NOAA SBIR Program Successes
NOAA SBIR-funded company develops satellite wildfire detection
Small business MyRadar / ACME AtronOmatic, LLC is utilizing satellite technology to develop wildfire detection and mitigation. The company is using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms along with weather data to detect environmental hazards like smoke, aerosols, and fire hotspots. Their research and development received a boost with initial Phase I funding from the NOAA SBIR Program. Read the full story.
NOAA SBIR-funded company joins partnership to protect marine mammals
The Vineyard Wind Project announced a new partnership with Charles River Analytics, Inc., aimed at protecting marine mammals during the construction of the Vineyard Wind 1 Project, the first utility-scale offshore wind project in the U.S. The effort will incorporate an “artificial intelligence and computer vision system that complements and supports human lookouts and marine radar systems” to detect marine mammals, ships, and fishing gear. Charles River Analytics’ research and development received a boost with initial Phase I funding from the NOAA SBIR Program. Read the full story.
NOAA SBIR companies pitch their technologies to industry experts
The NOAA SBIR Program recently hosted the NOAA SBIR Commercialization Assistance Workshop in Washington, D.C. Throughout the two-day event, SBIR grant recipients showcased technologies that they developed with seed funding support from NOAA.
A NOAA-funded startup innovates for social good
A small company with big ideas delivers solutions to non-technical and tech-savvy users As the catastrophic Colorado wildfires of late 2020 burned out of control, a small company based in Fort Collins, Colorado, decided to use the event as a rare opportunity to test a brand-new technology. At the time, Access Sensor Technologies was developing a modernized air quality monitoring station, using early-stage funding they received from the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Historically, air sampling has relied on a small number of permanent sampling units. This is because each unit is expensive to build, requires significant time…
NOAA SBIR helps small business find traction and long-term success
Crucial federal support provides catalyst for small business growth Early support can have a lasting impact Sometimes success comes with time and perseverance, but an early boost can make all the difference – especially when it comes to a small company’s chances of getting off the ground. When small business owner Vincent Kelly, founder and director of Green Eyes, LLC, was asked what his company gained from its participation in the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, his response hit a key note. “Here I am, some fifteen years later, and the business is standing on its own and…
SBIR-funded wildlife camera aim to bridge science, education, and technology
Field Data Services, LLC (FDT) of Essex, Montana is developing technology to improve the study of pollinators and salmon — both of which are ecologically and economically important. Their innovative trail camera systems allow for the detection of wildlife that is too small to trigger commercially available cameras. FDT’s research and development received a boost with initial Phase I funding from the NOAA SBIR Program. Read the full story.
NOAA uses array of marine and air uncrewed tools to improve hurricane forecast models
Throughout the 2022 hurricane season, NOAA will work with numerous partners to gather coordinated air-sea and atmospheric measurements in a hurricane from uncrewed ocean and aerial drones. NOAA will use a suite of innovative technologies to sample the ocean and atmosphere near each other in real-time and collect high-resolution data from all parts of the hurricane environment. This data could help forecasters better understand the forces that drive hurricanes so they can warn communities earlier. Technologies involved in these unprecedented sampling efforts include Saildrones and Altius-600 drones. The Saildrones involved in this research mission were specially modified to support hurricane…
SBIR-funded deep-sea methane spectrometer successfully undergoes field testing
NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Lab, University of Washington, and OptoKnowledge Systems, Inc. (OKSI) successfully conducted the first deep water test of a new methane analyzer. This instrument can collect data that will improve scientists’ understanding of carbon cycling, greenhouse gasses, and sub-seafloor chemosynthetic reactions. The methane analyzer was developed by OKSI with initial funding from the NOAA SBIR Program and has since transformed into a Phase III collaboration. Read the full story
Upcoming America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo to feature three NOAA SBIR award winners
Three small businesses funded by the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research Program were selected to showcase their innovative technologies at the inaugural America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo on May 25, 2022. The Startup Expo, hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Investment and Innovation, will feature presentations from 12 U.S.-based entrepreneurs who have developed impactful technologies using federal SBIR/STTR dollars.
SBIR Partner Expanding Access to NOAA Data
Geocollaborate Tool is improving situational awareness and decision making across many economic and government sectors We are exposed to a wide variety of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, floods, earthquakes, severe storms, and volcanic eruptions. Natural hazards turn into disasters when lives are lost and livelihoods are damaged or destroyed. Some hazards, whether manmade or natural, become catastrophic disasters or large scale mass casualty events, which bring entire regions to a standstill.
These 5 technologies are helping save our ocean
Protecting and exploring our global ocean is a huge job: It covers more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface. Cutting-edge technologies help us dive deeper, gather more ocean data and solve some of its biggest challenges. Here are 5 innovative high-tech tools borne from NOAA’s partnerships with the fishing industry and technology companies large and small.
Small Business Innovation Research – a Pathway to Commercial Success for Black Swift Technologies
Black Swift Technologies works through NOAA and Air Force SBIR to Develop Multi-Mission UAS Capabilities NOAA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program was established to support innovative research projects complementing NOAA’s core mission of science, service, and stewardship. Qualified businesses are evaluated based on their degree of innovation, technical merit, and future market potential1. In 2018, Black Swift Technologies (BST) was awarded a Phase I SBIR grant, the purpose of which was to determine the scientific, technical, and commercial feasibility of a proposed air-deployed unmanned aerial system (UAS) for boundary layer observations in turbulent environments (Contract 1305M218CNRMW0059). The aircraft under…
Small business partnership leads to big advances in water quality monitoring
Sea Grant is partnering with Swift Engineering on the development of a buoy like none before. Meet Kelp – a remote, self-powered buoy for water quality monitoring. Joined through NOAA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program, Sea Grant is helping Swift Engineering deploy and test Kelp in different environments for a variety of purposes. Check out this multimedia feature to learn more about Sea Grant and Swift’s partnership on Kelp.