The growing reliance on lithium-ion batteries has ushered in a critical challenge: managing these batteries at the end of their useful life. Without effective solutions, we run the risk of losing out on their significant remaining useful value and the critical rare-earth minerals contained within. This gap in end-of-life management is compounded by the lack of trusted sales channels and transparent methods to evaluate battery quality and assess their potential for second-life applications. Parthian Battery Solutions is determined to change that.

For SBIR/STTR Programs, federal agencies explicitly want to see the complete vision from research through commercialization. Phase 1 proposals should articulate how the work connects to Phase 2 development, and eventual market deployment.

Customer discovery before R&D work is a crucial step in validating your problem-solution fit early. You want to confirm that the problem you think exists actually matters to customers, that they're willing to pay to solve it, and that your proposed solution addresses their real pain points. This upfront investment in understanding customers typically saves far more money and time than it costs.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are designed to move early-stage and impactful technologies closer to commercialization, but what does “commercialization” mean? 

Got federal SBIR or STTR funding? West Virginia wants to double down on your innovation through matching funds. The West Virginia Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund (EII) offers grants to businesses that have received federal SBIR/STTR awards, aiming to maximize the impact of federal research funding awards.