OmniVis Awarded Highly Competitive Grant from the National Science Foundation
Small Business Innovation Research Program Provides Seed Funding for R&D
San Francisco (July 22, 2020) -- OmniVis has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to conduct research and development (R&D) work on COVID-19 rapid detection technology.
OmniVis is a biotech company based out of San Francisco, California that focuses on rapid disease detection technology with the ability to reach communities anywhere in the world. We bring the power of the lab to the palm of your hand with our user-friendly and innovative technology that allows users to analyze water samples and gain insightful information about the safety of community water sources. With that information, data can be stored and logged for future reference and help make informed decisions about budget, spending, and public health safety. Current applications involve the identification of the Vibrio cholerae bacteria that causes cholera infections but with this new funding, OmniVis is excited to extend our research and technology to further applications such as COVID-19.
“NSF is proud to support the technology of the future by thinking beyond incremental developments and funding the most creative, impactful ideas across all markets and areas of science and engineering,” said Andrea Belz, Division Director of the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships at NSF. “With the support of our research funds, any deep technology startup or small business can guide basic science into meaningful solutions that address tremendous needs.”
OmniVis CEO Katherine Clayton states, “With generous support from the NSF, we have the opportunity to translate our device toward SARS-CoV-2 detection in a time where the world is doing everything possible to fight such a devastating pandemic. I know our team is already working hard to deliver a solution that can detect early and detect anywhere in the world.”
To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/
About OmniVis: OmniVis, Inc is a biotechnology company that develops rapid disease diagnostic devices for communities around the world battling infectious disease. Its technology platform provides a quick, scalable and user-friendly approach to proactive disease detection with the ability to have the power of the lab in the palm of your hand to detect the presence of cholera bacteria in water in under 30 minutes. The company was founded based on CEO Katherine Clayton’s PhD research done at Purdue University.
About the National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs: America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $1.75 million in funding to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.1 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.
OmniVis is very excited to be working with NSF to do more COVID-19 rapid detection technology research. Thank you to NSF for the continued support!
