Governor Newsom announces over $2 million in funding for small businesses innovating in the Golden State

Supporting Economic Growth Across the State

Awardees reflect California’s strategic focus on supporting early-stage, high-growth potential businesses. More than 70 percent of grant recipients are pre-revenue companies, representing the cutting edge of innovation before products reach market. And while some are at early stages of development, others bring substantial innovation credentials with 7 patents already awarded to grant recipient companies and 27 patent applications currently in progress.

“Everyone knows that California is ground central for innovative entrepreneurship. But our office is working to diversify the state’s innovation economy by recognizing early-stage businesses and founders from all backgrounds struggling to break through barriers to capital,” said Elmy Bermejo, Director of CalOSBA.

Recent awardees include:

Solir Energy Solutions, headquartered in Auburn and founded by Diane Eastman, developed ThermeShade, an advanced, fire-rated, retrofit interior window technology that significantly reduces solar heat gain, providing affordable energy efficiency and thermal comfort for commercial buildings. The shades can cool a room in an office park by 32 degrees while still letting in natural light and offering high visibility to the outside. Its $75,000 grant will help the company commercialize its phase 2 products, expand its market and create more jobs.

Huzefa Neemuchwala and his team at Super Foam Corp., based in Riverside, are partnering with industries ranging from defense and automotive to construction and personal protection. The company’s patented foam formulation offers twice the impact protection while using an eco-friendly manufacturing process that reduces PFAS chemicals and restores an important part of the U.S. supply chain. Already winners or finalists of several local innovation challenges, the team received a $100,000 grant to accelerate commercialization, develop custom components for manufacturing partners, build an automated just-in-time delivery system, and continue to expand collaborations with early adopters.

Nereid Biomaterials, led by Alyson Santoro and Melissa Omand and based in Goleta, develops biomaterials to address challenges in the marine commercial sector. Imagine a buoy left in the ocean after its job is done: normal plastic will shed microplastics over time, but Nereid’s injection-molded buoy can meet required service-life standards and then biodegrade naturally. The same biomaterial can also be 3D-printed for use in sensors or fishing equipment, expanding its potential application across marine industries. Its $50,000 grant allows the company to continue testing with partners like the Benioff Ocean Science Library and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

California’s commitment to accelerate all Californians 

These Innovation Grant Awards are a component of CalOSBA’s Accelerate California, which is the nation’s first statewide program directly investing in innovation-based businesses and promoting regional, equitable access to entrepreneurship resources and capital across California. 

Accelerate California has 13 hubs across the state that provide technical support, collaborative networking, and access to federal, state, and private funding sources, ensuring California remains a leader in inclusive, high-growth entrepreneurship. Through this structure, the program offers a statewide network of support that drives local impact by focusing on inclusivity and partnership with anchor institutions such as universities, investors, and community accelerators, and invests in grants to bolster startups’ commercialization strategies.

Since 2023, the Hubs have supported over 29,000 small businesses and start-ups, helping to create more than 3,200 jobs. Businesses incubated within the Hubs have collectively filed 128 separate patents and secured more than $379 million in equity.

Program Open to New Applications

The Accelerate California Innovation Grant program remains open to innovative California entrepreneurs. Small business owners developing breakthrough technologies, products, services or business models are encouraged to connect with an Accelerate California Hub to access mentorship, technical assistance, and potential funding opportunities. For more information about all 13 Accelerate CA Hubs, see here.