FY 2026 Matching Grant Awards

Under the FY 2026 (June 30, 2025-July 1, 2026) Matching Program Solicitation, companies were eligible for Matching awards equal to 50% of the federal SBIR/STTR award, up to $75,000. Companies located in counties impacted by Hurricane Helene were eligible for an additional $25,000.

• AntiXero, Inc., of Raleigh: $75,000 to develop an oral rinse to provide relief from burning, dryness, and soreness caused by chronic dry mouth. This oral rinse will provide relief for nearly 24 hours, much greater than the current options that have a more uncomfortable feel in the mouth and only provide short-term relief. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Atlantic Fish Co, of Raleigh: $75,000 to study and manipulate cell genes to improve the production of cultivated sea bass products for restaurants, providing people with real fish protein without the act of fishing. Growing demand of seafood puts strain on the supply chain, leading to price and availability fluctuations. By improving production of cultivated sea bass, or sea bass produced from animal cells, restaurants will have less fluctuation in availability and price. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
• Atmospheric Plasma Solutions, Inc., of Cary: $75,000 to develop and integrate collaborative robots and atmospheric plasma surface preparation technologies into mechanical shop facilities to improve efficiency, cleanliness of surfaces, and worker safety. The development will focus on making robots adaptable, so that technologies meet current and future needs of the facility. This SBIR project is sponsored by the Army in the U.S. Department of Defense.
• Bedrock Therapeutics, of Raleigh: $75,000 to develop and evaluate a single-dose therapy for effectiveness against macular degeneration and its symptoms. Macular degeneration is the leading cause blindness in adults over 50, and current treatments to reduce and delay blindness require monthly treatment and monitoring, with some serious side effects like inflammation and infection of fluids in the eye. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institute of Health.
• CareYaya Health Technologies, Inc., of Research Triangle Park: $75,000 to develop an artificial intelligence-driven training tool for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s and other related dementias. Current educational resources fail to address the unique needs and challenges individuals face, and often, there are barriers to accessing this training and integrating it into daily life. CareYaya’s AI-driven app will tailor training to individual caregivers and be an accessible resource to fill the gap current education cannot. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Carolina Instruments, of Chapel Hill: $75,000 to study and optimize a freely moving system to measure pupil size, heart rate, and respiratory rate in mice. Despite these measurements being important to animal studies, current methods restrict the scope of experimentation due to devices being bulky and causing the animal stress. Carolina Instruments’ new system is a compact, lightweight device that will be able to be utilized on freely moving mice with fewer experiment errors. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Clearsens, Inc., of Raleigh: $74,307.50 to develop a wearable technology that monitors astronauts for decompression sickness, which can occur when transitioning from pressured habitats to low-pressure extravehicular activity suits. Currently, no in-space system exists for monitoring decompression sickness during extravehicular activities (i.e., leaving the shuttle); rather, simulation and pre-breath protocols are used before going into space. This technology aims to make extravehicular activities safer for astronauts. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA).
• Converter Source, LLC, of Arden: $100,000 to develop and validate a model-based dynamic piston position software and hardware without the use of sensors. Engines in space-power systems have engines with pistons in which NASA needs to monitor how far the piston moves and how it aligns with other pistons, yet monitoring sensors can add weight, cost, and points of failure to the system. Converter Source’s technology can alleviate those challenges and integrate seamlessly into existing hardware. This SBIR project is sponsored by NASA.
• Deep Creek Pharma, LLC, of Yadkinville: $100,000 to develop a novel nanoscale material to be used for oncology treatments, specifically for metastatic colorectal cancer, which has a very low survival rate with the current treatment options. This treatment will be developed and tested in collaboration with Wake Forest University Health Sciences. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health. 
• Eydis Bio, Inc., of Durham: $75,000 to identify and develop a small molecule that will inhibit a protein in flaviviruses, which are primarily transmitted through mosquito and tick bites. Eydis Bio aims to perform a full structure-activity relationship analysis, which intends to understand how the structure of a molecule directly impacts its ability to inhibit a protein. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Gateway Bio, of Durham: $75,000 to develop a new lipid nanoparticle delivery system for mRNA that does not use polyethylene glycol (PEG), which may contribute to allergies and have reduced effectiveness. This lipid nanoparticle, in combination with a PEG substitute, POEGMA, is expected to avoid these issues and be better at delivering mRNA than PEG. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Impulse Wellness, LLC, of Raleigh: $75,000 to develop the Bluetooth Electromyography-based Stroke Therapeutic (BEST) system, a wearable smart garment and mobile application designed to make post-stroke rehabilitation more accessible and engaging. With this technology, Impulse Wellness aims to bridge the gap and make stroke therapy more accessible and able to be integrated into daily life, thereby leading to higher chances of full recovery. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
• Jericho Sciences, LLC, of Durham: $75,000 to characterize and study novel antiviral therapeutics for Hepatitis B. Current HepB treatment options do not eliminate persistent DNA templates, which serve as reservoirs for ongoing infection. Jericho Sciences’ therapy aims to target this DNA to clear the virus entirely. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Luxibiome Inc, of Cary: $75,000 to engineer human gut bacteria to remove inorganic arsenic—found in rice and drinking water—from the body to decrease arsenic buildup and serious health risks associated with arsenic buildup (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer). The new bacterial strains offer a solution to mitigate arsenic toxicity after ingestion. Current water filtration methods do not adequately address inorganic arsenic exposure and do not help once arsenic is ingested. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• NeuroGT, Inc., of Chapel Hill: $75,000 to develop an effective gene therapy to treat MPS IIIC, a rare, progressive disease that causes developmental delays, loss of speech, motor problems, skeletal abnormalities, hearing loss, and more. Because MPS IIIC currently has no treatment options, current therapies focus on symptom management. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Novo Heal, Inc., of Durham: $75,000 to develop a treatment for vocal fold fibrosis – scarring to the vocal cords that impacts vibration. This disease can cause voice hoarseness, vocal fatigue, and reduced pitch range which leads to communication difficulties in patients, and thus, lower quality of life. This STTR project is sponsored by National Science Foundation.
• Onca Bio, Inc., of Chapel Hill: $75,000 to study new methods of developing lab-made peptides for next-generation drug discovery. Current methods limit how macrocyclic peptides are used in drug development, and Onca Bio’s new methods could surpass these limitations and make molecules more effective. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Oxford Defense North Carolina, LLC, of Wake Forest: $37,455 to develop a diffractive optical element that smooths and concentrates laser beam energy from space to the moon’s surface. A more concentrated beam of energy allows for more power to be made on the moon’s surface with smaller cells and without the need for large equipment, reducing equipment size and energy needs. This same concept can be applied to solar systems on Earth, communication and sensing technology.  This STTR project is sponsored by NASA.
• Perfusio Corp., of Greenville: $75,000 to design a handheld burn-imaging device and integrated software for rapid and precise burn evaluation at the point of care (e.g., hospital, urgent care, ambulance, workplace). This will improve access to easy-to-use technology that an EMT or licensed medical professional can use to improve burn care, as current technologies are inaccessible due to size and costs. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Phase, Inc., of Cornelius: $75,000 to create a high-precision 3D printing system for PDMS, or clear silicone, microfluidic systems that scientists can use to study diseases and drug effects without testing on animals or human organs. They will work to optimize printing and reduce labor intensive steps that will ultimately improve microfluidic systems and make them more customizable for biomedical research. This STTR project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. 
• Radiant Dx, Inc., of Durham: $75,000 to develop a software platform that integrates different screening and analysis types to identify the genetic drivers of drug response in cancer patients. Currently, doctors lack accessible tools for matching rare-cancer patients to effective treatments based on their genetic profile. Radiant Dx aims to close this gap. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Ramona Optics, Inc., of Durham: $75,000 to develop a new imaging system, known as a multi-camera array scanner, to rapidly digitize and automatically analyze fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology smears in 3D on-site. This will enable doctors to give patients results in real time, improve FNA biopsy procedure success, and help inform of next steps within the care pipeline. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Reselute, Inc., of Durham: $75,000 to develop a combination treatment option for diabetes patients suffering from Charcot Osteoarthropathy, which causes bone and joint degeneration, and sometimes amputation. The product will combine robust structural support and sustained local antibiotic delivering to prevent infections while also stabilizing the fractures and fusions, ultimately improving outcomes for patients and decreasing likelihood of amputation. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health. 
• Roke Biotechnologies, of Durham: $73,863 to address the high cost and complexity of manufacturing proteins through a semi-continuous platform that will produce agricultural proteins and peptides without the need for chromatography. This technology will reduce cost of goods sold, capital expenditure, and process development timelines for protein manufacturing. This STTR project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
• Round Table Research, of Hillsborough: $75,000 to study and scale manufacturing for engineering tumoricidal extracellular vehicles as a therapy for glioblastoma brain cancer. Engineered extracellular vehicles mimic extracellular vehicles that are naturally in the body, but they are able to carry therapeutic treatments and be designed to selectively interact with tumor cells to deliver targeted therapeutic treatments. Round Table Research aims to test therapeutic efficacy with multiple drugs and in cells and mice, working towards pre-clinical and pre-investigative new drug application FDA requirements. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Sidetrack Ventures, LLC, of Durham: $75,000 to develop a visual tool that utilizes custom videos, photos, and GIFS to screen visual impairments as a result of traumatic brain injury. Visual disturbances as a result of traumatic brain injury are often overlooked, and word-based questionnaires cannot accurately capture the symptoms patients experience. This product will bridge the gap in care by improving symptoms identification and provider-patient communication, as well as provide reports and triage information to providers. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Smart Material Solutions, LLC, of Raleigh: $37,471.50 to create a fast, low-cost manufacturing system for special nanostructured films, frequency-selective surfaces. Frequency-selective surfaces can be used to improve camouflage, protect military sensors from lasers, and counteract counterfeiting. This SBIR project is sponsored by the Air Force in the U.S. Department of Defense. 
• Sollus Therapeutics, Inc., of Chapel Hill: $75,000 to develop a high-throughput screening platform to optimize chimeric antigen receptors, which redirect T-cells to eliminate antigen-expressing cells, for any antigen or disease. By being able to quickly screen chimeric antigen receptors and understand what parts of their structure impact their function, this platform will improve development of drugs for disease like lymphoma and myeloma and help make treatments more effective. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• STEMThread Technologies, LLC, of Apex: $75,000 to validate the electrochemical and mechanical performances of a fiber battery system of embedded power units in fabric that soldiers wear and carry. Fiber integrated batteries incorporate power without added bulkiness or stiffness in gear, which is an improvement to current power solutions that require soldiers to carry over 10 pounds of batteries in addition to other equipment. This STTR project is sponsored by the Army in the U.S. Department of Defense.
• SynVest Imaging Inc., of Chapel Hill: $75,000 to develop innovative and scalable synthetic methods for producing 18F-labeled (fluoride 18 labelled) synaptic density imaging agents for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Current methods to get 18F labelled agents currently involve toxic precursors that make scaling the products difficult. Synvest Imaging’s work aims to identify a better method developing 18F-labelled imaging agents to make Alzheimer’s disease imaging more accessible. This STTR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
• Valorous, LLC, of Chapel Hill: $45,409.63 to investigate the feasibility of an autonomous AI cybersecurity platform that will aid warfighters in contested environments. Valorous’ project will employ machine learning models to support mission-critical logistics and will culminate in a proof-of-concept demonstration using lab simulations. The U.S. Department of Defense is co-sponsoring this SBIR project.
• Vortant Technologies, LLC, of Weaverville: $100,000 to develop and test an algorithm and software that can improve cochlear implant clarity in loud environments. Vortant Technologies' algorithm will be assessed by cochlear implant users and for its feasibility of integration in existing cochlear implant processors for commercialization. This SBIR project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health.
   

FY 2026 One North Carolina Small Business Program Incentive Grant Awardees

Under the FY 2026 (June 30, 2025-July 1, 2026) Incentive Program Solicitation, companies were eligible for Incentive awards equal to 50% (companies in Tier 3 counties) or 75% (companies in Tier 1 or 2 counties) of eligible expenses incurred in composing their SBIR/STTR applications, up to $12,000.

• 10Kelvin, of Morrisville: $3,664.80
• American Droid, LLC, of New Bern: $9,812.62
• Applied Research Transformation, PLLC, of Cary: $4,659.47
• Aris, Inc., of Greensboro: $12,000
• Designing the Mind, LLC, of Brevard: $5,920.31
• DotBliss LLC, of Raleigh: $760.28
• GreenLifeTech Corporation, of Banner Elk: $3,394.15
• Mind Circuit, Inc., of Asheville: $4,574.06
• Mucommune, LLC, of Durham: $11,437.45
• Multi3D, Inc., of Middlesex: $571.05
• Muriphys, LLC, of Durham: $11,337.50
• Novo Heal, Inc., of Durham: $12,000.00
• Phase, Inc., of Corenlius: $3,923
• Quanticision Diagnostics, Inc., of Chapel Hill: $7,000
• Silent Crown, LLC, of Durham: $5,897.88
• Smart Material Solutions, LLC, of Raleigh: $5,186.41
• SynVest Imaging, Inc., of Chapel Hill: $8,500
• Tripill Biotechnology, Corp., of Chapel Hill: $5,914.39