NIA-Funded Small Business Spotlights

Notice

The SBIR and STTR programs were reauthorized on April 13, 2026. Currently, NIH has no active SBIR or STTR Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs). Future NOFOs are forecasted at Grants.gov prior to opening for applications. The next standard receipt date is September 5, 2026.

Read these success stories from NIA-funded small businesses.

Bone Health Technologies Shakes Up the Market to Prevent Bone Density Loss

May 28, 2025

Redwood City, Calif. – Half of all women will break a bone due to osteoporosis in their lifetime. NIA-funded small business Bone Health Technologies aims to change that with their FDA-approved non-pharmacological device-based prescription treatment for postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteopenia, a condition that can be a warning sign for developing more severe osteoporosis.

SafelyYou Trains AI to Improve Care for Older Adults

Sep. 6,2024

San Francisco, CA – Each year, one in four U.S. adults age 65 and older has a fall, making falls the leading cause of injury and injury-related death for older individuals. In assisted living communities, falls are among the most common and dangerous events for residents and can often lead to injury. Older adults are at higher risk of falls because of age-related health conditions; therefore, fall prevention is integral to aging research.

Juvena Therapeutics Unlocking the Secrets of Tissue Regeneration

September 6, 2023

Redwood City, CA — As we age, our muscles and other tissues break down in much the same way as degenerative diseases progress. What we learn from studying degenerative diseases such as muscular dystrophy could help researchers develop new interventions to fight common age-related ailments and chronic illnesses.

Alector Generates Hope for Treating Neurodegeneration

Aug. 14, 2023

San Francisco, CA — More than a decade ago, studies began showing that people who don’t make the usual amount of a protein called progranulin are at higher risk of developing certain neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal dementia . “Scientists knew about this but didn’t really know what to do with the information,” said Arnon Rosenthal, Ph.D., CEO of the biopharmaceutical company Alector .

C₂N Diagnostics’ Blood Test Detects Alzheimer’s

Nov. 1, 2022

St. Louis, MO — Without an easy way to detect definitive markers for Alzheimer’s, doctors often diagnose the disease based on clinical signs, such as confusion and memory loss. Recent scientific advances have allowed researchers to identify biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease that can aid in diagnosis. The challenge is that these biomarkers can only be detected through expensive and invasive methods, such as brain imaging techniques or collection of spinal fluid.

BioSensics’ Wearable Technology Supports Aging in Place

Sept. 28, 2020

Newton, MA — In 2007, wearable sensor technology was just gaining traction. Applications largely focused on fitness and wellness, measuring things like numbers of steps and hours of sleep. However, Ashkan Vaziri, Ph.D., and a few friends had an idea for a different approach: They believed that wearable sensors with medical applications could help older adults remain independent as they age.