ECE spinoff company selected for Discovery to Product SEED grant

University of Wisconsin-Madison electrical and computer engineering professors Luke Mawst, the Grainger STAR Professor in Engineering, and Dan Botez, Philip Dunham Reed Professor, are one of seven teams from across the university selected for a 2024 Discovery to Product Award.

The annual State Economic Engagement and Development (SEED) grants are managed by UW-Madison’s Discovery to Product office, which provides financial support for the program alongside the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The goal is to facilitate the advancement of groundbreaking research and the commercialization of technologies by companies founded by UW–Madison researchers.

Botez and Mawst will use the grant to grow Intraband, LLC, a Madison-based startup they co-founded. They plan to develop quantum cascade laser transmitter prototypes to deliver fast, powerful and secure wireless data transmission for use in free space optical communication links.

Products based on their quantum cascade laser technology could address unmet needs in the commercial and defense sectors, with potential applications in industrial lasers, chemical and biological sensing, medical applications, communications and more.

“Collaborating with our universities to advance new technologies is one of the most impactful ways to support the growth of early-stage startups in Wisconsin,” says Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC. “By providing funding for these companies, we can boost their potential for successful commercialization and contribute to the economic development of our state while also creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurs.”

Lean more about this year’s Discovery to Product SEED grant awardees at UW-Madison’s Innovate network.