HOUSTON – (August 15, 2024) – Rice Innovation announced its two most recent awardees of the One Small Step Grant, marking a significant milestone in accelerating the transition from lab to market for these Rice-developed technologies. Launched in September 2023, the grant aims to support lab-stage projects across campus, providing crucial capital for projects to spin out of the university and successfully attract investment from angel investors and venture capital.
“The One Small Step Grant invites applications from students and faculty who are tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges and preparing to bring their innovative technologies to market,” said Nafisa Istami, Innovation Manager. “We received highly competitive applications from across campus, truly showcasing the growing momentum of technology innovation happening at Rice.”
In its second cycle, the One Small Step Grant received 26 applications from across campus, including ideas for medical devices, new materials, therapeutics and bleeding edge software solutions. After a rigorous evaluation process, two outstanding projects were selected for funding, receiving a total of $200,000:
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LymphGuide, $100,000 award: Developed by Martha Fowler in Rice professor Omid Veiseh ’s lab, LymphGuide is a customizable alginate-based hydrogel platform combined with an engineered cell therapy that aids in lymphatic cell regrowth, initially targeting the treatment and prevention of lymphedema.
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HEXASpec, $100,000 award: Developed by Tianshu Zhai in Rice professor Jun Lou ’s lab, HEXASpec develops inorganic fillers and molding compounds for next-generation chip packaging. These advancements are designed to enhance chip protection and heat dissipation, unlock future computing power, and promote sustainable practices.
“We are thrilled to receive the One Small Step Grant from Rice Innovation,” said Tianshu Zhai, cofounder of HEXASpec. “This support is crucial for advancing HEXASpec and signifies the strong backing of the Rice entrepreneurship community. We’re grateful for the opportunity to develop our technology with such robust support.”
HEXASpec co-founders Tianshu Zhai and Chen-Yang Lin are both current members of the Liu Idea Lab of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Innovation Fellows cohort, competed in the Rice Business Plan Competition, and were the winners of the 2023 Napier Rice Launch Challenge pitch competition.
"We are profoundly grateful to the One Small Step Grant for supporting our vision to treat lymphedema,” said Martha Fowler, cofounder of LymphGuide. “This funding will propel our biotechnology into pre-clinical evaluation to make a meaningful impact in scientific research and for people suffering from lymphatic disease.” Fowler is also an active contributor in the Rice entrepreneurship ecosystem and an Liu Idea Lab of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Innovation Fellows Cohort 2 member.
To ensure an objective evaluation of the projects and vote on the awards, the Office of Innovation formed a grant selection committee, composed of experts including entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate executives from various industries. The committee's diverse expertise will play a pivotal role in guiding the strategic direction of the One Small Step program and ensuring its success.
“The One Small Step Grant program is a demonstration of Rice’s commitment to supporting the commercialization of Rice technologies,” said Adrian Trömel, associate vice president of Innovation Strategy and Investments. “Each cycle further highlights the impactful work of Rice students and faculty to solve global problems across industries.”
The next cycle of applications opens in September 2024.
For more information about the One Small Step Grant and Rice Innovation, please visit innovation.rice.edu.