BRUNSWICK

The Maine Technology Institute recently approved five TechStart grant applications — including one to a Dresden company — and two Business Accelerator grants, totaling $52,476 in awards to entrepreneurs from across Maine to advance new product and process development in biotechnology, precision manufacturing, environmental technology and information technology.

This round of MTI awards leveraged $73,591 of matching contributions from the award recipients.

Awards from this round include five TechStart grants totaling $24,350 and two Business Accelerator grants at $28,126.

Summary of awards:

Tech Start grants

• Rockport Imaging LLC of Rockport, award amount $5,000; match amount $17,315

• Codeweaving, Inc. of Dresden, award amount $5,000; match amount $5,000

Hover8, a product of Codeweaving Inc., is an innovative “software as a service” application designed to provide non-interfering, non-intrusive interactive imaging experience to business communities and consumers. The Tech Start award will provide the company with the necessary funds to investigate the pursuit of intellectual property protection, improve its business plan, extend its market research and analysis, approach prospective clients and ultimately go to production within a reasonable time frame.

• VisionMaster, Inc. of Portland, award amount $5,000; match amount $10,000

• Gotham Biotechnology, LLC of New Gloucester, award amount $4,350; match amount $5,850

• Delta Dewatering, LLC of South Portland, award amount $5,000; match amount $7,300

TechStart grants are available to entrepreneurs and companies across Maine who are seeking to develop their inventive ideas into new, innovative products or services. Grants are awarded monthly and may be used to support specific activities such as business plan development, intellectual property filings, market analysis, or technology transfer activities out of research institutions.

Business Accelerator grants

• Abierto Networks, LLC of Eliot, award amount $21,626; match amount $21,626

• Sustainability Metrics, LLC of Portland, award amount $6,500; match amount $6,500

Business Accelerator grants are available to startup/ early stage companies that have been awarded MTI Development Loans and to companies that have recently been chosen for a federal Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I or Phase II grant and/or a Broad Agency Announcement award. Funds are to be used to advance the new technology to market and to firmly establish or increase the scope and sustainability of the business enterprise.

For more information on MTI funding programs, visit mainetechnology.org.

MTI is a publicly financed, private, nonprofit organization created by the Legislature in 1999 to stimulate research and development activity leading to the commercialization of new products, processes and services in the state’s seven targeted technology sectors. MTI programs are either loans, equity investments, or grants designed to enhance the competitive position of those sectors and increase the likelihood that one or more of these sectors will support clusters of industrial activity and create quality jobs across Maine.