University of Wisconsin–Madison

State Economic Engagement & Development (SEED) Fund

Program description

The State Economic Engagement & Development (SEED) Research Program grants are administered by the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub. SEED grants allow UW–Madison faculty and academic staff with ownership in a Wisconsin company to apply for funding to engage in innovative research, generate additional private and public sector support for their research programs, and promote technology transfer between the University and industry.

Eligibility

Prior to writing a proposal, we highly recommend that innovators request a consultation with the Hub’s Innovation and Commercialization mentors. These consultations can prove helpful in framing the proposal’s research plan as a necessary and impactful step toward successful technology commercialization that benefits the company and broader Wisconsin economy. While not required, applicants who have completed entrepreneurship programs and have done market research are typically well positioned to apply for SEED funds.

To qualify for funding, the following three criteria must be met:

  1. The research will take place on the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus.
  2. The faculty or academic staff applicant has ownership in a Wisconsin company.
  3. The proposed research is designed to facilitate the commercialization of the spinoff company’s technology.

Funding level and period

For fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027), we invite proposals focused on research that is technically innovative, of interest to a broad economic sector, and that has a high potential to benefit Wisconsin’s industrial and economic development. We anticipate that 5-11 proposals will share the $550,000 in available SEED funding. SEED awards are funded on 101 accounts which means that any salary awarded will not have fringe benefits charged to this fund.

Deadline to apply: April 17, 2026

Application and reporting: instructions and forms

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Formatting and grantsmanship

Font size should be 11 points or larger. Smaller text in figures, graphs, diagrams, timelines and charts is acceptable, as long as it is legible when the page is viewed at 100%. Provide at least ½ inch margin on all sides. Other features including images should be in keeping with the purpose of ensuring ease of readability for the reviewers. Define or avoid technical jargon and spell out acronyms the first time used, followed by a notation of the abbreviation in parentheses.

Project proposal

The SEED grant is a commercialization research grant proposal. Therefore, the research proposed must directly serve to advance the commercialization efforts for the company and demonstrate economic impact for the State of Wisconsin. Successful proposals provide a roadmap for how the project deliverables will be commercialized under a sustainable business model.

The Project Proposal narrative should not exceed 6 pages (excluding references). Information outside the page limit include the submission cover page, references, budget form, public-facing abstract, investigator/environment/company and letters of support.

The Project Proposal should include the following content (with approximate page lengths):

  • Introduction, Significance and Innovation (suggested length ~1 page): The introduction should provide background and context for both the research proposal as well as the commercialization need, context and value proposition. The proposal should address significant topics where successful outcomes transform the company, launch an industry and/or positively impact the Wisconsin economy. The project and extended commercial application of the research should be original and challenge existing paradigms. The innovation may employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, services, tools, or technologies.
  • Research Plan/Approach (suggested length ~2 pages): The research plan should be well organized, well defined, and utilize appropriate frameworks, design, methods, and analyses. The research plan should describe the proposed research, stating how the research will be conducted and how the results will support commercial benefit for the company. Project milestones should be identified.
  • Commercialization Plan (suggested length ~3 pages): This section should illustrate how the proposed research milestones impact the commercialization plan. This section should succinctly describe the product/service resulting from research-supported innovation. The plan should identify commercialization topics such as target customers, value proposition, market opportunity, comparison to in-market technology, market delivery channels, revenue models, regulatory/reimbursement strategy (if appropriate), intellectual property strategy, and short/long term funding strategy. This section should include a roadmap or timeline to show how the research project fits into the larger commercialization plan. As a result, this section should align with company’s overarching business plan and goals and demonstrate impact for the Wisconsin economy (e.g. job creation, leveraged funding, transfer of IP, future collaborations with your spinoff, interactions with other Wisconsin companies).

Public facing abstract

The public-facing abstract should be a clear and concise description of the project proposal using plain language understandable to a large audience. The abstract should be 200 words or less. If selected for funding, the abstract may be used in news releases, therefore do not include proprietary information.

Investigator/Environment/Company

Identify and describe the strengths of the PI and key research personnel, demonstrating how they are suited to carry out the work required. Describe the scientific environment for the research and justify appropriateness for the project, contributing to the probability of success. In addition, a high-level summary of the company, organization history, funding, etc. should be provided. This section should not exceed 2 pages.

Letters of support

A letter of support is required from the company’s leadership that describes the impact this research will have on the company’s commercialization plans and anticipated outcomes. We encourage applicants to provide up to two additional letters of support for their proposal demonstrating commercialization readiness and established relationships necessary to pursue the research and/or commercialization aims. Letters may include support from the commercial partners and target customer, for example.

Company acknowledgment form

The application must include a Company Acknowledgement Form signed by the company. The form acknowledges the intellectual property rights and reporting requirements associated with the SEED Program.

Proposals that meet the eligibility requirements will be reviewed by a committee comprising individuals involved with commercialization of research and technology transfer. Reviewers will score proposals with both numeric scores as well as written feedback in the following areas: 1) Proposal Innovation 2) Commercialization Plan and 3) Overall Impact.

  1. Proposal Innovation: A problem/unmet need has been identified and a compelling solution is being proposed. The innovation promises to deliver significant value in use. There is a realistic project plan and has been developed to move the technology closer to commercialization.
  2. Commercialization Plan: The project has clear identifiable and quantifiable benefits and has an opportunity for commercial success. The target market and customers have been identified. The project has distinct competitive advantage and the size of the market is compelling and growing.
  3. Overall Impact: This project will advance the technology and make a strong impact in the market space and the Wisconsin economy.

As these funds are state economic development funds, successful applications propose research that significantly supports attainment of key commercialization milestones and accelerates deployment into the Wisconsin economy.

Results of proposal reviews are typically available within 6-8 weeks of the application deadline. Reviewer feedback is shared anonymously with applicants.

Your submission must include the following:

  1. Cover Page*  |  Download template (Word)
  2. Budget Form*  |  Download template (Excel)
  3. Project Proposal (6-page limit) | Download template (Word)
  4. References
  5. Public facing abstract | Download template (Word)
  6. Investigator, Environment, Company | Download template (Word)
  7. Letters of Support (company letter required; others optional)
  8. Company Acknowledgement Form* | Download Template (Word)

* Please use template provided.

Principal Investigators: Email your proposal to your department and have them sign the cover page as a way to document that they approve the proposal. They can then email it to your division for approval.

School/College: Please sign the cover page as a way to document that you approve the proposal and then email it to entrepreneurship.hub@wisc.edu.

Questions? Please email the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub at entrepreneurship.hub@wisc.edu.

SEED Grant Recipients:

Reports are required and due by the dates below:

Email your reports

Previous SEED recipients

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  • Lianyi Chen, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is collaborating with 3D Powder Tech to develop an autonomous system that identifies ideal powder spreading parameters in additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. This tool will accelerate material development, enable powder reuse and enhance sustainability and cost-efficiency in the industry.
  • Daniel Cho, associate professor of plastic surgery, and Maja Rudolph, assistant professor of statistics, will work with CranioSure, a mobile app designed to streamline the crucial early screening and referral process for infant head shape abnormalities, particularly craniosynostosis. With this funding, they will continue to develop and refine the app’s user interface and perform clinical testing and customer validation in preparation for initial commercial launch.
  • Joshua Coon, professor of biomolecular chemistry, has created an innovative technology that accelerates the analysis of biotherapeutic proteins (mAbs) by nearly 50 times, significantly speeding up drug development. Together with Lloyd Smith, professor of chemistry, Coon co-founded CeleramAb Inc. to deliver this technology to the biopharmaceutical industry. Understanding the molecular fidelity of these protein-based drugs is critical to ensure they meet regulatory standards for safety and efficacy. MAbs are used in a wide range of medical treatments, including cancer therapy and infectious diseases.
  • Vatsan Raman, associate professor of biochemistry and co-founder of Synpha Biosciences, is developing cutting-edge engineered phage therapeutics for safely treating drug-resistant bacterial infections. Using the right phage, a specific disease-causing bacterium can be targeted and eliminated without affecting beneficial microbes in the microbiome. The research will refine dosage and efficacy, generating data to support FDA submissions for future clinical trials.
  • Scott Rankin, professor of food sciences; George Huber, professor of chemical and biological engineering; Xiaolei Shi, scientist of chemical and biological engineering; Wenjia Wang, research associate of chemical and biological engineering; and Jarryd Featherman, CEO of Galasys, have developed a method to produce the rare sugar tagatose from lactose-rich dairy waste. Tagatose is a low-calorie sugar that has a similar sweetness to sucrose and has a very low glycemic index. In partnership with Orochem, Babcock Dairy Plant and the Center for Dairy Research, they will pilot their technology, provide customers with samples and obtain the necessary data to start the design of a commercial tagatose facility.
  • Melissa Skala, professor of biomedical engineering, along with Amani Gillette at SeLight LLC, aims to improve chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, which takes infection-fighting T cells from cancer patients and engineers those cells to target the patient’s specific cancer. By using a tool to measure a patient’s T cells for cell fitness, this novel method would help doctors predict which patients are most likely to succeed with CAR T-cell treatment and direct patients who are unlikely to respond to CAR T-cell treatment to alternative treatment options.

  • Scott Reeder (Professor of Radiology), with Calimetrix, will develop a quantitative test object (phantom) for cardiac MRI to enhance early detection and treatment monitoring of cardiovascular disease. This project addresses the critical need for reproducibility and quality assurance across different MRI systems, sites, and vendors, ensuring consistent and accurate quantitative cardiac imaging.
  • Nick Von Bergen (Professor of Pediatrics) and Vikas Singh (Professor of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics) will work with Atrility Medical’s AtriAmp device to address inadequacies in current cardiac monitoring techniques, especially for pediatric patients. Current monitors could miss 30%-50% of post-operative arrhythmias. Using the AtriAmp, they seek to develop a higher-quality heart signal display to improve detection, diagnosis, and care for critical pediatric cardiac patients.
  • AJ Boydston (Professor of Chemistry) will work with Si3H’s WARF-licensed 3D printing technology, Heating at a Patterned Photothermal Interface (HAPPI), to enable direct printing with FDA-approved silicones of highly customized prostheses and orthotic braces, enhancing patient comfort and reducing production time and costs.
  • Walter Block (Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics and Radiology), Andrew Alexander (Professor of Medical Physics), and Azam Ahmed (Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiology) will test the safety and productivity of Saf-T-Drape, a semi-rigid, disposable liner designed to easily fit MRI and CT scanners, withstand patient movement with minimal procedure interference, and help prevent hospital-acquired infections.
  • Luke Mawst (Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Dan Botez (Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering) will work with Intraband, LLC to develop quantum cascade laser (QCL) transmitter prototypes to deliver fast, powerful, and secure wireless data transmission for use in free space optical (FSO) communication links. The products developed would address unmet needs in both the defense and commercial sectors.
  • Eric G. Schmuck (Research Assistant Professor and Director of Research, Center for Biomedical Swine Research and Innovation) with Cellular Logistics will evaluate a biomaterial’s potential to reduce post-heart attack damage and restore cardiac function in a swine model. Data from this UW–Madison and Cellular Logistics collaboration is crucial for supporting FDA filings for a first human clinical trial.
  • Bu Wang (Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering) and Robert Anex (Professor of Biological Systems Engineering) utilize an ultra-efficient carbon removal technology in their startup, Earth Repair, now rebranded as Alithic Carbon Solutions, Inc. They will work to advance the commercialization of this technology by developing new feedstock, such as mining wastes and natural minerals, thereby enhancing its carbon removal potential.

  • Michael Arnold (Professor of Materials Science and Engineering) will work with SixLine Semiconductor to modernize traditionally silicon-dependent microelectronics. The project will leverage advancements made at UW–Madison to purify and assemble carbon nanotubes and develop semiconductor devices that vastly outperform those conventionally fabricated with silicon.
  • Seungpyo Hong (Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences), David Al-Adra (Assistant Professor of Surgery) and Michael Poellmann (Scientist of Pharmaceutical Sciences) will work with Capio Biosciences to develop a highly sensitive and specific liquid biopsy for the capture, recovery, and sequencing of circulating tumor cells. While the funding will support the development and validation of the test for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), they expect to extend to a wide variety of cancers.
  • George W. Huber (Professor of Chemical Engineering), together with Pyran Inc., will work to advance chemical reaction technology to produce several bio-based monomers (specialized molecules) from sugars derived from agricultural waste. These monomers can be used in the synthesis of nylons and polyesters to enhance the performance of more expensive and less sustainable petroleum-derived plastics.
  • Sanbrita Mondal (Senior Research Scientist) and Kimberly D. Mueller (Assistant Professor), will work with Sensify, Inc. to implement clinical testing of SensifyAware, a digital platform for remote assessment of olfaction, and along with retinal imaging, develop a non-invasive workflow to screen for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. This study aims to improve the product’s viability, reliability and usability.
  • Sabine Pellett (Scientist, Department of Bacteriology) and William Tepp (Researcher, Department of Bacteriology) will work with WisperBio to develop a biological pharmaceutical to treat neuromuscular disorders. The research team will optimize production and purification strategies to refine production and achieve a high-quality, well-defined and stable drug substance.
  • Erica Shu (Biochemistry Teaching Faculty), along with EzraBio, Inc., will work to refine their next-generation automated RNA sequencing preparation platform. The product will significantly increase protein synthesis analysis speed and accuracy for biomedical researchers and pharmaceutical companies.
  • Adel M. Talaat (Professor of Pathobiological Sciences) and Vireo Vaccine International will collaborate to develop a novel nanoadjuvant vaccine delivery platform. The funding will support the development and testing of a vaccine against paratuberculosis (Johne’s disease), a significant health problem for the dairy industry in Wisconsin.

  • Jose Ayuso (Professor of Dermatology) and David Beebe (Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine & Biomedical Engineering) will work with Salus Discovery to develop Griddient, a versatile research tool for studying biological signals and biochemical gradients in 3D microenvironments. The funding will support research and development of the Griddient platform for stem cell research, neuroscience, and cancer research applications.
  • Kyoung-Shin Choi (Professor of Chemistry) is working with ChloBis Water, Inc. to develop an energy efficient water desalination technology that removes salt from water and converts that salt into useful chemicals that can be repurposed. The team will optimize methods for removal and reuse of salt compounds from various saline water sources including wastewater. This technology can improve access to and preservation of freshwater sources, an important global challenge.
  • Beth Drolet (Professor & Chair of the Department of Dermatology) together with Arkayli Biopharma, Inc. is developing a new topical skin-based drug delivery system for treatment of hemangiomas (benign tumors) in infants to reduce unwanted side effects related to standard treatments. The funding will enable the creation of a new 3D validation tool to track changes in tumor size over time, a necessary step for clinical validation.
  • Dawei Feng (Assistant Professor of Materials Science & Engineering & Chemistry) will work on expanding flow battery technology, enabling Flux XII, LLC to enhance their energy storage solutions and provide cost-effective, safe and longer duration energy storage. By partnering with microgrid manufacturers and utilities, Flux XII hopes to deploy energy storage systems tied to wind and solar energy generation.
  • Joseph Grudzinski (Scientist III, Department of Radiology) and Justin Jeffery (Instrumentation Technologist II) will work with Phantech to develop devices that enable quantitative nuclear medicine imaging. The funding will support the development of a line of novel anthropomorphic phantoms designed to mimic human anatomy as closely as possible which may support the further development of personalized radiopharmaceutical therapy.
  • Amish Raval (Associate Professor of Medicine) will work with Cellular Logistics to develop a biomaterial produced from stem cells to treat patients with advanced heart failure. The funding will support research to further characterize the safety and efficacy of the biomaterial. Data from these studies will support a planned FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) submission and subsequent future human clinical trial.
  • Damon Smith (Associate Professor of Plant Pathology) will work with Field Prophet to deliver and commercialize expanded corn and soybean disease prediction models that will help farmers increase profitability, adapt to changing weather patterns, and prevent the overuse of pesticides. The software alerts a farmer before an infection occurs, so they have time to protect their crops and apply pesticides only when needed and at the right point in time.
  • Matthew Wolff (Professor of Medicine) and Timothy Kamp (Professor of Medicine) will work with Table Bluff Life Sciences to develop new therapies for an inherited and aggressive form of dilated cardiomyopathy (a disease of the heart muscle). The funding will support research to provide additional disease-specific proof of concept for the therapeutic approach and will use UW–Madison’s stem cell expertise to test the treatments for efficacy, safety, and specificity.

  • David Beebe (Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine & Biomedical Engineering) will work with Flambeau Diagnostics to develop a rapid, point-of-care molecular diagnostic test for infectious diseases such as COVID-19. The test is designed to be very simple to operate, ultimately enabling at-home testing by untrained users, while achieving assay performance approaching that of conventional lab-based molecular (PCR) tests.
  • Allan Brasier (Executive Director of UW–Madison’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Research) and Seungpyo Hong (Director of Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems) will work with Quadragenics on novel molecular drug delivery technologies that aim to help reverse the impact of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a fatal lung disease that affects approximately 40,000 patients in the United States per year.
  • George Huber (Professor of Chemical Engineering) will work with Pyran to utilize UW–Madison resources to help advance and commercialize their PyranDiol technology. PyranDiol uses renewable wood and crop waste resources to make paints and plastics precursors at a much lower cost than oil-based products.
  • David Hsu (Professor of Pediatric Neurology), Bermans Iskandar (Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics), Christopher Luzzio (Associate Professor of Neurology), and Joshua Medow (Associate Professor of Neurosurgery) will work with Madison Scientific, Inc. to advance and commercialize their SmartValve technology, which is a shunt valve used in the treatment of hydrocephalus, the leading cause of childhood brain surgery worldwide, and a serious cause of morbidity and death. SmartValve improves upon current technology in that it is tailored to each patient’s needs and drains in response to intracranial pressure signals. SmartValve is predicted to be significantly more durable than current commercial shunt valves, which have a failure rate of nearly 50% after two years.
  • Frank Pfefferkorn (Professor of Mechanical Engineering), Eric Severson (Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering), and Dan Thoma (Professor of Materials Science and Engineering) will work with Dastan Technologies to develop the world’s first fully 3D-printed electric motor for aircraft that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically.
  • Eric Schmuck (Senior Scientist, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research) will work with Cellular Logistics to advance their Tandem HF technology, which utilizes stem cell therapy to naturally revitalize heart tissue damaged by cardiovascular disease. The project team aims to establish partnerships with cellular therapy companies and move cardiac stem cell therapies into clinical settings.

  • David Beebe (Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine & Biomedical Engineering) will work with Salus Discovery to develop a test that helps predict the potential efficacy of immunotherapy treatments targeting solid tumors in cancer patients. The test uses cells isolated from the patient’s tumor to provide patient-specific data to help clinicians decide which patients will benefit from costly immunotherapy treatments and which will not.
  • Jo Handelsman (Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and Professor of Plant Pathology) will work with Wacasa on a project tackling the pressing issue of antibiotic resistance by identifying and testing molecules produced by soil microbes as potential new antibiotics. Promising candidates are identified from a large library of soil isolates collected by a worldwide network of 10,000 students each year who enroll in the research-based Tiny Earth course.
  • Seungpyo Hong (Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences) will work with Capio Biosciences, Inc to develop a liquid biopsy test that uses nanotechnology to detect the presence of cancer in the body through a minimally invasive blood draw. The project will validate the test’s ability to isolate, purify, and detect unique biomarkers in the blood that indicate the presence of a malignant tumor in the body.
  • Robert Radwin (Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering) will work with Güd Medical to fabricate and test an ergonomic syringe adapter device that prevents repetitive motion injuries in pharmacy, hospital, clinic, and research settings. Commercialization of the adapter device will facilitate more ergonomic, accurate, precise, and sterile preparation of IV compounded medicines than current methods allow.
  • Adel M. Talaat (Professor of Pathobiological Sciences) will work with Pan Genome Systems, Inc to create a vaccine to protect immunocompromised individuals from diseases caused by non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM), a group of common bacteria that are becoming more problematic for humans. The novel vaccine will be developed and tested in mice to determine its efficacy.
  • Andreas Velten (Professor of Biostatics and Medical Informatics) will work with OnLume, Inc to develop imaging technology that allows for better detection of tumor margins in a surgical setting. The technology utilizes specialized lighting and a measurement technique based on the rate and timing of light absorption and emission in tumor cells that produces optimal viewing.