FlashPCB completes NSF SBIR Phase 1 Grant

FlashPCB has completed its $276,000 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant. FlashPCB was initially awarded $256,000 for a Phase I and received a $20,00 supplement to participate in the National I-Corps Program. FlashPCB used this grant to improve the current printed circuit board assembly and quoting process. FlashPCB developed an AI powered BOM generation algorithm that takes into account the electrical engineer’s design intent and the availability of components. FlashPCB’s final report was accepted by the NSF on October, 30th 2023 and the last $25,000 was awarded today.

FlashPCB has developed a prototype of our PCB quoting and assembly service available at flashpcb.com. This prototype service accepts Eagle and KiCad files and encourages engineers to use FlashPCB libraries. FlashPCB will continue to develop the service targeting a three day turn time for PCBs. To receive updates please sign up for our newsletter here.

All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. Once a small business is awarded a Phase I grant, it becomes eligible to apply for Phase II funding and additional supplements totaling up to $1.7 million. To get started, startups or entrepreneurs submit a written Project Pitch to see if their technology idea could be a good fit for the program. To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: seedfund.nsf.gov.

NSF has several programs that help accelerate the translation of research results to practice and provide pathways for researchers, startups and aspiring entrepreneurs to move their ideas from the laboratory to the market and society. To learn more about how NSF helps unlock future technologies for national and societal impact, visit: https://new.nsf.gov/tip/latest.

About the U.S. National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs: America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards more than $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development, helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.8 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.