The recipients span industries that drive growth in the region including life sciences, technology, clean energy, and AI.
Seventeen Rockville-based companies are among the fifty-five Montgomery County businesses selected to receive grants through the County’s Technology Innovation Fund and Founders Fund programs. The awards, totaling $7.5 million across all recipients, support early-stage companies working to commercialize proprietary technologies and bring innovative products to market.
Rockville awardees represent a strong cross-section of the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, with fifteen companies receiving Technology Innovation Fund grants and two companies awarded Founders Fund grants. The recipients span industries that drive growth in the region including life sciences, technology, clean energy, and AI.
About the Grant Programs
Montgomery County launched the Technology Innovation Fund and Founders Fund in late 2024, making funding available to support high-growth small businesses throughout the county.
The Technology Innovation Fund provides grants to early-stage businesses developing proprietary technology with high growth potential. The fund supports commercialization projects that help innovative products move closer to market and achieve significant business milestones.
The Founders Fund offers grants to early-stage entrepreneurs from historically underrepresented communities who face systemic barriers to accessing capital. Eligibility is assessed using Montgomery Planning’s Community Equity Index along with state and federal certification tools for minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.
The programs were executed through a partnership among the Office of the County Executive, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), and the County’s Department of Finance. Applications were evaluated by FedTech, an independent third-party organization specializing in connecting innovative technologies to commercial markets.
Companies receive an initial disbursement of funds and will receive a second payment once their commercialization milestones have been completed.
Rockville Technology Innovation Fund Awardees
AkriVita – Life Sciences. AkriVita develops 3D-printed microcapillary needles that deliver precision and reliability in microinjection to accelerate discoveries, prevent and treat disease, and help create life.
Cellepus Therapeutics – Life Sciences. Cellepus is developing off-the-shelf CAR T Cells by engineering cord blood–derived γδ T cells with a first-in-class NKG2D-based signaling architecture, targeting them to solid tumors with novel tumor-specific antigens.
EasyScaleCloud – Technology. EasyScaleCloud is an AI, data, and cloud solutions company building a diversified portfolio of specialized AI products.
EzVal Inc. – Technology. EzVal Inc. is developing a paperless validation platform with strengthened cloud infrastructure to deliver greater value to biotech and life-science organizations.
Gutz Analytics LLC – Life Sciences. Gutz Analytics is a multi-omics AI company integrating microbiome, metabolome, and other molecular datasets to build predictive models that support clinical trials and companion diagnostics.
Healable – Life Sciences. Healable empowers healthcare providers with secure, AI-driven tools that enhance peer consultations and improve patient outcomes.
LEGIT (LensGuided Imaging Technology) – Life Sciences. LEGIT is developing a nanophotonic imaging platform for in vivo imaging with minimal damage.
Liatris – Life Sciences. Liatris is an advanced materials company developing high-performance and resilient thermal insulation products for energy efficiency, including state-of-the-art pilot manufacturing capabilities in Rockville.
LoBio, Inc. – Life Sciences. LoBio is a medtech company commercializing a patented at-home plasma collection device that enables clinical-grade plasma collection and safer, more reliable decentralized blood testing.
Lumo Imaging – Life Sciences. Lumo Imaging is developing an AI-driven total body cancer screening system with the potential to expand dermatological access to underserved areas.
Magic Shell Software – Technology. Magic Shell Software builds military-grade security for embedded systems, providing anti-tamper and intellectual property protection for aerospace, IoT, and government customers.
Pediametrix Inc. – Life Sciences. Pediametrix is a medical device startup behind SoftSpot®, the only FDA-cleared mobile app that helps pediatric clinicians and parents measure and monitor infant head shape and growth.
Pirl Technology – Clean Energy. Pirl Technology is dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized businesses to profitably provide electric vehicle (EV) charging as a service to their customers.
Prophiotrics LLC – Life Sciences. Prophiotrics is developing a pioneering bacteriophage-based acne treatment that selectively eliminates Cutibacterium acnes while preserving and supporting the skin’s natural microbiome.
VascRisk LLC – Life Sciences. VascRisk combines smart technology with personalized care to provide early detection, precise prediction, and effective reversal strategies for vascular health.
Rockville Founders Fund Awardees
Ant Technology – Technology. Ant Technology leverages AI to advance the real estate industry by streamlining processes, enhancing decision-making, and unlocking new opportunities for businesses and individuals in the property market.
Wintreatments Holdings, LLC – Technology. Wintreatments Holdings specializes in developing and commercializing smart window treatment solutions designed to enhance energy efficiency, privacy, and automation.