The following is from our partners at Business Oregon:

Business Oregon announces the awardees of the 2025 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Matching Grant Program, designed to help Oregon’s small businesses bridge the gap between federal research funding and successful commercialization. Twenty-eight applications were received and 17 awardees were selected to receive a total of $1,099,545.

The mission of the federal SBIR/STTR programs, often called America’s Seed Fund, is to support science and technology innovation to build a strong economy. The SBIR/STTR programs provide funding to help Oregon companies accelerate commercialization that doesn’t dilute ownership, preserving control and flexibility for entrepreneurs. Business Oregon’s SBIR/STTR Matching Grant program is designed to leverage this federal investment in innovation in Oregon, encouraging businesses to develop new technologies and grow their companies locally without giving up ownership.

The Matching Grant program helps address gaps in the federal SBIR/STTR funding and supports companies trying to get their product into the marketplace. The Matching Grants can also help better position the companies for future fundraising and growth after the federal grants have completed. In the previous funding round, Business Oregon awarded over $1.5 million in SBIR/STTR Matching Grants to 20 Oregon companies, leveraging nearly $20 million in federal awards for the recipient companies.

“These awards reinforce Oregon’s commitment to helping innovative companies move beyond technical validation and into the marketplace,” said Sophorn Cheang, Director of Business Oregon. “By supporting commercialization activities, we ensure that groundbreaking technologies developed here in Oregon can grow into successful businesses that create jobs and strengthen our economy.”

SBIR/STTR Matching Grants are awarded in two phases. Phase I awards support feasibility research and Phase II awards fund further development toward a commercially viable product. The 17 awardees are listed below with their award amount and a brief description of their products.

Phase I Awardees:

• Alchemy Coatings – $49,995 – Fluorine-free, oil- and grease-resistant paper coatings for food packaging to replace PFAS-based materials.
• Caravel Bio – $50,000 – Spore-display platform for antibody engineering to accelerate discovery of stable, low-cost biologics for biopharma applications.
• Continuous Solutions – $50,000 – Thermally adaptive grounding system for safer, more efficient medium-voltage power in naval and industrial applications.
• EIVIE Corp. – $50,000 – High-efficiency heavy-lift drone with circular wing design to reduce emergency response flight costs and expand humanitarian access.
• Hemingway Designs – $49,720 – Eco-friendly lancet with a dissolvable magnesium needle and compostable base to reduce sharps waste and single-use plastic in diabetes care.
• Kapha Bio – $50,000 – Biomimetic mucin platform to treat recurrent infections by restoring protective barriers in skin, oral, and vaginal health applications.
• Lazarus 3D – $50,000 – Patient-specific, life-like surgical rehearsal models to help surgeons prepare for complex pediatric heart surgeries and improve outcomes.
• OmnECoil – $50,000 – MRI-guided biopsy device that helps doctors more quickly and accurately detect prostate cancer using a simplified, in-scanner targeting system.
• OoNee Corp – $49,830 – Land-based aquaculture system to produce sustainable, traceable uni from purple sea urchins while supporting kelp forest restoration.
• Orthomechanica – $50,000 – Orthopedic implant that improves grip strength and finger coordination after tendon-transfer surgery.
• OryGyn Medical Devices – $50,000 – Office-based diagnostic device for evaluating fallopian tube patency to improve access, speed, and affordability in infertility care.
• Penderia Technologies – $50,000 – Implantable orthopedic sensor system that provides surgeons and therapists with real-time data to guide recovery and reduce reoperations.

Phase II Awardees:

• Lateral Systems – $100,000 – Edge-based smart farming platform enabling continuous, offline environmental monitoring to boost yields and efficiency in hydroponics, aquaponics, and nursery operations.
• Overwatch Imaging – $100,000 – AI-powered imaging system that automates aerial video analysis, detects objects in real time, and delivers actionable insights for maritime, public safety, and infrastructure missions.
• Promedix – $100,000 – Compact, noninvasive device that monitors microcirculatory health in real time, expanding critical care capabilities from hospitals to home and pediatric settings.
• Surgivance, Inc. – $100,000 – Portable digital pathology system designed to generate 3D, high-resolution images of tissue samples in under two minutes.
• Thermocap – $100,000 – Compact, high-throughput calorimetry system designed to help researchers study molecular interactions without labels or modifications, supporting faster and more affordable drug discovery.

Read more about the SBIR/STTR Matching Grant program at www.oregon.gov/biz/.

Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, invests in Oregon businesses, communities, and people to promote a globally competitive, diverse, and inclusive economy. The agency’s services span rural community development and infrastructure financing; business retention, expansion and recruitment; export promotion and international trade; investments in industry research and development and entrepreneurship; small business assistance; and support for arts and cultural organizations. Learn more at biz.oregon.gov.