PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY (June 17, 2025) – Inaedis, Inc. is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a highly competitive $1.25 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), under Award Number 2451720. This major funding milestone will propel Inaedis’ development of its breakthrough Rapid Room-Temperature Aerosol Dehydration (RTAD) technology, which converts fragile biologic drugs and vaccines into shelf-stable powders for global distribution and next-generation delivery methods.
Biologic medicines—such as antibodies, vaccines, and genetic therapies—are notoriously challenging to manufacture and distribute due to their temperature sensitivity and reliance on expensive refrigerated (“cold chain”) logistics. As much as $35 billion worth of biopharmaceuticals is lost annually due to temperature excursions and spoilage, restricting patient access and burdening healthcare systems worldwide.
Inaedis’ RTAD technology, originally developed at Princeton University, addresses this critical bottleneck with a gentle, energy-efficient process that eliminates the need for deep freezing or lengthy drying at high temperatures. By forming ultra-fine aerosols at room temperature, RTAD preserves the biological activity of delicate proteins, antibodies, viral vectors, and other sensitive biologics—with over 90–95% potency retained in validation studies. The result: medicines and vaccines that maintain stability for months without refrigeration, supporting distribution even in resource-limited settings, and enabling new flexible formulations for inhalers, patches, and ultra-concentrated injectables.
“This NSF award is a major validation of our mission to transform how medicines are made, stored, and delivered,” said Dr. Maksim Mezhericher, Founder and CEO of Inaedis. “With this funding, we will advance RTAD toward clinical-grade manufacturing and practical applications that improve patient access, reduce healthcare waste, and dramatically cut the carbon footprint of biopharmaceuticals.”
The NSF’s SBIR program, known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, is one of the nation’s most prestigious early-stage deep-tech funding sources, supporting startups and small businesses as they translate high-impact scientific discoveries into real-world solutions. Awardees undergo rigorous merit review and are chosen for both their technical promise and commercial potential. Companies that successfully complete Phase I feasibility projects may compete for up to $1.25 million in Phase II funding to scale R&D and prepare for commercialization. Additional follow-on investment opportunities are available for SBIR awardees who secure third-party matching funds.
About the NSF’s Small Business Programs
America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $9 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov.
About Inaedis
Inaedis, Inc. is a spinout from Princeton University pioneering advanced manufacturing solutions for biopharmaceuticals, enabling stable, cost-effective, and patient-friendly medicines for the 21st century. Through its proprietary RTAD technology, Inaedis makes complex biologics easier to produce, ship, and administer—empowering innovators and expanding access to life-saving therapies worldwide.
Required NSF Disclaimer
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under award No. 2451720. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.