Ann Peterson

Market-driven validation to address problem-centric innovation   If you're a founder considering an SBIR application, you've likely thought deeply about how your innovation can make lives better, solve problems, or address market needs. That's a great starting point—but it's not enough to win funding or build a sustainable company.   The challenge isn't whether you've  considered the market. It's whether you can articulate it with the specificity and evidence that reviewers demand and...

[The following post is from our October 2025 MTIP Newsletter when the SBIR/STTR programs lapsed prior to the shutdown. Now that we are looking at a near term SBIR Reauthorization (late February 2026), these recommendations are worth reviewing as you prepare for your next steps in seeking federal R&D funding through America's Seed Fund.] I don't like uncertainty.   I like to plan. I like to have contingency plans. I like to have a schedule for those plans. And I like to execute on those...

Could it be? The next 24-48 hours may see forward progress.   We have promising updates regarding the SBIR and STTR programs! As reported by Politico and other sources on Wednesday February 26, lawmakers on the Senate Small Business Committee have introduced legislation to fast-track the reauthorization of the SBIR and STTR programs. This is a significant step forward. Federal agencies remain strong allies and advocates for SBIR reauthorization, and we anticipate rapid movement once the...