COLUMBUS — The Ohio Third Frontier Commission has approved $2.65 million in grants to support the research and licensing of new technologies.

Two research institutions will receive grant funding to support further validation of early-stage technologies, and 12 companies will receive grant funding to support further development and commercialization of licensed technologies.

The Ohio Third Frontier Technology Validation and Start-up Fund provides grants to Ohio companies aiming to license institution-owned technologies to accelerate commercialization through activities such as market research and further prototyping. This helps companies raise funds and get the licensed technology to the marketplace faster.

“The funding approved by the Ohio Third Frontier Commission today will help create innovative and momentous improvements in healthcare, education, and communication industries,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “These technologies have the potential to change lives and alter the future of their industries for the better.”

University of Akron Research Foundation, located in the city of Akron (Summit County), was awarded $100,000 to support the University of Akron Research Foundation Spark Fund, which will help validate novel technologies for commercialization purposes and provide structured programs to move ideas from concept to reality. The funding will support multiple projects under the grant.

The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, located in the city of Columbus (Franklin County), was awarded $200,000 to support its Technology Development Fund. The fund is designed to advance inventions and intellectual property along the commercialization pathway to make early inventions more attractive and less risky to potential licensing and/or business partners.

Afference, Inc., located in the city of Cleveland (Cuyahoga County), was awarded $200,000 to commercialize a haptic glove that provides realistic feedback and sensations. The technology is best suited for spatial computing where hand-based interactions allow users to seamlessly interact with 3D digital content for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. The licensing institute is Case Western Reserve University.

Argos Advanced Solutions, Inc., located in Blacklick (Franklin County), was awarded $200,000 to commercialize a technology focused on identity verification for personal and business smart devices, such as smartphones, laptops, Apple Watches, or Fitbits, for user authentication. The HeartID technology leverages unique cardiac rhythms for dynamic authentication – continuously verifying users and systems. This always-on approach logs an audit trail, providing proof of identity while thwarting spoofing. The company intends to have a pilot deployment this fall with approximately 1,000 test participants.  The licensing institute for the technology is NASA Ames Research Center.

Auxilium Health, Inc., located in the city of Alliance (Stark County), was awarded $200,000 to commercialize a technology that will help patients suffering from chronic wounds. The technology creates a multilayer aerogel wound dressing that prevents and monitors for infection, and transfers fluid away from the wound to a secondary layer. The licensing institute is the University of Akron.

CapV, LLC, located in the city of Dayton (Montgomery County), was awarded $200,000 to commercialize a variable capacitor that enables digital tuning of radio frequency filters to avoid interfering signals and data loss to provide a secure communication link at a higher frequency and bandwidth. The technology solution can be integrated with AI and machine learning for 5G and future G applications for defense and commercial telecom industries. The licensing institute is the University of Dayton.

Engineered Products of Ohio, LLC, located in the city of Cortland (Trumbull County), was awarded $200,000 to commercialize a Radio Frequency Identification tag that will be used to detect and avoid cybersecurity attacks.  The technology will provide significantly increased resistance to cybersecurity threats and will reduce the ability to target and harm various commercial supply chains. The licensing institute is NASA Glenn Research Center.

Kalix, LLC, located in the city of Centerville (Montgomery County), was awarded $200,000 to commercialize a system that will provide early detection of disease in animals and crops to prevent the spread of diseases and minimize economic loss to farmers and the food supply. The technology provides an integrated, real-time, and on-site disease management system tailored for agriculture, food, and meat producers and provides testing results in one hour as opposed to waiting 3-7 days. The licensing institute is University of Dayton.

Lyceum AI, Inc., located in the city of Cincinnati (Hamilton County), was awarded $200,000 to commercialize a web-based platform that provides enhanced and personalized education and learning for students. The technology uses generative AI, with input from teachers, to provide a personalized learning experience for students and will allow teachers to spend more time teaching and directly engaging with students and helping them through the learning process. The licensing institute is the U.S. Navy.

Nabu Optical Systems, LLC, located in the city of Dublin (Franklin County), was awarded $200,000 to commercialize a lithography tool to enable early-stage designers to accomplish prototyping and low-to-moderate volume production for the creation of electronic chips. The licensing institute is the University of Dayton.