The $647,000 total will be divided amongst 13 awardees
COLUMBIA, Md., (February 17, 2026) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced the Baltimore Innovation Initiative (BII) Pilot Program awardees, marking an important milestone for the organization. This round of awardees will divide $647,000 amongst the 13 awardees. The BII Pilot Program falls under the Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII), fueling innovation and economic impact in the Baltimore region.
“The MII program is proud to be investing in innovation across Maryland’s institutions of higher education,” said Abi Kulshreshtha, executive director, MII. “With more than 60 grant applications in FY25 alone, it was clear that there is a high demand for a program like the BII, and our awardees are positioned to transform Baltimore’s innovation ecosystem.”
The BII was created to support an equitable innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem within higher education institutions in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As part of Maryland’s matching contribution toward the Baltimore Tech Hub, the BII seeks to advance technology toward commercialization of a product or service and bolster support for entrepreneurs developing technology-based ventures.
“The latest round of applications for the BII awards showcased exceptional quality,” said Jalaycia Lewis, BII program manager. “The selection process was highly competitive, and we are excited to support these thirteen innovative projects as they move forward."
The Technology Advancement Grant offers applicants support to commercialize a new or existing technology at an eligible institution while the Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Programming and Infrastructure Grant supports the creation or enhancement of entrepreneurship programs and commercialization infrastructure for technology-based ventures.
The Technology Advancement awardees include:
- Andres Cano, QuantumBlock Escrowed Prepayments for Small Producers: Compliant receivable financing pilot; Johns Hopkins University -$50,000
- Asher Varon, Vive: Intranasal hydrogel clip for self-administered, prophylactic prevention of opioid overdose via low-dose naloxone; Johns Hopkins University -$50,000
- Brent Ifemembi, Drūl: Point-of-care platform for real-time oral microbiome analysis; Johns Hopkins University -$50,000
- Charles X. Engler, Luminova Scan+: Where skincare meets artificial intelligence; Loyola University Maryland -$50,000
- Crystal Jiang, Karaorchee Inc: AI-driven orchestral platform & creator marketplace for classical musicians; Johns Hopkins University -$50,000
- Jack Coursen, ParaMetric: A device for core body temperature measurement in EMS; Johns Hopkins University -$48,000
- Juan Fernandez, SmarTIVA Inc., SedSim Duo: A multimodal EEG-NIRS simulator for advanced brain monitoring education; Johns Hopkins University -$50,000
- Kaitlyn Kumar, PointeSense: A pressure wearable and feedback system for dance development; Johns Hopkins University -$49,000
- Long-Chen Li, BioBuild: AI-powered multi-omics workflows for zero-code scientific discovery; Johns Hopkins University -$50,000
- Nina Guise-Gerrity, Cheerio: employee recognition & reward app for SMBs; Loyola University Maryland -$50,000
- Santiago Sanchez Renteria, BlueHealer: An orthovascular implant for limb salvage; Johns Hopkins University -$50,000
- William Brakewood, Spore&Simple: Formulation and green seal certification of an optimized probiotic surface cleaner for institutional use; Johns Hopkins University -$50,000
The Entrepreneurship Commercialization, Programming, and Infrastructure awardee include:
- Helen Rose, Center for Entrepreneurial and Business Excellence: Building an ecosystem for innovation, training & community impact; Howard Community College -$50,000
The MII was established as a collaboration between the State of Maryland and five academic research institutions which leverages each institution’s strengths while promoting the commercialization of research conducted there. Since its inception, the program has invested more than $59 million in promising research commercialization, supported nearly 200 companies and generated almost 400 jobs. The success of the MII led to several pilot programs that expanded MII’s reach to two more astounding universities in addition to the creation of BII.
To learn more about the MII and BII programs, eligibility and application details, visit tedcomd.com/funding/maryland-innovation-initiative.