[VT – Philadelphia, PA January 10, 2026 ] The Philadelphia Department of Commerce, through its Office of Business Development, has awarded $450,000 in SBIR/STTR Matching Grants to 21 Philadelphia-based life sciences companies, marking Pennsylvania’s first city-led SBIR/STTR matching grant program.
The awards support local life sciences companies that received Phase I or Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants from the federal government in 2022 or later. The matching funds are designed to accelerate the commercialization of research成果, helping companies advance innovations from the laboratory to real-world application.
The City has partnered with the University City Science Center as the program’s implementation partner. In this role, the Science Center will work directly with each awardee to deploy funding alongside a tailored suite of commercialization services aligned with company-specific goals. This customized approach ensures that support is both strategic and impactful, enabling companies to make meaningful progress toward market readiness.
The companies receiving SBIR/STTR Matching Grants include:
AlphaThera, Inc.
Axonova Medical
BioLattice Ophthalmics, Inc.
BriaCell Therapeutics Corp.
Goeppert LLC
HeyKiddo, LLC
Linnaeus Therapeutics, Inc.
Flik Therapeutics, Inc.
FluidiSpec, LLC
Phrase Health, Inc.
Mechano Therapeutics
RTM Vital Signs, LLC
Serentrix, LLC
Integral Molecular, Inc.
Instadiagnostics, Inc.
Vetigenics, Inc.
Trevarx Biomedical, Inc.
Recupero Robotics, LLC
Vasowatch Inc
Vellum Biosciences, LLC
Young Therapeutics, LLC
Together, these companies represent a broad cross-section of Philadelphia’s life sciences ecosystem, spanning therapeutic development, medical devices, diagnostics, biotechnology, and digital health. Their work underscores the city’s strength in scientific innovation and translational research.
Philadelphia’s life sciences and biotechnology sector continues to be a major driver of innovation, job creation, and economic growth. By leveraging federal research investments with local matching support and specialized commercialization services, the City aims to strengthen the pathway from discovery to deployment while reinforcing Philadelphia’s position as a leading hub for life sciences innovation.
