WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for America’s 33.2 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, announced that it will kick off this year’s America’s Seed Fund Week on May 15. The 2nd annual Startup Expo will showcase innovative small business startups, developing cutting-edge technologies critical for the Nation’s economic prosperity, global competitiveness, and national security. This year’s Expo will highlight nine winning startups advancing technology supported by America’s Seed Fund, the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs.
“Some of America’s most transformative technologies started out as big ideas developed by small businesses,” said Administrator Guzman. “The 2023 Startup Expo elevates the next generation of innovators and connects them with additional resources that help them continue developing and manufacturing game-changing technology right here in America. Our 2023 Startup Expo Winners exemplify some of the most exciting achievements in science and technology and will make our Nation more competitive on the world stage in the years to come,” said SBA Administrator Guzman.
This year’s winning startups will showcase innovators aligned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) 14 critical technology areas, including biotechnology, quantum science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), space technology, renewable energy, and advanced computing—technology areas, which the DoD Office of Strategic Capital and SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation are committed to supporting through dedicated capital and technical assistance efforts.
“The SBA and the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Strategic Capital are focusing efforts and investments in 14 U.S. national security-related critical technology areas to accelerate transitioning key capabilities developed by small business startups. This year’s America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo will be an excellent opportunity to highlight American ingenuity and our Nation’s leadership in science and technology positioning our country for continued strength and security in a rapidly evolving and competitive global environment,” said Bailey DeVries, SBA Associate Administrator for Investment and Innovation.
The America Seed Fund Startup Expo is an example of the incredible partnership between the SBA and the DoD,” said Dr. Jason Rathje, Director of the Office of Strategic Capital, U.S. Department of Defense. “At the Office of Strategic Capital, we know that a significant amount of the scientific and technological advancements that will advance our national security interests will come from small business startups and that we must continue to find better ways to partner with those companies seeking to work with us. The Expo is a great opportunity to both engage with the expertise and talent resident in our U.S. national security innovation base and discuss our collaborative approaches to advancing the ecosystem in the future.”
2023 Startup Expo Winners to Showcase on May 15 include:
AlchLight (Rochester, N.Y.)
Critical Technology Areas: Advanced Materials, Biotechnology, Space Technology
Allied Microbiota Inc. (Stony Brook, N.Y.)
Critical Technology Areas: Biotechnology, Renewable Energy Generation and Storage
EarthSense, Inc. (Champaign, Ill.)
Critical Technology Areas: Advanced Computing and Software, Integrated Sensing and Cyber, Trusted AI and Autonomy
IsoTruss, Inc. (Springville, Utah)
Critical Technology Areas: Advanced Materials, Space Technology
Kahili Ventures LLC dba Kana Systems (Lincoln, Neb.)
Critical Technology Areas: Advanced Computing and Software, Trusted AI and Autonomy
Molecular Rebar Design, LLC (Austin, Texas)
Critical Technology Areas: Advanced Materials, Biotechnology
necoTECH (Delaware, Ohio)
Critical Technology Areas: Advanced Materials, Human-Machine Interfaces, Trusted AI and Autonomy
PediaMetrix, Inc (Rockville, Md.)
Critical Technology Areas: Advanced Computing and Software, Biotechnology, Trusted AI and Autonomy
Xairos Systems, Inc. (Lone Tree, Colo.)
Critical Technology Areas: Quantum Science, Space Technology
Entrepreneurs, small business startups, and organizations interested in learning more about these innovative startups and the impact of America’s Seed Fund are invited and welcome to participate in this free virtual event on May 15.
America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo will:
- Provide broad exposure for innovative small business startups to nationwide innovation networks and local ecosystems across America;
- Provide a platform for connecting innovative startups with networks that can enable these companies to scale, grow, and thrive;
- Raise public awareness of the opportunity to commercialize critical innovation necessary for continued American competitiveness in the global marketplace; and
- Showcase American entrepreneurial ventures that are building a better America through innovation and choosing to manufacture their products at home in the U.S.
America’s Seed Fund Week Kick off and Startup Expo Overview
2:00 - 2:30 p.m. ET | America’s Seed Fund Week Welcome and Opening Remarks by SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman
2:30 – 5:00 p.m. ET | America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo 2023
Welcome with Bailey DeVries, SBA Associate Administrator for Investment and Innovation
Fireside Chat with Bailey DeVries, SBA Associate Administrator, and Dr. Jason Rathje, Director of the Office of Strategic Capital at the Department of Defense, on the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technology Initiative
Startup Expo spotlighting startup showcase winners and moderated by Helena Krusec, Strategic Engagement Lead at AFWERX; Bob Smith, Director, SBIR/STTR Programs at the Department of the Navy; and Andy Yakulis, Director, Corporate Ventures at the Army Applications Lab
Closing Remarks
America’s Seed Fund Week and Startup Expo 2023 are virtual events. Participation is free and open to the public. Register to attend at https://bit.ly/ASFweekexpo23.
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About America’s Seed Fund
Also known as “America’s Seed Fund”, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs’ mission is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy. These programs represent the nation’s largest source of early-stage research and development funding for small businesses. SBA coordinates the programs, collaborating with 11 federal agencies, who collectively supported more than $4 billion a year in federal research and development funding.
Through these highly competitive grant programs, domestic small businesses with the potential for commercialization are encouraged to engage in federal Research and Development (R&D); these programs are an important resource for a wide range of researchers, innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, and startups working on big ideas.
The program’s goals are to:
- Stimulate technological innovation;
- Meet federal research and development needs;
- Foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by women and socially or economically disadvantaged persons; and
- Increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding.
About SBA Office of Investment and Innovation
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) leads programs that provide the high-growth small business community with access to two things: financial capital and R&D funds to develop commercially viable innovations. Our work is underpinned by public-private partnerships that help small businesses on their trajectory from idea to IPO. Learn more at sba.gov.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.