SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By NM True
Governor Susana Martinez announced that eleven New Mexico companies will receive Innovation Voucher Grants to help their businesses grow by covering eligible expenses such as rent at a state certified incubator. The Innovation Voucher program, launched by Governor Martinez, is designed to enable early-stage science and technology companies to overcome business development barriers by providing small amounts of funding at critical moments during company growth.
“We’ve worked hard to create new tools to help our local startups thrive and now more homegrown companies are using our powerful job creation tools to grow here in New Mexico,” said Governor Martinez. “I congratulate all of the companies receiving an Innovation Voucher today. Let’s keep up the momentum.”
Innovation Vouchers are competitive grants that are capped at $2,000 per individual award. Applicants must be a New Mexico-based science or technology company with a New Mexico address. Applicants are also required to be associated with an approved program: ABQid, Arrowhead Center at NMSU, The BioScience Center, The Enterprise Center at San Juan College, FatPipe ABQ, FatPipe Raton, FatPipe Rio Rancho, The Joseph L. Cecchi Venture Lab at STC.UNM, Navajo Tech Innovation Center, Project Y Cowork Los Alamos, The Santa Fe Business Incubator, The South Valley Economic Development Center, Taos County Economic Development Center, TEAM Technologies, and WESST Enterprise Center (Abq, Farmington, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, Roswell, and Santa Fe). Applications are reviewed by the Technology Research Collaborative.
“Accelerating the growth of science and technology businesses is a top priority in diversifying our economy and creating high-wage jobs for our state,” said Secretary Matt Geisel. “The Innovation Vouchers program helps local companies get off the ground and succeed, creating new jobs and opportunities for New Mexicans.”
The following companies were awarded $2,000 Innovation Vouchers for Fall FY19:
- GPER G-1 Development Company is a drug discovery and development company based in Albuquerque.
- Mimic Biosolutions LLC is a pharmaceutical startup company based in Albuquerque.
- Mountain Vector Energy LLC reduces customer operating cost through the optimization of energy and water consumption and is based in Albuquerque.
- Open Lab LLC has invented an automated mosquito saliva trap ‘MoST’ to combat dangerous microbes such as Zika and West Nile viruses. The company is based in Las Cruces.
- Osazda Energy LLC provides materials engineering solutions to improve solar cell and solar module reliability and is based in Albuquerque.
- RB Designs LLC.com is addressing the problem of spinal immobilization and is based in Las Cruces.
- Reap LLC is developing a mobile app that provides customized, self-adjusting crop plans and is based in Las Cruces.
- Rebellis Development Group LLC provides information technology, cyber security, and professional technology services and is based in Albuquerque.
- ThriveMo LLC is a health-tech startup, working to create a virtual hub for self-directed health and is based in Las Cruces.
- Zennovate Inc. is a digital platform to scale resilience development and is located in Las Cruces & Los Alamos.
- ZiaHub Inc. is big data for properties not listed on MLS and is based in Santa Fe.
Awardees are required to complete a short report on their accomplishments three months after receiving the award. Goals such as receiving follow-on investment, bringing a new product to the market, creating jobs, and more are tracked after three months and after a year.
Companies interested in applying for the next round of Innovation Vouchers are encouraged to apply online at http://gonm.biz.
Under the leadership of Governor Martinez, New Mexico has bolstered economic development tools, cut taxes and fees 61 times, and rolled back unnecessary regulations and red tape to create a business-friendly environment in New Mexico. Governor Martinez established the Catalyst Fund, Innovation Vouchers, the SBIR Matching Grant, and the Credit Enhancement Program to help homegrown New Mexico technology startups grow and thrive. As a result of these tools, reforms, and investments, New Mexico continues to help homegrown businesses like Skorpios, RiskSense, Ideum and others grow and thrive, while recruiting global and national companies like Facebook, Keter Plastic, Safelite, Netflix and others to New Mexico.
