TCIP is a critical tool for local startups to get initial funding for their businesses.
Do you know that the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) created the Technology Commercialization and Innovation Program (TCIP) as a way of allowing Utah companies to apply for competitive grants, helping to facilitate the growth of early-stage technology startups?
Yes, I agree that was a lot of buzzwords and acronyms for one sentence, but let’s concentrate on what is important — small businesses in Utah are receiving TCIP grants ranging from $60,000-$100,000 to accelerate the rise of cool technologies.
“TCIP is a critical tool for local startups to get initial funding for their businesses,” Val Hale, executive director of GOED, said in a statement. “These companies not only have innovative products but also have intrepid entrepreneurs that support the backbone of our local economy.”
As an intrepid person myself, I got to the very bottom of this equation. Out of a pool of 168 applications, 25 companies were awarded grants totaling $2,459,700. All applicants are graded by several panels that recommend funding based upon multiple factors, including the potential for job creation and economic development within Utah.
Here is the complete list of grant-receiving companies (descriptions provided via business.utah.gov):
Applied Biosensors — A novel microsensor that can continuously monitor almost any biomarker through smart hydrogels and magnetic sensing.
Axon Optics — Development of eyeglasses and contact lenses that block the wavelength of light that triggers migraines.
Bastion Biologics — PolyFab technology that can eliminate tumors in patients suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma more efficiently and without life threatening side effects.
Chapul — Chapul is developing the technology to manufacture high quality, ultra-fine (sub-100 micron particle size) cricket powder for a host of new nutritional applications.
Dark Energy — Dark Energy’s wearable radio and GPS converts a person’s smartphone into the ultimate hunting and outdoor companion. It gives your phone the capability to be a two-way radio, GPS, distress beacon, and more.
Elute, Inc. — ElutiBone is made from a unique combination of clinically well-known biomaterials to create an improved bone graft filler and antibiotic.
EStar Solutions, LLC — EStar Solutions has created the most efficient way to convert high-voltage power to light emitting diodes (LED’s) in the industry.
Fluidx Medical Technology — Embo-X allows physicians to perform embolics that are much more targeted, cost efffective, and eliminates the need to use toxic substances.
Homie, Inc. — Homie is a unique online marketplace where people can buy or sell residential and commercial real estate using technology instead of a real estate agent.
Lazarus Medical Technologies — RCT is the first repositionable chest drainage system. The current products date from 1875. Difficult to remove chest fluid can lead to significant morbidity and mortality.
Linq Home — Smart vents for central heating and air conditioning units.
MesaGen — Protein therapeutic which disables a tumor’s invisbaility cloak and activating a cancer patients immune system and using the body’s off defense mechanisms as a cure.
MFI, LLC — MFI-Cardiac’s patented software will allow clinicians to perform rest+stress MPI procedures (PET/CT scans) within 10–20 minutes compared to 60 minutes currently.
Microsurgical Innovations — The product is a vascular coupling device designed to join blood vessels. Our device works for both arteries and veins and can rapidly connect the two vessel ends together in a watertight seal without leaving any foreign material in the lumen to come in contact with flowing blood.
Mommi — Mommi has created a supplement for pregnant women that includes 15 g of protein, 200 mg of DHA, and a full prenatal vitamin. Mommi 3-in-1 contains a very low level of heavy metals and passes the most stringent global standards, including California Proposition 65.
nView Medical — insta3D provides continuous, real-time 3D imaging so that medical interventions can be more accurate, improving the quality of care, shortening procedure times and reducing costs.
PatternJam, Inc. — PatternJam’s web application allows users to design and preview a custom quilt plan. Specific tools within the application provide a way for users to: — Create custom quilt plans using the block pattern designer — Preview fabric designs from online vendors in a quilt plan — Upload personal fabric designs to preview in a quilt plan, etc.
PK Clean Technologies — Pk’s proprietary technology converts plastic waste into fuels including diesel. What makes our technology unique is that we are able to process and handle post-consumer mixed dirty plastic waste streams (without being picky on what we can take and can’t take), and do so profitably.
Rosivo, Inc. — Cartesse™ is an animal-derived cartilage repair material that retains the feel and function of genuine cartilage and has been processed to resist resorption by the body.
SimpleCitizen — SimpleCitizen is an online do-it-yourself tool for immigrants who need to file for a green card or other basic immigration documentation. SimpleCitizen helps those filing attain the same confidence and reassurance in their application without being forced to pay the high premiums associated with legal counsel.
Title IO, Inc. — SecureSync is an extremely powerful application integration and data synchronization technology that allows customers to access any type or format of data in one location and integrate it with any other data format or type in any other location.SecureSync dramatically reduces the amount of time, expense, risk and hassle of integrating disparate data sources and can open up entirely new products and services that are based on SecureSync.
UtiliSync, LLC — UtiliSync is a web app that makes it easy for city utility departments to complete inspection forms in the field on mobile devices. UtiliSync integrates with the city’s utility mapping data and makes it easy to complete inspections for all of their utilities, and utility related activities: manholes, water valves, fire hydrants, water sampling, water main breaks, signs, lights, street sweeping, snow plowing and so on.
Verum — Verum TCS employs longwave laser light to determine the precise location of the tip of a catheter as it approaches the heart. Other Tip Confirmation Systems (TCS) use a combination of RF antennae and ECG measurements to locate this tip. Our optical technology allows for more accurate positioning along with greater safety at a lower cost.
Xenocor, LLC — The technology is a new ultra low cost high definition medical imaging platform. Although our platform can address several medical imaging pain points, our initial focus is on the global laparoscopic surgery market.
Published 2/19/2016
