Innovate Alabama awards more than $3 million in small business grants

BIRMINGHAM, AL – Innovate Alabama announced the second round of recipients of the Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant, awarding more than $3 million to 19 small businesses across the state. The funds will be used to help these local business owners grow roots in Alabama by supporting the development and marketability of modern technology. 

The initiative will continue to enhance Alabama’s competitiveness on a regional and national scale through increased research and commercialization efforts, the creation of exportable products and services and the development of high-wage job opportunities. 

“Innovate Alabama is helping innovators grow roots within the state by providing resources, like the Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program, to assist business leaders who are looking for support in bringing their products to market,” said Cynthia Crutchfield, CEO of Innovate Alabama. “Access to capital, one of Innovate Alabama’s 2023 pillars, is essential to fueling entrepreneurial development, and we look forward to seeing the impact this investment will have on these small businesses and the broader innovation ecosystem.” 

Alabama entrepreneurs who are recipients of Phase I and Phase II SBIR and STTR grants were awarded up to $250,000 of supplemental funding to support the growth of their small businesses. Recipients of the Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant are located in Birmingham, Huntsville, Hoover and Madison and include six women- and minority-owned businesses.

“Thanks to the collective effort of the Alabama Legislature and our state’s innovation ecosystem, we are able to invest in Alabama entrepreneurs who are developing breakthrough technology with the potential to solve global issues,” said Dr. Michael Chambers, Innovate Alabama board member. “Since recipients are spread across different sectors from aerospace and healthtech to agriculture and manufacturing, there is an incredible opportunity to advance Alabama’s economy through each of these core industries.” 

In August 2022, Innovate Alabama awarded more than $4.5 million in grant funding to 30 small businesses during the first round of the program. 

Innovate Alabama has approximately $2.4 million in remaining funds during the 2023 fiscal year to provide future rounds of grant funding for eligible Alabama small businesses. Applicants must have a Phase I or Phase II SBIR or STTR grant that was active on or after July 1, 2022, to be eligible. The application portal is expected to reopen in early May for the next round of funding in 2023. 

Recipients from this round of the Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program include the following small businesses:

• Adjuvax, LLC, Hoover
  Adjuvax specializes in vaccine adjuvant discovery and development. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will be used to develop a new adjuvant formulation for various vaccines against infectious diseases.
• Analytical AI, Birmingham
  Analytical AI specializes in artificial intelligence. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will be used to supplement funds for hiring developers and purchasing development hardware for work based in Alabama.
• Arcarithm, Huntsville
  Arcarithm specializes in artificial intelligence and command and control applications. Supplemental funding will be used to implement machine learning algorithms, increase compatibility and develop a marketing plan.
• Avilution, LLC, Huntsville
  Avilution specializes in the development of modular open systems avionics software microservices supporting the civilian and defense aerospace industries.
• AVNIK Defense Solutions, Inc., Huntsville
  AVNIK specializes in R&D, logistics engineering, predictive analytics, and Usage-Based Maintenance. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will be used to address the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS).
• Botts Innovative Research, Inc., Madison
  Botts Innovative Research Inc. (Botts-Inc) specializes in the design and application of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) standards for sensor systems within the intelligence, defense, commercial and scientific communities.
• Cleaned and Green, LLC, Birmingham
  Cleaned and Green, LLC specializes in the conversion of poultry litter into fertilizer. The supplemental funding will construct a pilot testing plant at AU.
• GasTOPS, Inc., Huntsville
  GasTOPS Inc. specializes in oil debris analysis products, solutions, and services. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will be used to progress the design and fielding of an oil debris monitoring system for the F100 engine currently installed on USAF’s F-16s.  The oil debris monitoring system has the capability to increase readiness and safety while reducing operating costs.
• GeneCapture, Inc., Huntsville
  GeneCapture is developing portable diagnostic instruments to rapidly identify infections and determine appropriate antibiotics. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will help us add animal pathogens to the panel.
• MRIMath, LLC, Birmingham
  The MRIMath physician-in-the-loop AI-driven platform empowers physicians to more accurately and efficiently delineate tumor borders and map organs at risk for radiation therapy planning.
• NeXolve, Huntsville
  NeXolve specializes in aerospace products for NASA, DoD and commercial markets. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will be used to develop a commercial drag sail product to minimize space debris.
• Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc., Huntsville
  Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc. specializes in designing, fabricating and testing optical systems and sensors. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will be used to deliver SkyPASS to markets.
• ReLogic Research, Inc., Huntsville
  ReLogic Research is an 8(a) certified small business with core competencies in advanced materials and advanced manufacturing applications, including automated and adaptive manufacturing processes.
• RippleWorx, Inc., Huntsville
  RippleWorx, Inc. specializes in customizable performance accelerator SaaS platform for high performing organizations and teams. The supplemental funding will be used to further develop a disaster triage solution for responders.
• SemanticGuard, Huntsville
  SemanticGuard specializes in defending organizations against cyber threats by guarding legacy and emerging software applications during development and operations.
• SSS Optical Technology, LLC, Huntsville
  SSS Optical Technology specializes in polymer nanocomposite coatings for solar cells imbedded in NASA solar sails. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will be used to maturate and patent the technology.
• Sync, Inc., Birmingham
  Sync, Inc. specializes in proactively identifying high-risk vegetation. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will be used to improve our product and integrate it with a resource mobilization platform.
• Tango Tango, Huntsville
  Tango Tango specializes in enhancing first responder voice communications. The supplemental funding from Innovate Alabama will be used to add new interoperability capabilities between first responder agencies.
• Tricorder Array Technologies, Birmingham
  Tricorder Array Technologies, LLC is developing the PenPal™ – a wireless device that collects environmental and mouse squeaks in research cages – to understand the behavior and environment influence on animal studies.

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About Innovate Alabama  

Innovate Alabama is Alabama’s first statewide public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation with a mission to help innovators grow roots here in Alabama. Innovate Alabama was established to implement the initiatives and recommendations set forth in the Alabama Innovation Commission’s report, including smart policy solutions that will create a more resilient, inclusive and robust economy to remain competitive in a 21st-century world. With founding CEO Cynthia Crutchfield leading the charge, Innovate Alabama is also made up of a board of 11 innovation leaders appointed by Gov. Ivey, collaborating across sectors to advance industries, drive technology and facilitate an environment where innovation and entrepreneurship thrive. Learn more about Innovate Alabama at www.innovatealabama.org.

For more information, contact:  

Elizabeth Paul 
elizabeth@perituspr.com 
(256) 303-3591