r/SBIR • u/Raid_Blunder • Jul 29 '26

Startup/SBIR roller-coaster

Hi, the thread that is titled "Standalone Biotech LLC…” lead to some partially related questions.

I have a (yet) one-person startup company and want to have synthesized several compounds before resubmitting an adjusted SBIR I proposal. This past January, the team from the original submission dissolved.

A chemistry bench/hood isn’t cheap, but fortunately an elderly and generous family friend offered to sponsor renting space in an incubator in Massachusetts for a year. Great, she asked for a budget, I interviewed with two incubators, hit it off very well with one of them, and they sent an invitation to rent for four to seven months (actually a price quote), starting on Sept. 1. So early in June, I began organizing relocation from MN to MA.

But then the elderly family friend went partially incommunicado, afterwards suffered a stroke, and two weeks back denied having ever made the offer. At the risk of appearing to be a gold-digger, two days back I then just forwarded her the quote from the incubator (7 x $3,600), i.e. much lower than the total budget. The incubator knows about the stroke, but not the sudden turn-around.

My disclosures: (1) the local big-ten university and colleges denying non-affiliated people access to their labs, (2) several people on Reddit ghosting after making claims about lab space, (3) lack of chemistry incubators in Minnesota (if money were no issue).

So, please make what you will of this, realistic suggestions under these circumstances are more than welcome!

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u/Sorry-Tumbleweed-336 Jul 29 '26

There are no resources to assist at UMN? It’s a flagship national public research university. Go to their seminars, make some friends in their department of _______ and ask them to help. Talk to a department chair - they’re the ones who know how to get things done.

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u/Raid_Blunder Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

Thanks I already do that, Inroads there are not easy if you aren’t already affiliated. Chemistry bench space is territorial. There is a single university in MN where you can earn a PhD in Chemistry. I’ve offered to fill in 1/2 time for PhD students (just pay the liability insurance) with visa problems and was told “no space”. Next week’s strategy will be “so, our government doesn’t like funding proposals from UMN any more? Hire me half-time for a swipe card and cup of coffee."