DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Division of Small Business recognized 10 small businesses Wednesday as winners of the sixth round of Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) grants. Awardees in the latest round of the competition include a company that created an app for parents to track school buses, a beer garden, an apiary, and an electrical company.

Gov. John Carney and Division of Small Business Director Regina Mitchell announced the companies at an event at Sweets & Treats Studio in Dover, one of the small businesses awarded an EDGE grant in December 2021.

“The EDGE Grant program is helping our state’s newest small businesses expand and innovate by providing much-needed capital assistance that these businesses may not have access to otherwise,” said Governor Carney. “The small businesses awarded a grant in this latest round of EDGE represent the best Delaware has to offer, and we are excited to see how the grant funds help their businesses grow.”

Businesses who are less than five years old and employ no more than 10 employees are eligible to apply for an EDGE grant. The grants are awarded through a competitive selection process. STEM-based companies can receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses while Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses can receive up to $50,000.

EDGE is a matching grant program. The Division of Small Business matches a winning business’s investment on a 3-to-1 basis. The business can spend EDGE grant funds on expenses that help improve the company’s long-term chances of success, such as a marketing campaign to help acquire more customers or purchasing a needed piece of equipment that can increase production capacity.

“With more than 27,000 small businesses in Delaware that employ more than half of our state’s workers and account for nearly $14 billion in wages, small businesses are the backbone of Delaware’s economy,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “The EDGE grant program provides these creative, driven entrepreneurs with the capital they need to start or grow their business and reach their full potential.”

Since EDGE launched in 2019, $4.2 million has been awarded to 68 promising Delaware small businesses in industries ranging from wearable medical devices to farming to restaurants.

This is the sixth round of funding for the program since it launched in 2019. In this latest round, which opened in September, more than 120 businesses applied for funding. Fourteen finalists gave public presentations before a panel of expert judges on December 6 and 7 in Dover.

The winners in this round of EDGE funding include a diverse pool of small businesses. Seven out of the 10 winners are women-owned businesses, three are veteran-owned businesses, and two are owned by minorities. Since the program’s inception, 41 percent of EDGE winners have been women-owned businesses, and 27 percent have been minority-owned.

“The EDGE grant competition allows our division to support small business owners in Delaware who are making significant scientific advancements, creating unique products, and helping strengthen their local communities,” said Division of Small Business Director Regina Mitchell. “Our division is proud to support these worthy small businesses and help them succeed in their efforts.”

One of the winning businesses in the latest round of EDGE funding is Rail Haus, a beer garden slated to open later this year in Dover. Rail Haus will use the $50,000 in EDGE funds to purchase outdoor heaters, firepits, trees, sod, and a sprinkler system for the beer garden.

“We are honored and excited to be selected as a winner of EDGE grant funding in this round,” said Rail Haus co-owner Donny Legans. “Our goal is to open a year-round destination beer garden in the heart of downtown Dover and winning this grant is the next step in helping our plans come to fruition. The EDGE grant funding will allow us to make significant investments in the outdoor space at the beer garden so we can offer our customers the best experience possible.”

EDGE Grant Recipients

STEM class

A. I. Whoo (Newark)
A.I. Whoo is working to develop a mobile application for clinicians to conduct gait assessments using a smartphone. A gait assessment is the evaluation of the way someone walks and is used to diagnose disorders in walking patterns. Current gait assessment technologies require patients to go into an office to be evaluated. The A.I. Whoo app will enable gait assessments to be conducted remotely. EDGE grant funds will be used to develop the mobile application software and market it to clinicians.

Rotulu (Camden)
Rotulu is developing an application that provides real-time busing information for parents and schools with the benefits of instant messaging and alerts, two-way communication, and an easy-to-use interface. Rotulu is currently beta testing features and receiving valuable, real-world feedback from charter schools, which is ensuring the solution being built is accurate and effective. EDGE grant funds will be used to build out the desired functionality in the parent communication app, integrate the app with Android and Apple devices, enhance existing cloud infrastructure, and create additional features in the app.

All Azimuth Solutions (Magnolia)
All Azimuth Solutions (AAS) is developing and commercializing proprietary technology, including the electronic Community Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Toolkit, known as eCAT. The eCAT platform will house a repository of information to include educational and outreach materials, AAM demonstration playbooks, and community leaders’ decision support tools to integrate AAM into communities. The EDGE grant will be used for eCAT software development and deployment, association fees, a demonstration booth, marketing materials, advertising, and website improvements.

BioCurie (Wilmington)
BioCurie is a startup in Wilmington that is developing the world’s first AI-based software to transform the current state of cell and gene therapy (CGT) production from today’s brute-force “hit-or-miss” approach to a new data-driven paradigm. This innovative software will enable biopharma to swiftly and efficiently develop and manufacture CGTs that are safe, effective, and affordable. The EDGE grant will fund the commercialization of BioCurie’s first product for gene therapy manufacturing.

Voice 4 Impact (Wilmington)
Voice 4 Impact (V4I) delivers sustainable technology solutions to create safer and healthier communities. With their patented technology, V4I is at the forefront of observing and understanding human behavior. V4I’s solution connects people, communities, and data to increase awareness, create greener traffic solutions and build equitable funding goals. As a result, agencies make a 1:1 connection with the public at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional methods. EDGE grant funds will be used to staff, develop, and scale V4I’s platform to serve more utilities, tolling and transportation facilities in order to expand the company’s reach.

Entrepreneur class

BlackDog Behavior and Training LLC (Wilmington)
BlackDog provides accessible behavioral support to Delaware dog owners with private in-home training and post-adoption support for animals adopted through local shelters. Even more central to the mission, however, is to support its surrounding community through advocacy, education, and access to resources. Initial grant funding through EDGE will foster BlackDog’s expansion into a more sustainable operating model utilizing a standalone space for training activities.

Sassy Bee Honey LLC (Bellefonte)
Sassy Bee Honey is a Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) apiary founded with a passion for curating handmade products while having a positive impact on the environment and increasing accessibility to locally-sourced products throughout Delaware. Sassy Bee’s current business model utilizes Micro Apiaries, utilizing small clusters of bee colonies in several locations. In 2021, 700 pounds of honey was extracted and processed from 10 colonies. The EDGE funding will be used to renovate a 400 square foot space and purchase more efficient equipment in order to increase production capacity.

Nourish Markets (Wilmington)
Nourish Markets provides 24-hour access to healthy, affordable, and sustainable foods, snacks, beverages, and ready-to-eat meal options. Nourish Markets is forging a pioneering path in the health and wellness convenience food industry by establishing Delaware’s first 100% autonomous marketplace. The mission of Nourish Markets is uncomplicated – to make healthy food, snack, and beverage options accessible, convenient, and affordable to all consumers while employing industry-leading technologies. The EDGE grant will be used to purchase frictionless hardware equipment so the company can expand and open a second location in Wilmington. 

Rail Haus (Dover)
Rail Haus’ mission is to be a great beer garden, all the time, for everyone and aims to be the first year-round beer garden in the state. With a focused investment in both the inside and outside space, Rail Haus will be the destination spot Dover deserves and have a large, positive impact on the surrounding community. This family-friendly, dog-friendly project will be smartly operated, inclusive, and fun. The EDGE grant will be used to purchase outdoor heaters, firepits, trees, sod, and a sprinkler system.

Pink Electrical Services (Clayton)
Pink Electrical Services (PES) provides expert electrical services to Delaware businesses and homeowners. PES offers free estimates and reliable, high-quality service. Their electricians maintain a professional demeanor and great customer service while performing at the highest level. The EDGE grant will be used to purchase up to two work trucks which would enable the company to hire a crew comprised of electricians and journeymen.

DOVER, DE (August 30, 2022) – Young Delaware companies in need of funding to help expand their business can apply beginning Thursday, September 1, 2022, to compete for an Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) grant from the Division of Small Business. The division will be accepting EDGE grant applications September 1 through September 30 from promising early-stage businesses throughout Delaware.

Businesses who are less than five years old and employ no more than 10 employees are eligible to apply for an EDGE Grant. The grants are awarded through a competitive selection process. Five STEM-based companies can receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses while five Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses can receive up to $50,000.

EDGE is a matching grant program. The Division of Small Business matches a winning business’s investment on a 3-to-1 basis. The business can spend EDGE grant funds on expenses that help improve the company’s long-term chances of success, such as a marketing campaign to help acquire more customers or purchasing a needed piece of equipment that can increase production capacity.

Applications for the competition round will be accepted from September 1 through September 30 at 4:30 p.m. Businesses can visit the Division of Small Business website for eligibility requirements and to download the grant application beginning September 1. The Division of Small Business will also be hosting an informational webinar on the EDGE application process on Thursday, September 8 at 10 a.m. Small business owners interested in applying for the grant competition can register for the webinar at this link. Pre-registration is required.

“Delaware has an amazing community of entrepreneurs who stake their future on following their passion and starting their own business,” Secretary of State Jeff Bullock said. “By providing significant capital to these early-stage companies, the state of Delaware is able to help them reach their potential and show their owners that we value their efforts in starting and growing their businesses here in the First State.”

“The EDGE Grant program has been very popular with Delaware small business owners because these grants have helped promising small companies in a variety of industries reach the next level and compete with larger companies,” Division of Small Business Acting Director Regina Mitchell said. “I encourage eligible small business owners interested in the program to reach out today to one of our Regional Business Managers for help with the application process.”

One of the businesses who previously received funding is HARTLON. The company developed a bioresorbable vascular stent that is designed to eliminate pain, non-healing sores, and risk of limb amputation caused by poor blood flow below-the-knee. HARTLON was awarded a $100,000 STEM EDGE grant in the last round of funding. The company is using its grant for setting up a MedTech Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), laboratory space, manufacturing services, and demonstration of performance with a preclinical study.

“Winning the EDGE grant competition will be crucial in helping our company reach patients who can benefit the most from the life-changing healthcare technology we have developed,” said Jack Scanlon, co-founder of HARTLON. “We are grateful that the State of Delaware recognizes small, growing companies like ours and offers programs like the EDGE grant competition to help us reach our full potential.”

Since EDGE launched in 2019, $3.75 million has been awarded to 60 promising Delaware small businesses in industries ranging from renewable energy technology to fitness centers to restaurants. This will be the sixth round of the program since its launch. Finalists in this round will pitch their grant proposals to a panel of expert judges with winners announced in the winter.

MILFORD, Del. (July 21, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Small Business recognized 10 small businesses Thursday as winners of the fifth round of Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) grants. Awardees in the latest round of the competition include a company that created a resorbable vascular stent, a Puerto Rican inspired bakery, an outdoor baseball facility and a cycling studio.

Gov. John Carney and Division of Small Business Acting Director Regina Mitchell announced the companies at an event at My Sister’s Fault in Milford, one of the small businesses awarded an EDGE grant in this round.

“Through the EDGE grant program, small businesses are provided much-needed capital assistance that they may not have access to otherwise,” said Governor Carney. “The small businesses awarded a grant in this latest round represent the best Delaware has to offer, and we are excited to see how the grant funds help their businesses grow.”

Businesses who are less than five years old and employ no more than 10 employees are eligible to apply for an EDGE grant. The grants are awarded through a competitive selection process. STEM-based companies can receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses while Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses can receive up to $50,000.

EDGE is a matching grant program. The Division of Small Business matches a winning business’s investment on a 3-to-1 basis. The business can spend EDGE grant funds on expenses that help improve the company’s long-term chances of success, such as a marketing campaign to help acquire more customers or purchasing a needed piece of equipment that can increase production capacity.

“With more than 25,000 small businesses in Delaware that employ more than half of our state’s workers and account for at least $11 billion in wages, small businesses are vital to our state’s economy,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “The EDGE grant program provides these creative, driven entrepreneurs with the capital they need to start or grow their business and reach their full potential.”

Since EDGE launched in 2019, $3.75 million has been awarded to 60 promising Delaware small businesses in industries ranging from wearable medical devices to farming to restaurants.

This is the fifth round of funding for the program since it launched in 2019. In this latest round, which opened in March, more than 100 businesses applied for funding. Fourteen finalists gave public presentations before a panel of expert judges on June 1 and 2 in Dover.

“The EDGE grant competition is driven by the creativity and innovation of our entrepreneurs. The competition allows our division to support small business owners in Delaware who are making significant scientific advancements, creating unique products, and helping strengthen their local communities,” said Division of Small Business Acting Director Regina Mitchell. “The winners in this latest round include a diverse pool of small businesses, including women, minority, and veteran business owners. Our division is proud to support these worthy small businesses and help them succeed in their efforts.”

My Sister’s Fault received $50,000 in EDGE grant funds in this round. The business will use the grant funding to purchase additional refrigeration and freezer equipment. With the expanded refrigerator space, My Sister’s Fault will be able to complete more custom cake orders, hire more staff, and extend their operating hours for special events.

“We are honored and excited to be selected as a winner of EDGE grant funding in this round,” said My Sister’s Fault co-owner Angie Robles. “Since we opened in 2017, our business has grown significantly, and our current equipment cannot keep up with the demand of our customers. The EDGE funding will allow us to purchase new larger equipment so we can continue to grow our business.”

EDGE Grant Recipients

STEM class

Carbon Reform (Newark)
Carbon Reform has developed a proprietary modular carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture technology called the Carbon Capsule. The device retrofits into a commercial building’s ventilation system and is able to improve indoor air quality for occupants, create energy savings for building owners, and directly capture and repurpose tons of CO₂ annually into a valuable limestone byproduct. Carbon Reform will use their EDGE Grant funding to secure the purchase of capital equipment to get them to the next stage of development, including manufacturing their first 10 Carbon Capsule commercial units.

Cosmos Pharmaceuticals (Middletown)
Cosmos Pharmaceuticals developed a solution to combat prescription medication abuse and improve individualized patient care by introducing a simple personalized medication lock called FortisKap. FortisKap, a universal pill bottle cap, secures a patient’s prescription with their unique biometric signature and tracks robust medication usage throughout the course of treatment. The company will use its EDGE grant for equipment needed to commercialize their product and for office space at the STAR campus at University of Delaware.

HARTLON (Wilmington)
HARTLON developed a bioresorbable vascular stent that is designed to eliminate pain, non-healing sores, and risk of limb amputation caused by poor blood flow below-the-knee. After a medical doctor unblocks an artery, the patented HARTLON stent is designed to be inserted into the opening to provide temporary support until the artery heals and then the stent dissolves leaving the artery in a longer lasting natural open condition. The company will use its EDGE grant for laboratory space, manufacturing services, and demonstration of performance with a preclinical study.

G-Flash LLC (Newark)
G-Flash LLC is working to bring Green Flash Chromatography (GFC®) to commercialization for the pharmaceutical industry. Flash chromatography is a method of chemical separation used to purify chemical mixtures into individual constituents. The company will use its EDGE grant funding to quickly commercialize their latest technology, as well as integrate new unit hardware and software.

Moonprint Solutions (Dover)
Moonprint Solutions is an engineering company with services that include product development, consulting, and prototype manufacturing. The EDGE grant will be used for a Computer Numeric Controlled material plotter/cutter to support prototyping and production of soft goods products. 

Entrepreneur class

Creekview Psychological Assessment (Newark)
Creekview Assessment Center is a small private group practice of clinical, school, and neuropsychologists. The business provides specialized psychological testing including, autism, psychoeducational, and disability evaluations. The business will use its EDGE grant funding to further invest in cutting edge technology for psychological test administration, marketing, and training other providers across the state of Delaware.

Enhanced Edge (Dover)
Enhanced Edge LLC is a mental health counseling derivative specializing in full spectrum mental illness treatment through Alpha-Stim, QEEG brain mapping, biofeedback, and neurofeedback. The EDGE grant will be used to make various equipment, infrastructure, and marketing advancements. The most significant advancement is a “Dry” QEEG brain scanning cap which will allow the company to triple the number of clients they can treat in a day.

My Sister’s Fault (Milford)
My Sister’s Fault is a Puerto Rican inspired bakery owned and operated by sisters Angie and Rous Robles. The bakery opened its doors in 2017 and currently has 10 employees. During the pandemic, the owners switched their operations to online orders and take-out only. Since then, the bakery’s sales have increased significantly. My Sister’s Fault will use their EDGE Grant funding to purchase new refrigeration and freezer equipment which will allow them the opportunity to complete more custom cake orders, hire more staff, and extend their operating hours for special events.

Salt Fitness (Rehoboth)
Salt Fitness is a boutique fitness cycling studio that provides a personalized experience focused on lifting one another up, developing community and relationships, tearing life walls down, full body health, high energy music, sweat drenched workouts, and having fun in a loving and supportive environment. The EDGE grant will be used to open a second studio in Milford, for advertising and instructor retention, and to finish improvements at the West Rehoboth Beach location.  

STATS Tournaments (Bear)
STATS Sports Complex LLC is an outdoor baseball facility that uses sports to encourage youth success beyond the field. What started as a tournament management endeavor has grown into a full-service facility that serves over 300 teams, hosts about 600 games, and 12 baseball tournaments annually. The business will use EDGE funding to build two grass convertible fields which will allow STATS to accommodate an additional 240 little league, high school, college, and travel baseball teams, as well as six more tournaments annually.

DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Division of Small Business launched SizeUpDelaware this week, making powerful market research and business intelligence available to small businesses to help them succeed.

Small business owners in Delaware can now access industry-specific and hyperlocal information to help them grow and make smarter decisions using Big Data analysis. The research is individually customized for each company. By using the website service, small businesses are able to:

1. Rank their business performance compared to industry competitors
2. Discover potential customers, suppliers, and better understand their competitive landscape
3. Optimize advertising to target ideal customer segments

“Delaware is home to more than 25,000 small businesses that account for more than 98% of all businesses in the state and more than 55% of the workforce,” said Governor John Carney. “These businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy, and we want to equip them with as many tools and resources as we can to help them succeed. With the launch of SizeUpDelaware, we are empowering our small businesses to be able to make more data-driven decisions to better operate, succeed, and grow.” 

“We are excited to launch this powerful new tool for Delaware’s small businesses during National Small Business Week. In today’s information economy, if you don’t have access to information, your business is at a significant disadvantage,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “The Department of State and Division of Small Business are committed to helping our small and local businesses succeed. They are the foundation of our local economy, employ our residents, create new jobs, and make our communities more prosperous places. Providing this SizeUp business assistance service is another way in which we are partnering with our small businesses for their success.”

SizeUp helps to level the competitive business playing field by providing small businesses with similar market research that typically only large corporations can afford to access by contracting multinational management consulting companies or hiring internal research analysts. SizeUp uses big data, cloud computing, and computer algorithms to deliver custom analysis for local businesses. The data comes from hundreds of public and proprietary data sources covering firmographic, demographic, geographic, labor, wage, cost, consumer spending, transportation, and more.

This new service is free for small businesses and available anytime through the Division of Small Business website at business.delaware.gov/sizeup-delaware or the SizeUpDelaware website.

Wilmington, Del.— The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia and Export Delaware announce, “Selling to the World, Growing a Vibrant, Inclusive, and Connected Economy for Greater Philadelphia” a program to expand small business exports that feature a new Global Supplier Diversity Initiative to support minority- and women-owned businesses. For the first time, minority- and women-owned enterprises (MWBE) will have unparalleled access to international partners and customers as they enter global supply chains.

The First Program of its Kind 

This program is carefully crafted to include Global Supplier Diversity Directors from Fortune 500 companies and business leaders as mentors. According to the US Census Bureau, 18 percent of US businesses are minority-owned (about 1 million businesses). Nearly 20 percent (1.1 million) are women-owned. Many of these companies apply to be certified as minority- or women-owned businesses. This designation offers numerous benefits; however, many small businesses don’t know how to leverage their certification to increase their sales overseas. This is about to change for those in the Delaware and Greater Philadelphia region.

The facts are compelling and demonstrate that there is much room to grow. According to the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), minority-owned businesses represent 17.5 percent of exporting companies in the US and have a strong competitive advantage in conducting business internationally due to cultural affinities, multi-lingual skills, and close ties to countries of origin. The US Census reports that women-owned businesses represent 12.1 percent of US exporters. Compared with non-exporting companies, MWBEs have higher productivity and hire more employees than their non-exporting counterparts.

“MWBEs have great potential but, like many small businesses, are often hesitant and unaware of the assistance available to help them export,” said Linda Conlin, President of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia. “We are proud to work with Beth and Export Delaware to increase growth and prosperity in our communities by helping these companies access new customers in promising markets around the world.”

“Selling to the World,” with its new Global Supplier Diversity Initiative, provides export education, training, and mentorship from experts in the field of exporting and global supplier diversity so these MWBEs can compete in the global marketplace. This unique approach will help businesses increase their sales through exports.

Exports Are a Profitable, Long-term Business Strategy

With over 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside of the US, exporting has proven to be a profitable and sustainable long-term strategy for small businesses. “Now, Delaware WMBEs will gain unparalleled access and opportunity to global supply chains of multinational firms,” said Beth Pomper, Export Trade Director of Export Delaware. “We are delighted to partner with Linda and her team at the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia on this ground-breaking initiative.”

Ecommerce, global supply chains, free trade agreements, and export funding assistance have helped make the world’s global customers more accessible. According to the International Trade Administration, companies that export have a better chance of “riding out” fluctuations in the US economy, as they are sustained by demand from customers worldwide. By offering this new Global Supplier Diversity Initiative, minority- and women-owned businesses in Delaware and the Greater Philadelphia region will be equipped to grow and flourish in the coming decades.

“Our goal for this program is to enable minority- and women-owned businesses to be able to enjoy these benefits, so they can continue to grow, expand and create more local jobs,” said Pomper.

This program is designed to directly support minority- and women-owned businesses in Delaware and the Greater Philadelphia region. However, all eligible businesses are welcome to apply, not just those that women and minorities own.

This program is funded by a grant from the US Economic Development Administration, a cooperative agreement with the Small Business Administration (SBA) via the State Trade Export Program (STEP) Grant, and the private sector.

Interested companies in Delaware should contact Beth Pomper at Export Delaware: beth.pomper@delaware.gov. Those in Pennsylvania and New Jersey should contact Dino Ramos at the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia: dramos@wtcphila.org.

Export Delaware is an initiative of the Delaware Department of State and the official export resource for Delaware’s small businesses wanting to export their products and services worldwide. To learn more about Export Delaware, click here.