Non-dilutive funding has been instrumental in the growth of numerous startups, enabling them to advance their innovations without relinquishing equity. Here are some real-life success stories from our clients at E.B. Howard Consulting:
1. Cali’s Books: Innovating Early Childhood Education
Cali’s Books, a woman-owned small business, specializes in interactive children’s books that merge traditional reading with modern technology. Seeking to develop a novel device to enhance the traditional paper book reading experience for young children, they pursued non-dilutive funding to support their R&D efforts.
With our collaboration, Cali’s Books secured a $275,000 Phase I SBIR grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2023. This funding enabled them to develop a new product line that combines the tactile experience of paper books with the interactive features of digital e-readers, aiming to improve reading comprehension in early learners through engaging and interactive content.
2. Dollaride: Electrifying Urban Transportation
Dollaride, a socially and economically disadvantaged small business, focuses on providing clean transit solutions in urban areas. They aimed to electrify New York City’s dollar vans to offer sustainable and affordable transportation options in underserved communities.
Through our guidance, Dollaride secured a $150,000 Phase I award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Clean Neighborhoods Challenge in 2021. Building on this success, they obtained an additional $6 million in Phase II funding from NYSERDA, complemented by $26.5 million in matching private capital, totaling $32.5 million. This substantial non-dilutive funding facilitated the deployment of electric vehicles, significantly reducing emissions and improving transit access in New York City.
3. Alara Imaging, Inc.: Advancing Medical Imaging Integration
Alara Imaging, Inc., a small business in the biomedical technologies sector, sought to develop a gateway linking electronic health records (EHR) with radiology imaging exams to enhance national quality measures and reduce cancer risk from computed tomography (CT) scans.
With our support, Alara Imaging secured a $1,973,174 Direct Phase II SBIR award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2023. This non-dilutive funding enabled the development of the Alara Imaging Gateway, a system designed to improve patient outcomes by integrating imaging data with EHRs, thereby enhancing diagnostic accuracy and patient safety.
4. Care Weather: Revolutionizing Environmental Monitoring
Care Weather, a startup specializing in environmental technologies, aimed to deploy a constellation of nanosatellite radars for near-hourly, global ocean surface vector wind measurements.
Through our assistance, Care Weather secured a $275,000 Phase I SBIR grant from the NSF in 2023. This funding supported the development of their innovative satellite technology, providing critical data for weather forecasting and climate research, and demonstrating the potential for significant advancements in environmental monitoring.
These success stories exemplify how the strategic pursuit of non-dilutive funding can propel startups toward achieving their innovation and commercialization goals. By leveraging grants and awards, these companies advanced their technologies, expanded their market presence, and made meaningful contributions to their respective industries.
At E.B. Howard Consulting, we are dedicated to supporting startups in identifying and securing non-dilutive funding opportunities that align with their objectives. Our expertise in proposal development and funding strategy has been instrumental in the success of clients like Cali’s Books, Dollaride, Alara Imaging, and Care Weather.
If you’re ready to explore non-dilutive funding avenues to fuel your startup’s growth, contact us today. Let’s collaborate to turn your innovative ideas into reality.
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We assist our clients in locating, applying for, and evaluating the outcomes of non-dilutive grant funding. We believe non-dilutive funding is a crucial tool for mitigating investment risks, and we are dedicated to guiding our clients through the entire process—from identifying the most suitable opportunities to submitting and managing grant applications.