BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s (MassTech) Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) announced today $7,329,798 in grant awards to 13 manufacturers across the state. The grants were provided through the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), a statewide effort to bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization within the manufacturing sector. The combined projects are projected to create 180 jobs statewide.
The M2I2 investments come on the heels of additional efforts by CAM to support Massachusetts manufacturers.
- In March 2025, the administration provided more than $540,000 to 20 companies to fund upgrades to their cybersecurity infrastructure.
- Later that month, CAM awarded $3.7 million to 23 manufacturing companies through the Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program (MMAP).
“Massachusetts recognizes strategically investing in the future of manufacturing will reap enormous downstream benefits for the rest of our economy,” said Massachusetts Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley. “The M2I2 program continues to support innovation while also providing opportunities for a new generation of manufacturing workers throughout the state.”
“These 13 manufacturing innovators have developed strong technologies that will impact the economy across a wide range of sectors,” said CAM Director Lily Fitzgerald. “CAM is always looking for the next generation of leaders who think outside the box and have a strong team to catalyze statewide industries.”
Since M2I2 launched in 2016, the program has invested more than $100 million in more than 100 projects across the state. This round of M2I2 funding will support hardtech manufacturers in industries such as bioindustrials, cellular agriculture, composite manufacturing and sustainability.
All grantees have committed to a 1:1 match and will collaborate with one of five nonprofit partners: Berkshire Innovation Center, Blackstone Valley Hub for Workforce Development, MassMEP, the Venture Forum and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Below are the 13 grant recipients:
Axoft, Cambridge - $835,000
Axoft will build a facility to manufacture advanced brain implants using cutting-edge semiconductor techniques for patients with neurological disorders. Axoft will provide internships to Bunker Hill Community College students.
Cala Systems, Somerville - $595,163
Cala Systems will build an assembly line in Wilmington, Massachusetts, for its intelligent and high-efficiency heat pump water heaters. Cala will work with Middlesex Community College and Greater Lawrence Technical School to fulfill their talent pipeline.
Clear Waterways Group (CWW), Lanesborough - $48,000
CWW will manufacture and pilot a next-generation portable water clarifier to remove algal blooms from ponds, lakes and rivers. CWW will work with Berkshire Community College to involve students in their pilot testing.
Cyvl, Somerville - $93,822
Cyvl will pilot in-house manufacturing of its car-mounted LiDAR and camera sensor system for road assessments. Cyvl will train and recruit students from Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology.
Electrified Thermal Solutions (ETS), Medford - $993,000
ETS will build a pilot manufacturing facility to produce electrically conductive oxide bricks to store and provide heat for high-temperature processing industries. ETS will collaborate with the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) on research and workforce development.
Emvolon, Woburn - $985,000
Emvolon will build and deploy a pilot system that converts methane from organic waste into carbon-negative fuels. Emvolon will train students from Shawsheen Valley Technical High School.
Atacama Biomaterials (Hera Materials), Somerville - $350,000
Hera Materials will build a production line for its carbon-zero, paper-based packaging film. Hera Materials will partner with MassMEP to build a workforce development pipeline.
Kano Therapeutics, Cambridge - $500,560
Kano will build a pilot-scale system in Cambridge to produce cost-effective, scalable single-stranded DNA, essential for bioindustrial and therapeutic applications. Kano will work with LabCentral to create curricula and training programs.
SimpliMade Composites, Boston - $999,630
SimpliMade will build an energy-efficient and cost-effective laminate composite manufacturing line. They will work with MIT and UMass Dartmouth.
Noble Carbon, Pittsfield - $244,635
Noble Carbon will manufacture smart circuit breakers that optimize electricity usage for residential and light commercial applications. Noble Carbon will provide internships and mentorship to Miss Hall’s School students.
Lasso (formerly Tender Food), Somerville - $1,000,000
Lasso will build scaled versions of its fiber spinning technology and a pilot facility to develop high protein and fiber clean label food products. Lasso will provide internships for students from Olin College of Engineering.
Triton Systems, Chelmsford - $484,988
Triton will launch a cold spray additive manufacturing facility for defense and aerospace applications. Triton will work with UMass Lowell, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Northeastern University for research.
UMass Lowell, Lowell - $200,000
UMass Lowell’s Printed Electronics Research Collaborative (PERC) will advance hybrid fabrication methods to print polymer for radio frequency components.
About the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at MassTech
The mission of the Massachusetts Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) is to foster the most complete, collaborative and agile manufacturing ecosystem, to enable business growth from innovation through production. CAM is a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), a public economic development agency tasked with supporting business formation and growth in the Commonwealth’s tech and innovation sectors. CAM provides a path for manufacturing growth through a connected, accessible ecosystem that supports innovation, workforce development and a business-friendly environment. CAM-managed programs include the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), the MassBridge manufacturing training program, and the massmakes.org portal. Learn more at cam.masstech.org.
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