NCInnovation has completed two competitive funding cycles, investing $29 million in 38 applied-research projects across 14 of the 16 universities in the UNC System. These awards reflect some of the strongest commercialization opportunities emerging from universities statewide and advance NCInnovation’s mission to strengthen North Carolina’s innovation economy.
Through rigorous, expert-led review and strategic public-private investment, NCInnovation is helping move university discoveries from the lab to the marketplace — supporting economic growth, workforce development, and solutions that improve quality of life across North Carolina.
FY2026-2 Grants
9 Projects • 8 Universities • $7 Million Awarded
The FY2026-2 Grants awarded $7 million to nine applied-research projects spanning eight UNC System universities. These projects were selected through a multi-month review conducted by external scientific and commercial experts and received unanimous approval from NCInnovation’s Board of Directors.
The FY2026-2 Grants represent some of the most commercially promising research emerging from North Carolina’s university system, including innovations in agriculture, energy systems, healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, and digital infrastructure.
Explore the FY2026-2 Grants
Discover how these eight university research teams are advancing technologies that can strengthen North Carolina’s economy and improve lives across the state.
Rootsii: A Novel Solution for Agricultural Resilience and Sustainable Nutrition
CHALLENGE
Not every sweet potato makes it to market. Lower-grade or cosmetically imperfect crops often go unused, leaving real money on the table for growers.
BREAKTHROUGH
Brett Taubman's solution is simple but commercially powerful—convert those sweet potatoes into a shelf-stable, plant-based milk that can also serve as the base for products like ice cream. The team has already proven the product works at a lab scale, including texture, taste, and stability, and has begun early branding and IP protection.
IMPACT
NCInnovation’s role is to move this from a promising food science project to an actual product on shelves. That means funding scale-up, consumer testing, shelf-life validation, and commercialization strategy with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence guiding market entry. If it works, this creates a new demand stream for one of North Carolina’s signature crops—keeping more value in-state and giving farmers a second market for what would otherwise be lost.
Precision Miticide Delivery for Honeybee Colonies
CHALLENGE
Honeybees are essential to agriculture—but Varroa mites are devastating colonies across the country. Current treatments can be labor-intensive, inconsistent in their effectiveness, and disruptive to normal honey production and hive management practices.
BREAKTHROUGH
Lok Pokhrel’s approach is more targeted. His device—called the Varr-Gate—sits at the entrance of a hive and delivers treatment as bees pass through, directly targeting mites while reducing exposure across the colony. The concept works in early testing. The challenge now is turning it into a field-ready product that can scale and meet regulatory requirements.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funds that step—supporting prototype development, field trials, regulatory strategy (including EPA pathways), and commercialization planning. For North Carolina, where agriculture depends heavily on pollination, this is about protecting a critical piece of the food system.
Plasma-Assisted Conversion of Plastic Waste to Jet Fuel
CHALLENGE
Plastic waste is a global problem. Sustainable aviation fuel is a supply problem. This project connects the two.
BREAKTHROUGH
Debasish Kuila is developing a process that uses non-thermal plasma and catalysts to break down plastic waste and convert it into jet fuel and other valuable chemicals. Early work shows strong technical promise, but it’s still at the lab stage. The real challenge is proving this can scale, operate efficiently, and compete economically.
IMPACT
That’s where NCInnovation comes in—funding pilot-scale validation, optimizing the process, and connecting the work to industry partners like Siemens to accelerate commercialization. If successful, this positions North Carolina as a player in circular manufacturing—turning waste into high-value fuel while building a workforce trained in advanced, AI-enabled manufacturing systems.
Controlled Environment for Strawberry Supply Chains
CHALLENGE
Strawberry growers rely on starter plants—but those plants often carry disease, leading to major crop losses and unstable supply chains.
BREAKTHROUGH
Ricardo Hernandez is tackling that problem at the source. His team uses controlled-environment agriculture to grow cleaner, more uniform starter plants under tightly managed conditions. The science is established. The missing piece is proving it works at scale and integrates into real farming operations.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funds that translation—supporting grower trials, automation, and commercialization strategy to move from research to a product growers will adopt. For North Carolina, this strengthens a key specialty crop industry and reduces reliance on out-of-state or inconsistent plant sources.
Activating Cancer Drugs for Safer, More Precise Treatment
CHALLENGE
Cancer treatment has a known tradeoff: the drugs that kill tumors often damage healthy tissue. That toxicity forces dose reductions or stops treatment altogether.
BREAKTHROUGH
Brianna Vickerman’s work addresses that exact failure point. Her platform packages drugs, so they circulate in the body in an inactive form, then uses targeted light to activate them only at the tumor site. That means higher effectiveness where it’s needed—and less damage everywhere else. The science is already working in early models. The gap now is to prove safety, refine delivery, and build a path toward clinical use.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funds that transition—supporting preclinical validation, commercialization planning, and pairing the team with an experienced EIR to shape the regulatory and business pathway. For North Carolina, this is how a UNC lab discovery becomes a biotech company or licensed platform—anchoring high-value life sciences innovation in the state.
Battery Train with Wireless Charging Demonstration
CHALLENGE
Rail electrification is expensive and slow, largely because of the need for overhead power infrastructure.
BREAKTHROUGH
Shenen Chen’s work removes that barrier. His system uses battery-powered trains combined with wireless charging embedded in the rail system—reducing infrastructure costs and simplifying deployment. The technology exists in pieces. What’s needed now is a real-world demonstration.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funds that demonstration in Belmont—moving the system out of the lab and into an operating environment, which is the step investors and transit systems need to see. For North Carolina, this positions the state at the forefront of next-generation rail—cleaner, more flexible, and potentially exportable technology.
AI-Enabled DC Solid-State Circuit Breaker
CHALLENGE
AI is driving a massive expansion of data centers—and those facilities are shifting to high-voltage DC power systems that the current safety infrastructure wasn’t built for.
BREAKTHROUGH
Tiefu Zhao’s technology solves a specific, urgent problem: detecting and stopping electrical faults instantly to prevent damage, downtime, and safety risks. The system already works at a high level of readiness. The opportunity window is now—before industry standards are locked in.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funds the final push: pilot deployments, certification readiness, and commercialization with industry partner Atom Power. For North Carolina, which is becoming a major data center hub, this is about capturing part of that infrastructure market—and building high-value manufacturing around it.
Cathode Powder Production Technology at Scale for Batteries
CHALLENGE
Electric vehicles depend on lithium-ion batteries—and those batteries depend on cathode materials that are expensive, resource-intensive, and environmentally demanding to produce.
BREAKTHROUGH
Hemali Rathnayake’s work focuses on fixing that bottleneck. Her team has already developed a process to produce cathode powders using less water, fewer harsh chemicals, and at a lower cost. The science is proven at lab scale. The next step is scaling—proving that the process works under real manufacturing conditions and produces materials that perform in actual batteries.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funds that scale-up, including pilot production and integration into battery systems, while working with industry partners to validate performance and prepare for commercialization. For North Carolina, this directly ties into the growing EV and battery supply chain—an area where domestic production and sustainability are becoming national priorities.
NeuroWeaveAI NeuroHealth Platform
CHALLENGE
Millions of people living with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, epilepsy, and sleep disorders lack access to practical, long-term neurological monitoring because today’s EEG systems are expensive, intrusive, and largely confined to clinical settings.
BREAKTHROUGH
UNC Wilmington researchers Karl Ricanek and Alex McDaniel are developing the AI, software, data infrastructure, and neurodiagnostic tools needed to turn fabric-based sensors into a scalable platform for at-home brain-health monitoring and clinical insight. The project builds on a collaboration with North Carolina company Nuream, which patented its Fabric-as-a-Sensor (FaaS) technology. While a pillowcase is expected to be the first commercial application, the broader opportunity is a new category of neurotechnology capable of collecting and interpreting neurological data through everyday fabrics.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding would support clinical validation, real-world testing, and commercialization-ready technology development at UNCW — advancing a capability that does not exist today and positioning North Carolina at the forefront of next-generation neurohealth innovation.
FY2026-1 Grants
13 Projects • 11 Universities • $10 Million Awarded
The FY2026-1 Grants awarded $10 million to 13 applied-research projects spanning 11 UNC System universities. These projects were selected through a multi-month review conducted by external scientific and commercial experts and received unanimous approval from NCInnovation’s Board of Directors.
The FY2026-1 Grants represent some of the most commercially promising research emerging from North Carolina’s university system, including innovations in education technology, healthcare, advanced materials, defense and security, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and community resilience.
Explore the FY2026-1 Grants
Discover how these thirteen university research teams are advancing technologies that can strengthen North Carolina’s economy and improve lives across the state.
Moves Ahead: Early Support for Children with Movement Delays
CHALLENGE
Movement skills are foundational to a child’s physical health, confidence, and long-term development, yet early motor delays often go undetected, leaving families unsure when or how to intervene.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Gavin Colquitt’s Moves Ahead platform provides a simple, web-based tool that helps parents and educators assess children’s movement abilities. It translates clinical measures into clear, actionable insights and personalized activity plans that families can use at home.
IMPACT
With NCInnovation support, the team will expand statewide partnerships with early-childhood organizations, helping families identify developmental delays earlier and connect children with the proper support at the right time.
Cleaner, Safer Coatings for Marine and Industrial Equipment
CHALLENGE
Biofouling — the buildup of algae, barnacles, and sludge — reduces vessel efficiency, increases fuel costs, and often requires toxic chemical cleaners that harm people and the environment.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Robert Hughes is developing environmentally friendly coatings that prevent biofouling without relying on hazardous substances, improving performance while reducing environmental impact.
IMPACT
With NCInnovation funding, the team will advance testing in real marine environments, supporting Eastern North Carolina’s maritime economy and cleaner industrial operations.
Advanced Simulation Tools for Defense and Healthcare Training
CHALLENGE
Training simulations for defense, emergency response, and healthcare often lack realism, limiting their effectiveness in preparing professionals for high-stakes environments.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Sambit Bhattacharya’s platform uses physics-based modeling and synthetic data to create more lifelike, AI-enabled training simulations for battlefield scenarios, emergency response, and surgical planning.
IMPACT
NCInnovation support enables refinement and real-world testing, strengthening preparedness in defense and healthcare while advancing Fayetteville State’s leadership in AI-based visualization technologies.
Real-Time Emergency Intelligence for Community Response
CHALLENGE
Emergency responders rely on fragmented data sources during critical events, slowing response times and increasing risk to communities.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. TinChung Leung’s integrated platform combines sensors, analytics, and AI to provide real-time situational awareness and risk assessment for emergency officials.
IMPACT
With NCInnovation backing, the technology will be refined and piloted with local partners, improving emergency response and community resilience — especially in underserved areas.
Synthetic Platelets to Stop Severe Bleeding Faster
CHALLENGE
Severe bleeding is a leading cause of death in trauma and surgical emergencies, particularly in remote or high-risk settings.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Ashley Brown’s team developed synthetic platelets that reinforce the body’s natural clotting process, helping stabilize bleeding more quickly and effectively.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports advanced preclinical testing, moving this life-saving technology closer to use in hospitals, ambulances, rural clinics, and disaster-response settings.
Stronger, Safer Composite Materials for Critical Applications
CHALLENGE
Composite materials used in aircraft, vehicles, and infrastructure can fail when internal layers separate, creating safety risks and costly repairs.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Jason Patrick’s work strengthens the internal bonding layers of composite materials, improving durability and early detection of failure.
IMPACT
With NCInnovation support, the team will test the technology under real-world stresses and prepare it for industry partnerships in advanced manufacturing and defense.
Wearable Sensors for Early Detection of Arthritis
CHALLENGE
Osteoarthritis often goes undetected until advanced stages, limiting treatment options and increasing long-term disability.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Jason Franz’s wearable sensor system uses machine learning to analyze everyday movement and detect early signs of joint deterioration.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports testing across diverse populations, expanding access to affordable early detection — particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Predicting Equipment Failures Before They Happen
CHALLENGE
Unexpected equipment failures disrupt power grids, factories, and renewable energy systems, driving up costs and downtime.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Babak Parkhideh’s monitoring tools analyze electrical signals to identify early warning signs of failure before systems break down.
IMPACT
With NCInnovation support, the technology will move into real-world testing, strengthening infrastructure reliability across North Carolina industries.
4D Imaging Add-On for Standard Microscopes
CHALLENGE
Many laboratories lack access to advanced imaging systems capable of capturing depth, motion, and real-time changes.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Rosario Porras-Aguilar’s compact device transforms existing microscopes into 4D imaging systems without expensive equipment upgrades.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports refinement and commercialization, expanding access to advanced imaging for research labs and early-stage companies.
Targeted Anti-Inflammatory Drug Delivery
CHALLENGE
System-wide anti-inflammatory treatments often cause side effects that limit long-term use.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Kerui Wu’s platform delivers medication directly to macrophages — the immune cells driving inflammation — improving precision and effectiveness.
IMPACT
With NCInnovation support, the team continues development toward safer, more targeted therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases.
Cybersecurity Practice and Awareness for Rising Kids (Cyber-PARK)
CHALLENGE
Children are online earlier than ever, yet most cybersecurity education targets teens or adults.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Ellie Ebrahimi’s Cyber-PARK platform uses interactive games and storytelling to teach elementary students how to stay safe online.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports content expansion and pilot testing with school districts, strengthening cybersecurity awareness for North Carolina families.
SAFE Channel for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema
CHALLENGE
Breast cancer survivors may develop painful fluid buildup in the arm, particularly where access to specialists is limited.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Martin Tanaka’s SAFE Channel device improves lymphatic drainage with a simpler, more accessible design.
IMPACT
With NCInnovation support, the team will prepare for clinical testing, potentially improving comfort, outcomes, and access to care statewide.
Natural Biofertilizer to Restore Soil Health
CHALLENGE
Overuse of chemical fertilizers weakens soil biology, increasing costs and reducing long-term productivity.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Rafael Loureiro’s natural biofertilizer reactivates beneficial soil microorganisms, improving nutrient cycling and water retention.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports field testing and commercialization pathways that promote sustainable agriculture across North Carolina.
FY2025 Grants
17 Projects • 12 Universities • $13.6 Million Awarded
The FY2025 Grants awarded $13.6 million to 17 applied-research projects spanning 12 UNC System universities. These projects were selected through a multi-month review conducted by external scientific and commercial experts and received unanimous approval from NCInnovation’s Board of Directors.
The FY2025 Grants represent some of the most commercially promising research emerging from North Carolina’s university system, including advances in AI-enabled diagnostics, medical technologies, sustainable manufacturing, agriculture innovation, and materials science.
Explore the FY2025 Grants
Discover how these seventeen university research teams are advancing technologies that can strengthen North Carolina’s economy and improve lives across the state.
AI-Powered Parasite Detection for Livestock
CHALLENGE
Livestock producers rely on slow, expertise-dependent parasite diagnostics, which delay treatment and harm agricultural productivity.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Zachary Russell’s team developed an automated, AI-enhanced robotic microscope that identifies livestock parasites in minutes instead of days.
IMPACT
This technology can support North Carolina’s major livestock industry by reducing costs, accelerating treatment, and improving herd health.
Compact Wind Tunnel for Accelerated Pesticide Testing
CHALLENGE
Traditional pesticide-effectiveness testing is slow, expensive, and limits public-health responsiveness.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Stephanie Richards developed a compact, patent-pending wind tunnel capable of rapidly evaluating pesticide performance against mosquitoes.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports the commercialization of a new contract research organization in eastern NC focused on public-health innovation.
Digital Platform for AI-Guided Stuttering Therapy
CHALLENGE
Stuttering treatment requires specialized care that many patients cannot consistently access.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Patrick Briley’s team created an AI-powered platform that analyzes speech patterns, customizes therapy plans, and offers immersive VR environments to improve confidence and fluency.
IMPACT
NCInnovation support helps develop a scalable digital therapy solution with strong clinical and commercial potential.
Hemp-Derived Organic Biopesticides
CHALLENGE
Poultry farms frequently rely on chemical pesticides that pose environmental and human-health risks.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Shirley Chao’s team patented two organic pesticides derived from industrial hemp that match or outperform toxic chemical alternatives.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding accelerates the development of safer pest-management tools for one of North Carolina’s largest agricultural industries.
Portable Knee Arthrometer for Injury Risk Assessment
CHALLENGE
Athletes and military personnel face high rates of knee injuries, yet current diagnostic tools are outdated or unavailable.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Randy Schmitz and his team created a portable knee-laxity measurement device to assess injury risk in clinical and field environments accurately.
IMPACT
NCInnovation’s support prepares this device for broad clinical application and commercialization.
Electric Bandages for Rapid Wound Healing
CHALLENGE
Chronic and complex wounds, including diabetic ulcers, are challenging to treat and costly for both patients and healthcare systems.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Amay Bandodkar developed a low-cost bandage with embedded electrodes that applies electric stimulation to accelerate healing.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports validation for use in hospitals, military environments, disaster zones, and rural clinics.
Non-Toxic Manufacturing of Acrylic & Carbon Fibers
CHALLENGE
Carbon-fiber and acrylic-fiber production relies on toxic processes, sending manufacturing overseas.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Ericka Ford’s team created a safer, more environmentally friendly fiber-production method with significant commercial potential.
IMPACT
This innovation can help reshore manufacturing to North Carolina, strengthening supply chains and supporting advanced-materials industries.
Therapeutics Targeting Drug-Resistant Bacteria
CHALLENGE
Drug-resistant pathogens are a rising threat, with significant cases documented in North Carolina and among U.S. military personnel.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Amanda Wolfe’s team developed promising compounds that block a critical enzyme in two high-priority bacterial strains.
IMPACT
NCInnovation support advances development toward a new class of antibacterial therapeutics.
Low-Cost Portable Ultrasound for Maternal Care
CHALLENGE
More than two million U.S. women live in counties without adequate prenatal care or access to ultrasound imaging.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Jeffrey Stringer’s team created a smartphone-connected, AI-assisted ultrasound device that nurses can use with minimal training.
IMPACT
This technology could dramatically expand access to maternal healthcare in rural and underserved communities across North Carolina.
Inhalable Therapeutic for Fibrosis Treatment
CHALLENGE
Fibrosis — scarring of major organs — has limited treatment options and often progresses unchecked.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Ronit Freeman is developing a weekly inhalable therapy designed to slow or potentially reverse fibrosis.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding helps advance this breakthrough toward preclinical validation and future pharmaceutical partnerships.
Laser-Driven Vaccine Stabilization Technology
CHALLENGE
Vaccines typically require expensive cold-chain transport, which restricts access and increases healthcare costs.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Susan Trammell’s Light-Assisted Drying technology stabilizes vaccines at room temperature, preserving potency without refrigeration.
IMPACT
NCInnovation support accelerates commercialization for use in global health, veterinary care, and emergency response.
T-Cell Engager for Chemotherapy-Resistant Pancreatic Cancer
CHALLENGE
Pancreatic cancer often resists existing treatments and is frequently diagnosed too late for effective intervention.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Pinku Mukherjee developed a novel T-cell engager derived from a patented monoclonal antibody that shows strong efficacy in preclinical testing.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding moves this promising therapy closer to clinical development.
Pheromone-Based Technology for Honeybee Protection
CHALLENGE
Varroa mites remain the leading cause of honeybee colony decline nationwide.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Kaira Wagoner’s UBeeO system uses pheromone-based detection to identify Varroa-resistant colonies, enabling more resilient breeding programs.
IMPACT
This tool could significantly improve survival rates among honeybee populations critical to NC agriculture.
Rapid Molecular Isomer Identification Technology
CHALLENGE
Identifying molecular isomers — essential across pharmaceuticals and chemicals — is slow and costly with existing tools.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Liam Duffy developed a patented method that dramatically reduces the time, energy, and cost needed to differentiate molecular isomers.
IMPACT
NCInnovation support accelerates commercialization for high-impact scientific industries.
Therapeutic Platform for Alzheimer’s Disease & TBI
Dr. Ben Bahr’s team developed a therapeutic compound that targets multiple pathogenic proteins associated with neurodegeneration.
IMPACT
With NCInnovation funding, this therapy is advancing toward preclinical development and future clinical validation.
AI-Driven Neck Strength Assessment Platform
CHALLENGE
Traumatic brain injuries, whiplash, and neck trauma are difficult to predict across athletic and military settings.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Lindsey Schroeder’s portable device uses AI and machine learning to assess neck strength and identify individuals at higher risk for injury.
IMPACT
NCInnovation support helps prepare the technology for clinical, athletic, and military applications.
AI-Enhanced VR Simulation Platform for Nursing Education
CHALLENGE
Nursing programs face limited access to realistic, high-fidelity training environments, which worsens workforce shortages.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Leslee Battle, Dr. Tori Brown, and Ryan Schmaltz developed Patient Ready, an AI-enabled VR training system that simulates medically accurate, emotionally responsive patient interactions.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding expands the platform’s capabilities and supports its adoption across nursing programs statewide.
Pilot Grants
8 Projects • 7 Universities • $5.2 Million Awarded
NCInnovation’s inaugural Pilot Grants funded eight applied-research projects totaling $5.2 million across seven UNC System universities. These projects had already reached the proof-of-concept stage and demonstrated strong commercial potential in areas such as energy resilience, water purification, biotechnology, lithium processing, and public health.
This initial round allowed NCInnovation to invest in high-potential technologies while also building and refining statewide grantmaking systems, evaluation tools, and operational processes in collaboration with a focused group of university research teams.
Explore the Pilot Projects
Discover how these eight university research teams are advancing technologies that can strengthen North Carolina’s economy and improve lives across the state.
Beehive Improvement and Monitoring System (BEEMON)
CHALLENGE
Honeybee colony loss continues to threaten North Carolina’s agriculture industry, creating a critical need for real-time hive monitoring solutions.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Rahman Tashakkori’s BEEMON system integrates sensors and AI-driven analytics to provide early detection of hive stress, disease, and environmental threats.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports the commercialization of a reliable, turnkey hive-monitoring solution for both commercial producers and small beekeepers across the state.
First-of-Its-Kind Melanoma Immunotherapy
CHALLENGE
Melanoma patients who fail existing therapies have limited options, leading to high mortality and recurrence rates.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Rukiyah Van Dross-Anderson is developing a novel immunotherapy that directly eliminates melanoma cells while activating the immune system to target remaining cancer.
IMPACT
A two-year NCInnovation grant supports the advancement of this promising treatment toward clinical trials and future investment readiness.
Neuro Drug Delivery System
CHALLENGE
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s affect millions, yet most treatments fail because drugs cannot cross the blood–brain barrier — a significant barrier in neurological therapeutics.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Kristen Dellinger has developed a novel drug-delivery platform designed to safely transport therapeutic agents across the blood–brain barrier, enabling targeted treatment of neurological conditions.
IMPACT
With NCInnovation’s two-year grant, the team is advancing this breakthrough toward real-world clinical use and building partnerships with biotech companies positioned to scale the technology.
Advanced PFAS Drinking Water Purification
CHALLENGE
PFAS (“forever chemicals”) contaminate drinking water systems nationwide, and existing filtration methods are often inefficient or cost-prohibitive.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Jordan Poler developed patented filtration materials capable of removing PFAS, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants more effectively than current market alternatives.
IMPACT
NCInnovation’s support accelerates the development of an affordable water-purification solution with the potential to improve public health across North Carolina.
Power-Grid Efficiency via GAUPS Technology
CHALLENGE
Power interruptions pose economic and safety risks for industrial and commercial operations across North Carolina.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Sukumar Kamalasadan’s GAUPS system simultaneously provides uninterrupted, ultra-clean power and delivers essential grid-support services to utilities — improving resilience and reliability.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports customer use-case development and engagement with private-sector partners, preparing the technology for commercialization.
Cost-Effective Lithium Purification for Battery Production
CHALLENGE
Although North Carolina has rich lithium reserves, most global refining occurs overseas — slowing development of a domestic battery supply chain.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Hemali Rathnayake’s team created an efficient, scalable lithium-refining process capable of producing battery-grade material for U.S. manufacturing.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports the scale-up of this process to strengthen domestic battery production and support the state’s fast-growing energy-storage industry.
Next-Generation Multi-Year Flu Vaccine Platform
CHALLENGE
Flu vaccines must be updated annually because they cannot cover all circulating strains.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Ying Wang developed an innovative vaccine platform aimed at delivering broad, long-lasting protection across flu strains — reducing the need for yearly vaccinations.
IMPACT
NCInnovation funding supports preclinical studies and positions the technology to attract private investment and pharmaceutical partnerships.
Rapid Mosquito-Borne Disease Detection System
CHALLENGE
Identifying mosquito species and disease risk currently requires days or weeks, hindering rapid public health responses.
BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Brian Byrd and Dr. Scott Huffman are developing a diagnostic technology that provides accurate species, infection, and risk data in minutes — a significant improvement over existing methods.
IMPACT
NCInnovation support enables the scaling of this technology for global deployment, improving disease monitoring for diseases like dengue and Zika.
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
NCInnovation offers funding and support to help university researchers advance promising technologies from proof of concept to commercial viability.
