Funding Stories
Episode 12
Adam Davis
CEO of Amalgamated Vision
In Episode 12 we are joined by Adam Davis, Founder & CEO of Amalgamated Vision. Amalgamated Vision is an optical design company building micro-optic components for head-mounted displays (HMDs).
On Working with Eagle Point Funding:
"...When we went into it [grants] we had no idea how to obtain government funding…I think it’s a daunting task. We didn’t consider it prior because it seemed like a complicated protracted process. Honestly, the verbiage and the terminology are just so confusing that it is a difficult system to navigate, and that is where Eagle Point Funding took us by the hand and guided us forward…I do not think we would have been able to do it without a guiding hand. To have an SBIR guide, someone to hold your hand is very important. It is a much more efficient process"
Episode 11
Merrin Muxlow
Marketing at Intrepid Automation
In Episode 11 we are joined by Merrin Muxlow, Marketing at Intrepid Automation. Intrepid Automation is a regenerative manufacturing technology company, delivering automated solutions for high-volume production.
On Working with Eagle Point Funding:
"...we're looking at applying for another [funding opportunity], which is exactly in our wheelhouse...I have to say that it was really smooth process from start to finish, and it really equipped me to feel confident in applying for other ones...it seemed daunting at first...but being able to have help [from Eagle Point Funding], from someone who knows what a winning proposal looks like is very helpful."
Episode 10
Jason Cerundolo
CEO of Zephyr Computing
In Episode 10 we are joined by Jason Cerundolo, CEO at Zephyr Computing. Zephyr Computing Systems is building high-performance computing platforms for the next generation of space-based onboard computers.
On Working with Eagle Point Funding:
“The non-dilutive funding from the government seems somewhat scary from the outside...it can be quite daunting to apply to big organizations like NASA, but they are interested in working with businesses of all sizes... definitely consider non-dilutive funding."
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Episode 9
Daniel Slep
CEO of ChemCubed
In Episode 9 we are joined by Daniel Slep, CEO at ChemCubed. ChemCubed is a collaborative effort of seasoned technical and marketing professionals in the Printing Industry of over 20 years to form a company for strategic materials in the growing additive manufacturing and 3D printing Industry. The objective of the collaboration is to apply single unit customization principles made possible by digital 3-D rendering to broad-spectrum commercial markets, following established “early adopter” paths to market.
On Working with Eagle Point Funding:
“We’re willing to put in the effort in the beginning… so you [Eagle Point Funding] understand our technology, then you [Eagle Point Funding] started running with it…there’s no way that I would’ve done this many proposals and followed through, I wouldn’t have the bandwidth.”
Episode 8
Tom George
CEO of SaraniaSat
In Episode 8 we are joined by Tom George, CEO at SaraniaSat. SaraniaSat is a small company acquiring and processing advanced, high spatial and temporal resolution, Hyperspectral Remote-Sensing Imagery for multiple business verticals including Precision Agriculture, Environmental Monitoring, Forestry, Water Resource Monitoring, Weather Prediction and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. SaraniaSat's data analytics capabilities include rapid decimation of Hyperspectral "Big Data,"​ Weak Signal Detection in high Background Clutter environments, and Actionable Information generation through Sensor Fusion.
On Working with Eagle Point Funding:
“All a probability game, in order to increase your odds, [you] need to submit to as many opportunities as possible and put your best foot forward…thanks with collaboration with EPF I [submitted], in the short-span of 1.5 years around 24 proposals- something just unimaginable that I could never have imagined doing it on my own.”
Episode 7
Kurt Swogger
CEO of Molecular Rebar Design
In Episode 7 we are joined by Kurt Swogger, CEO at Molecular Rebar Design. MRD is a development company creating one of the best processes in the world for Detangled CNT’S with an unbelievable variety of applications from defense, materials, energy and electronics.
On Federal Funding:
"About a year ago we said we ought to make this stuff available to the sailors, the marines, and the airmen... if this would help folks, why not?"
Episode 6
Matthew Rocklin
CEO of Coiled
In Episode 6 we are joined by Matthew Rocklin, CEO at Coiled. Coiled makes it easy for teams and organizations to collaborate and ensures reproducibility with data of any size and simplifies working in the cloud. Coiled’s team has helped scale data work from workstations and laptops to compute clusters and GPUs using Dask. These Dask projects range from machine learning and ETL pipelines to demand forecasting and statistical modeling—for Barclays, Capital One, Harvard Medical School, Los Alamos National Labs, Novartis, USGS, Walmart, Grubhub, and more.
On Federal Funding:
"There's a lot of opportunities; the Federal government wants to revolutionize itself and it needs a lot of help."
On Investors:
"We went [and] raised more money and it allowed us to grow quite a bit faster and now the product development is just happening much, much faster."
Episode 5
Jacob Nuechterlein
President of Elementum 3D
In Episode 5 we are joined by Jacob Nuechterlein, President at Elementum 3D. Elementum 3D specializes in the development, commercialization and supply of groundbreaking high-performance 3D printed metals alloys, ceramics, and composites. Material sets include aluminum, copper, nickel, steel, tantalum, tungsten, and invar36. Their versatile patented RAM technology enables 3D printing of previously unprintable and custom materials, making it possible to expand and enhance the design freedom of additive manufacturing.
On Federal Funding:
"They're [the Federal government] willing to take that risk on something that can be potentially groundbreaking."
On Investors:
"Investors want to hear about YOUR product."
Episode 4
Andrew Preston
CFO at Deep North
In Episode 4 we are joined by Andrew Preston , CFO at Deep North. Deep North is Analytics and AI for the physical world. Its end-to-end software solution combines artificial intelligence with computer vision to help retailers and businesses digitize and analyze behavioral metrics in the physical world, and gives them tools to act upon these insights.
On Federal Funding:
"The way we look at it, is a way to match the technology needs of a federal grant to the development needs we have for commercial product...and at the same time open up a market and a product as a revenue channel for the government piece of it, then that's a win-win for us."
On Investors:
"Doing another series...led by corporate partners or customers or partners who really see the value of the technology and want to be a part of it."
Episode 3
Victor Darolfi
CEO & Founder at RoboTire
In Episode 3 we are joined by Victor Darolfi, CEO and Founder at RoboTire. RoboTire is a robotics company committed to an efficient and fast future that will answer the challenge of labor shortage with automated tire changing and car maintenance. Victor grew up in Detroit and since he moved to the Bay Area has been building robotics and automation technology for industry. RoboTire has survived and thrived with strategic partners like Mitsubishi who share their vision, with federal funding, and with investments all of which have led to the commercial traction they enjoy today.
On Federal Funding:
"I also see the military as a way to really harden the tech…When I look at it, I was like: Yes, great non-dilutive funding! How can we help everyone? And how can they help me on the consumer side?”
On Investors:
“Believe in the vision…(an investor whom) kind of wants to get their hands dirty a bit or be a sounding board.”
Episode 2
Eric Kish
CEO of Nanoramic Laboratories
In Episode 2 we are joined by Eric Kish, CEO at Nanoramic Laboratories. Nanoramic was born out of MIT and is focused on energy storage using nanocarbons. Within the first 7 years, Nanoramic won upwards of $10M in grants and today has raised more than $38M in investments. Eric grew up under communism and today is a serial CEO, author on business leadership, and educator.
On Federal Funding:
“We are lucky that we have an alignment between what we would have done anyway and the needs of the government. So, it’s a perfect match there.”
On Investors:
“Now with revenue it’s a different play. We are raising much more money, we are raising a $100M.”
Episode 1
Marcia-Elizabeth Christian Favale
Founder and CEO of Blingby
In Episode 1 we are joined by Marcia-Elizabeth Christian Favale, former investment banker and current CEO and founder of Blingby. Marcia has experience in investing, founding, and running companies and her current start-up is on the way to disrupt the way the private sector and Dept. of Defense use video to advertise.
On Applying to Air Force Funding:
"It was one of the best decisions we have ever made.”
On Investors:
“The most important thing is the type of money you bring on board…If you are building something for longevity…then consider the source.”