FuzeHub Announces Second Round of Awardees for the 2024 Manufacturing Grants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Susan Bardack
Phone: (518) 867-7940

Patty Rechberger/FuzeHub

The Empire State Development-Supported Manufacturing Grants Program awards $455,000 in grants to facilitate research and development, technical advancements, and process improvements for New York State manufacturers.

 

Watch the announcement here.

(Albany, NY – July 23, 2024) – FuzeHub, a not-for-profit organization providing small to medium-sized manufacturers with guided access to an extensive network of industry experts, programs, and resources to solve business growth challenges, recently awarded seven collaborative projects through its Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund.

The Innovation Fund, consisting of more than $1 million annually, supports a set of activities designed to spur technology development and commercialization across New York State and is made possible through funding and support from Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).

As part of the Fund, FuzeHub offers Manufacturing Grants to New York State not-for-profit organizations, including higher education institutions, that propose innovative projects in partnership with a New York State small to medium-sized manufacturer. Project categories cover adoption of new technology to enhance a process and/or product, prototype development, design for manufacturing, proof-of-concept manufacturing, certain equipment purchases, manufacturing scale-up, and other projects to advance manufacturing capabilities.

In addition, the Innovation Fund is used to provide assistance to early-stage companies through FuzeHub’s annual Commercialization Competition, which takes place in the fall.

“Innovation requires a strong ecosystem to help new ideas take root, and funding is a crucial piece in accelerating growth from concept to commercialization. Through the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund – which ESD is proud to support through its NYSTAR Division – new technologies continue to establish and grow in New York, creating new jobs and a stronger economy, and a greater recognition of the state as a hub for innovation. Congratulations to this round’s awardees.”

– Hope Knight, President and CEO of Empire State Development

“In communities across New York State, forward-thinking innovators are creating industry-shaping, potentially world-changing technologies. With their daily focus dedicated to advancing new breakthroughs, they occasionally fly under the radar — but every time we award Manufacturing Grants through FuzeHub’s Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund, I’m reminded there is truly no limit to the ingenuity of New Yorkers. FuzeHub is honored to have the opportunity to provide essential funding and support to accelerate the success of this incredible group of manufacturers, and we’re excited to celebrate and bring attention to their meaningful work.”

– Elena Garuc, Executive Director of FuzeHub

FuzeHub is pleased to announce the grantees. Each awardee will receive $65,000:

thINCubator (Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation) / Modovolo, Inc. (Mohawk Valley)
Modovolo Manufacturing Production Cell

Introducing the Modovolo Lift. A Drone with Amazing flight time; Extremely low cost. But wait: it’s designed like a Lego kit?

Modovolo was founded with one mission: to build a drone that could carry any payload, for hours instead of minutes, and for a cost far below anything on the market. But it’s also the only drone ever that is like Lego kit – completely modular with endless configurations. Need more payload capacity? Add Lift Pods for more thrust. Need a larger payload? Swap Utility Pods. The possibilities are as endless.

 

NextCorps / Nordetect Holdings Inc (Finger Lakes)
AgroChip – Handheld Rapid Water Analysis System for Agriculture

The AgroChip, developed by Nordetect, simplifies water analysis for greenhouse growers using a disposable cartridge and handheld reader to instantly measure irrigation water’s fertilizer content.

Nordetect is a deep-tech startup that has previously won the GrowNY competition in 2021 and participated in highly selective accelerator programs such as Luminate and HAX. Through a partnership with NextCorps, a non-profit hub for innovation in Rochester, Nordetect is scaling the manufacturing of these cartridges to grow its customer base and expand its operations nationally.

 

Clarkson University CAMP (Center for Advanced Materials Processing) / KLAW Industries LLC (North Country / Southern Tier)
KLAW Industries Advanced Processing for Alternative New York Glass Sources

Clarkson University’s Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP) and KLAW Industries are partnering with FuzeHub to bring a new recycling technology leveraging artificial intelligence to market in the Southern Tier. KLAW Industries is expanding to alternative recycling markets to source waste glass for use in high-performance, low-carbon concrete projects with the New York State Department of Transportation and the City of Binghamton. The partnership builds on federal investment by the Environmental Protection Agency to overhaul the recycling industry and demonstrates FuzeHub’s ability to help scale industry-changing technologies.

 

University of Rochester, Department of Dermatology / Phlotonics, Inc. (Finger Lakes)
Disposable photonics input/output system prototype design, production and optimization

Glucose monitors, COVID rapid antigen diagnostics, and pregnancy tests are all readily available over-the-counter biosensors that improve human health. What if these simple tests existed for every health related event? Phlotonics and the University of Rochester aim to achieve this purpose and expand human health diagnostics by creating a photonic (miniature fiber optic) biosensing system capable of measuring molecules that are critical to human health. The FuzeHub Manufacturing Grant will allow Phlotonics to revolutionize the healthcare diagnostic market.

 

ITAC / NY Embroidery Studio (New York City)
Hybrid Automation of PPE Production

New York Embroidery Studio has developed an innovative approach to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) commercialization in the United States. They are supporting the dual goals of commercially competitive product pricing, and a durable, innovative workforce capable of ramping to surge capacity as needed. Their hybrid approach uses automation “blocks” to do specific tasks, in conjunction with a skilled labor force to do tasks that do not lend themselves to automation. They are combining innovative automation with skilled labor to remain competitive and to retain and create jobs in New York State.

 

Center for Architecture, Inc. / Arbour Group LLC (New York City)
Liquid Wall

The Liquid Wall is a resilient, low-carbon, high-performance curtain wall system introducing material and design innovations that will change the way we design, build and maintain building enclosures. In the Liquid Wall, aluminum is replaced with ultra-high-performance concrete, creating a durable, adaptable building envelope that reduces carbon footprint and the cost and energy required to operate buildings.

 

Cornell University, Department of Biomedical Engineering / Anova Biomedical Inc. (Southern Tier)
Elastomeric Arteriovenous Graft Prototyping and Scale-Up

800,000 Americans undergo dialysis every year as treatment for kidney failure. Vascular access – the conduit through which blood is collected for dialysis – is referred to as the Achilles’ Heel of dialysis. Faulty vascular access causes hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations every year and accounts for billions of dollars of excess spending in our healthcare system. The “Anova graft” will be the first vascular access to harness the body’s healing potential to transform from a synthetic implant to a fully biological conduit to revolutionize dialysis access for millions of patients.

 

The 2024 Commercialization Competition is currently accepting applications. For more information and how to apply, click here. Finalists will pitch live at the Syracuse Oncenter Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center on October 28 & 29 during the NYS Innovation Summit.

For more information about the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund, visit www.fuzehub.com/innovation-fund or contact Patty Rechberger, innovation fund manager at [email protected].

About Jeff Lawrence

During his more than 20 years at the Center for Economic Growth, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) affiliate in the Capital Region where he served as executive vice president and MEP Center Director, Jeff Lawrence directed programs of direct assistance to manufacturers and technology companies to increase their competitiveness. He is remembered for being an invaluable and generous mentor to many in the area’s business community and a tireless advocate for manufacturing innovation throughout New York.

About FuzeHub

FuzeHub is a not-for-profit organization that connects New York’s small to medium-sized manufacturing companies to the resources, programs, and expertise they need for technology commercialization, innovation, and business growth. Through our custom assessment, matching, and referral platform, we help companies navigate New York’s robust network of industry experts at Manufacturing Extension Partners centers, universities, economic development organizations, and other providers. FuzeHub is the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP) center, supported by Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation.

For more information on FuzeHub, visit fuzehub.com.

About Empire State Development

Empire State Development (ESD) is New York’s chief economic development agency. The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of “I LOVE NY,” the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov.

About U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)

The U.S. Economic Development Administration’s investment policy is designed to establish a foundation for sustainable job growth and the building of durable regional economies throughout the United States. This foundation builds upon two key economic drivers–innovation and regional collaboration. Innovation is key to global competitiveness, new and better jobs, a resilient economy, and the attainment of national economic goals. Regional collaboration is essential for economic recovery because regions are the centers of competition in the new global economy and those that work together to leverage resources and use their strengths to overcome weaknesses will fare better than those that do not. EDA encourages its partners around the country to develop initiatives that advance new ideas and creative approaches to address rapidly evolving economic conditions. For more information on EDA, visit www.eda.gov.