NeuroFlow, a mental health technology company, has been awarded a $225,000 Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Science Foundation to accelerate its commercialization efforts. As part of the grant, NeuroFlow’s flagship software product EngageBH will be implemented in a research study at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA.

The funds, which recognize the company’s technological innovation in the private sector, will provide the financial means to further measure patient engagement and outcomes while using the platform. In recent years, the funding rate for STTR and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I proposals has been 10-15%.

“It’s no secret that the NSF’s grant program is highly-coveted and requires a significant level of vetting in order to win an award,” said Adam Pardes, NeuroFlow COO and previous expert reviewer for the NSF. “Our hero is the provider who strives day in and day out to be a valuable resource to patients struggling with mental illness. This is motivation for our team and gets us closer to the company’s goal of being a more effective asset for providers and patients. Collaborating with the VA is not only fulfilling personally for our founding team, but the beginning of an impactful relationship.”

NeuroFlow’s CEO Christopher Molaro is an Army veteran and Bronze Star Recipient who served as a platoon leader during the Iraq War. His experience in the military and the lack of mental health treatment options for returning servicemen and women led him to establish the company in 2016 with Adam Pardes while at the University of Pennsylvania. The STTR grant brings his mission full circle, and gives NeuroFlow’s technology a pivotal application at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center.

“The National Science Foundation supports small businesses with the most innovative, cutting-edge ideas that have the potential to become great commercial successes and make huge societal impacts,” said Barry Johnson, Director of the NSF’s Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships. “We hope that this seed funding will spark solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time across all areas of science and technology.”

Following the completion of mutually agreed upon benchmarks, NeuroFlow will be eligible for a $750,000 Phase II grant to launch a larger-scale study to further validate their technology platform’s clinical and commercial impact.

NeuroFlow recently launched a new product line, IntegrateHealth, to support the integration of behavioral health into traditional medical settings such as primary care and pain management. The company’s remote patient monitoring platforms are currently being used by hundreds of providers across five different continents to objectively assess, track, and engage patients using evidence-based practices to support their mental health.

About NeuroFlow

Health care providers are our heroes. They’re responsible for helping those who need it most, which can be a tough challenge when patients struggle with mental health conditions, often resulting in poor engagement, motivation, and treatment compliance.

NeuroFlow’s HIPAA-compliant, cloud-based platform empowers health care providers to objectively assess, track, and engage patients using evidence-based practices to support their mental health. Our suite of tools enables remote monitoring and behavioral health integration across the continuum of care, including psychology, primary care, and pain management settings.

NeuroFlow’s mission is to be a resource and asset to health care providers in their tireless pursuit to help patients feel better faster. For more information, please visit neuroflowsolution.com.

About the National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2018, its budget is $7.8 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 50,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards.

About the National Science Foundation'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 $1.5 million in non-dilutive funds 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 $7.8 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.