Finding Funding Opportunities for Science Projects

How This Space Tech Startup Secured $5.5M (Without Giving Up Equity). Last year, I invested in Raven Space Systems. They developed a novel way to 3D print aerospace hardware: • Faster • Cheaper • More efficiently Before pursuing VC money, they secured $5.5M through grants from NASA, Air Force, and The National Science Foundation. This was pure capital for R&D to: • Validate their technology • Access specialized facilities • Build government & commercial credibility Incredible benefits, yet not without challenges. Applications are competitive, time-consuming, and often come with restrictions on fund usage. 6 steps for capital-intensive startups to access non-dilutive funding: 1) Find the Right Grant Programs → Focus on SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) → STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) programs. → These offer billions annually in non-dilutive funding for early-stage R&D. Key Agencies: NASA, NSF, DoD, (AFWERX), USDA, and others. 2) Prove Your Tech Solves a Big Problem → Funders want mission-critical solutions over "cool" innovations. → Eg: NASA funds projects that improve performance in space exploration. → Use data or case studies to demonstrate the urgency of the problem → And the effectiveness of your solution. 3) Develop a Clear Proposal → Specific R&D milestones → Measurable outcomes → Commercialization plans Align your proposal with the funder's mission and values and highlight how your project advances their goals. 4) Leverage Strategic Partnerships Strengthen by collaborating with universities, labs, or prime contractors. E.g: Raven partnered with the University of Oklahoma for material testing and technical validation. Partnerships mean specialized equipment and critical expertise. 5) Engage with Grant Officers → Reach out to program managers before applying → For insights on aligning your application with agency priorities → Clarify any ambiguities and tailor your proposal accordingly 6) Iterate And Improve → Treat rejections as opportunities to learn → Many startups win grants on attempt 2 or 3 → Refining on feedback can significantly improve success rates After validating their tech with grants, Raven then raised VC to: • Scale manufacturing • Build sales teams • Enter new markets Validate with grants. Scale with VC. Combine both for a winning position. ____________________________ Hi, I’m Richard Stroupe, a 3x Entrepreneur, and Venture Capital Investor I help early-stage tech founders turn their startups into VC magnets Enjoy this? Join 340+ high-growth founders and seasoned investors getting my deep dives here: (https://lnkd.in/e6tjqP7y)

In the midst of federal research funding cuts and grant freezes, we need alternative ways to fund science. Here are some opportunities that caught my attention: ▫️ Astera Institute - founded by Jed McCaleb and Seemay Chou, Astera incubates high-leverage science and technology projects at their earliest stages through their residency and open science programs. They back creative, high-agency scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs who are passionate about pursuing open first, high impact and future focused projects, especially innovators whose work isn’t a match for other institutions. https://lnkd.in/g45bPNgP ▫️ Schmidt Sciences - part of Eric and Wendy Schmidt's philanthropic initiatives. Their Polymaths program backs professors and interdisciplinary misfits with $2.5M+ to explore wild, risky ideas, whereas their Fellows program places the world’s best emerging scientists in new research domains. https://lnkd.in/gwNC7Fda ▫️ Simons Foundation - founded by Jim and Marilyn Simons to champion basic science through grant funding. There is currently an open call for high-risk theoretical mathematics, physics and computer science projects of exceptional promise and scientific importance. https://lnkd.in/g5CX-Gmk ▫️ Lux Capital - Lux just committed $100 million to back academic research that also has commercial potential, such as biotech and artificial intelligence. They offer both counsel and capital to pathbreaking scientists and help push their research and careers forward. https://lnkd.in/gt5vKe_m ▫️ Decentralized Science (DeSci) - science-focused decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are communities and platforms that use blockchain technology and decentralization to reform funding and collaboration in science. e.g. 🔹 ValleyDAO - funds and provides translational support for synthetic biology research 🔹 VitaDAO - funds aging research and democratizes ownership of intellectual property 🔹 Molecule AG - funding and tokenization platform for biopharma intellectual property What other funding models or programs are you excited about?

Uncovering unique R&D funding resources for medical technologies - Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) In light of recent cuts to Federal R&D funding programs like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), I want to share some other non-dilutive funding (NDF) opportunities that you may not have discovered yet. Today we will focus on Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs). BAAs are a contracting and solicitation mechanism to seek proposals for basic and applied research, as well as advanced technology development, that aim to advance or evaluate cutting-edge technologies. BAAs are used to acquire scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge and understanding, rather than focusing on developing a specific system or hardware solution. DoD components that routinely release BAAs and example topics include: • Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR): Aerospace medical research • Army Research Laboratory (ARL): Biological sciences, human systems, human behavior • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA): Transformative medical technologies, human performance optimization, AI/ML innovations, sensors • Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA): Weapons of mass destruction challenges, CBRN defense • Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL): Material and non-material solutions supporting warfighters • Naval Research Laboratory (NRL): Basic and applied scientific research • Office of Naval Research (ONR): Naval medical and biomedical research • U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA): Aeronautics, biosystems and natural materials, behavioral sciences, nuclear research • U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command (USAMRDC): Army medical research and development Other non-DoD Federal Agencies that routinely release BAAs include: • Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA): Medical countermeasures, pandemic preparedness • Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Homeland security technologies, first responder solutions, critical infrastructure protection • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Environmental research • Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Regulatory science, medical countermeasures, food safety, tobacco research • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Cybersecurity, digital forensics, biometrics, communications, analytics • Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA): Intelligence analysis, collection technologies, biointelligence, quantum technologies • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): Human health and performance in space You can find links to these in the comments below. Stay up to date on all things MILMED R&D. Join our MILMED Connect Funding Insider newsletter >> Link in the comments