NIST Backs Eight Small Businesses with $3.19M in AI and Quantum SBIR Awards

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded $3.19 million in SBIR Phase II grants to eight small businesses across seven states, funding 24-month projects in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, and semiconductor technology.

Each company received approximately $400,000 to advance innovations that cleared NIST's competitive selection process in September 2025. The awards span the full spectrum of NIST's measurement science mission — from AI-powered biopharmaceutical monitoring to quantum photon sources.

The Eight Winners

The portfolio reflects NIST's dual mandate of advancing both fundamental measurement standards and commercially viable technologies:

AI and Cybersecurity: ObjectSecurity LLC (California, $399,909) is building a cybersecurity compliance tool, while Applied Imaging Solutions LLC (Massachusetts, $400,000) is developing hyperspectral imaging systems that use machine learning for biopharmaceutical quality monitoring.

Quantum and Semiconductors: Icarus Quantum Inc. (Colorado, $400,000) is advancing semiconductor quantum dots for photon sources — critical hardware for quantum communication networks. HighRI Optics Inc. (California, $399,859) is building electron microscope simulation software for semiconductor characterization.

Biotechnology: MyExposome Inc. (Pennsylvania, $395,815) and Calimetrix LLC (Wisconsin, $399,998) are developing medical imaging phantoms and cell culture monitoring systems, respectively.

Energy and Digital Infrastructure: Universal Schedule and Booking LLC (West Virginia, $400,000) is creating smart digital infrastructure for residential building energy optimization that works without physical sensors.

What Comes Next

Phase II projects run for 24 months. Upon completion, selected grantees advance to Phase III, where they must secure non-SBIR funding — private investment, contracts, or other federal sources — to commercialize their technologies. This transition is where many SBIR companies either break through or stall.

NIST's SBIR program typically announces new Phase I solicitations annually. Small businesses developing measurement-adjacent technologies in AI, quantum, biotech, or semiconductors should monitor SBIR.gov and NIST's small business programs page for the next call. Grant discovery tools on Granted track SBIR opportunities across all 11 participating federal agencies, making it easier to find the right program match before deadlines arrive.