The Division of Small Business awards 15 companies with Encouraging Development, Growth, and Expansion or EDGE grants.
EDGE grants are only awarded to businesses less than five years old and employ no more than 10 employees.
The grants are awarded in two categories.
"10 of the awardees were in our entrepreneur category, so each of those businesses were awarded $25,000." said Jessica Welch, communications director for the Delaware Division of Small Business. "Five of those businesses were in our STEM category and they received $100,000 each."
This was the fourth round of funding since the program’s 2019 launch. It opened in April with more than 100 businesses applying, then whittled down to 23 finalists.
Welch says the finalists had to give public presentations on how they’d use the funds.
"They're required to present to a panel of judges and tell those judges what they're going to use the funding for and how it will help their business grow. So if they can convince the judges that it's a worthy project, and that it deserves funding then they are awarded funding. It's a very competitive process."
EDGE is a matching grant program with the Division of Small Business that matches a winning business's investment on a three-to-one basis, and funds can be spent on expenses that help improve the company’s long-term chances of success.
EDGE Grant Recipients
STEM Class
- TheraV (Newark)
TheraV works to transform and innovate post-amputation therapy and rehabilitation through the creation of drug-free solutions that improve the quality of life of amputees. - CM Materials (Wilmington)
CM Materials is a seed-stage advanced materials company paving a more efficient future of electromagnetic components such as transformers, inductors, chokes, and filters. - Elyte Energy (Wilmington)
Elyte Energy uses patent-protected hydrogen technology to build a highly efficient power supply for generators and other fixed and portable devices. - Gaskiya Diagnostics (Wilmington)
Gaskiya Diagnostics offers low-cost, paper-based and easy-to-use diagnostic tests for disease detection in aquaculture worldwide. - Kindwell (Wilmington)
Kindwell is a group of scientists, engineers and business executives dedicated to the improvement of chemical analysis to positively impact climate change, environmental justice and air quality.
Entrepreneur Class
- How Do You Brew (Smyrna)
How Do You Brew is a retailer of supplies for home brewers currently based in Newark. - Key to Life Juice Bar (Dover)
The Key to Life Juice Bar strives to promote and educate young people and members of the minority community on the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and the benefits of healthy eating. - Lean On Me Caregiving (Dover)
Lean On Me Caregiving is a non-medical in-home care agency that services the entire state of Delaware. - CrossFit Petram (Middletown)
CrossFit Petram is a brick-and-mortar gym strategically located in the heart of the MOT community, right on Main Street in downtown Middletown. - One Way Insurance Group (Seaford)
One Way Insurance Group is a multilingual independent insurance agency specializing in auto, home, business and life and employee benefits. - ONTrac (Middletown)
ONTrac is a self-improvement content publishing and accountability platform that aims to improve goal achievement outcomes by empowering self-improvement content creators and other accountability partners to create content utilizing their innovative, proprietary new content medium called SMARTracs™. - Pop In Artisan Pops (Middletown)
Pop In Artisan Pops is a manufacturer of custom frozen treats with a small fleet of vintage ice cream tricycles used at events. - Sweets & Treats (Dover)
Sweets & Treats is a dessert shop located in Dover’s historic downtown development district. - The Berry Patch (Lincoln)
The family of Rodney and Yolonda Messick, including their sons Joshua and Jacob, are diversifying their grain farm operation to incorporate a U-Pick Berry Farm. - The Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy (Newark)
The Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy provides mental health services for those experiencing grief or trauma.
