U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

First Flight Venture’s Hangar6 Helps Onda Vision Technologies Turn Ideas into Products

With the help of: North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP)

About

Onda Vision Technologies of Raleigh, North Carolina, produces wearable sensors for real-time hydration monitoring. The technology targets populations at risk of dehydration, such as athletes and individuals under heat or disease stress. “Every year, we hear stories of college and high school athletes practicing and competing in hot, humid conditions, some of whom pass out or are rushed to the hospital, risking fatalities or organ damage. Our goal is to provide an early alert to prevent these situations by focusing on team-based sports and working directly with colleges and high schools to deliver our solution”, stated Onda Vision Technologies founder Dr. William Renyolds.

The Challenge

Onda Vision needed a place for initial testing and proofs of concept to be considered for the USDA Hydration Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, and found that through the North Carolina Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (DMCSP), which provided a grant that supported his participation in the Propeller pre-accelerator program offered by North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP, part of the MEP National Network™) partner First Flight Venture Center/Hangar6. 
The opportunity to participate in the Propeller program with Hangar 6 was beneficial and essential for our startup company. It provided us with invaluable insight, feedback, and constructive suggestions for refining our business strategy and value proposition.
— William Reynolds, Founder

MEP's Role

“From a business standpoint, the USDA SBIR proposal was a godsend, especially since this was our second time applying. At the time, I was in the middle of my review for my NSF Phase Two program. The NSF wanted to see cash reserves in our financials without explicitly stating it because we were undergoing an audit. It was almost Christmas Eve, and I was stressed about how to raise $50,000. I considered raising a family and friends using a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity). Then, I received a call from the USDA congratulating us on being awarded Phase One funding. The Hangar6 Propeller pre-accelerator program helped us get it,” stated Reynolds.

As a recipient of the SBIR grant, Reynolds applied his technology to address hydration needs in agricultural and rural settings. The program, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), aims to stimulate technological advancements and entrepreneurial ventures to enhance water management, improve hydration techniques for crops and livestock and ensure sustainable water use in agricultural practices. The program paves the way for new methods and technologies for efficient water usage, irrigation systems, soil moisture monitoring, and hydration-related challenges. The USDA funding filled a critical technical gap, enabling Onda Vision to produce the core sensor for their hydration product. It provided the time and resources needed to fully integrate the last core piece from the university as Onda Vision moved toward market readiness.

Created July 23, 2024