Rob Norris (CEO), David Doctor (COO), and Umit Cali (PHD – CTO) of Energyxchain in Huntersville

May 13. By Dave Yochum. A Huntersville start-up is among two dozen innovative small businesses across North Carolina on deck for grants to develop new products and hire more employees.

A total of $1.1 million from the One North Carolina Small Business Program will go to the technology-oriented businesses including Energyxchain LLC which is officially based in Huntersville but operates out of incubator space at UNC-Charlotte.

The company will receive $50,000 to create a blockchain technology platform to track and improve efficiency in the natural gas industry’s contract/permissions, operations and settlement transaction processes, according to Energyxchain founder Rob Norris.

There are more than 68 million natural gas customers in the country. Energyxchain will let them know their transaction status in real time, as well as provide more control of their transactions independent of current monthly accounting cycles.

The company, which incorporated last year, has no revenue yet, beyond research grants.

Norris, who has started five businesses—this isn’t my first rodeo, he says—explains that the goal is to recruit partner companies that would work together toward building a commercial product.

Validation from the One North Carolina Small Business Program means he can meet with clients head on. “I don’t need cash, what i need is intellectual capital,” he said.

“These innovative companies have the ideas to succeed but need help with seed money to create new technologies and bring them to market,” said Gov. Roy Cooper, who announced the grants which are designed to spur new products and industries.

The One NC Small Business Program is one of the first of its kind in the nation. It provides state grants to match federal funds awarded through the highly competitive Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which help small companies develop new and innovative technologies that have high potential for commercialization.

Serial entrepreneur David Doctor, of Huntersville, as well as Umit Cali are partners in Energyxchain.

This Small Business Innovation Research project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The companies receiving grants represent a broader spectrum of North Carolina, including rural areas.

“The North Carolina Board of Science, Technology & Innovation recognized the growing split between urban and rural parts of the state…supporting greater innovation statewide,” said Michael Cunningham, executive vice president at Red Hat, the software company based in Raleigh.

Since 2006, the One North Carolina Small Business Program has helped more than 270 companies in 45 cities across North Carolina, creating nearly 1,000 high-paying jobs, and $125 million in total commercial sales directly from the technology developed with the program’s funding.

What’s Blockchain?

Blockchain is the technology that underpins digital currency like Bitcoin and Ethereum. It enables the distribution of digital information, without the ability to copy. Each piece of data can only have one owner. Information is continuously reconciled into the database, which is stored in multiple locations and updated instantly. Since there’s no central location, it harder to hack since the info exists simultaneously in millions of places. Despite setbacks for Bitcoin, h\owever, big players like IBM and Walmart see value in record keeping and secure recording of transactions.

One North Carolina Small Business Awards:

Adamas Nanotechnologies, Raleigh: $50,000 to develop multicolor fluorescent nanodiamonds for improved imaging in cancer research and diagnostics. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Altis Biosystems, Chapel Hill: $50,000 to develop a stem cell co-culture cassette for advanced compound screening to make drug discovery faster and cheaper. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Arcato Laboratories, Greenville: $34,986.50 to develop a local treatment for pain associated with tooth extraction that does not include opiates in the medication. This STTR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Arrevus, Raleigh: $50,000 to develop an in vitro assay to aid in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections. This STTR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Energyxchain, Huntersville: $50,000 to create a blockchain technology platform to track and improve efficiency in the natural gas industry’s contract/permissions, operations and settlement transaction processes. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Goldfinch Sensor Technologies and Analytics, Cary: $50,000 to assess and model the feasibility of a new sensor to measure voids that cause weaknesses in systems of energy production. This SBIR project is sponsored by the Department of Energy.

Haw River Mushrooms, Graham: $50,000 to develop a replicable farming model ideal for small and mid-sized farms that can efficiently produce gourmet mushrooms, medicinal and culinary herbs, and vermicompost. This SBIR project is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture.

Ingateygen, Elizabeth City: $50,000 to develop a commercial prototype for a hypoallergenic peanut to combat peanut allergies and potential food recalls. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Intelli-Products, Asheville: $50,000 to build and test an automated assembly system to reduce installation costs of solar panel arrays. This SBIR project is sponsored by the Department of Energy.

Isolere Bio, Durham: $50,000 to develop a faster and more cost-effective method for the purification of antibodies during drug development. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Kepley Biosystems, Greensboro: $50,000 to validate a renewable approach to horseshoe crab blood harvesting that decreases the mortality rates of crabs and increases their long-term sustainability. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Praetego, Durham: $50,000 to develop and test new drugs for treating neuropathy caused by diabetes. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Primeneuro, Durham: $50,000 to develop software methods and algorithms for improved detection of autism spectrum disorder. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Rescindo Therapeutics, Cary: $50,000 to develop a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of Kabuki Syndrome, a pediatric congenital disorder. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Secmation, Raleigh: $50,000 to develop high-assurance software cryptography to increase the security of communications in small defense satellites. This SBIR project is sponsored by the United States Air Force, Department of Defense.

Sinnovatek, Raleigh: $48,958.50 to develop a low-cost and portable small-scale thermal processing system to help farmers get more of their products to market and reduce food waste. This SBIR project is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture.

Studio Hagler, Chapel Hill: $50,000 to develop a bassinet to support the safe implementation of skin-to-skin contact for mothers and newborns. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Treadwell Corp., Wilmington: $43,260 to develop momentum-enabled treadling methodology and device to improve mobility in patients with peripheral arterial disease. This STTR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Triangle Biotechnology, Chapel Hill: $50,000 to advance a nano-droplet reagent to decrease cost and increase speed and consistency in genetic sequencing. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

United Protective Technologies, Locust: $24,784.50 to develop nano-composite gear coatings to increase fuel efficiency and reduce maintenance in air and ground vehicles. This SBIR project is sponsored by the Special Operations Command, Department of Defense.

Upstream Biotechnology, Sanford: $50,000 to develop broad-spectrum, disease-resistant soybeans to enhance crop yield potential. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Vigilant Cyber Systems, Mount Airy: $50,000 to develop an electromagnetic, battle damage assessment toolkit to assess the effects of high-power electromagnetic attacks. This SBIR project is sponsored by the United States Air Force, Department of Defense.

Voxel Innovations, Raleigh: $50,000 to develop and test additive components and methods for heat-free, stress-free surface finishing in rocket engine pumps, turbine blade tips, and other turbomachinery. This SBIR project is sponsored by the United States Navy, Department of Defense.

Zymeron Corp., Durham: $50,000 to develop a targeted and sustained-release aspirin formulation for preventing colon cancer. This SBIR project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.