Maine Technology Institute (MTI) recently awarded TechStart Grants to three Maine entrepreneurs in Freeport, Portland and South Paris. The total amount granted was $15,000 which the awardees matched with a total of $22,155. The technology sectors represented are Advanced Technologies in Forestry and Agriculture and Information Technology.
MTI’s TechStart Grants fund entrepreneurs and companies across Maine who are developing new technology products to bring to market and need a boost to get their project off the ground. TechStart Grants are competitively awarded every month in amounts up to $5,000 per project and must be matched at least 1:1 by the entrepreneur. Applications to the TechStart program can be made on-line at www.mainetechnology.org. The next TechStart deadlines are June 5 and July 3 by 5pm. Workshops are being held in May in Wells, Machias, Lewiston and Portland for information on MTI funding. See below for details.
Tech Start Grant awardees and projects, by industry sector, were awarded in this round to:
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR FORESTRY AND AGRICULTURE
Yankee & Associates LLC in Freeport
Yankee & Associates, in conjunction with CYON Business Solutions, will determine the financial and technical feasibility of operating a Local Food Processing Center in the Brunswick/Topsham area. The goal of this project is to provide a means for local farmers to access new markets and add value to their vegetable and fruit products while at the same time providing consumers and institutional food buyers with access to frozen local food on a year-round basis. The processing center would aggregate, wash, cut and peel, blanch, freeze, package and store local produce for retail or wholesale sale by the farmers and distributors for both retail and wholesale markets.
Award: $5,000 Match: $8,500
MaineAsia LLC in Portland
MaineAsia LLC has partnered with PHIG Solar to commercialize its Photovoltaic Greenhouse (PVG) internationally. This novel greenhouse solution integrates a proprietary thin-film PV solar technology into the greenhouse design, allowing farmers to grow crops while generating electricity. We are licensing UMO’s Carbon Arch Technology for integration into our next generation greenhouse.
Award: $5,000 Match: $8,600
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Mingle Analytics LLC in South Paris
Mingle Analytics is developing a comprehensive reporting application for healthcare that integrates data from a health system’s fragmented data sources; integrates data from multiple vendors and installations across a service network; and analyzes and presents with clarity a comprehensive set of data to manage and improve the delivery of health care across the continuum. Our project will position us to move forward to seek additional funding. The outcome will be a business plan that will include a thorough analysis of the current market, how our product fits within that market and plan to move to commercialization.
Award: $5,000 Match: $5,055
About MTI TechStart Grants:
MTI TechStart Grants are awarded each month for up to $5,000 per project. TechStart Grants may be used to support specific activities such as business plan development, intellectual property filings, market analysis, or preparation of activities related to the solicitation of private investment or submission of Federal Small Business Innovation Research or Technology Transfer Phase I grants in the development of innovative technologies. TechStart Grant projects must have clearly defined deliverable outcomes and endpoints for the specifically funded scope of work not to exceed six months in duration. Each grant requires a 1:1 match. The next TechStart Grant application deadlines is June 5.
Upcoming MTI Funding Workshops
Workshops with information about TechStart Grant and other MTI funding are being offered this spring in the following locations. All are welcome. There is no cost. Workshops include information on Techstart and Seed Grants, Development Loans, Business Accelerator Grants and SBIR grant applications. To register for a workshop, please contact Linda Adams, Program Assistant at [email protected] or 207-588-1018.
May 23
Wells 9:30-11:30am, York County Community College
Machias 10am-Noon, University of Maine Machias
May 24
Portland 9:30-11:30am, Abromson Center, USM
Lewiston 1-3pm, Lewiston-Auburn College, USM
MTI is a publicly financed, private nonprofit organization created by the Legislature to stimulate research and development activity leading to the commercialization of new products, processes and services in the state’s seven technology-intensive sectors. Programs are designed to enhance the competitive position of those sectors and increase the likelihood that one or more of the sectors will support clusters of industrial activity and create quality jobs across Maine. More about MTI at: www.mainetechnology.org.
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