Drive was recently awarded a $256,000 Phase 1 SBIR grant from the NSF to help continue development of our novel, aptamer based inhibitors to angiogenesis and inflammation for retinal disease. We will use the funds to optimize our manufacturing and delivery technologies.
Needless to say, we are thrilled for this validation from the NSF that our project has the potential to help a large number of stakeholders that need improved therapeutics for treatment of retinal diseases.
About the NSF’s Small Business Programs
America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov.