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Portfolio

Since 2012, America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF has made nearly 3,000 awards to startups and small businesses. Since 2014, our awardees have had 97 exits and have received approximately $7.2 billion in private investment. We encourage you to explore this list of assorted companies we’ve funded.

We fund varied tech sectors.

Each year, we fund roughly 400 companies across nearly all technology and market sectors. Download a searchable PDF of the full list of technology topic areas that also includes descriptions of the subtopics.


Technology Topic Areas

View our current awardees, who are still completing the research outlined in their proposals and who haven’t yet reached the estimated ends of their award terms. View current Phase I awardees or Current Phase II awardees.

From lab to market - Bolt Threads genetically engineered yeast brew silk proteins that can be spun into fibers.

Featured alumni and exits

Advanced Manufacturing (M)

Program director

Linda Molnar

Featured companies

Advanced Manufacturing (M):

  • Additive Manufacturing Components and Systems (M1)
  • Bio-Inspired Manufacturing (M2)
  • Cybermanufacturing (M3)
  • Human-Centric Industrial Technologies (M4)
  • Manufacturing Technologies (M5)
  • Modeling and Simulation (M6)
  • Personalized Manufacturing / Maker Manufacturing / Maker to Manufacturer (M7)
  • Sustainable Manufacturing Technology (M8)
  • Transportation Technologies (M9)
  • Other Manufacturing Technologies (M10)

Advanced Materials (AM)

Program director

Steve Konsek

Featured companies

Advanced Materials (AM):

  • Coatings and Surface Modifications (AM1)
  • Materials for Sustainability (AM2)
  • Metals and Ceramics (AM3)
  • Multiferroics and Specialized Functional Materials (AM4)
  • Structural and Infrastructural Materials (AM5)
  • Other Advanced Materials Technologies (AM6)

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Program director

Peter Atherton

Featured companies

Artificial Intelligence (AI):

  • AI-Optimized Hardware (AI1)
  • Business Intelligence (AI2)
  • Computer Vision, Image and Video Processing (AI3)
  • Decision Management and Optimization (AI4)
  • eCommerce (AI5)
  • Human-Computer Interaction (AI6)
  • Industrial Systems, including Robotics (A17)
  • Language-Based Technologies (AI8)
  • Machine Learning Algorithms and Platforms (A9)
  • Medical Diagnostics (AI10)
  • Advertising, Sales and Marketing (AI11)
  • Security, Cybersecurity, and Authentication (AI12)
  • Smart Agriculture (AI13)
  • Vehicle-Based Systems (AI14)
  • Virtual Agents and Assistants (AI15)
  • Other AI Technologies (AI16)

Biological Technologies (BT)

Program director

Erik Pierstorff

Featured companies

Biological Technologies (BT):

  • Virtual Agents and Assistants (BT1)
  • Bioinstruments (BT2)
  • Biosensors (BT3)
  • Cell and Biologics Manufacturing (BT4)
  • Cell and Tissue Engineering (BT5)
  • Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (BT6)
  • Drug Discovery Platforms (BT7)
  • Fermentation Technologies (BT8)
  • Food and Food Safety Biotechnology (BT9)
  • Life Science Research Tools (BT10)
  • Plant Biotechnology (BT11)
  • Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering (BT12)
  • Other Biological Technologies (BT13)

Biomedical Technologies (BM)

Program director

Henry Ahn

Featured companies

Biomedical Technologies (BM):

  • Diagnostic Assays and Platforms (BM1)
  • Drug Delivery (BM2)
  • Materials for Biomedical Applications (BM3)
  • Medical Imaging Technologies (BM4)
  • Noninvasive Imaging of Brain Function (BM5)
  • Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (BM6)
  • Other Biomedical Technologies (BM7)

Chemical Technologies (CT)

Program director

Anna Brady-Estevez

Featured companies

Chemical Technologies (CT):

  • Catalytic Products and Processes (CT1)
  • Chemical Processes and Products (CT2)
  • Data Technologies, Sensing and Analytics for Chemicals, and/or Energy (CT3)
  • Energy Technologies (CT4)
  • Hydrocarbons, Petrochemicals and Natural Resources (CT5)
  • Power Generation and Infrastructure (CT6)
  • Other Chemical Technologies (CT7)

Digital Health (DH)

Program director

Alastair Monk

Featured companies

Digital Health (DH):

  • Business Models for User-Centered Healthcare (DH1)
  • Data to Decisions (DH2)
  • Digital Health Information Infrastructure (DH3)
  • Empowering Individuals and Communities (DH4)
  • Interoperability of Health Record Systems, Medical Sensors, Devices, and Robotics (DH5)
  • Other Digital Health Technologies (DH6)

Distributed Ledger (DL)

Program director

Anna Brady-Estevez

Distributed Ledger (DL):

  • Autonomous Systems and Economies (DL1)
  • Blockchain, DAGs, and Next Gen Protocols (DL2)
  • Convergence with Big Data, and AI (DL3)
  • Convergence with IoT, Crowdsourcing and Crowdsensing (DL4)
  • Cryptography and Security (DL5)
  • Decentralized Applications (dApps); Smart Contracts (DL6)
  • Distributed Consensus; Fault Tolerance Mechanisms (DL7)
  • Distributed Ledger in Edge and Cloud Computing (DL8)
  • Distributed Ledger Interoperability (DL9)
  • Distributed Ledger in Network Architecture and Management (DL10)
  • Financial Technologies (DL11)
  • Human-to-Technology Interface (DL12)
  • Scalability Solutions (DL13)
  • Trusted Identity; Identity Management (DL14)
  • Other Distributed Ledger Technologies (DL15)

Educational Technologies (EA)

Program director

Peter Atherton

Featured companies

Educational Technologies (EA):

  • Capacity Building, Education, and Training for the Emerging Fourth Sector Eco-system (EA1)
  • Collaborative and Game-Based Education (EA2)
  • Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Information Technology Education (EA3)
  • Entrepreneurial, Informal and Maker Education (EA4)
  • Global, Distance, and Higher Education (EA5)
  • Language Applications (EA6)
  • Learning Assessments (EA7)
  • Middle School and High School Education (EA8)
  • Pre-K and Primary Education (EA9)
  • Social and Behavioral Education (EA10)
  • Other Education-Related Technologies (EA11)

Energy and Power Systems (EP)

Program director

Murali S. Nair

Featured companies

Energy and Power Systems (EP):

  • Energy Harvesting and Storage (EP1)
  • Infrastructure and Smart Grids (EP2)
  • Other Energy and Power Systems Technologies (EP3)

Environmental Technologies (ET)

Program director

Rajesh Mehta

Featured companies

Environmental Technologies (ET):

  • Agricultural and Food Technologies (ET1)
  • Data Technologies, Sensing, and Analytics for the Environment (ET2)
  • Environmental Health and Green Chemistry (ET3)
  • Environmental Security and Defense (ET4)
  • Resource Efficiency and Renewable Resources (ET5)
  • Technologies for Extreme Environments (ET6)
  • Water Treatment (ET7)
  • Other Environmental Technologies (ET8)

Information Technologies (IT)

Program director

Peter Atherton

Featured companies

Information Technologies (IT):

  • Big Data and Advanced Analytics (IT1)
  • Cloud Computing and High-Performance Computing (IT2)
  • Cloud-based IT Services (IT3)
  • Cybersecurity, Authentication, and Privacy (IT4)
  • Cybersecurity for the Internet of Things (IT5)
  • Human-Computer Interaction, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality (IT6)
  • Image and Video (IT7)
  • Mobile Computing and Internet of Things (IT8)
  • Networking Technology (IT9)
  • Social Media and Collaborative Networking (IT10)
  • Software (IT11)
  • Other Information Technologies (IT12)

Instrumentation and Hardware Systems (IH)

Program director

Rick Schwerdtfeger

Featured companies

Instrumentation and Hardware Systems (IH):

  • Instrumentation or Hardware Systems for Imaging (IH1)
  • Instrumentation or Hardware Systems for Characterization (IH2)
  • Instrumentation or Hardware Systems for Detection, Actuation, Control, and Manipulation (IH3)
  • Other Instrumentation or Hardware Systems Technologies (IH4)

Internet of Things (I)

Program director

Rick Schwerdtfeger

Featured companies

Internet of Things (I):

  • IoT Communications (I1)
  • IoT Energy and Power Systems (I2)
  • IoT Integrated Systems (I3)
  • IoT Sensors and Actuators (I4)
  • IoT Other IoT Technologies (I5)

Medical Devices (MD)

Program director

Henry Ahn

Featured companies

Medical Devices (MD):

  • Medical Devices (MD1)

Nanotechnology (N)

Program director

Linda Molnar

Featured companies

Nanotechnology (N):

  • Nanomanufacturing (N1)
  • Nanomaterials (N2)
  • Nanotechnology Solutions to Global Grand Challenges (N3)
  • Other Nanotechnology Technologies (N4)

Other Topics (OT)

Program director

Ben Schrag

Other Topics (OT):

  • Other Topics (OT1)

Photonics (PH)

Program director

Rick Schwerdtfeger

Featured companies

Photonics (PH):

  • Advanced Metrology and Sensors (PH1)
  • Advanced Optical Components and Systems (PH2)
  • Communications, Information, and Data Storage (PH3)
  • Energy (PH4)
  • Lighting and Displays (PH5)
  • Other Photonics Technologies (PH6)

Quantum Information Technologies (QT)

Program director

Peter Atherton

Featured companies

Quantum Information Technologies (QT):

  • Quantum Communications (QT1)
  • Quantum Computing (QT2)
  • Quantum Sensing and Metrology (QT3)
  • Quantum Simulation (QT4)
  • Other Quantum Information Technologies (QT5)

Robotics (R)

Program director

Murali S. Nair

Featured companies

Robotics (R):

  • Human Assistive Technologies and Bio-related Robotics (R1)
  • Human-Machine Interfaces and Control/Architecture (R2)
  • Robotic Applications (R3)
  • Robotics in Agile Manufacturing, and Co-Robots (R4)
  • Other Robotics Technologies (R5)

Semiconductors (S)

Program director

Steve Konsek

Featured companies

Semiconductors (S):

  • Electronic Devices (S1)
  • Electronic Materials (S2)
  • Integrated Circuit Design (S3)
  • Micro-electronics Packaging, Thermal Management, and Systems Integration (S4)
  • Processing and Metrology Technology (S5)
  • Other Semiconductor Technologies (S6)

Sensors (SE)

Program director

Murali S. Nair

Featured companies

Sensors (SE):

  • Sensors (SE1)

Space (SP)

Program director

Rick Schwerdtfeger

Space (SP):

  • Extra-terrestrial Resource Extraction (SP1)
  • Geological and Geoclimatic Science Data Products and Services (SP2)
  • Ground Launch Sites and Satellite Operations (SP3)
  • In-space Manufacturing (SP4)
  • Navigation and Positioning Services (SP5)
  • On-Orbit Services (SP6)
  • Remote Sensing Services (SP7)
  • Space Transportation and Access (SP8)
  • Spacecraft Development and Manufacturing (SP9)
  • Telecommunications Services (SP10)
  • Other Space-Related Technologies (SP11)

Wireless Technologies (W)

Program director

Murali S. Nair

Featured companies

Wireless Technologies (W):

  • Wireless Devices and Components (W1)
  • Wireless Systems (W2)
  • Other Wireless Technologies (W3)

Updated: 12/04/2019