National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency in the United States that funds and supports research and education in science and engineering. It funds fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering and administers non-dilutive funding programs to aid early‑stage technology development, helping translate discoveries into commercially viable products and services. Through grants and fellowships, the NSF supports researchers, educators, and startups, contributing to innovation and U.S. competitiveness. The agency operates with a substantial budget to advance science, engineering, and STEM education nationwide.

James Donlon

Program Director

Sean L. Jones

Assistant Director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Debasis Majumdar

Program Director

Graciela Narcho

Staff Associate

Sethuraman Panchanathan

Director

Marco Rubin

Reviewer

Past deals in TMT

The University of Texas at Austin

Grant in 2024
The University of Texas at Austin, established in 1883, is a premier public research university and the largest institution within The University of Texas System. Located on a sprawling 350-acre campus, it encompasses 17 colleges and schools, serving a diverse student body of over 50,000. The university is committed to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, awarding more than 8,700 bachelor's degrees and approximately 3,500 master's and doctoral degrees annually across a wide array of fields. It is recognized as a national leader in graduate education and has a significant focus on research, public service, and community engagement. The university operates several satellite campuses and research facilities throughout Texas, including the J.J. Pickle Research Campus and the Marine Science Institute. Notably, it boasts one of the most diverse student populations in the nation, particularly excelling in the number of undergraduate degrees conferred to minority students.

Beamlink

Grant in 2023
Beamlink is a social enterprise focused on delivering Internet access to individuals in disaster zones and remote areas with limited connectivity. The company specializes in providing wireless access services through innovative solutions, including briefcase-sized cell towers that can function off the grid. These portable towers are designed for rapid deployment in challenging environments and utilize software-defined radio technology along with a mesh backhaul system, allowing them to operate on various frequencies. By enabling Internet access in the most disconnected regions, Beamlink aims to bridge the digital divide and support communities in need.

University of Tennessee

Grant in 2023
Founded in 1794, we’re big on tradition and proud of our humble beginnings as the first public university chartered west of the Appalachian Divide. We serve the state by educating its citizens, enhancing the culture, and making a difference in people’s lives through research and service. U.S. News & World Report ranks UT fiftieth among all public universities in the nation. By attracting the best and brightest students and leading faculty, we’re on track to join our peers in the nation’s Top 25. An aggressive roadmap guides our journey. We’re improving undergraduate and graduate education, research, support for faculty and staff, our campus infrastructure, and our resources. With more than 27,000 students and 10,000 faculty and staff, we power the state’s economy and fuel innovations that yield ideas and solutions that improve people’s lives and our society. Our faculty are renowned scholars in their disciplines and committed teachers who serve through the university’s nine undergraduate colleges and eleven graduate and professional programs. With more than 300 degree programs, we prepare and empower leaders in just about every profession. Our engineering, business, education, law, and social work programs consistently rank among the Top 50 in the nation among public universities, at the undergraduate or graduate level. UT is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Consistently cited as a “best buy” and great value, we’re committed to access and affordability. A wide range of scholarships help to open doors for many qualified students to become Volunteers. The number of students who study abroad has soared during recent years with the rise in new scholarships, internships, and service learning opportunities around the world. We are committed to ensuring our campus is a welcoming environment where people are open to learning from one another. We celebrate our differences and the opportunities they create through experiences with people who have different beliefs and come from other places, cultures, and backgrounds. Diversity means more to our campus community than race and ethnicity; it’s about moving beyond just tolerance to a place of understanding about political views, religion, gender identity, values, age, abilities, and sexual orientation, among other differences. We are proud of our students and committed to their success by providing comprehensive academic support and programs that engage them in campus life. Each new freshman class demonstrates our ever-increasing academic quality. A quick drive through our 560-acre campus illustrates our momentum in enhancing our academic and student life facilities. We opened the $40 million Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, home of the university’s School of Music, the $23.2 million John D. Tickle Engineering Building, which houses the departments of civil and environmental engineering and industrial and systems engineering, and the Fred D. Brown Residence Hall. Work also continues on the new student union, the largest single project in the university’s history. Thirteen new sorority houses, adjacent to campus, are part of the Sorority Village development on Morgan Hill. Our campus master plan guides our vision, which includes a more pedestrian-friendly campus with more green space and the addition of significant classroom and laboratory space in the next decade. Our undergraduate and graduate students have unprecedented opportunities for hands-on work and research through our partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research provides opportunities for graduate students in energy-related science and engineering and puts the university front and center in training the country’s scientists to take on the world’s most challenging energy problems. The partnerships enhance the state’s role as a growing hub for research in critical challenges that include alternative energy, national security, and the creation of new materials. The new UT Humanities Center is broadening research opportunities in the disciplines through a fellows program modeled after the National Humanities Center.

The University of Texas at Austin

Grant in 2023
The University of Texas at Austin, established in 1883, is a premier public research university and the largest institution within The University of Texas System. Located on a sprawling 350-acre campus, it encompasses 17 colleges and schools, serving a diverse student body of over 50,000. The university is committed to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, awarding more than 8,700 bachelor's degrees and approximately 3,500 master's and doctoral degrees annually across a wide array of fields. It is recognized as a national leader in graduate education and has a significant focus on research, public service, and community engagement. The university operates several satellite campuses and research facilities throughout Texas, including the J.J. Pickle Research Campus and the Marine Science Institute. Notably, it boasts one of the most diverse student populations in the nation, particularly excelling in the number of undergraduate degrees conferred to minority students.

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Grant in 2023
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university that offers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. It serves as the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system. The university has multiple academic departments and research facilities that support a range of disciplines.

Beamlink

Grant in 2022
Beamlink is a social enterprise focused on delivering Internet access to individuals in disaster zones and remote areas with limited connectivity. The company specializes in providing wireless access services through innovative solutions, including briefcase-sized cell towers that can function off the grid. These portable towers are designed for rapid deployment in challenging environments and utilize software-defined radio technology along with a mesh backhaul system, allowing them to operate on various frequencies. By enabling Internet access in the most disconnected regions, Beamlink aims to bridge the digital divide and support communities in need.

goTenna

Grant in 2022
goTenna, Inc. is a company based in Brooklyn, New York, that specializes in off-grid communication solutions. Founded in 2013, it develops innovative devices that allow users to send messages and share GPS locations using their smartphones, even in the absence of central connectivity. The company's flagship product incorporates a cognitive digital radio and an app that generates its own signal, enabling communication through a mesh networking protocol known as Aspen Grove™. This technology facilitates decentralized and programmable mobile infrastructure, making it useful for a variety of applications across public sector, enterprise, and Internet of Things markets. goTenna's mission is rooted in the need for resilient communication systems, a vision that emerged following the disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The company's devices are characterized by their low power consumption, long-range capabilities, and use of low bandwidth radio frequencies, allowing users to communicate without relying on traditional internet or cellular networks.

SkyGig

Grant in 2022
SkyGig is a Michigan-based company specializing in millimeter-wave wireless communications. It develops innovative beamforming technology to provide scalable, cost-effective broadband connectivity.

TFWireless

Grant in 2021
TFWireless specializes in developing innovative wireless communications technology that significantly improves performance while reducing costs. Their core product is a physical layer rateless codec platform designed to enhance latency, processing speeds, and power consumption efficiency. This technology benefits both space communication and terrestrial wireless networks by ensuring reliable data transmission between transmitters and receivers in various wireless environments.

TLC Millimeter Wave Products

Grant in 2021
TLC specializes in designing, fabricating, and assembling custom circuit products for both commercial and government applications. Their offerings include front-end wired and wireless communication devices that enhance power, speed, and reliability in millimeter-wave and microwave products.

Tender Food

Grant in 2021
Tender Food is a startup developing plant-based and cultured meat alternatives. Founded by Harvard researchers, they use novel technology to spin plant proteins into fibrous structures resembling real meat's texture.

Amorphyx

Grant in 2021
Amorphyx is an electrical and electronic manufacturing company focused on developing thin-film electronic devices, particularly for flat panel displays, sensors, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The company employs a fabless research and development model, licensing its innovative technologies to Tier 1 manufacturers in the consumer electronics sector. Amorphyx's advanced technology utilizes amorphous metal electrodes, which provide uniform electric field control while eliminating the need for semiconductors. This approach simplifies design rules and enhances conduction speed, facilitating a more efficient manufacturing process. By offering alternatives that are less expensive and more mobile, Amorphyx enables improvements in power conservation and refresh management, ultimately expanding the capabilities of modern display technologies.

NLM Photonics

Grant in 2021
NLM Photonics is a semiconductor technology company developing electro-optic modulation technology for transforming networking, computing, and sensing. Based on over two decades of research from the University of Washington, NLM's patented Hybrid Organic Electro-Optic (OEO) Technology enables low-voltage, low-power, high-performance transfer of data between electronics and photonics. This unique solution addresses the bottleneck in signal conversion between electronics and photonics in silicon photonics platforms, offering superior power efficiency and scalable bandwidth.

Pi-Radio

Grant in 2020
Pi-Radio is a telecommunications startup specializing in the development of low-power, fully digital transceiver boards. Their primary product is a 4-channel software-defined radio designed for wireless research engineers.

Merrimack College

Grant in 2020
Merrimack College is a selective, independent college in the Catholic, Augustinian tradition whose mission is to enlighten minds, engage hearts and empower lives. Leadership Mission History Accreditations Fast Facts Recognition & Rankings The College offers undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts, business, science and engineering, and education programs; it also offers master’s programs in accounting, computer science, education, engineering, health sciences, and management; and a range of certificate, licensure and degree completion programs. Throughout the curriculum, students can take advantage of hands-on opportunities including cooperative education and internships, research with faculty, study abroad and service learning. And, because our curriculum emphasizes the liberal arts, graduates are prepared to be imaginative, analytical, aware of trends and historical perspectives, clear thinking, and adaptable to changes in their career.

Terecircuits

Grant in 2020
Terecircuits develops materials and processes to enable microassembly and mass transfer for displays and advanced electronics. The company offers advanced polymers, encapsulation materials, and liquid metal interconnects, along with photo-polymer mass transfer used in MicroLEDs for automotive and AR/VR applications. It also develops new materials and design language for systems-in-package manufacturing to support Internet of Things and health technology. Serving the display, electronics, and semiconductor industries, the company focuses on precision mass transfer, lightweight embedded sensors, and lower-power circuitry to enable faster, lower-cost device production. It is based in Mountain View, California.

SkyGig

Grant in 2020
SkyGig is a Michigan-based company specializing in millimeter-wave wireless communications. It develops innovative beamforming technology to provide scalable, cost-effective broadband connectivity.

Mstatt

Grant in 2019
Mstatt develops photonic technologies for the healthcare, aerospace, manufacturing, and defense industries. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

GenXComm

Grant in 2019
GenXComm, Inc. specializes in developing Simultaneous Self Interference Cancellation (S-SIX) technology, which enhances telecommunications capabilities for carriers by maximizing the use of available spectrum. Founded in 2016 and based in Austin, Texas, the company’s S-SIX technology allows for true full duplex communication, enabling simultaneous transmission and reception of signals within the same channel. This innovation not only significantly improves network throughput but also reduces latency and enhances network adaptability and security. As telecommunications carriers prepare for the deployment of 5G networks to meet the growing demand for wireless connectivity, GenXComm’s technology plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges posed by an increasing number of devices and higher data requirements.

RF Pixels

Grant in 2019
RF Pixels, Inc. is a private company based in Silicon Valley that focuses on developing innovative technology for the advancement of 5G wireless communications. Founded by a team affiliated with the UC Berkeley Wireless Research Center, RF Pixels specializes in phased-array radio technology, which offers significant capacity enhancements and cost-effective solutions for the emerging 5G millimeter-wave frequency bands. This technology enables robust high-speed connections for users while providing a solid business foundation for service providers. The company is committed to fostering a collaborative and motivated technical team dedicated to creating high-quality products and ensuring customer satisfaction.

SkyGig

Grant in 2019
SkyGig is a Michigan-based company specializing in millimeter-wave wireless communications. It develops innovative beamforming technology to provide scalable, cost-effective broadband connectivity.

Sky Quantum

Grant in 2019
Sky Quantum is a company that specializes in quantum communication products and services, founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Jose, California. Operating in stealth mode, Sky Quantum is focused on developing innovative solutions in the field of quantum communication, aiming to advance secure communication technologies.

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Grant in 2018
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university that offers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. It serves as the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system. The university has multiple academic departments and research facilities that support a range of disciplines.

GenXComm

Grant in 2017
GenXComm, Inc. specializes in developing Simultaneous Self Interference Cancellation (S-SIX) technology, which enhances telecommunications capabilities for carriers by maximizing the use of available spectrum. Founded in 2016 and based in Austin, Texas, the company’s S-SIX technology allows for true full duplex communication, enabling simultaneous transmission and reception of signals within the same channel. This innovation not only significantly improves network throughput but also reduces latency and enhances network adaptability and security. As telecommunications carriers prepare for the deployment of 5G networks to meet the growing demand for wireless connectivity, GenXComm’s technology plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges posed by an increasing number of devices and higher data requirements.

Lextrum

Grant in 2017
Lextrum is a communications technology company focused on full-duplex and reconfigurable-antenna solutions. It develops a reconfigurable antenna transceiver that enables wireless networks to listen and transmit simultaneously on the same frequency, increasing spectrum efficiency. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Irvine, California, Lextrum aims to improve wireless network reliability and capacity.

RF Pixels

Series A in 2016
RF Pixels, Inc. is a private company based in Silicon Valley that focuses on developing innovative technology for the advancement of 5G wireless communications. Founded by a team affiliated with the UC Berkeley Wireless Research Center, RF Pixels specializes in phased-array radio technology, which offers significant capacity enhancements and cost-effective solutions for the emerging 5G millimeter-wave frequency bands. This technology enables robust high-speed connections for users while providing a solid business foundation for service providers. The company is committed to fostering a collaborative and motivated technical team dedicated to creating high-quality products and ensuring customer satisfaction.

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Grant in 2016
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university that offers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. It serves as the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system. The university has multiple academic departments and research facilities that support a range of disciplines.

Amorphyx

Grant in 2015
Amorphyx is an electrical and electronic manufacturing company focused on developing thin-film electronic devices, particularly for flat panel displays, sensors, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The company employs a fabless research and development model, licensing its innovative technologies to Tier 1 manufacturers in the consumer electronics sector. Amorphyx's advanced technology utilizes amorphous metal electrodes, which provide uniform electric field control while eliminating the need for semiconductors. This approach simplifies design rules and enhances conduction speed, facilitating a more efficient manufacturing process. By offering alternatives that are less expensive and more mobile, Amorphyx enables improvements in power conservation and refresh management, ultimately expanding the capabilities of modern display technologies.

DTN

Grant in 2014
DTN is a provider of real-time business intelligence that serves various sectors, including agriculture, energy, weather, financial analytics, and transportation. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, with additional offices across several states, DTN delivers operationally-critical insights through analytics and machine learning. The company utilizes the Internet, satellite, and data feed connections to provide news, information, and analysis, empowering clients to make informed business decisions. Its services cater to industries such as commodities trading, public safety, aviation, construction, and turf management, enabling organizations with complex supply chains to navigate challenges effectively. DTN operates as a subsidiary of Telvent Git S.A.

Townsend Communications

Grant in 2014
Townsend Communications engages in two distinct markets for higher education marketing and visual and cinematic arts. They provide quality content and services to local communities.

Dynamic Spectrum Alliance

Grant in 2014
Dynamic Spectrum Alliance is the spectrum organization that supports CBRS, TVWS in the mm Waves, Mid-Band Shared Spectrum, and unlicensed access to the 6 GHz band. To maximize the use of wireless resources, they encourage spectrum sharing. To encourage economic progress, they support policies that support unrestricted, open access to the spectrum. Additionally, they support a number of technologies that permit dynamic spectrum access.

Amorphyx

Grant in 2013
Amorphyx is an electrical and electronic manufacturing company focused on developing thin-film electronic devices, particularly for flat panel displays, sensors, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The company employs a fabless research and development model, licensing its innovative technologies to Tier 1 manufacturers in the consumer electronics sector. Amorphyx's advanced technology utilizes amorphous metal electrodes, which provide uniform electric field control while eliminating the need for semiconductors. This approach simplifies design rules and enhances conduction speed, facilitating a more efficient manufacturing process. By offering alternatives that are less expensive and more mobile, Amorphyx enables improvements in power conservation and refresh management, ultimately expanding the capabilities of modern display technologies.

Wave Tech

Grant in 2013
Wave Tech develops IT solutions for small to mid-sized enterprises such as public schools, travel agencies, financial services providers, medical offices, and law offices. They provide a range of services, including managed and cloud services, physical to virtual network migrations, network design and management, disaster recovery and backup, and project management services.

Sensys Networks

Grant in 2013
Sensys Networks, Inc. is a wireless technology company based in Berkeley, California, specializing in integrated wireless traffic data systems and traffic management solutions. Founded in 2003, the company provides a range of products including FlexMag sensors for vehicle detection, MicroRadar sensors for bicycle detection, and systems for collecting data from Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled devices. Sensys Networks also offers various solutions for managing wireless sensor networks, such as FlexControl and Access Point Controller Cards. Their software products, including SNAPS for statistical processing and VIMS Analyzer for vehicle identification, support remote monitoring and lifecycle management. With a focus on adaptive control, parking detection, and traffic data collection, Sensys Networks serves over 150 customers across 40 U.S. states and 10 countries, delivering cost-effective and scalable solutions that enhance urban mobility and traffic management. As of June 2019, Sensys Networks operates as a subsidiary of TagMaster AB.

Tanvas

Grant in 2013
Tanvas develops Surface Haptics technology for touchscreens, creating variable friction using electrostatic fields. This enables users to feel what they see on a screen, enhancing interaction beyond visual and vibration feedback.

MegaMIMO

Grant in 2013
MegaMIMO's patent-pending technology alleviates the wireless capacity crunch. They've demonstrated that it delivers ten times more data per unit of spectrum as compared to today's technologies, and requires no changes to end-user devices.

Zipreel

Grant in 2013
Zipreel is a software development company based in Princeton, New Jersey, focused on creating reliable and scalable solutions for media management. The company specializes in media classification, transcoding, and metadata generation, offering tools that enhance the efficiency and organization of media assets. By leveraging advanced technology, Zipreel aims to streamline the processing of media, making it easier for businesses to manage large volumes of content effectively.

Townsend Communications

Grant in 2012
Townsend Communications engages in two distinct markets for higher education marketing and visual and cinematic arts. They provide quality content and services to local communities.

Hitron Technologies

Grant in 2012
Hitron Technologies is a Taiwan-based provider of broadband and networking equipment that develops, manufactures, and sells DOCSIS and broadband access products for multiple service providers and business customers. The company offers cable modems, wireless gateways, IPTV and other cable customer premises equipment, as well as MoCA and WiFi extenders and a Wireless DOCSIS testing tool. Its business segments include Manufacturing, which covers design, research and development, production, and sale of broadband and wireless products, and Systems integration, which covers telecom and broadband network systems, wireless transmission, digital media systems, and cloud information services. Headquartered in Hsinchu and founded in 1986, Hitron serves customers worldwide, exporting products to the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Dynamic Spectrum Alliance

Grant in 2012
Dynamic Spectrum Alliance is the spectrum organization that supports CBRS, TVWS in the mm Waves, Mid-Band Shared Spectrum, and unlicensed access to the 6 GHz band. To maximize the use of wireless resources, they encourage spectrum sharing. To encourage economic progress, they support policies that support unrestricted, open access to the spectrum. Additionally, they support a number of technologies that permit dynamic spectrum access.

Tanvas

Grant in 2012
Tanvas develops Surface Haptics technology for touchscreens, creating variable friction using electrostatic fields. This enables users to feel what they see on a screen, enhancing interaction beyond visual and vibration feedback.

octoScope

Grant in 2012
OctoScope is a consulting and product development company specializing in wireless and radio frequency communications. Founded in 2006 by Fanny Mlinarsky, the company has evolved from a one-person operation into a team of skilled professionals dedicated to advancing wireless technology. OctoScope provides a range of services, including automated regression testing, third-party product development, and wireless test services designed to qualify communications networks. By focusing on innovative test solutions, OctoScope aims to enhance the accuracy, stability, and economic value of over-the-air wireless testing for its clients, thereby redefining the standards in the industry.

Whisper Communications

Grant in 2010
Whisper Communications is an Atlanta-based company that specializes in wireless networking services, leveraging innovative technologies to enhance data security. Utilizing patent-pending technology developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Whisper has created an encoding methodology that ensures data signals transmitted beyond a designated area, referred to as the "cone of silence," are rendered useless to eavesdroppers. The company's approach focuses on physical layer security, where the safety of data is intrinsically linked to its proximity to the data source. This enables IT companies to effectively monitor, track, and control devices located within a fixed area, thereby enhancing the overall security of wireless communications.
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