SPARK Fund announces awards to three UA innovation teams

Spark Fund, an initiative of The University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF), has announced three awards to support prototyping and testing for UA innovation teams. Spark Fund aims to help UA faculty generate the proof needed for their technology to be licenseable to a scalable startup company. On October 16, 2024, the SPARK fund selection committee awarded:
 
$35,000 to Eterno Composites, for a CO2-derived, recyclable resin, developed by Assistant Professor of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering Dr. James Eagan and Ph.D. candidate Keaton Turney, from Polymer Science.
 
$35,000 to GelPure for a polymeric gel based water purification technology to remove harmful microplastics (PFAS) from drinking water, developed by Professor of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, Dr. Sadhan Jana and his graduate students Brandon McReynolds, Moni Mahesh Ghosh and Pratik Gotad, from Polymer Science.
 
$30,000 to 4M: Multipurpose Magnetic Microwire Materials for reducing current losses in electric machines and energy conversion systems, developed by Distinguished Professor, Dr. Yilmaz Sozer, Professor, Dr.  Igor Tsukerman and graduate student Garrett Chonko and Ph.D. candidate Aquib Ahmed, all from Electrical and Computer Engineering. 
 
To qualify for SPARK Fund, applicants need to have a patent application or provisional patent application filed through UA's Office of Technology Transfer, show proof of principle or proof of concept work that indicates the technology is likely to work, and demonstrate an understanding of the potential market for the technology based on conversations with real customers completed through an I-Corps program. 

​SPARK Fund is supported by the State of Ohio, Ohio Department of Development and Ohio Third Frontier.