The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has allocated $800,000 in research funding to two small businesses in Southern California. This funding aims to support the development and commercialization of environmental technologies. The awards are part of the EPA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which addresses challenges such as PFAS destruction, indoor air purification during wildfires, recycling enhancement, food waste reduction, and disaster response improvement.
"Small businesses in California are at the forefront of developing waste management and disaster response solutions that protect our communities," stated Martha Guzman, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator. "By investing in innovative ideas like these, we at EPA are partnering with the private sector to help protect our environment and strengthen local economies."
This year's SBIR Phase II awardees from Southern California include Water Illumination, Inc., based in Riverside. They received $400,000 for their chemical-free UV technology designed to destroy PFAS in saline wastewater rapidly. Collaborating with UC Riverside and local water districts, this clean energy solution operates under ambient conditions without producing harmful byproducts.
Holochip Corporation from Torrance also received $400,000 for developing an AI-powered mobile app that generates real-time 3D indoor maps for emergency responders. This technology aids first responders by providing navigation through complex buildings during disasters using standard smartphones and tablets.
"We are thrilled to be working with EPA on Phase II of this SBIR program," said Holochip CEO Robert Batchko. "In Phase I we delivered an iOS-based real-time environmental mapping and localization solution over large areas and remotely shared maps. In Phase 2, we’re expanding to Android, integrating drone mapping, and enabling real-time navigation with obstacle avoidance in multi-user shared environments." He added that since 2004 Holochip has been a trusted provider of advanced simulation technologies supporting mission-critical operations across various domains.
Water Illumination CEO Xuejun Yu expressed excitement about advancing to the EPA SBIR Phase II award: "Building on our Phase I success—achieving nearly 100% PFAS destruction in real wastewater—this milestone marks a significant step forward in our journey to commercialize our innovative and sustainable PFAS destruction technology."
For over four decades, the EPA's SBIR program has supported small businesses in creating environmental technologies for market introduction. The program funds projects through a phased approach: Phase I offers contracts up to $100,000 for six months for proof of concept; successful candidates can then compete for a Phase II award of $400,000 for further development and commercialization.