BIRMINGHAM — More than a half-dozen Huntsville companies are among 13 companies statewide as winners of SBIR/STTR supplemental grants, Innovate Alabama introduced.
This spherical’s Huntsville space recipients are EngeniusMicro, ENVENTION, HyBird Space Systems, Ok Sciences, KODA Technologies, Linc Research, Zaden Technologies and Zeus Research and Technology, every increasing R&D capability and creating high-tech jobs within the area, the Innovate Alabama information launch stated.
The $2.2 million funding helps analysis, product improvement and job creation in key industries together with biotechnology, aerospace, superior manufacturing, supplies science and software program.“These 13 companies have already proven their technologies can compete and win against the best in the country,” stated Innovate Alabama CEO Cynthia Crutchfield. “Our role is to help them scale those innovations here, creating Alabama jobs and sustained economic growth.”
The program matches federal analysis awards, permitting Alabama to increase the attain of these {dollars} whereas protecting revolutionary companies in-state.
“Over the past three years, it has become clear how this supplemental funding creates a multiplier effect,” stated Dr. Michael Chambers, Innovate Alabama board member and University of South Alabama chief financial improvement officer, who has championed this system since its inception. “Companies leverage the funding to expand their technical teams, bring products to market faster and establish the R&D infrastructure that generates jobs and revenue in Alabama.”
Nine of this 12 months’s recipients have returned after utilizing earlier awards to develop their groups and safe extra federal funding. Their continued success demonstrates how the matching mannequin creates compounding returns for Alabama’s economic system.
“Each round, this program continues to deliver measurable results,” stated Dave King, Innovate Alabama board member and former director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “Companies returning as multi-round recipients demonstrate the value of this support in helping them scale, secure additional federal contracts, and grow right here in Alabama, ultimately growing our state’s economy.”
Huntsville space recipients
- EngeniusMicro – Designs and manufactures superior MEMS sensors and microelectronics for protection and aerospace purposes. A 3-time recipient, the corporate has earned a number of SBIR awards and a $1 million Missile Defense Agency contract.
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ENVENTION, LLC – Builds software program, FPGA {hardware} and AI/ML techniques for protection and area purposes. The firm is utilizing its NASA Phase II SBIR award to develop a radiation-hardened co-processor for spacecraft, constructing on earlier work at Marshall Space Flight Center.
- HyBird Space Systems – Builds hybrid rocket engines for protection and business aerospace utilizing safer propellants and trendy manufacturing. The firm just lately added six engineers and accomplished hot-fire assessments of its first Alabama-built engines. A previous recipient, HyBird is establishing a propulsion check stand to speed up in-house testing and improvement.
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Ok Sciences GP, LLC – Conducts utilized analysis in sensors and supplies science. The firm has obtained three SBIR/STTR awards totaling $1.2 million, together with work in fiber-optic sensing know-how, and is utilizing state assist to advance its latest Air Force mission and native R&D.
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KODA Technologies – Designs and develops weapons techniques for the Department of Defense and NASA. A previous recipient, KODA is utilizing this grant to enhance techniques and algorithms for detecting spacecraft, and the corporate has employed an Alabama A&M engineering intern to assist its analysis crew.
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Linc Research Inc. – Provides structural, mechanical, optical and software program engineering options for NASA and the Department of Defense. A two-time recipient and HUBZone agency based mostly in Cummings Research Park, Linc is utilizing its NASA SBIR award to develop new spaceflight {hardware} and increase in-house R&D capability.
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Zaden Technologies Inc. – Creates AI-driven protection software program that automates Model-Based Systems Engineering by its Icarus platform. A two-time recipient, the corporate is testing, securing and scaling the platform whereas including Alabama-based expertise to speed up supply for presidency customers.
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Zeus Research and Technology Inc. – Develops navigation techniques that function reliably in GPS-denied environments. A 3-time recipient, the corporate is advancing sensor fusion and steerage applied sciences for protection purposes and increasing its R&D capabilities at Cummings Research Park.