HTDC Awards More Than $2 Million In Grants To Hawaiʻi Companies For Research & Development

The Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) has awarded grants totaling more than $2 million to 15 Hawaiʻi companies to support their research and development efforts toward new productions and solutions.

“Hawaiʻi companies are developing solutions to address important issues in food safety, health care, energy, and military support, which will have national and even international impacts,” said Len Higashi, executive director of HTDC. “Funding these types of projects not only enables companies to bring their products to market, but it also helps to build the state’s technology ecosystem and spurs innovation.”

The Hawaiʻi Small Business Innovation Research program offers funding to companies that are developing new technologies, platforms, or processes, with a focus on the tech sector. Grants are awarded in three progressive phases, with each providing more extensive funding to get innovations to market. Companies must be recipients of federal Small Business Innovation Research grants to qualify for state-level funding.

Phase 1 matching grants, which fund projects through the early stages of development, were awarded to eight companies:

• Ai.Fish ($68,000)
• Hawaiʻ Innovation Lab ($64,000)
• Hawaiʻi Fish Company ($45,000)
• Makai Ocean Engineering ($69,931)
• Nalu Scientific ($75,000)
• PacMar Technologies ($63,000)
• Oceanit ($68,000)
• VisSidus Technologies, Inc. ($64,000)

Eleven companies were awarded Phase 2 matching grants to accelerate the development of their projects to commercialization:

• Experiad dba Motivity ($140,000)
• Hawaiʻi Biotech ($150,000)
• Hawaiʻi Fish Company ($140,000)
• HNu-Photonics ($140,000)
• Makai Ocean Engineering ($140,000)
• Minnowtech ($140,000)
• Nalu Scientific ($140,000)
• Ocean Era ($225,000)
• Oceanit ($100,00)
• Oceanic Imaging Consultants ($45,000)
• PacMar Technologies ($140,000)