Real Experiences From Former Clients
Hear what clients are saying about their experiences with MNSBIR, and the impact our programs had on the success of their company. Read Partner Testimonials at the bottom of the page
Dynation LLC and NanoBotano LLC
It is my pleasure to write in support of MNSBIR. Without help from MNSBIR, my company never would have even left the ground. Not only is Dynation still around, but so are other small cooperating companies whose work is synergistic with ours. MNSBIR is critical to sustaining an ecosystem where small startup companies are engaged with others in cooperation that supports mutually beneficial development. As an entrepreneur, I can tell you that one must struggle for every resource and it’s Pat Dillon’s 26 years of knowledge, experience, and relationships in the SBIR/ STTR programs that give us a chance! When our business becomes successful, it will have created a new technology zone, new jobs and economic growth in outstate Minnesota, none of which would have happened without MNSBIR.
VivaQuant
Pat is always there to help. There are very few people I have met in my life that are more passionate about serving their customers than Pat.
TerraCOH (University of Minnesota Startup)
Pat is always responsive to questions and willing to help, or quickly get us in contact with subject matter experts on the many nuances of working with grants. She also is constantly communicating to us recent information concerning incentives and other initiatives for small businesses in Minnesota. It is always a pleasure working with Pat and she definitely provides a value add to all of us at TerraCOH.
CD3 Systems
Thank you again for all your hard work and assistance throughout the years. Our Department of Commerce, National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration SBIR Phase I award would not have been possible without your guidance and mentorship. I look forward to working with you in the future on our SBIR II application.
Berd LLC
I have been working with Pat Dillon for over three years at two different companies. Before meeting Pat, I had very little knowledge of the SBIR process or submitting an SBIR proposal. Pat’s assistance is more than just how to write a proposal. She is an amazing educator who provides help with all aspects of starting a small business and securing government grants. Because of Pat’s help, we have received over $1.3M in NSF and NIH SBIR grants. Pat is an invaluable asset to small businesses and the state of Minnesota.
CT Resources
I am grateful for MNSBIR’s help in submitting an NIH SBIR grant. MNSBIR, through Pat Dillon, was caring and helpful in providing guidance and looking into the complicated logistics of the grant funding requirements as well as in sharing submission costs charged by a consulting firm. The assistance was invaluable and we could not have done the application without this expert assistance.
Neurotype Inc.
Pat Dillon has deep knowledge about all things SBIR/STTR, and she passes this along to her clients. My company, Neurotype Inc., was admitted into the Fall, 2019 MNSBIR SBIR/STTR Accelerator course led by Pat, and I believe this experience greatly increased our chances for success in the NIH SBIR Phase I proposal we submitted in Spring, 2020. Pat’s feedback is quick and honest and helps her clients avoid many possible missteps. Additionally, she has a keen eye on grantsmanship and strategy, which is useful for early-stage startup clients seeking to grow their business. It has been a pleasure working with Pat and MNSBIR over the past year and I look forward to working with her more in the future.
LEAH Labs
Pat Dillon and MNSBIR are incredible assets to the Minnesota tech and startup community. Nothing can prepare you for putting together an entire grant package and actually submitting it. Pat took the time to read through the entirety of our proposal (letters of support, budget, and justification, 15-page grant, everything!), leaving no stone unturned. Without Minnesota state funding for a program like this and Pat as a passionate professional to help us, we surely would have had a tougher time preparing and winning our NSF SBIR Phase I award of $256K with the potential for $1M+ in Phase II.
Particle4X (U of M Spinoff)
We feel lucky to have Pat mentoring us with our first SBIR application. She is experienced, knowledgeable, and thorough. She patiently guided us through the whole process including registrations and budgeting, even sent us reminders of the deadline. Her feedback and suggestions on the proposal were quick and spot-on. Pat is very easy to communicate with. She is honest and straightforward but has never made us feel uncomfortable or intimidated. She is willing to help in many different ways. We definitely would like to work with Pat again for future applications.
Teqnizan
We greatly appreciate the support provided by Pat Dillon and Margaret Thorpe, Consultant, Venture Catalyst, in structuring the proposal and rewriting the business and technical sections of the writeup. Several critical gaps were filled by answering more clearly and directly critical questions pertaining to the competitive landscape, market traction plan, and summary sections. They provided in-depth and well-thought feedback on the content, cohesiveness, clarity, and completeness of the responses to the questions asked in the solicitation. Pat has developed several tools that helped us plan and complete the many documents required to support the proposal. Her numerous inputs were very valuable. She adds a lot of value to the proposal planning, preparation, and submission process.
Radwave Technologies Inc.
Pat Dillon and the Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator were instrumental in helping Radwave Technologies create a successful NSF SBIR application. She helped us navigate the NSF requirements with her deep knowledge and timely feedback. This accelerator program is a great resource for companies to tap into non-dilutive federal grants and grow the Minnesota startup ecosystem.
Isola Therapeutics
The Accelerator was a tremendous resource. It is hard to navigate the process and experience matters. I am confident the Accelerator helped our business assemble the best application for our project. Friends in other states are jealous that they do not have access to such a valuable resource.
Partner Testimonials
On behalf of the three biotech startups that I have co-founded over the past 19 years, I want to thank you for all the outreaching followed by one-on-one advising that you do to enable young companies to get funding at the earliest stage. Over the years, my companies have been awarded close to $20million in SBIR/STTR funding to further their development without issuing a single share of stock.
A great example of that within the past year is a Phase I SBIR award to NovoClade before it attracted any investors. The positive evaluation (funding) by an experienced scientific/business review committee was a strong endorsement of the company’s scientific foundation and its business approach. This is always important in the translation of nuanced scientific discoveries to the market place that generally does not have the expertise to closely scrutinize breakthrough ideas and the findings that support them.
I also have noted that you are always present at the various events that present startup entrepreneurs to their first rounds of investor pitches. You are always there to remind the entrepreneurs of what MNSBIR can offer them in terms of obtaining funding and accompanying the validation of their ideas and goals. Thank you, Pat.
Perry B Hackett, Ph.D., Professor, Center for Genome Engineering, Dept. of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota
Pat Dillon’s deep knowledge of the SBIR and STTR programs and federal agencies have been critical to the University of Minnesota startups’ success securing tens of millions of grant funding over the past two decades. Her professionalism, passion, and warmth have encouraged our startup leaders to follow their dreams in bringing their innovations to the market!
Mary MacCarthy, University of Minnesota, Venture Center
MNSBIR (Pat) is a vital resource for the University of Minnesota innovators seeking to build businesses based on their inventions. With guidance from MNSBIR workshops and coaching, our researchers have successfully navigated the complexities of federal agency solicitations, written strong proposals, and – best of all – attracted millions of dollars in non-dilutive funding.