Sunburst Sensors, located in Missoula, MT is a small company that has done big things in its 20-year history. Its instruments are used around the world to study ocean acidification and the marine carbonate system. Winners of the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE (2015), Sunburst Sensors continues to develop new products to help scientists understand important ocean processes.
Sunburst Sensors has taken advantage of grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the National Oceanic Partnership Program (NOPP), and other funding along the way to help innovate. Its sensors are being used under the ice in the arctic and in the shallows of the reefs of Mauritius.
Key Takeaways:
1. SBIR funding programs are an important means for small companies to innovate and develop products that wouldn't otherwise see the light of day.
2. Ocean acidification, driven by anthropogenic carbon dioxide needs to be understood and mitigated. Providing instrumentation for this is part of Sunburst Sensors' mission.