Maine Technology Institute (MTI) recently announced its third round of TechStart Grants to Maine entrepreneurs in Cumberland, Orono, Brunswick and North Waterford. The amount granted was $20,000 which the awardees matched with a total of $27,930.
The TechStart Grant is a new MTI funding opportunity offered to individuals and companies across Maine who are looking to develop new technology products and need a boost to get their idea off the ground. TechStart Grants are awarded each month in amounts up to $5,000 per project in any of the seven technology sectors which MTI funds and must be matched by the entrepreneur. TechStart Grants may be used to support activities such as business plan development, intellectual property filings, market analysis, or preparation for 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.
Tech Start Grant awardees and projects, by industry sector, were awarded in this round to:
Advanced Technologies for Forestry and Agriculture
TreeVive, LLC in Cumberland
TreeVive is developing a naturally sweet beverage that is believed to increase energy and provide unique long term health benefits. TreeVive will use their TechStart grant on the next steps toward commercialization which require food science testing, preservation studies, investigation of intellectual property opportunities, and market analysis. This product will be marketed to an emerging demographic of health and environmentally conscious consumers as an all-natural and functional beverage.
Award: $5,000 Match: $5,000
Aquaculture and Marine Technology
Thermoelectric Power Systems in Orono
Thermoelectric Power Systems, LLC will use their TechStart grant to conduct market research into the development of customized thermoelectric generators for waste energy recovery system applications in stationary power plants and the marine industry, including military, private sector transportation and commercial fishing.
Award: $5,000 Match: $5,000
Composite Materials Technology
Resilient Communications Corporation in Brunswick
Resilient (RCC) is developing a series of Multi-Mission Platforms (MMPs), Portable Data Center Facilities packaged in a structural composite shell which is weather and corrosion resistant. All platforms are designed to rapidly deploy in “drop, plug, and play” fashion. This TechStart grant will be used for intellectual property filings for specific novel elements such as weight reduction, component integration, and protection against mission-specific interferences, environment controls and integral power systems which can operate both on internal power and on local power source.
Award: $5,000 Match: $12,650
Environmental Technology
Ocean Wind Technology, LLC in North Waterford
Ocean Wind Technology is preparing to complete the detailed design of the Submerged Web Foundation system, a novel approach to overcoming the challenges of making a cost-competitive deep-water foundation for offshore wind farms. This follow-up grant will allow OWT to apply for the DOE’s SBIR/STTR Phase I grant program to fund the FAST simulation code development. The expected outcome is completion and submission of the proposal for the SBIR/STTR Phase I grant program under the subtopic 10f. Mooring Technology for Floating Offshore Wind.
Award: $5,000 Match: $5,280
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 deadline is March 6.
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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