Turn Deep Tech Into a Fundable Startup
A 12-month accelerator helping research-driven teams build a startup and pursue SBIR/STTR funding.
Build the startup. Prepare the SBIR. Keep your equity.
SBIR Studio 2026
- Research
- Startup
- SBIR
How Altitut Helps You
Bring the research. We help build the path to commercialization and SBIR submission.
- 1
Find Your SBIR Path
Agency + opportunity match
Identify the federal program and opportunity that best fits your technology and commercialization path.
- 2
Build the Startup
Customer + market + business model
Turn the research into a clear customer problem, product, market, and commercialization strategy.
- 3
Build the Proposal
Technical plan + commercialization plan
Develop the R&D story, milestones, commercialization case, and core SBIR application content.
- 4
Review & Submit
Feedback + submission preparation
Strengthen the proposal through structured review and prepare it for federal submission.
Ready to Apply?
Who can apply?
- Research-driven / deep-tech team interested in SBIR/STTR
- At least one team member is a graduate student or holds a Master's or PhD
- Create a free Altitut account → app.altitut.ai
- Able to participate in the 12-month program
Researchers · Engineers · Graduate Founders · Deep-Tech Teams
What do I submit?
ONE 10-PAGE DECK
That's all you need to apply.
PDF · 10 pages- Problem
- Solution
- Technology
- Development Stage
- Market
- Competitive Advantage
- Business Model
- Team
- SBIR Fit
- $10K Plan
Questions, Answered
SBIR and STTR are U.S. federal programs that fund small businesses to develop new technology and move it toward the market. They are often called America's Seed Fund.
Researchers, engineers, graduate students, and technical founders who want to turn an innovation into a company and explore SBIR/STTR funding.
At least one team member must be a graduate student or hold a Master's or PhD. This is an Altitut SBIR Studio requirement, not a federal SBIR rule.
Federal eligibility depends on the agency and the specific solicitation. In general, awards go to eligible U.S. small businesses, and the rules cover things like company size, ownership, where the work is done, and the Principal Investigator.
You do not need an advanced degree to meet federal eligibility. Applicants are responsible for confirming the rules of the solicitation they apply to.
Not to apply to SBIR Studio. Federal SBIR/STTR awards are made to eligible small businesses, so a company must meet the applicable federal requirements when the solicitation or award process requires it.
A simple generic flow: opportunity, then proposal, then federal review, then award decision, then R&D.
Timing varies by agency and solicitation. Some programs take several months from submission to a decision, and agencies do not all follow the same schedule.
Venture investors and many accelerators provide private capital and may take equity in return. SBIR/STTR is federal non-dilutive funding: the government funds eligible R&D without taking equity or IP ownership in your company.
SBIR Studio helps you pursue that federal path while you build the startup.
Do not submit confidential, proprietary, export-controlled, or sensitive information unless it is truly required and you understand how it will be handled.
If your work involves private data or unpublished IP, contact the Altitut SBIR Studio team before sending sensitive materials. Federal SBIR/STTR programs have rules for SBIR data, but the protections depend on the information, the award, and the agency.
Ready to Turn Your Research Into a Startup?
One 10-page deck. No pitch video.