Virtual Incubation Client, Nano Nano, Wins SBIR
by April 11, 2005 12:00 am 76 views
Fayetteville-based Virtual Incubation Corp. has done it again.
As of early April, it has scored a total of 26 Small Business Innovation Research awards for its clients since January 2003.
The most recent, VIC client, NanoMech LLC, has landed its sixth SBIR. This time the award is a Phase II grant that comes from the Environmental Protection Agency and is worth $225,000.
The grant will fund development of a nanoparticle-based lubricant coating that could reduce or eliminate the need for liquid coolants on cutting tools. There are significant costs for waste disposal and environmental concerns associated with liquid coolants.
A nanoparticle-solid lubricant would be “dry,” and officials said there are endless possibilities for commercial applications of a final product. A nanoparticle ranges in size from about 1/1,000th to 1/10,000th the width of a human hair.
VIC provides clients with management, operational, research and fundraising support. It takes an equity stake in the firms and derives some fees from the SBIR awards it helps land.