Innovate Alabama has awarded more than $3.3 million in SBIR/STTR supplemental grants to 20 small businesses across Alabama, empowering them to scale cutting-edge technologies and create jobs. Of the 20 grants awarded, 11 will benefit startups based in North Alabama.

The Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program provides non-dilutive funding to companies that have previously received federal SBIR or STTR grants, helping bridge the gap between research and commercialization. With this latest round, Innovate Alabama has now invested more than $17 million across 82 small businesses since the program’s inception.

“By providing follow-on capital through our Supplemental Grant Program, we’re equipping Alabama’s most promising startups with the resources needed to take their innovations to market,” said Cynthia Crutchfield, CEO of Innovate Alabama. “These investments are driving job creation, attracting additional external capital into Alabama, advancing research and technology, and securing Alabama’s place as a competitive hub for innovation.”

The funding will benefit businesses in biotechnology, aerospace, energy, advanced manufacturing, and more.

The 11 North Alabama recipients include:

Applied Technology Solutions, Inc, Huntsville: Specializes in hypersonic technologies including advanced materials, hypersonic environments and ground test design.
Cosmic Shielding Corporation, Huntsville: Specializes in providing radiation shielding technologies for commercial and government space systems.
Eikon Research, Inc, Huntsville: Specializes in advanced radar technology, including digital radar design, radar operational software, firmware, modeling & simulation, and UI development.
Hybird Space Systems, Huntsville: Specializes in developing advanced, affordable rocket propulsion technologies for space exploration, national security and commercial aerospace applications.
Hyperion Aerospace, Huntsville: Specializes in developing green thruster technology for spacecraft, missile defense and satellites.
KODA Technologies, Huntsville: Specializes in weapon system development – from hands-on engineering to executive leadership. The company solves problems and develops highly technical products for the Department of Defense and NASA.
Mathinvestments, Inc, Huntsville: Specializes in capturing return premiums associated with investing in individual businesses by utilizing proprietary financial models.
nou Systems, Inc, Huntsville: The nou Systems (nSI) mission is to develop products and provide services essential to solving our customers’ most difficult, urgent and demanding technical problems.
SSS Optical Technologies, LLC, Huntsville: Specializes in optical nanomaterials. SSSOT and Oakwood University develop Polymer Anti-damage Nanocomposite Down-converting Armor (PANDA) coating to replace cover glass.
Tellus1 Scientific, LLC, Huntsville: Specializes in advanced optical sensing and measurement, particularly system engineering, modeling and analysis of optics and sensors for space telescopes used in astronomy and remote sensing.
VETS LLC, Madison: Specializes in developing digital threads and digital twins, Nuclear Surety, Cybersecurity, System Safety, Test Engineering, Systems Engineering, Program Management, Training Development and Product Support.