Fayetteville-based companies SurfTec and SFC Fluidics each received $100,000 in SBIR Matching Grants from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to advance Phase II Small Business Innovation Research Projects.
This statewide matching grant program was established in October. Arkansas SBIR Phase I awardees are eligible to receive up to $50,000 in matching grants; Phase II awardees may receive up to $100,000 in matching grants.
AEDC’s SBIR Matching Funds program helps innovative Arkansas companies achieve technology development milestones needed to successfully commercialize needed products and services.
As more technology companies take root in the state, the number of high-pay technical job opportunities for Arkansans is expected to rise. “The AEDC always seeks to support small businesses in the state that offer high wage jobs that contribute to a diverse and healthy economy. The SBIR program was designed specifically to help companies such as SFC Fluidics and SurfTec take advantage of federal research grants by helping fulfill their needs for matching funds. We are pleased to help them reach their potential in regards to growth and innovation in middle- and high-skill occupations,” said Ross Herpin, AEDC’s Senior Manager Commercialization.
SurfTec
Led by CEO and president Sam Beckford, Ph.D., SurfTec is developing new nano-coating technology to address the challenge of poor lubrication in mechanical systems. Effective implementation of this technology would reduce maintenance costs and downtime by eliminating premature bearing failure.
Last fall, SurfTec received a National Science Foundation SBIR Phase II award to demonstrate compatibility of its new polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating process with metal-polymer bearings currently on the market and scale up the coating deposition process.
This market needs an effective solution to improve adhesion at the PTFE/metal interface while also reducing corrosion, friction and tear. “SurfTec’s adhesion technology can offer these benefits to equipment manufacturers, which in turn provides better efficiency and durability to end users,” said Beckford. The metal-polymer bearings total applicable market is estimated to be $1B. SurfTec will initially target needs within automotive and aerospace industries.
“The $100,000 AEDC SBIR match will help SurfTec implement pilot processing lines to show compatibility of our technology with high throughput processing lines,” said Beckford.
“My advice is to always keep informed about the various funding programs and incentives the AEDC has in place. These can complement SBIR and other research grants very well and help further finance your research/commercialization project. We feel very fortunate and thankful to have been awarded the AEDC SBIR match funds,” said Beckford.
SurfTec intends to have a licensing agreement signed by the end of 2018, at which point the company intends to pursue new applications for which their technology can produce added value.
SFC Fluidics
(from left): Dr. Quian Sun, senior scientist; Dr. Forrest Payne, principal investigator; Anna Washburn, projects coordinator; Dr. Bradley Ledden, senior Engineer
SFC Fluidics received a $100,000 SBIR match from the AEDC Commission to advance their National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project.
SFC’s project is focused on developing the min-ePump™ for implantable or wearable, wirelessly-controlled rapid-dosing drug delivery systems in small animals.
“SFC Fluidics is currently optimizing the components of the min-ePumpTM pod (pump, valves, fluidic system and battery) for small size and reliable operation. We will have the first generation min-ePump pod ready for benchtop testing during the summer of 2018. Once the min-ePump pod can be produced efficiently and reliably, SFC Fluidics will initiate a series of tests that will establish the usefulness of the system in drug addiction and pharmacokinetic research and in veterinary applications,” said Forrest Payne, Ph.D. and project Principal Investigator.
“The AEDC matching grant will be focused on the scale-up of production and assembly of the min-ePump reservoir and pod. The grant will also help fund development of marketing materials during the later stages of the project,” said Anna Washburn, SFC’s projects coordinator.
SFC shows no signs of slowing down. “We are raising funds to finalize a product that incorporates the mini-ePump technology for human use. Our initial target is the $9B insulin delivery market since diabetes continues to be a widespread problem. There are other large target markets such chemotherapy drugs or pain compounds,” said Tony Cruz, CEO.
The SBIR Matching Grant allows SFC to conduct needed development work extending beyond their Phase II project. “I highly recommend putting forth the effort to apply for an Arkansas SBIR Matching Grant. This grant has allowed SFC Fluidics to fund aspects of the development of the reservoir and pod that we did not foresee during the writing of the Phase II SBIR proposal,” said Washburn.
Research reported in this release was supported by The National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under grant number [2R44DA041173-02]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.