The Portland Development Commission is seeding six fledgling university-born companies up to $30,000 to help them succeed in the marketplace.
The PDC launched the University Startup Commercialization Grant Program this year as a way to strengthen the relationship between Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University and the city’s startup community.
“The creation and adoption of new products, services and business models drives economic prosperity,” said PDC Executive Director Patrick Quinton in a statement. “We’re happy to partner with OHSU, PSU and the winning companies to support locally-based innovation and technologies that will ultimately bolster Portland’s economy.”
Three companies from each university were selected.
From OHSU there are:
- Nzumbe, which is developing a drug-screening service that can increase the speed with which breakthrough therapies can be found for diseases such as cancer.
- Odyssey Science Innovations, which is developing evidence-based worksite wellness programs.
- Gamma Therapeutics, which is developing diagnostic systems for cardiovascular disease.
From PSU the companies are:
- APDM, which is developing medical devices to measure gait and balance for rehabilitation, assisted living and other forms of care.
- SweetSense, which is developing a low-cost remote monitoring system for water, energy and environmental markets.
- Hawthorne Materials, which is developing improved X-ray imaging technology.
