Department of Commerce
Grant agencyInvestment thesis
SBIR awards through Commerce components outside NIST and NOAA.
SBIR/STTR awards · non-dilutive funding
Federal grants and contracts to small businesses — no equity taken. Awards on record 1985–2017.
722 Phase I · 286 Phase II · most-funded states: CA, MA, MD, CO, VA
| Recent awardees | Phase | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| USML L.L.C.Summerfield, NC | Phase II | 2017 | $399.8K |
| Catalina Sea RanchSan Pedro, CA | Phase II | 2016 | $400K |
| Forever Oceans CorporationWarrenton, VA | Phase I | 2016 | $119.8K |
| SOUTHWEST SCIENCES INCSanta Fe, NM | Phase II | 2016 | $400K |
| INNOVATIVE IMAGING & RESEARCH CORPStennis Space Center, MS | Phase II | 2016 | $400K |
| MANO NANOTECHNOLOGIES INCGuilderland, NY | Phase II | 2016 | $400K |
| Proteus Technologies, LLCSlidell, LA | Phase II | 2016 | $400K |
| AMETHYST RESEARCH INCArdmore, OK | Phase II | 2016 | $400K |
| Cultured Abalone Farm LLC, TheGoleta, CA | Phase II | 2016 | $400K |
| INTELLIGENT OPTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Torrance, CA | Phase II | 2016 | $400K |
| NORTHWEST RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC.Redmond, WA | Phase II | 2016 | $400K |
| GINER INCNewton, MA | Phase II | 2016 | $399.9K |
| PRESCIENT WEATHER LTDState College, PA | Phase II | 2016 | $399.9K |
| CLIMATE FORECAST APPLICATIONS NETWORK, LLCReno, NV | Phase II | 2016 | $399.6K |
| ARETE ASSOCIATESNorthridge, CA | Phase II | 2016 | $398.7K |
| Fernandez, StevenRio Rancho, NM | Phase II | 2016 | $380.2K |
| Mechelen, LLCStennis Space Center, MS | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| C.A. GOUDEY & ASSOCIATESNewburyport, MA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| MAKEL ENGINEERING, INC.Chico, CA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| OPTO-KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS INCTorrance, CA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| TOYON RESEARCH CORPORATIONGoleta, CA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| TOYON RESEARCH CORPORATIONGoleta, CA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| ENTANGLEMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Burlingame, CA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| BOULDER ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY, LLCBoulder, CO | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| REMOTE SENSING SOLUTIONS, INC.Barnstable, MA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| ADAPTIVE DYNAMICS, INC.San Diego, CA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| GIRD SYSTEMS INCCincinnati, OH | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| SUNBURST SENSORS, LLCMissoula, MT | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| SHARED SPECTRUM COMPANYVienna, VA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
| R3 DIGITAL SCIENCES, INC.Blacksburg, VA | Phase I | 2016 | $120K |
Source: SBIR.gov award data (U.S. Small Business Administration). SBIR/STTR awards are non-dilutive — the agency takes no equity.
What they invest in
from 71 of 122 portfolio companiesDeep Tech ×45Hardware ×42Defense Tech ×23Advanced Manufacturing ×12New Materials ×11Climate Tech ×10AI & Machine Learning ×8Space Tech ×7
HQs:United States×28
Investments · 122 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2016 · 302012 · 737 dated
ADA Technologies is a Colorado-based manufacturing company with an R&D division that develops, manufactures, and delivers customized products for advanced market customers.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardware
Adaptive Dynamics Inc.
Deep TechDefense TechHardware
Aerodyne Research develops research-grade scientific instrumentation and provides measurement and R&D services focused on environmental and energy challenges.
Climate TechDeep TechHardware
Amethyst Research develops infrared detector and emitter technologies, offering materials growth, device prototyping, and testing for government agencies, national labs, universities, and prime contractors.
Deep TechDefense TechHardware
Analytical Instrument Systems (AIS, Inc.) designs and supplies voltammetric electrochemical instruments for analyzing environmental conditions in extreme settings, from deep oceans to polar regions.
CleantechClimate TechHardware
Applied Mathematics, Inc. builds and implements computational models that help clients better understand their systems and processes to improve performance.
Deep TechEnterprise Software
Areté develops technology and engineering solutions with a focus on defense applications, including counter-drone systems and missile defense.
Deep TechDefense Tech
Barron Associates develops intelligent and adaptive technologies to measure, model, predict, and control complex systems, with the aim of improving performance, safety, and efficiency.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechRobotics
Biospherical Instruments designs and builds optical and environmental sensors and deployment systems for aquatic, terrestrial, and airborne observations, including radiometers and profiling systems.
Climate TechDeep TechHardware
Brechtel designs aerosol measurement instruments and software used to support research on climate change, air quality, and cloud sampling.
Climate TechDeep TechHardwareFremont, US
Fred Brechtel
San Pedro, US
DEBORAH JOHNSON(Director)PHIL CRUVER(Executive Officer, Director)ROGER O'BRIEN(Director)JOHN EGER(Executive Officer)
CFD Research is a private company recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies.
Deep Tech
Ciencia Inc. develops the Centinela diagnostic platform, which performs dozens of point-of-care medical tests from fingerstick or venous samples with results in under 30 minutes.
BiotechDigital HealthMedical Devices
Climate Forecast Applications Network (CFAN) develops probabilistic weather and climate forecasting products using ensemble methods and machine learning, offering decision-support dashboards and tools for tropical cyclones, energy trading, and extreme events.
AI & Machine LearningClimate TechEnergy
Judith CurryPeter Webster
CODAR develops high-frequency (HF) radar systems, including the SeaSonde, that map ocean surface currents in real time for coastal operations and ocean monitoring.
Deep TechHardwareIoTMountain View, US
New Castle, US
Erica Nemser(Executive Officer, Director)Bill Charlton(Executive Officer)Bennett Nemser(Director)
BoardGuido Radaelli(Director)Chris Erickson(Director)Tony Sun(Director)
Creare is an engineering research and development firm that solves complex technical problems and develops new technologies for industry and government customers.
Deep TechHardwareSpace Tech
Dr. Jay Rozzi(Senior Staff)Jeff Breedlove(Senior Staff)Dr. Odile Clavier(Senior Staff)Dr. Patrick Magari(Senior Staff)
Boulder, US
Robert McAllister(CEO)Brendan Green(Vice President)Edward Benford(Manager and Vice President)Benjamin Riefe(Manager and Secretary)
Dynaflow, Inc. provides research and development services and products in fluid dynamics and material sciences, specializing in bubble dynamics, cavitation, fluid-structure interactions, and erosion testing.
Deep TechHardwareNew MaterialsAnnapolis Junction, US
Electro Standards Laboratories designs and manufactures electronic hardware including network and USB switches, interface and fiber converters, data acquisition and signal conditioners, supercapacitor-based UPS and power management systems, cables, breakout boxes, and custom products.
Advanced ManufacturingEnergyHardware
AgTechWarrenton, US
Tony Baxendale(Director)Mathew Goldsborough(Executive Officer, Director)Jason Heckathorn(Executive Officer, Director)
FTI Defense builds a mission data platform combining data analytics, modeling and simulation, and generative AI tools — including the WOPR wargaming platform and an AI Sidekick application — to support military and defense operations.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDefense Tech
GeoOptics develops satellite-based Earth observation instruments and GNSS weather products that provide atmospheric, surface, and subsurface data for environmental monitoring and planning.
Climate TechData & InfrastructureDeep TechSpace TechPasadena, US
Thomas P. Yunck(Executive Officer, Director)Jon Kirchner(Executive Officer)Conrad C. Lautenbacher(Executive Officer, Director)Russell H. Packer(Executive Officer)
BoardMarco Villa(Director)Wesley K. Clark(Director)
GIRD Systems develops custom signal processing, communications, and electronic warfare solutions, including custom waveform development, hardware optimized for SWaP-C, and agnostic IP cores for digital communications.
Deep TechDefense TechHardware
GrammaTech develops software analysis and binary transformation technologies for vulnerability detection, binary hardening, firmware SBOM extraction, and continuous monitoring.
CybersecurityDefense TechDeveloper Tools
Harmonia provides engineering and technology services to government agencies to support their missions.
Enterprise SoftwareGovTech
HLS Research is an employee-owned firm of scientists and engineers conducting basic and applied research into wave propagation, with a specialization in underwater acoustics and oceanographic research.
Deep TechDefense TechLa Jolla, US
Develops advanced materials and electrochemical technologies, including geopolymers, electrochemical processes and sensors.
Deep TechDefense TechNew Materials
HYPRES designs and commercializes superconductor integrated circuits and systems, including its Advanced Digital-RF Receiver and the ICE-T cryogenic test-bed, for government and commercial applications.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductors
Inovati develops Kinetic Metallization, a low-pressure cold spray additive manufacturing process that deposits metals, ceramics, and polymers onto surfaces without melting the feedstock or substrate.
Advanced ManufacturingHardwareNew Materials
IEM develops measurement and monitoring systems for the railway industry, along with field services to operate those systems.
HardwareIoTMobility & Transportation
LI-COR designs and builds environmental monitoring instruments and analysis software, including trace gas analyzers, plant physiology tools, and data loggers connected to its LI-COR Cloud platform.
CleantechClimate TechHardware
Luna develops fiber optic sensing, measurement and non-destructive testing systems for physical, mechanical and temperature measurement, along with photonic testing solutions for designing and testing optical components and networks.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardware
Luxel manufactures ultra-thin freestanding band-pass foil filters for the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray spectrum, RADAK effusion cell thermal evaporators for thin film deposition, and TEM sample supports.
Deep TechHardwareNew Materials
Mainstream Engineering researches, engineers, and manufactures advanced technology products—including refrigeration and environmental control units, power converters, engines, thermal management systems, and bioenergy/sensing solutions—for government, military, commercial, and industrial customers.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechDefense TechRockledge, US