What to know about the latest round of Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED):
The Quote: Neela Mollgaard, Executive Director of Launch Minnesota
“Those who’ve received grants tell us that this funding makes a big difference in creating opportunities to grow their businesses and in leveling the playing field. Demand for these grants has far exceeded available funding, and in fact this latest round of grants means our program has fully disbursed its funding with months still to go in our fiscal year.”
Here are the 15 startups that received Innovation Grants this round (with descriptions from DEED). To read more about the grants, read the full release included at the end of this post.
Alcaris Medical, St. Paul
Providing physiologic markers to psychotherapists to guide PTSD treatment
ArteMedics, St. Paul
Adapting medical device technology for veterinary community
Brevity, Minneapolis
Developing a platform for seed funders to connect with startup businesses
Kinetic, Minneapolis
Developing a social network with hand-curated introductions, making “who you know” equitable
MK1 Engineering, Sauk Rapids
Using seed orientation planter technology
Oncodea, St. Paul
Developing a multi-cancer diagnostic system for early cancer detection using blood biopsies
Peach Mindfulness, St. Paul
Developing technology-enabled meditation and mindfulness practices using a coaching relationship through a conversational virtual assistant
ProsperStack, Minneapolis Developing tools for implementing automated retention strategies to reduce subscription churn
See A Star Labs, Minneapolis
Marketing its SAAS platform for live 2-way communications for businesses; digital sports
Simply Paws Design, St. Paul
Making eco-friendly cat liter
TearRestore, New Brighton
Offering an at-home device that replaces in-office treatment for people with dry eye
Vessyll, Twin Cities
Developing an energy storage device for large power delivery to customers with unreliable supply
VisionX, Edina
Developing a dental device to capture anatomic measurements of a patient’s mandible
ViruTech Systems Inc., Minneapolis
Developing a diagnostic device to instantaneously detect the Sars-2 virus using millimeter wave technology and advances in signal processing
XDot Medical, Maple Grove
Developing an X-cinch access system for catheter-based therapies
St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced that it has awarded $376,075 in Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants to startup businesses. With these awards, the full $3.2 million in biennium funding for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 has now been allocated.
In this latest round, DEED awarded innovation grants to 15 startups. Of those, nine are targeted businesses, which include BIPOC-owned (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), woman-owned, and businesses located in Greater Minnesota.
Grants are awarded through a competitive application process to the most promising innovative and scalable technology businesses in Minnesota. Since Launch Minnesota’s creation in 2019, it has awarded 140 grants totaling $3.2 million to 104 startups statewide – 60% of which have been in targeted categories.
There has been significant interest in the program; Launch MN received 365 applications, totaling more than $11 million in requested funds. The 140 grants awarded account for 38% of those applications and 29% of requested funding.
“As Minnesota’s economy recovers from the pandemic, it’s vital that the state continues to support technology startups and foster the growth of our innovation ecosystem,” said DEED Deputy Commissioner of Economic Development Kevin McKinnon. “These are investments in Minnesota’s present and its future.”
“Those who’ve received grants tell us that this funding makes a big difference in creating opportunities to grow their businesses and in leveling the playing field,” said Launch Minnesota Executive Director Neela Mollgaard. “Demand for these grants has far exceeded available funding, and in fact this latest round of grants means our program has fully disbursed its funding with months still to go in our fiscal year.”
The grants were designed to reduce the risk for Minnesota technology startups and entrepreneurs who are solving problems and growing our state’s innovation ecosystem by providing capital for business operations as well as smaller grants for housing and child care.
Launch Minnesota was created with bipartisan support during the 2019 legislative session as a statewide collaborative effort to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation.
Award recipients since February and their locations are listed below:
Alcaris Medical, St. Paul
Providing physiologic markers to psychotherapists to guide PTSD treatment
ArteMedics, St. Paul
Adapting medical device technology for veterinary community
Brevity, Minneapolis
Developing a platform for seed funders to connect with startup businesses
Kinetic, Minneapolis
Developing a social network with hand-curated introductions, making “who you know” equitable
MK1 Engineering, Sauk Rapids
Using seed orientation planter technology
Oncodea, St. Paul
Developing a multi-cancer diagnostic system for early cancer detection using blood biopsies
Peach Mindfulness, St. Paul
Developing technology-enabled meditation and mindfulness practices using a coaching relationship through a conversational virtual assistant
ProsperStack, Minneapolis Developing tools for implementing automated retention strategies to reduce subscription churn
See A Star Labs, Minneapolis
Marketing its SAAS platform for live 2-way communications for businesses; digital sports
Simply Paws Design, St. Paul
Making eco-friendly cat liter
TearRestore, New Brighton
Offering an at-home device that replaces in-office treatment for people with dry eye
Vessyll, Twin Cities
Developing an energy storage device for large power delivery to customers with unreliable supply
VisionX, Edina
Developing a dental device to capture anatomic measurements of a patient’s mandible
ViruTech Systems Inc., Minneapolis
Developing a diagnostic device to instantaneously detect the Sars-2 virus using millimeter wave technology and advances in signal processing
XDot Medical, Maple Grove
Developing an X-cinch access system for catheter-based therapies
You can find a full list of all Innovation Grants on the Launch Minnesota website Innovation Grants page.
Launch Minnesota, spearheaded by DEED, is aimed at growing Minnesota’s startup ecosystem. The Launch Minnesota Network, which started in March 2020, includes eight hubs and over 80 partner organizations statewide in a hub-and-spoke model designed to help startups access resources and education wherever they are based.
For more information, visit LaunchMinnesota.org. Follow Launch Minnesota on Twitter and Facebook.
DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and its services, visit the DEED website or follow us on Twitter.