found below:
Catalyst Seed Grant Program Drug Development:
- CSR Pharma Group Inc. ($150,000)
- DMK Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ($150,000)
- InteguRx Therapeutics LLC. ($150,000)
- Kathera Bioscience, Inc. ($150,000)
- Lactiga US, Inc. ($149,828)
- NeuroPair, Inc. ($150,000)
- Plumeria Therapeutics Inc. ($150,000)
- Regenosine ($149,500)
- Throne Biotechnologies Inc. ($150,000)
Catalyst Seed Grant Program Other Categories:
- AquaPao, Inc. ($75,000)
- Arke Aeronautics LLC ($75,000)
- Beyond Main ($75,000)
- Discogen LLC ($75,000)
- Drone Go Home, LLC ($75,000)
- EnvoyatHome, Inc. ($75,000)
- HealRWorld LLC ($75,000)
- Hindsight Technology Solutions ($75,000)
- Innovations Unlimited LLC. ($74,999)
- Li Creative Technologies, Inc. ($74,909)
- Licentiam, Inc. ($74,975)
- Misram LLC dba Spectronn ($75,000)
- Nu Lightwave Logic LLC. ($72,550)
- OLI TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ($74,809)
- Phoresis, Inc. ($74,976)
- RizLab Health Inc. ($75,000)
- Serdiuk Industries LLC ($75,000)
- Tendo Technologies, Inc. ($75,000)
Clean Tech Seed Grant Program Awardees:
- 13 Mari NJ Ltd ($74,578)
- 0 Analytics Inc ($75,000)
- Blue Rock Solutions Inc ($75,000)
- BRISEA Group Inc. ($74,800)
- Energy Research Company ($74,996)
- ExoCell Power Corporation ($74,993)
- Exovolar Industries Corp ($74,930)
- FPG PowerPLUS ($75,000)
- HiT Nano, Inc ($75,000)
- iCheck Energy LLC ($75,000)
- Neutroelectric, LLC ($75,000)
- Phoresis, Inc ($74,968)
- Pollux Technologies, LLC ($74,960)
- Project Plastic LLC ($74,990)
- Redifarms, LLC ($63,080)
- SingletO2 Therapeutics LLC ($75,000)
- Sunowner Inc ($74,160)
- SWIND POWER LLC ($72,510)
