It’s been a big week for grant announcements with the Minister Dawson announcing the recipients of $8.5 million worth of grants. $5 million was awarded through the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Innovation Seed Fund, $2.08 million through the Commercialisation Bridge Grant, and $1.5 million in Innovation Booster Grants.
The Commercialisation Bridge Grants and Innovation Booster Grants are now open to applications all year round with pre-set cut off dates throughout the year. More information on some of the grants that are available in WA can be found here.
Innovation and the Digital Economy Minister Stephen Dawson told Startup News, “We are targeting innovation growth with funding support through both the Innovation Booster and Commercialisation Bridge Grants scheme to provide this assistance at a variety of different stages.”
“We want local innovators to build their businesses here in WA where they can continue to generate connections and develop their businesses.”
Meet the recipients
Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Innovation Seed Fund
The WA State Government established the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund in 2020, which is backed by the State’s almost $1.8 billion sovereign wealth fund. This has resulted in nearly $250 million being available over the next four years to support health and medical research and innovation in Western Australia.
Minister Dawson commented, “We are keen to position WA as a global leader in medical research and innovation and the Innovation Seed Fund is an important cog in our strategy to make this happen.”
“And the WA community can be reassured that this funding is helping the brightest minds in our State to generate innovative solutions to improve health outcomes for all Western Australians.”
| VeinTech Pty Ltd | Right vein, first time, every time: Clinical validation and commercialization of VeinWise technology | $500,925 |
| REX Ortho Pty Ltd | REX Screw: Design for manufacture and regulatory testing of a novel, expandable screw to improve surgical outcomes for hip fracture patients | $499,870 |
| Inspiring Holdings Pty Ltd | Developing a novel nebuliser spacer device to improve the delivery of inhaled medicines for people suffering from respiratory conditions | $500,000 |
| The University of Western Australia | Non-invasive test of skin healing potential for treatment stratification of burn injury patients – Proof of feasibility | $99,970 |
| CoraMetix Pty Ltd | Advanced manufacturing of a next generation heart valve using polymeric materials and automated 3D printing to deliver lifetime durability | $500,000 |
| Australian Institute of Robotic Orthopaedics Pty Ltd (AIRO) | Development of Precision Laser-Assisted AIRO-x™ Knee Implant for Advanced Osteoarthritis: Paving the Way to Local Manufacture, Job Creation, and Regulatory Approval | $479,251 |
| Setonix Pharmaceuticals | A Cancer Immunotherapy Booster in a Pill | $499,375 |
| Neurotologix | A health economics trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Remote Oculography Monitoring Informatics (ROMI) system to triage patients with vertigo and dizziness and reduce hospital outpatient waitlists in a public hospital environment | $498,920 |
| The University of Western Australia | Commercialising a novel rapid combined culture and molecular microbiological test for early detection of sepsis | $353,873 |
| The University of Western Australia | Quality and quantity: a novel drug to enhance and extend levodopa therapy for Parkinson’s disease | $499,411 |
| Curtin University | Early Detection of Platinum-Chemotherapy Drug Response in Solid Tumour Biopsies | $493,640 |
Commercialisation Bridge Grant
| C Sea Solutions Pty Ltd (t/a Uluu) | Scaling a novel alternative to plastic made from seaweed using fully in-house manufacturing | $200,000 |
| Neurotologix Pty Ltd | Commercialisation of remote patient monitoring device for dizziness and vertigo | $200,000 |
| Apsyrtus Biotechnology t/a VetChip | VetChip animal user interface development project | $200,000 |
| Customa Pty Ltd | CustomaSEAL™ – navigating the path to commercial manufacturing scale up | $200,000 |
| SpaceDraft Pty Ltd | Commercialisation readiness for SpaceDraft as an embedded management tool | $150,000 |
| SynGenis Pty Ltd | Commercial manufacturing of short morpholino patches for RNA therapeutic development | $140,000 |
| Juice Batteries Pty Ltd | Scaling the hybrid diesel replacement system across global markets | $200,000 |
| Whole Green Foods Pty Ltd | Winx processing technology compact model prototyping | $200,000 |
| Engentus Pty Ltd | Development of Gen 2 TopTorque fastener technology to provide faster, safer and more accurate bolted joint assemblies | $200,000 |
| Azitec Pty Ltd | Commercialisation team readiness for Azitec Pty Ltd | $186,590 |
| Agile 8 Pty Ltd (t/a Agili8) | Project 3P to build sovereign capabilities | $200,000 |
Innovation Booster Grants
| Biotome Pty Ltd | Intellectual Property for a novel preeclampsia risk test | $39,760 |
| Threadup Australia Pty Ltd | Semi-autonomous AI textile sorting machine – fibre to fibre recycling | $39,000 |
| Full Fat Ventures | Sustainable year-round vertical production of high-protein livestock feed | $40,000 |
| Cenergy Tech Pty Ltd | “E-Mast” – developing an electric powered integrated Foiling Mast | $40,000 |
| Neolixir Ltd | Intellectual property protection for a novel, scalable, antimicrobial resistance solution | $40,000 |
| Research Tech Pty Ltd | Quantum security for cloud and virtualised environments | $40,000 |
| Y-Trace Pty Ltd | Providing a superior assay for export in smart beehive monitoring system | $40,000 |
| Nexa Oceania Pty Ltd | Development of hydrogen pipeline relining solution | $40,000 |
| Access To Leisure and Sport Inc (ATLAS) | Innovation enabling people with mobility issues to access light aircraft | $33,920 |
| Origin Business Consultants | Development of streamlined online business registration portal, with focus on Indigenous businesses | $40,000 |
| Cognety Pty Ltd | Food recognition and behaviour change to improve health through diet | $40,000 |
| Eat Sustainably Pty Ltd | Commercialisation of the ‘Eat Sustainably’ platform for organisations to action Scope 3 ESG goals | $40,000 |
| Rapid Responder Pty Ltd | Development of Rapid Responder; an initial emergency responder preparedness tool | $40,000 |
| Abraham Scientific t/a Aquila Scientific | Development of microbiology diagnostic plates for agriculture and veterinary use | $40,000 |
| IP Collective Pty Ltd | Development of the GridTec power supply system | $40,000 |
| Kate Parker (Dash) | Dash development of financial integrations | $40,000 |
| Heailthigence Pty Ltd | Medsafe-AI: enhancing medication safety in neonatal intensive care units | $40,000 |
| Filit Pty Ltd | Child development, behaviour and wellbeing system | $39,424 |
| MinBioteck Pty Ltd | Development of new biotechnology mineral discovery tool | $40,000 |
| Capability X Pty Ltd | Development for CX Edge Control | $40,000 |
| Green Thumb Botanical Consulting | Development of Green Thumb virtual herbarium database and ID tool | $21,120 |
| Vernico Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd | Manufacturing single use liquid sachets of pharmaceutical-grade coconut oil emollient | $40,000 |
| We Spot Pty Ltd | Developing the accuracy of photo-recognition model | $39,507 |
| Hermes and Soteria | Software development for Overwatch vault and internal systems supporting commercialisation | $40,000 |
| Red Earth Pollen Pty Ltd | Establishing a novel phytomedicine industry for WA using bee propolis | $40,000 |
| MyTab | Development of MyTab’s WA hospitality and tourism in-app advertising feature | $31,914 |
| Health and Spice | High protein, allergen-free, nutritious plant-based milk from Tiger nut tubers | $40,000 |
| Conifr Technologies Pty Ltd | Scaling the innovation of sustainability analytics solution | $40,000 |
| Work Metrics | Workers compensation digital twin diagnostic MVP | $37,600 |
| Satva-Urja Technologies | Cost effective production and recycling of battery cathodes | $40,000 |
| Yokefellow Pty Ltd | Development of MVP for new pregnancy nutrition, community and education app | $40,000 |
| Farm Optimisation Group | A decision-tool to help farmers manage price and weather variations | $40,000 |
| Andrew Joseph O’Neil (t/a HUMBL. Devices) | HUMBL Looper Pedal – real-time audio time-stretching without pitch alteration loop pedal | $40,000 |
| Magic Wavelength Pty Ltd | WATERME portable device to indicate a plant’s water needs | $40,000 |
| Zentient | A platform helping not-for-profit organisations build digital capability | $38,400 |
| Serenity Life | Development of employee wellbeing, empowerment and mentoring tool: Take5 to Survive Burnout | $40,000 |
| Oqea Pty Ltd | Modernising mental healthcare: digitally Identifying inefficiencies in the system | $40,000 |
| Reliis Ltd | Getting the dose right – modelling existing data to optimise formulation | $40,000 |
