The City of Philadelphia has awarded a total of $450,000 in SBIR/STTR Matching Grants to 21 local life sciences companies, including AlphaThera, as part of a first-of-its-kind City-led initiative to accelerate scientific commercialization and economic growth.
The SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program supports Philadelphia-based life sciences innovators that have previously received Phase 1 or Phase 2 federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards. These federal grants fund early research and development for promising technologies; Philadelphia’s matching grants then help companies move those innovations closer to market by providing additional resources tied to commercialization goals.
Administered by the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, Office of Business Development, the program is designed to fill critical funding and services gaps that often slow the transition from research to real-world application. The University City Science Center serves as the City’s implementation partner, connecting awardees with tailored services that match their commercialization stage.
In 2023 AlphaThera, along with its partners Integral Molecular and the University of Pennsylvania, was awarded a $1.7 million NIH SBIR Phase II grant to support the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting pancreatic cancer. Building on this federal funding, AlphaThera was selected to receive a share of the City’s SBIR/STTR matching funds alongside other local innovators.
The award will support AlphaThera’s ongoing efforts to translate its research and technology into commercial products while strengthening the region’s life sciences ecosystem.
City officials say the matching grant program represents a meaningful boost to Philadelphia’s innovation economy, helping promising local companies attract follow-on investment, create jobs, and bring new technologies to market more quickly.