SBIR Success Stories
Multiple EPA SBIR Small Business Founders Featured in Forbes 30 Under 30
As Forbes released their annual Forbes 30 Under 30 series highlighting young entrepreneurs and industry changers for 2024, three EPA SBIR small businesses were featured. Both Hydrova and Valis Insights’ co-founders were highlighted in the Manufacturing and Industry category. Hydrova’s project was focused on solutions to help improve the cost efficiency and sustainability of aluminum recycling. Valis Insight’s current project is devoted to creating software tools to achieve maximum efficiency for the entire recycling value chain from point of collection, to processing, to melting. The founder of Aquagga was also featured on the list within the Energy category. Aquagga’s project is focused on permanently destroying PFAS, mainly through a mobile hydrothermal alkaline treatment service, and the company previously took home the first prize in the EPA’s Destroy PFAS Challenge.
SBIR Supports Water Reuse Action Plan
EPA’s SBIR program is committed to supporting innovative water reuse technologies. They are doing so in conjunction with the National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP), which was developed in collaboration with partners from all across the water sector. Actions in the plan are intended to lead progress on water reuse and address local and national barriers across a range of topics including technical, institutional, and financial. Over the 4 years of this partnership with the WRAP, the SBIR program has awarded approximately $3.4M total to small businesses for developing and commercializing innovative water reuse technologies equating to 19 projects and 13 different small business funded relating to water reuse. One such project is LeapFrog Design’s “Estuary”, which is a planter box filled with greenery that cleans graywater from sinks, showers, and washing machines, which can then be returned to the household for non-potable uses in toilet flushing or irrigation. To learn about more innovative water reuse projects supported by SBIR visit their article about water reuse technologies.
EPA SBIR Small Business Earns $5.72 Million Investment
USEFULL, an EPA SBIR small business based in Massachusetts, has announced that they have raised $5.72M in Early Stage VC funding. USEFULL has created stainless steel reusable containers, with a technology-based tracking system that ensures that the reusable containers are actually reused, and their containers are already being utilized at numerous college campuses around the country. USEFULL’s SBIR project was awarded in 2021, and served as a pilot program for their reusable container technology.
SBIR News
EPA Awards Nearly $2.2M to Small Businesses to Advance Innovative Environmental Technologies (December 2023)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $2,198,867 in research funding to 22 small businesses to develop technologies that will help protect human health and the environment. The 22 small businesses will use EPA funding to develop their novel projects, including an AI-based mapping tool to support first responders during disasters, a reactor to remove PFAS from sewage waste, and a self-cleaning indoor air purification system for use during wildfires.
EPA Awards Nearly $3.2M to Small Businesses to Research Complex Environmental Issues and Help Grow the Green Economy (November 2023)
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3,196,530 in research funding to eight small businesses to further develop and commercialize their environmental technologies. Recipients of this year’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding include companies developing a nature-based treatment for graywater reuse, a system to remotely sense fugitive methane emissions in abandoned wells, field-deployable devices to rapidly screen drinking water for PFAS, and more.
Supporting Innovative Water Reuse Technologies Through SBIR (October 2023)
Five EPA SBIR-funded small businesses are developing innovative technologies to treat and reuse water.
Food Scraps to Fuel: EPA-Funded Technology Successfully Traces Renewable Fuel Supply Chain in New York City (July 2023)
Veriflux is an EPA-funded end-to-end technology platform that provides data and tracking to address these issues and improve renewable fuel feedstock traceability. In 2022, Veriflux completed a first-of-its-kind pilot program to trace solid and liquid food waste through New York City’s waste-to-energy supply chain
EPA SBIR Supports Small Businesses Develop Technology to Test and Treat PFAS (April 2023)
Eight EPA SBIR-funded small businesses are developing innovative technologies to monitor, treat and destroy PFAS.
EPA’s SBIR Supports Technology to Improve Recycling (March 2023)
Six EPA SBIR-funded small businesses are developing innovative technologies to improve the recycling system.
EPA’s SBIR Circular Economy Projects Reduce Waste and Slow Climate Change (February 2023)
Six EPA SBIR-funded small businesses are seeking to optimize sustainable materials management technologies to promote the circular economy.
EPA Awards Research Funding to 25 Small Businesses to Develop Environmental Technologies (December 2022)
EPA announced over $2.4 million in SBIR Phase I research funding for 25 small businesses to develop technologies that address some of the most pressing environmental problems.
EPA Awards More Than $3M to Small Businesses for Continued Development of Innovative Environmental Technologies (October 2022)
EPA announced over $3.1 million in SBIR Phase II funding to eight small businesses to further develop and commercialize their innovative environmental technologies.
