- About I-Corps
- I-Corps short course: Beat-the-Odds Boot Camp Program for SBIR Phase I
- National I-Corps Program for STTR Phase I
- I-Corps for SBIR/STTR Post-Phase II
- Introductory Webinars
About I-Corps
The National Science Foundation (NSF) created the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) (hereinafter I-Corps) Program in 2011 to develop and nurture a national innovation ecosystem that builds upon fundamental research to guide the output of scientific discoveries closer to the development of technologies, products and processes that benefit society." NSF's I-Corps training is designed to lower the market risk inherent in bringing a product or innovation to market, thereby improving the chances for a viable business. Since NSF started the I-Corps Program in 2011, several other Federal agencies have funded I-Corps cohorts including NIH, DHS, USDA, DOD, and DOE
The goals of the SBIR/STTR and the I-Corps programs overlap by encouraging the innovation and entrepreneurship of small businesses and enabling those businesses to commercialize their innovations. NASA's SBIR/STTR program releases solicitations for research and development that are of interest to NASA's Mission Directorates with the goal that the selected technologies will become a success by being transitioned, or infused, into a NASA program, or by commercial success outside of NASA and the Federal Government.
With this goal in mind, NASA, through the SBIR/STTR Program, worked with NSF to implement a pilot I-Corps program in 2017 as part of the NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitation. The NASA I-Corps program enables small businesses, including start-up firms, to increase the odds of accelerating the process of developing their SBIR/STTR technologies into a repeatable and scalable business model. The program accomplishes this by putting the firms through a version of the Lean Launchpad – I-Corps process, which includes:
- developing their business model hypotheses using the Business Model Canvas
- testing those hypotheses through the Customer Development Interview process
The intended results of I-Corps are to enable firms to conduct customer discovery to learn their customers' needs, to obtain a better understanding of their company's value proposition as it relates to those customer needs, and to develop an outline of a business plan for moving forward.
The I-Corps training program will introduce the concept of a Business Model Canvas, which provides the framework that guides the I-Corps learning. As part of this curriculum, each team must commit to pursuing a formal hypothesis-validation approach to identify and mitigate gaps in knowledge in the following seven areas:
- Value Proposition of the proposed product or service
- Customer/User-case and pain point
- Demand Creation
- Channel Development
- Revenue Model
- Partnership Strategy
- Resource Requirement
The I-Corps curriculum uses a hypothesis-driven method of customer discovery in order to gain insights into the issues associated with technology commercialization. During the course, I-Corps teams share what they learn with other teams, obtaining new insights into the prospective impact of the technology being developed under the SBIR or STTR training grant. It is anticipated that the feedback and learning captured during the I-Corps program will help inform future Phase II SBIR/STTR projects and commercialization strategies.
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I-Corps short course: Beat-the-Odds Boot Camp Program for SBIR Phase I
SBIR teams will participate in a modified, less intensive "Boot Camp" version of I-Corps that will last 7 weeks, requiring about 10-20 hours per week from the participating team. NASA is offering this Boot Camp because the time commitment for I-Corps runs concurrently with the period of performance for Phase I and therefore, similar to SBIR awards, I-Corps is to be completed by the last day of the Phase I period of performance or as stated in the grant award. NASA expects the Principal Investigator (and potentially the Entrepreneurial Lead) to be heavily involved in both the I-Corps training and the Phase I effort which may include the Phase II proposal writing effort. Each SBIR team participating in I-Corps training, including all its team members, will be required to:
- Attend the virtual 2-hour kick-off Entrepreneurial Immersion course (date to be announced).
- Conduct approximately 30 customer interviews over the 7-week program and submit interview summary reports.
- Participate in weekly webinar sessions and submit regular updates to the team's business model canvas.
- Attend the virtual 1-day close out I-Corps Lessons Learned session.
Note: If one or more team members cannot meet these requirements, the team should not pursue the program.
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National I-Corps Program for STTR Phase I
STTR teams will participate in the complete version of I-Corps lasting 7 weeks. Similar to SBIR awards, I-Corps is to be completed by the last day of the Phase I period of performance. The Principal Investigator (and potentially the Entrepreneurial Lead) is expected to be heavily involved in the Phase I effort and in any Phase II proposal writing effort. The commitment to I-Corps will be concurrent with the Phase I work; however, the longer period of performance for an STTR Phase I allows for a more intensive I-Corps experience. During the I-Corps course, each participating STTR team, including all its team members, will be required to:
- Attend, in person, an evening reception and 3-day kick-off Entrepreneurial Immersion course (exact location and date to be announced).
- Conduct approximately 100 customer interviews over the 7-week program and submit interview summary reports. This process of customer discovery "outside the building" is expected to require a minimum of 15 hours per week per each I-Corps team member for at least five weeks.
- Participate in the 5 weekly webinar sessions and submit regular updates to the team's business model canvas. In addition, it is expected that I-Corps teams will take advantage of instructor office hours.
- Attend, in person, the final 2-day course close out/lessons learned session (to be held in the same region as the kick-off course).
Note: All winter, spring, and summer cohorts of the National I-Corps Teams program will be held virtually. In addition, NSF will update the status of future cohorts.
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I-Corps for SBIR/STTR Post-Phase II
Starting in 2021, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program will offer both the Beat-the-Odds Boot Camp Program and the National I-Corps Program to companies that have been selected for award of either a SBIR/STTR Phase II-E or a CCRPP. The specific details are provided below.
Companies that have successfully negotiated and executed the Modification to their existing SBIR or STTR Phase II contract for the Phase II-E Option will be invited to participate in the Boot Camp version of I-Corps, same as that offered to the SBIR Phase I companies. These same Phase II-E companies are ineligible to participate in the National I-Corps Program. (As the Phase II-E Period of Performance is twelve months and the spending rate is up to twice that for the Phase II contract, commitment of 20 to 40 hours per week for 6 weeks required for participation by the Principal Investigator in the comprehensive I-Corps program is an unreasonable time burden for the Phase II-E project effort.)
Companies that have successfully negotiated and executed the contract for the CCRPP program, which will utilize previously developed SBIR or STTR Phase II technology, will be invited to participate in either the Boot Camp version of I-Corps, same as that offered to the SBIR Phase I companies, or the National I-Corps Program, same as that offered to the STTR Phase I companies.
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Introductory Webinars
NSF holds a monthly Introductory Webinar to present basic information and answer questions about I-Corps. These Webinars provide updated information about I-Corps contacts, the curriculum, important dates, and other aspects of the program.
NSF will include some material which is specific to NASA in its upcoming webinars. You are welcome to attend these sessions and participation is voluntary. For information on audio and visual access and for a list of upcoming NSF I-Corps Teams webinars, please visit NSF's I-Corps webinar homepage at https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/webinars.jsp. *Please note that you should participate in the I-Corps Teams webinars, not the Hubs webinars.
Next webinars:
There are no scheduled I-Corps webinars at this time.
NASA I-Corps special webinar:
A special NASA I-Corps webinar was held for firms selected to receive 2021 Phase I SBIR and STTR awards on April 8, 2021. You can view the presentation slides presented by Ruth Shuman (NSF) below.
2021 NSF Innovation Corps (I Corps) Webinar - PDF download
Opt-In Form
Firms submitting Phase I SBIR/STTR proposals will complete a short I-Corps Opt-In Form as part of their Phase I proposal submission. The form does not count towards the page count of Phase I proposals. If a large number of firms express interest, the Government reserves the right to limit the number of firms invited to submit I-Corps proposals based upon the Government's assessment of the initial summary statements.
NASA will use the Opt-In form to determine eligibility to participate in the I-Corps program. This form will request the following representations:
- The firm shall verify that it is eligible to participate in NASA's I-Corps Program. Eligibility requirements are: 1) the firm is a small business, 2) the firm has not previously participated in I-Corps programs offered by other Federal agencies, and 3) the firm is submitting an SBIR or STTR Phase I proposal to the active NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitation.
- The firm shall verify that it is aware that I-Corps teams will participate in an Entrepreneurial Immersion course that will require each team participant to invest significant time. The complete version (for STTR teams) will require a minimum of 15 to 20 hours of time per week for 6 weeks. The Boot Camp version (for SBIR teams) will require approximately one-third of the total STTR work volume, spread over a 7-week period.
- The firm shall verify that it is able to provide the substantial commitment of time and effort required to successfully participate.
- The firm shall verify that it is aware that I-Corps specifically targets the commercialization of SBIR/STTR-funded research.
- The firm shall verify that it understands that if selected for an interview for participation in the National I-Corps Program, it will need to identify a Principal Investigator, Entrepreneurial Lead, and Industry Mentor to participate in the interview.
- The firm shall provide a short statement explaining why they believe their technology or company would benefit from participation in I-Corps.
I-Corps Proposal
For SBIR/STTR Phase I awardees, to be qualified to submit an I-Corps proposal: 1) firms must have submitted the I-Corps Opt-In Form as part of their Phase I proposals; and 2) firms must be selected for a Phase I award. For the SBIR/STTR firms that have been selected for award for 2021 SBIR/STTR Post-Phase II programs (i.e., SBIR/STTR Phase II-E and CCRPP), the firms will be invited to submit an I-Corps proposal. Participating firms must form a team composed of three main members: the Principal Investigator, the Entrepreneurial Lead and the Industry Mentor. (For the Boot Camp Program, the inclusion of an Industry Mentor for the team is not mandatory, but is highly recommended.)
- Principal Investigator: The Principal Investigator serves as the technical lead and project manager and ideally should be the Principal Investigator on the contracted SBIR/STTR award. The Principal Investigator is required to have an in-depth knowledge of the technology being developed and has primary responsibility for achieving the technical success of the project. In the scenario where the Principal Investigator is also the CEO of the small business, NASA I-Corps applicants are encouraged to consider designating an alternate C-Level Corporate Officer to lead the team. The Principal Investigator will be responsible for overall grant management.
- Entrepreneurial Lead: The Entrepreneurial Lead should have relevant knowledge of the technology and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation. This person should be a C-Level Corporate Officer (i.e. Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Operating Officer, or similar level officer). The CEO and/or CTO of the Small Business Concern (SBC) are expected to participate as I-Corps team members. Having the SBC's key decision maker(s) on the I-Corps team ensures that the learning from the program will fully impact the business direction of the company. The Entrepreneurial Lead should also be capable and have the will to support the transition of the technology, should the I-Corps Teams project demonstrate the potential for commercial viability. The Entrepreneurial Lead will be responsible for proceeding along a content-guided path to develop, over the course of the training, a final technology-disposition plan.
- Industry Mentor: The Industry Mentor should be an experienced or emerging entrepreneur with proximity to the SBC and experience in translating technologies to the marketplace. The Industry Mentor should be selected as a third-party resource or may be a person that has an established relationship with the company (e.g., Board Member) but who is not an employee. Ideally, the Industry Expert should have prior experience developing and commercializing other products within the broader technology space related to the specific SBIR/STTR project under development. The Industry Mentor will be responsible for guiding the team forward and for tracking progress through regular communication with the cognizant I-Corps program director. For the Boot Camp Program, the inclusion of an Industry Mentor for the team is not mandatory, but is highly recommended
The I-Corps Proposal shall follow the same format requirements as the SBIR/STTR Phase I proposal. The format requirements are available in the SBIR/STTR Program Solicitation document (Chapter 3) and at https://sbir.nasa.gov/solicit/63012/detail?l1=63046. The I-Corps Proposal package must include the following sections/information in order to be considered complete:
- Certifications (to be accessible in the EHB)
- Form NF1206 (to be accessible in the EHB)
- GIC 12-01 Assurance of Compliance (to be accessible in the EHB)
- GIC 12-02 Representation and Certification (to be accessible in the EHB)
- I-Corps Team and Commercialization Plan (to be developed by the applicant and uploaded to the EHB with the required following sections. The overall plan is limited to five pages)
- I-Corps Team: Biographical sketches of I-Corps team members (Principal Investigator, Entrepreneurial Lead, and Industry Mentor) of the team members proposing to undertake the commercialization feasibility research and their commitment to participate in I-Corps (limited to one page per team member)
- Commercialization Plan (limited to two pages). This shall build upon the commercialization information provided in the Phase I proposal and include:
- Identification of commercial application(s) and market(s) for the proposed technology
- Types of customers the firm plans to interview
- Sample list of potential customers for the targeted market(s)
- Brief description of the potential non-NASA commercial impacts of the project
- Brief description of how the firm will select, contact, and request interviews for a minimum of thirty prospective customers for Boot Camp Program and one hundred prospective customers for National I-Corps Program
- Planned travel
- Types of customer discovery the firm hopes to accomplish through I-Corps
- What steps the company will take to move the project closer to commercialization
- I-Corps Proposal Budget (to be developed by the applicant and uploaded to the EHB with the required following sections. The budget is limited to one page)
- Capped at $10,000 for each Boot Camp team and $25,000 for each National I-Corps team
- Only recovery of certain direct costs associated with participation in I-Corps and indirect costs are allowed; no recovery of profit is allowed
- The budget should include the following six components, which are the only allowable costs:
- Maximum of $4,000 for Entrepreneurial Lead compensation (no compensation for the Principal Investigator or I-Corps Mentor) for each Boot Camp team and $5,500 for each National I-Corps team
- An estimate for the travel costs associated with team member participation in required kick-off and close out / lessons learned meetings (i.e. airfare, per diem costs, other). Maximum is $3,000 for each Boot Camp team and $5,000 for each National I-Corps team
- Costs for workshop registration fees that will be paid by the team to the instruction service (logistics) providers. Maximum is $450 for each Boot Camp team and $4,500 for each National I-Corps team
- Estimated costs for travel associated with the three team members traveling as a group to conduct customer interviews (30 interviews for Boot Camp participants and 100 interviews for National I-Corps participants). Maximums are $2,550 for each Boot Camp team and $10,000 for each National I-Corps team
- Other costs; e.g., virtual tools to facilitate interviews such as Zoom Meeting subscriptions, LinkedIn Premium membership, inexpensive headsets, and conference fees for attending virtual conferences – but not “booths” or other marketing expenses.
- Indirect costs associated for the above five direct cost categories
Compensation for the Entrepreneurial Lead is supplemental to the compensation (either for direct or indirect cost) provided by the SBIR/STTR Phase I award(s), Phase II award(s), or Post-Phase II award(s). The SBC may not propose and/or invoice for time and effort that is also budgeted/charged for compensation on the Phase I award(s) or Post-Phase II award(s).
For National I-Corps teams, requested budget in the Workshop Registration Fees category and Travel for Kickoff and Close Out Meetings category may be exchanged as long as the total sum for the two combined categories does not exceed $9,500.
The template for the budget is the following:
I-Corps Proposal Budget
| Item | Amount |
| Entrepreneurial Lead compensation - Maximum of $4,000 for Boot Camp and $5,500 for National I-Corps teams. Is this proposed Entrepreneurial Lead Compensation for time and effort also compensated through indirect or direct costs in the Phase I, Phase II, or CCRPP contract(s)? Yes __ or No__ If yes, please state what percentage _______% |
$ |
| Travel for kickoff and close out meetings - Maximum of $3,000 for Boot Camp and $5,000 for National I-Corps teams. | $ |
| Workshop registration fees - Maximum $450 for Boot Camp and $4,500 for National I-Corps teams. | $ |
| Travel for customer interviews - Maximum of $2,550 for Boot Camp and $10,000 for National I-Corps teams. | $ |
| Other costs | $ |
| Indirect cost | $ |
| Total | $ |
For the SBIR/STTR Phase I awardees, the I-Corps Proposal will be due two weeks after formal notification that the firm has been selected for negotiation of a Phase I SBIR or STTR contract. For SBIR/STTR Phase II-E and CCRPP awardees, the firms will be invited to prepare and submit an I-Corps Proposal. The firm shall submit their I-Corps Proposal into the Proposal Submission EHB, which shall be opened for the eligible firms.
Note: Proposals for I-Corps have separate page limitations outside the page limitations for Phase I and CCRPP.
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- Number of previous SBIR/STTR awards received by the firm and the firm's commercialization success rate (Companies with no or fairly recent SBIR/STTR awards will not be penalized for under past performance for the lack of SBIR/STTR commercialization under SBIR/STTR awards)
- Potential for commercialization of the selected Phase I, Phase II, or Post-Phase II research/ solution to non-NASA markets (distinct from integration/transition into NASA programs)
- Technical relevance to NASA
Based on these assessments, certain firms will be selected to participate in phone interviews conducted by the NASA SBIR/STTR PMO and the NSF-provided I-Corps instructors. NASA will use these interviews to determine the dynamics of the teams and gauge their level of commitment to meeting required for I-Corps to make the final selection. NASA will make the final selections for I-Corps based upon its initial assessments of the I-Corps proposals and the assessments of the phone interviews.
NASA anticipates approximately 35 SBIR and 10 STTR firms will be selected for participation in I-Corps each fiscal year.
Frequently Asked Questions
About I-Corps
Who leads the program?
The training is led by I-Corps-certified instructors who have each created one or more companies and who have also served as industry mentors. The instructors lead the classroom training, material presentations, feedback and lessons learned discussions, office hours, and webinar presentations.
What is expected of me?
Besides classroom participation both at the Kickoff Workshop and Closing Workshop, the teams attend weekly webinars led by the instructors and perform weekly homework assignments (books/articles and videos).
What is the NASA I-Corps curriculum?
The I-Corps training program introduces the concept of a Business Model Canvas, a framework that helps small companies understand how to describe, explain, price, develop, and market their product or service. This is a critical part to a successful commercialization effort.
As part of the Canvas, each company creates a formal hypothesis-validation approach to identify and mitigate gaps in knowledge in the following seven areas:
- Product/Service Value Proposition
- Customer/User-Case and Pain Point
- Demand Creation
- Channel Development
- Revenue Model
- Partnership Strategy
- Resource Requirement
How do I protect both my intellectual property (IP) rights during the I-Corps customer discovery process (i.e, interviews) and my firm’s ability to commercialize the product?
You will learn from the I-Corps Instructors not to sell or provide a description of your Phase I, Phase II, or Post-Phase II technology to the interviewees. Instead you will be instructed to learn from the interviewees about their major problems or pain points. As a result there will be no reason for you to ask your interviewee to sign a Non-Disclosure Statement.
Are there deliverables needed to complete the NASA I-Corps Training?
Yes, the following deliverables are required:
- Lessons Learned Presentation
- 2-Minute Lessons Learned Video (National I-Corps Program only)
- 1-Minute Technical Video (National I-Corps Program only)
- Business Model Canvas Initial
- Business Model Canvas Final
- Two-page Account of Award Outcomes and Impact to Society that includes:
- A brief statement (one page) of what value the firm obtained and learned by participating in the I-Corps Program
- A brief statement (one page) of what commercialization planning and/or activities the firm plans to undertake in the next year
Applying to I-Corps
Is the I-Corps Opt-In form included in the Phase I Proposal 19-page count?
No, the I-Corps Opt-In form does not count towards the page count of the Phase I proposals.
On the I-Corps Opt-In Form we submitted in our Phase I Proposal Package, we marked “No” for participation in the I-Corps training program. Are we eligible to submit an I-Corps Proposal?
All SBIR/STTR Phase I awardees are eligible to submit an I-Corps proposal even if you did not opt in on the Phase I submission.
What is the difference between the Phase-I proposal that was sent in for the actual NASA/SBIR, and the "Beat The Odds Boots Camp" proposal?
Your 2022 Phase I SBIR proposal will not be used as a proposal for the I-Corps “Beat the Odds Boot Camp” program. Both the National I-Corps and Boot Camp Programs require that you complete a separate I-Corps proposal.
Will companies without industry mentors not be considered?
For the National I-Corps Program, the Industry Mentor is required. For the Beat the Odds Boot Camp, the Industry Mentor is not required but highly recommended.
Is it possible to change the team members after submitting our application and before starting the program?
Yes, but you will need to provide the new team member’s resume to NASA and NSF and obtain written approval from NASA.
Where do we find candidates to serve as an Industry Mentor on our I-Corps Team?
Many of the nine NSF I-Corps Nodes maintain a list of candidate I-Corps Mentors; visit https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/about.jsp. Other sources for I-Corps Mentors are retired businesspeople and retired professionals.
I am both the Phase I Principal Investigator and business lead for the company. Is it acceptable that I serve as the Entrepreneurial Lead for our I-Corps Team and appoint someone else in my company to serve as the Principal Investigator for our I-Corps Team?
It is acceptable for the Phase I Principal Investigator to serve as the Entrepreneurial Lead and assign another technical person in the company to serve in the I-Corps Principal Investigator role.
Is the SBIR/STTR Phase I Principal Investigator mandatory for the I-Corps program? Can we replace them with someone else in the same organization
You may select some other qualified technical person than the SBIR/STTR Phase I Principal Investigator to serve in the role of principal investigator for the I-Corps Team.
If the Entrepreneurial Lead has plenty of bandwidth to engage in 100 interviews, but the Principal Investigator is significantly more limited due to existing employment, does that prevent the team from being selected for I-Corps? (Our Principal Investigator is a subcontracted research institution faculty member)
If the Principal Investigator cannot commit to the following:
- Participate in 100 interviews
- Present for all events including Kick-off and Closing meetings, and WebEx meetings
- Office hours with I-Corps instructor
Can the Principal Investigator be also the Entrepreneurial Lead (in a small company)?
The SBIR/STTR Principal Investigator may not serve both roles of Principal Investigator and Entrepreneurial Lead for the Boot Camp or National I-Corps Team. However, it is acceptable for the SBIR/STTR Phase I Principal Investigator to serve as the Entrepreneurial Lead and the company assign another technical person in the company to serve in the I-Corps Principal Investigator role.
Does our Industry Mentor have to attend all the events? It is difficult to find someone willing to make the time commitment without compensation.
For the National I-Corps Program the Industry Mentor must attend all events including Kick-off and Closing meetings, and WebEx meetings as well as participate in most of the interviews.
An Industry Mentor is not required for the Beat the Odds Boot Camp program; however, it is highly recommended that you include an Industry Mentor in your Boot Camp team.
Why are the SBIR Phase I awardees not eligible to participate in the more comprehensive I-Corps Cohort Program?
The SBIR Phase I period of performance is 6 months. NASA believes the time commitment of six weeks for the National I-Corps program period of performance (which occur concurrently with the SBIR Phase I program) is too much of a time burden for the SBIR Phase Principal Investigator.
If a company has multiple applicable SBIR/STTRs, can they apply to I-Corps more than once and receive more than one training grant?
NASA SBIR/STTR Program Management Office (PMO) may decide to issue only one I-Corps Training Grant per company even if the company has two or more very different technologies. If the NASA SBIR/STTR PMO issues two or more I-Corps Training Grants to a company, the participants in each Team must be different from that of the other Team(s); i.e., no duplication of individuals’ names.
Is participation in the Boot Camp a requirement for submitting an SBIR/STTR Phase II proposal?
No. However, the completion of I-Corps Training will help you prepare a Commercialization Plan (Commercialization and Business Planning) for your SBIR/STTR Phase II proposal. The Commercialization Plan counts for 5 points of the total possible score of 100 for a Phase II proposal.
Do the potential customers and interviewees need to be in the United States?
NASA SBIR/STTR funds may not be used for travel or expenses outside of the US, which includes customer discovery activities. However, phone or video conference interviews with potential customers outside the US is allowed and encouraged.
If a company has a proven track record of successful technology commercialization, is there really much to be gained by being a part of this program?
There have been NASA SBIR/STTR companies with proven track records of successful technology commercialization and who have participated in the I-Corps program say that the I-Corps training was transformation for them and their company.
The I-Corps Program training is a process that can be applied not only to marketing, product marketing, and sales, but also to senior management, strategy development, business development, and technology development.
Learning More about the Program
Will NASA include the I-Corps funding on the planned SBIR/STTR Phase I contract?
The small company will be issued a grant for either the National I-Corps program or the Beat-the-Odds Boot Camp program.
Is it possible to talk to past participants/attendees for NASA I-Corps program and Boot Camp program?
Yes, NASA encourages SBCs to talk to past NASA SBIR/STTR I-Corps awardees.
NASA SBIR/STTR Program maintains a list of past NASA SBIR/STTR I-Corps awardees. See https://sbir.nasa.gov/content/I-Corps#alumni
Who are the NASA I-Corps Program points of contact?
|
Technical and Programmatic:
|
Contractual: Theresa Stanley, Lead Contract Specialist theresa.m.stanley@nasa.gov |
Further Reading?
Yes, there are reference text books and videos recommended for those about to begin I-Corps.
- The Startup Owner’s Manual by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf
- Business Model Generation by Alexander Osterwalder and Yues Pigneur
- Steve Blank articles and videos at: https://steveblank.com
- National Science Foundation hosts monthly I-Corps of which NASA will participate in the January, February, and March Webinars.
- Recall that to qualify for the opportunity to submit an I-Corps proposal (Step 2), the firm must include a completed I-Corps Opt-in Form in its SBIR/STTR Phase I proposal and its SBIR/STTR Phase I proposal must be selected for award.
- The following schedule includes the opening and closing dates for the submission of SBIR/STTR Phase I proposals which are the same dates for submission of the I-Corps Opt-in Form (Step 1).
| I-Corps Activities | Dates | Locations |
| NASA SBIR/STTR Phase I Solicitation | ||
| Open | 11/09/2020 | |
| Close | 01/08/2021 | |
| Awards Announced | Scheduled: 03/2021 | |
| I-Corps Solicitation (Step 2) | ||
| Open | 03/29/2021 | |
| Close | 04/12/2021 | |
| Awards Announced | 05/14/2021 | |
| I-Corps Grant Negotiation and Execution | ||
| Start | ||
| Execution | ||
| I-Corps Bootcamp | ||
| Kickoff Webinar | To be announced | |
| Closing Workshop | To be announced | |
| I-Corps Cohort | ||
| Fall Cohorts | To be announced | To be announced |
| Winter Cohorts | To be announced | To be announced |
- 2021 SBIR Awardees
- 2021 STTR Awardees
- 2020 SBIR Awardees
- 2020 STTR Awardees
- 2019 SBIR Awardees
- 2019 STTR Awardees
- 2018 SBIR Awardees
- 2018 STTR Awardees
- 2017 SBIR Awardees
- 2017 STTR Awardees
For the NASA I-Corps Program in 2021, NASA SBIR/STTR selected 29 teams—21 SBIR Boot Camp teams and 8 STTR Cohort team
2021 SBIR I-Corps Boot Camp Companies
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
| 3Dnol, LLC | Additive Manufacturing of NiTiHfZr SMAs for Improving Propulsion Systems Efficiency | Ahmadreza Jahadakbar | Gary Smith | Mohammad Elahinia |
| AiRANACULUS | Intelligent Network Slicing and Policy-based Routing Engine (INSPiRE) | Apurva Mody | Junaid Islam | Randy Clark |
| Amphionic, LLC | Transparent, lightweight aluminum-polymer composites for increased-value sample-return missions | Suneel Joglekar | Anita Joglekar | Byron Wells |
| ANT Automation, LLC | DIGEST a ReplicANT Framework for AAM | Diego Andrade | Fabian Barreiro | |
| Artimus Robotics Inc. | Intelligent Soft Actuators with Self-Diagnosis Capabilities | Timothy Morrissey | Andrew Morton | Timothy Morrissey |
| Digital Optics Technologies, Inc. | Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Quantum Noise Induced Sensitivity Limit of a Fast Light Ring Laser Gyroscope | Jason Bonacum | Selim M. Shahriar | Gregory Kanter |
| En'Urga, Inc. | High Speed Emission Tomography for Ground Test Facilities | Yudaya Sivathanu | Deepa Divakaran | Jay Gore |
| Global Technology Connection, Inc. | ARADISS: Adaptive Real-Time Anomaly Detection & Identi cation For Space Systems | Jesse Williams | Ash Thakker | Sonia Vohnout |
| Innosense, LLC | Nanolayer-Coated Flame-Retardant Fabrics for Space Crew Clothing | Maksudul Alam | Shanto Goswami | Sfurti Bhalja |
| Innoveering, LLC | Plasma-based Wind Speed Sensor | George Papadopoulos | Richard Perlman | Kim Daugberg Jensen |
| Kalsi Engineering Inc. | Miniature passive thermal control valve for mixing or splitting single-phase fluid | John Schroder | Zachary Leutwyler | |
| Lewiz Communications, Inc. | Highly Parallel, Fast Memory Access for RISC-V Many-Core Processors | Chinh Le | Mary Le | Steve Dowdell |
| Microtech Energy, LLC | Microwave Plasma Assisted Metal Separation for Recycling in Zero Gravity | Satyendra Kumar | Devendra Kumar | Harbinder Barring |
| Momentum Optics, LLC | Laser Fabrication with Integrated Metrology for Low-Cost Free-Form Optics | Jeremy Goeckeritz | Stephanie Bourdon | Tu Du |
| Recon RF, Inc. | High-Efficiency S-Band SSPA for Next Generation NASA Remote Sensing SAR/InSAR Platforms | Nick Chopra | Jeffrey Ritter | Martin Kleckner |
| Resilient Computing | Fault Tolerant Computing based on a Reconfigurable Hardware/Software Architecture | Brock LaMeres | Kendra Cook | Brock LaMeres |
| Robocasting Enterprises, LLC | Robocast Zeolitic Lattices For Reversible CO2 Sorbent Monoliths | Joseph Cesarano | John Stuecker | |
| Soterix Medical, Inc. | Galvanic Disorientation Simulation Trainer (GDST) | Abhishek Datta | Yishai Valter | |
| Structured Ions, LLC | Structural Supercapacitors for Energy Storage in Airframe Components | Parvaneh Rouhani | Raman Singh | Bill Beaulieu |
| Systems Technology, Inc. | A Certification Means of Compliance Process for Advanced Air Mobility with Increasing Autonomy | David Klyde | Amanda Lampton | |
| Titan Robotics Ltd | Low Cost Polymer Extrusion Real Time Defect Detection and In Situ Process Control | Bill Macy | Rahul Kasat | Tim Bell |
2021 STTR I-Corps Boot Camp Companies
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
| GOEPPERT, LLC | New-generation spacecraft water monitoring with flight ready solid state nanopores | Zehui Xia | Vanya Buvac | Kathryn Bywaters |
| Bloomfield | Visual AI for Controlled Environment Agriculture | Tim Mueller-Sim | Mark DeSantis | Don Marvin |
| Cislune Company | High Efficiency Sintering via Beneficiation of the Building Material | Erik Franks | Chelsea McMahon | Phil Metzger |
| Global Technology Connection, Inc. | Model-based Enterprise Architecture for Institutional Management Digital Twins | Olivia Pinon Fischer | Ash Thakker | Sonia Vohnout |
| Raven 3D, LLC | Microwave Assisted Deposition of Cyanate Ester Composites | Ryan Cowdrey | Blake Herren | Tom Wavering |
| Special Power Sources LLC | Robust, high-performance, contaminants-tolerant, reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells for producing Lunar and Martian propellant and generating power | Ted Ohrn | Roland Dixon | Joseph Epstein |
| STEM Resources | Augmented Intelligence & Cognitive Support Ecosystem (AICSE) | Mohiuddin Hasan | Jessie Walker | Richard Boyd |
| Ujima Digital | Digital Engineering for Model Based Enterprise | Brittany Bartges | David Emanuel | Wayne Schell |
For the NASA I-Corps Program in 2020, NASA SBIR/STTR selected 28 teams—27 SBIR Boot Camp teams and 1 STTR Cohort team
2020 SBIR I-Corps Boot Camp Companies
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
| Amphionic, LLC | Lightweight Ultra-Strong Flexible Power Cables from Metallic Nanoparticles and Aramid Nanofibers | Suneel Joglekar | Anita Joglekar | Byron Wells |
| Systems Technology, Inc. | A Portable Flight Test Display for UAM Means of Compliance Testings | P. Chase Schulze | Amanda Lampton | |
| Sonalysts, Inc. | ||||
| Global Technology Connection, Inc. | TRACAIR: TRAjectory Course Anomaly Identifier | Jesse Williams | Ash Thakker | Sonia Vohnout |
| ATAC | Low-Altitude Wind Hazard Alerting and Rerouting Service | Aditya Saraf | David Schleicher | J. Victor Lebacqz |
| 3D Array Technology | Efficient Particulate Carbon Filtration for Space Oxygen Recovery Using Catalytic Nanoarray-Based Porous Metal Monolithic Filters | Xingxu Lu | Sibo Wang | Sri Divakaruni |
| Applied Particle Technology, Inc. | In-situ optical speciation and size distribution monitoring instrument for lunar dust management | Tandeep Chadha | Jiaxi Fang | Joe Steensma |
| XploSafe, LLC | Vacuum-Regenerable Sorbent for NASA’s Exploration Portable Life Support System | Evgueni Kadossov | Shoaib Shaikh | Allen Apblett |
| Dynovas, Inc. | Motorless Array Deployment (MAD) Energy | Quinn McAllister | Robert Kolozs | Christine Benzie |
| Ryzing Technoloties LLC | Articulating Airbeam Tripod Boom for Solar Arrays | Ryan Gundling | Ross Ruffing | David Cronk |
| G-Space, Inc | ATOM - An AI Environment for New Microgravity Materials Development | Alexandru Chitea | Ioana Cozmuta | Frank Levinson |
| Exploration Institute, LLC | Monitoring, Learning and Optimizing Crew Health and Performance | Michael Mercury | Armin Ellis | Celia Black |
| Nahlia Inc | Autonomous Medical Response Agent (AMRA) for Prolonged Field Care in Space | Jayant Menon | Prasanna Menon | Andrew Nerlinger |
| Banpil Photonics, Inc. | Solar Blind UV APD based on III-N Material System for UV Spectroscopy and Imaging Applications | Achyut Dutta | Patrick Oduor | Alak Deb |
| Thermal Expansion Solutions, Inc. | Negative Thermal Expansion ALLVAR Alloys for High Temperatures | James Monroe | Jay Zgarba | David Content |
| Octave Photonics, LLC | Supercontinuum Waveguides for Extreme Radial-Velocity Instrumentation | David Carlson | Zachary Newman | Vishal Shah |
| MicroLink Devices, Inc. | Textured Solar Array | Christopher Youtsey | Noren Pan | Paul Brooks |
| LoadPath | Collaborative and Rapid Engineering System-modeling Toolkit (CREST) | Derek Hengeveld | Jacob Moulton | Emmett Nelson |
| Ensemble Government Services, LLC | Kamodo Containerized Space Weather Models | Michael Contreras | Adam Karides | Andreas Widmer |
| NearSpace Launch, Inc. | Space-Weather CubeSat Array for 24/7 Prompt Global Coverage Experiment (SWAP-E) | Henry Voss | Matthew Voss | John Marvel |
| Air Squared, Inc. | ||||
| UES, Inc. | Probability of Detection and Validation for Computed Tomography Processes for Additive Manufacturing (20-RD-231) | Veeraraghavan Sundar | Paul Hauwiller | Gayle Rominger |
| Relative Dynamics, Inc. | Optical Communication Terminal | Michael Krainak | Kush Patel | Karl Ginter |
| Saber Astronautics | DragEN - A DragSail for Small Spacecraft | Jason Held | Nathan Parrott | Nathan Parrott |
| Modularity Space | An Intelligent Wireless Instrumentation Network (I-WIN) for Space Applications | Nolan Coulter | Zachary Bulger | Jason Held |
| Lunar Resources, Inc. | Molten Regolith Electrolysis: The Extraction of Oxygen from Lunar Regolith | Alex Ignatiev | Elliot Carol | Elliot Carol |
| Off Planet Research, LLC | Self-Cleaning Dust Proof Fluid and Gas Connector | Vincent Roux | Melissa Roth | George Parker |
2020 STTR I-Corps Cohort Companies
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
| Formalloy Technologies, Inc. | Data-Driven Modeling of Directed Energy Deposition (DED) for Defect-Free Builds using Real-Time Monitoring Approaches | Kevin Luo | Melanie Lang | Michael Ohadi |
For the NASA I-Corps Program in 2019, NASA SBIR/STTR funded 25 teams—22 SBIR Boot Camp teams and 3 STTR Cohort teams
2019 SBIR I-Corps Boot Camp Companies
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
| Parallel Flight Technologies, Inc. | Parallel Hybrid Multi-Rotor | David Adams | Joshua Resnick | Mike DelPrete |
| Advanced Manufacturing, LLC | Additive Manufacturing of Complex gamma-TiAl Components for hypersonic Application | Gopal Das | Dongsheng Li | Dongsheng Li |
| NodeIn | Information Hedging from Sensing to Cognition to ensure Coherent Decision Making | Adrià Serra Moral | Suresh Kannan | Christopher Allen |
| Global Technology Connection, Inc. | Resource Management Strategies for a Resilient Habitat Advanced Life Support (ALS) System | Jesse Williams | Ash Thakker | Sonia Vohnout |
| Zero-G Horizons Technologies, LLC | Spacecraft On-orbit Advanced Refueling and Storage | Benjamin Tincher | Sathya Gangadharan | Ioana Cozmuta |
| Cybel, LLC | Compact Multi-Watt 2 to 2.13um Holmium Doped Fiber Laser Transmitter for Space | Robert Tench | Jean-Marc Delavaux | Angelique Irvine |
| Nalu Scientific, LLC | SWELL: Single-Photon-Sensitive Waveform Enhanced and Lightweight LIDAR | Benjamin Rotter | Isar Mostafanezhad | Shawn Usman |
| Banpil Photonics, Inc. | Advanced Multipurpose Digital Read-Out Integrated Circuit (DROIC) For Remote Sensing and Earth Observation IR Image Sensors | Achyut Dutta | Patrick Oduor | Alak Deb |
| MicroXact, Inc. | Wide Energy Range X-Ray Neutral Density Filters | Vladimir Kochergin | Elena Kochergina | David Klein |
| SciGlob Instruments & Services, LLC | Advanced Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Radiometer for Trace Gas and Aerosol Observations | Nader Abuhassan | Matthew Kowalewski | Jay Salkini |
| Digital Optics Technologies, Inc. | Compact and Highly-Sensitive Multi-Axes Gyroscope using Large Momentum Transfer Point Source Atom Interferometry | Mohamed Fouda | Selim Shahriar | Gregory Kanter |
| Impossible Sensing, LLC | HARPOON - High Access Raman Probe with Onboard Optical Numerization | Pablo Sobron | Kristin Dennis | Dan Lankford |
| SET Group, LLC | High Density Bi-Directional Modular Power Converter with Additive Manufactured Magnetics | Raul Alvarado | Eduardo Valdes | Ryan Nunn-Gage |
| Masten Space Systems, Inc. | Surviving the Lunar Night Using Metal Oxidation Warming Systems | Matthew Kuhns | Tristan Cembrinksi | Ed Rieker |
| Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation | Robotic System with Spectroscopic and Haptic Capabilities for Comet Subsurface Ice Sampling | Vahid Sotoudeh | Richie Nagi | Hanna Hoffman |
| Storagenergy Technologies, Inc. | All Solid State Li-S Batteries | Jared Liao | Feng Zhao | Ashok Joshi |
| LM Group Holdings, Inc. | Manufacturing of Bulk Metallic Glass Laminate Composites and Cladded Surfaces using Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing | Evelina Vogli | Ricardo Salas | John Kang |
| International Scientific Technologies, Inc. | Measurement of Advanced Radiation-Shielding Materials for Deployment on MISSE-FF | Eugene Aquino | Russell Churchill | Nanci Hardwick |
| Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation | Sensor-Fused Interactive Perception for Adaptive Space Robotics | Joanna Kuehn | Kian Moslehi | Len LaCroix |
| Blueshift, LLC | Terramechanics Modeling of Soil-Wheel Interactions at the Lunar Poles | Ryan Garvey | Andrew Brewer | George Sowers |
| Masten Space Systems, Inc. | Testing Deep Cratering Physics to Inform Plume Effects Modeling for Masten Space Systems | Matthew Kuhns | Khaki Rodway | Ed Rieker |
| bluShift Aerospace, Inc. | Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch (MAREVL) | Luke Saindon | Sascha Deri | Robert Kispert |
2019 STTR I-Corps Cohort Companies
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
| Multi3D, LLC | Rapid Prototyping of Beam-Shaping Metamaterial Antennas via Additive Manufacturing of a Highly Conductive Filament | Shengrong Ye | Allen Gray | David Markman |
| Research in Flight | Air Vehicle Gust Response analysis for Conceptual Design | Imon Chakraborty | Vivek Ahuja | Willem Anemaat |
| SurfPlasma | Vortex Control for Low-Noise DEP Urban Aircraft | William Lear | Subrata Roy | Michael Judith |
For the NASA I-Corps Program in 2018, NASA SBIR/STTR funded 17 teams, 14 SBIR Boot Camp teams and 3 STTR Cohort teams.
2018 SBIR I-Corps Boot Camp Companies
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
| Spectral Energies, LLC | Novel Methodology for the Rapid Acoustic Optimization of Supersonic Multi-Stream 3D Nozzles | Christopher Ruscher | Sivaram Gogineni | James Mainord |
| Great Lakes Sound & Vibration Inc. | Auralization of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) in Urban Environments | Greg Kangas | Kevin Nelson | William Chapin |
| Continuum Dynamics, Inc. | Integrated Icing Detection Filter for On-Demand Aircraft | Robert McKillip | Alan Bilanin | Brad Schrick |
| Redondo Optics, Inc. | Intelligent Wireless Fiber Optic Sensor (iWiSe) Network System | Edgar Mendoza | John Prohaska | Alexis Mendez |
| Pancopia, Inc. | Second- Sage Biological Wastewater Processor | William Cumbie | Fei Dai | Doug Juanarena |
| Actuated Medical, Inc. | Additive Manufacturing of PEEK and Fiber-Reinforced PEEK for NASA Applications and Custom Medical Devices | Roger Bagwell | Nichole Williams | Michael Hickner |
| Computational Physics, INC. | A High Speed Tunable Etalon for LIDAR | John Noto | Jennifer Gannon | Karron Myrick |
| Banpil Photonics, Inc. | Broadband Uncooled IR Detector Based On Nano-Electromechanical Systems (NEMS | Achyut Dutta | Patrick Oduor | Alak Deb |
| Cactus Materials | Wafer Level Hybrid Interconnect Aligned (Cu/Oxide) Bonding for 3D Integration of Heterogenous (Si/GaAs) Submillimeter-Wave Arrays | Tofael Ahmed | Mohammed Rafiqul Islam | Joaquin Santillan |
| Goeppert, LLC | Detecting Life in Ocean Worlds with Low-Capacitance Solid-State Nanopores | David Niedzwiecki | Vanya Buvac | Bernardo Cordovez |
| Arieca, LLC | Thermally Conductive Rubber ("Thubber") for Passive Cooling of Heat-Generating Hardware Embedded in Soft Goods Space Technologies | Carmel Majidi | Navid Kazem | Hasso Weiland |
| Blazetech Corporation | Mars Entry and Earth Return Re-Entry Drag Brake Decelerators | Hartmut Legner | N. Albert Moussa | Robert G. Kispert |
| Amphionic, LLC | Dust-Free Fabrication of Uranium and Plutonium Oxide Powders for Radioisotope Systems, Nuclear Thermal Rockets, Nuclear Electric Propulsion, and Surface Power Reactors | Manhee Jeong | Suneel Joglekar | Byron Wells Christopher Thomas |
| Transition45 Technologies, Inc | More Ductile Bulk Tungsten | Edward Chen | Charlie Chen | James Hall |
2018 STTR I-Corps Cohort Companies
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
| Alphacore, Inc. | Intelligent Power Source Reliability Monitoring and Failure Mitigation System | Esko Mikkola | Andrew Levy | Pete Rodriguez |
| Sustainable Innovations, LLC | Bifunctional Regenerative Electrochemical Air Transformation for Human Environments | Trent Molter | Nancy Selman | Glenn Eisman |
| Sensatek Propulsion Technology, Inc. | Wireless Passive Nanoparticle based Intelligent Sensor System for Extreme Environments | Reamonn Soto | Azryana Soto | Stephanie Miller |
For the NASA I-Corps Pilot Program in 2017, NASA SBIR/STTR funded 10 teams, 5 SBIR Boot Camp teams and five STTR Cohort teams.
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
| Tao of Systems Integration, Inc. | Low-Cost, Low-Power Sensor For In-Flight Unsteady Aerodynamic Force and Moment Estimation | Arun Mangalam | Siva Mangalam | Daniel Morris |
| Innovative Imaging and Research Corporation | An Affordable Autonomous Hydrogen Flame Detection System for Rocket Propulsion | Mary Pagnutti | Robert Ryan | Joseph Graben |
| Innovative Space Technologies, LLC | Ultra-lightweight Multifunctional Magnesium Alloy Shielding Structures | Keith Rhodes | James Stanley | Bill Lowry |
| Altius Space Machines, Inc. | Robotic Interface DogTags for Autonomous Habitat Outfitting and Logistics | Evgeniy Tkachenko | Jonathan Goff | Vince Tate |
| MaXentric Technologies, LLC | Optically Assisted Analog-to-Digital Converter for Next Generation "Software Defined" Radios | Chris Thomas | Kamran Mahbobi | Alan Pate |
| Powdermet, Inc. | Ultra-High Energy Density, High Power and High Efficiency Nanocomposite Capacitor for Aerospace Power System | Haixiong Tang | Andrew Sherman | Joseph Hensel |
2017 STTR I-Corps Cohort Companies
| Company | Title | Principal Investigator | Entrepreneurial Lead | Industry Mentor |
The Space Research Company LLC |
Elemental Resource Breakdown Approach to Crew-Vehicle Design | Samuel Suh | Christine Fanchiang | Brandon Seifert |
| Nanosonic, Inc. | Reusable Nanocomposite Membranes for the Selective Recovery of Nutrients in Space | Carleen Bowers | Jennifer Lalli | Andrew Kassoff |
| Trace Matters Scientific LLC | Ambient Desorption, Ionization, and Extraction Source for Mars Exploration | Aydin Babakhani | Mohamad Mirghahari | Michael Evans |
| Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation | Multifunctional Integrated Photonic Lab-on-a-Chip for Astronaut Health Monitoring | Behzad Moslehi | William Price | David Krohn |
- NASA SBIR/STTR Website: https://sbir.nasa.gov/content/I-Corps
- If the answer cannot be found, please contact the NASA SBIR/STTR Helpdesk:
