$100,000 Awarded to High-Performing Texas Tech Startups
- TTU Daily Dose
- Dec 6, 2019
- 1 min read
Recipients of the Presidents’ Innovation Award are determined by the presidents of Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Texas Tech University has partnered with Market Lubbock Inc. to establish the Presidents’ Innovation Award, an effort supporting entrepreneurs through seed-stage funding and seed grants for startups at the Innovation Hub at Research Park.
This program is designed to give early-stage startups space and critical access to equipment to become revenue-generating companies. The Presidents’ Innovation Award creates new technology jobs and increases the tax base with innovative companies in West Texas.
A committee reviews all the applications to narrow the field, identifying candidates that exemplify innovation and commercialization. Final decisions for the prestigious awards are made by the presidents of Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC).
Texas Tech University President’s Awards
NemaLife: A company that developed a platform technology for high throughput drug discovery and toxicology in small animals.
CEO Founder – Siva Vanapalli
$25,000 awarded
BaoNano: A company that will significantly downscale the power circuit profile and enhance the lifetime and functionality of electronic devices.
CEO Founder – Zhaoyang Fan
$15,000 awarded
iNoon: A company with a novel diagnostics method of detecting eye diseases using a smartphone.
CEO Founder – Jo Woon Chong
$10,000 awarded
It’s fantastic to see Texas Tech investing $100,000 into these high-performing startups! This kind of support is a game-changer for early-stage companies looking to scale their operations. For tech-focused ventures dealing with complex hardware, having the right resources is critical for success. Accessing reliable global PCB manufacturing support can often be the difference between a prototype getting stuck in development or successfully hitting the market. Seeing the university foster such a strong ecosystem for innovators is truly inspiring. Hopefully, these funds help the winners overcome those technical hurdles and turn their ambitious visions into real-world solutions. Big congrats to the teams!