Twenty-nine small companies – most of them in the biosciences – received grants totaling $1.7 million from the One North Carolina Small Business Program in the latest quarter ending Oct. 30.

Of those, 12 also have landed backing from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

The companies, located in 13 communities across the state, will use the money to develop new products, hire employees and buy equipment and materials.

The program provides state grants to match federal funds awarded through the highly competitive Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Those federal programs help companies develop new and innovative technologies that have high potential for commercialization.

Data show that the One North Carolina program helps young technology companies survive and remain in North Carolina. Since the program’s creation in 2005, 85 percent of grant recipients are still in business, and 98 percent of the surviving companies are still based in North Carolina, according to the state.

Reflecting North Carolina’s strengths in bioscience, 86 percent of the awards this past quarter went to businesses in this sector: biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, general medical, medical software and hardware, and advanced materials.

Several of the funded companies have previously received loans from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to support their research, development and business activities.

The Office of Science, Technology & Innovation, part of the N.C. Department of Commerce, is still accepting grant applications for the 2017 fiscal year. Eligible applicants must receive a federal SBIR/STTR grant between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017.

The program awards funds on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds are exhausted. For additional information, see the current solicitation.

One NC grant recipients

(Those with * have also received NCBiotech funding)

  • Advanced Hydrogen Technologies of Hickory received $65,000 to develop new materials for human joints.
  • Affinergy of Research Triangle Park received $65,000 to improve the quality of saliva/mucus slides. *
  • Algaen of Winston-Salem received $49,944 to develop new forms of Omega-3 for cardiovascular disease.
  • Assist Equipment Development of Cary received $37,500 to develop a socket-suspension system for amputees.
  • Baebies of Durham received $65,000 to develop devices for fast screening of newborns.*
  • BioMojo of Cary received $48,214 to develop bio-mathematical models of tissues and organ properties.
  • Camras Vision of Research Triangle Park received $65,000 to develop a new-generation shunt that enables precise control of intraocular pressure.*
  • Chaperone Therapeutics of Chapel Hill received $65,000 to develop a drug for the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss.*
  • CivaTech Oncology of Research Triangle Park received $65,000 to evaluate new treatments for pancreatic cancers.*
  • Clairvoyant Technology of Durham received $49,850 to develop location tracking of livestock using sensor tags.
  • Clinical Sensors of Durham received $65,000 to develop sensors that identify wounds unlikely to heal.*
  • Collaborations Pharmaceuticals of Fuquay-Varina received $32,347 to develop more effective and less intrusive drugs for tuberculosis.
  • CTW Development Company of Charlotte received $49,900 to minimize landed parachute evidence.
  • Dignify Therapeutics of Research Triangle Park received $65,000 to develop a new product that induces “on demand” bladder voiding.*
  • Element Genomics of Bahama received $65,000 to develop technology for screening of gene regulation.
  • Enformia of Huntersville received $65,000 to develop diagnostics for neuro problems from cancer therapies.
  • EpiCypher of Durham received $65,000 to develop novel therapies for certain types of cancer.*
  • Geometric Data Analytics of Chapel Hill received $43,155 to develop the use of multiple data sources for big data insights.
  • Health Outcomes of Chapel Hill received $65,000 to develop the use of smartphones for early detection of schizophrenia.
  • HepatoSys of Cornelius received $65,000 to develop the re-use of human livers declined for transplant.
  • InnAVasc Medical of Durham received $30,000 to develop new vascular grafts to improve dialysis operations.*
  • Lumedica of Durham received $65,000 to develop low-cost retinal screening for doctor’s offices.
  • Neuro10-9 Pharma of Chapel Hill received $61,724 to develop a nasal drug for the treatment of obesity.
  • OncoTAb of Charlotte received $65,000 to develop targeted therapies for tumors.*
  • Prevention Strategies of Greensboro received $65,000 to develop data analytics and modeling for bio-informatics.
  • Ribometrix of Greenville received $65,000 to develop drugs for faulty genes.*
  • Sirga Adv. Biopharma of Research Triangle Park received $65,000 to develop new drugs for drug-resistant HIV.*
  • SonoVol of Research Triangle Park received $65,000 to develop new drugs for liver diseases.
  • ZenBio of Research Triangle Park received $65,000 to develop a novel class of anti-acne therapeutics.*

(C) N.C. Biotechnology Center