When New Castle County Department of Economic Development launched NCC Innovates, it was with a specific goal in mind: to support economic development through entrepreneurship. Through NCC Innovates, New Castle County chose to sponsor a one-year membership to the Resident Incubator Program at the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Emerging Enterprise Center. The sponsorship includes office space and amenities, 24/7 access to the Emerging Enterprise Center, one-on-one business mentoring, business growth workshops and a one-year membership in the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce.
A call for applications was issued in April and two finalists were selected on Friday, June 8, 2018.
D150 Fueling, LLC is an on-site fueling and fuel marketing company for commercial fleets that offers Ultra-Low-Sulfur Diesel, Biodiesel and Off-Road Diesel. Coupled with FuelCloud software, D150 Fueling offers a fueling program tailored to an individual fleet’s needs that saves time, money and emissions. With contracts in hand, D150 Fueling is in full launch mode and ready to expand its market.
SAS Nanotechnologies, LLC has developed a proprietary, patent pending anticorrosive coating technology that not only prevents corrosion but also heals and protects metals from corrosion in the case of surface scratch/damage. Growing out of PhD research, the technology was recently awarded an NSF SBIR grant to further develop the technology and is already in conversations with potential strategic partners for technology testing and licensing.
NCC Innovates is a program developed by the New Castle County Department of Economic Development that identifies opportunities to specifically support economic development through entrepreneurship, attract new companies to New Castle County and develop a strong innovation ecosystem.
The finalists were selected after submitting a 5 page business canvas which included information on the business, market and industry landscape, go-to-market strategy and financial estimates. Each application was judged on several criteria, including business feasibility, understanding of market need and opportunity, clear articulation of value proposition, go-to-market strategy and realistic financial projections.
The jury consisted of five members of the Emerging Enterprise Center’s Advisory Board and represented a broad background of interests and expertise. The winner will be announced by County Executive Matt Meyer on July 12, 2018 at the 2018 Delaware Entrepreneurial Summit organized by the Emerging Enterprise Center and the Small Business Development Center and held at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Concord Pike.