Funding News

Oxford, Miss. June 12, 2025 – Fluoriq was named runner-up at the highly competitive Oxford/Lafayette Economic Development Foundation Pitch Competition, an event powered by Innovate Mississippi and the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network.

Held in the heart of Oxford, the event brought together top startups and small businesses from across the state to pitch their ventures, compete for cash prizes, and connect with Mississippi’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Fluoriq competed in the High-Growth Innovation & Technology Track, impressing judges with its novel fluorinated solutions for non-invasive diagnostics.

Fluoriq earned second place among ten finalists. “We’re honored to be recognized among Mississippi’s most promising startups,” said Dr. David Colby, Chief Scientific Officer and founder of Fluoriq. “This competition provided a platform not only to share our vision, but also to gain valuable feedback and build connections with key players in the region’s innovation network.”

The pitch competition featured two distinct tracks—Traditional & Main Street Businesses and High-Growth Innovation & Technology—each offering coaching, cash awards, and exposure to valuable business development resources. As runner-up, Fluoriq gains both recognition and continued support as it advances its breakthrough chemical technology.

This achievement marks the third consecutive year Fluoriq has received state recognition or funding—underscoring the company’s momentum and growing influence in the biotech sector.

To learn more about the competition, visit:

https://oxfordeagle.com/2025/06/17/oxford-2025-cobuilders-winners-announced/  

Oxford, Miss. October 21, 2024 — The Mississippi Federal and State Technology Partnership (MS-FAST), managed by Innovate Mississippi in collaboration with The University of Southern Mississippi's Business and Innovation Assistance Center, has awarded a Phase-0 grant to Mississippi-based biotech start-up Fluoriq. 

This funding will enable Fluoriq to secure essential resources and pursue additional non-dilutive funding opportunities to advance its research and development of fluoroalcohols for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and non-invasive diagnostics. 

The MS-FAST program was established in 2001, and is part of the Small Business Administration's initiatives aimed at supporting small businesses in Mississippi, particularly in securing funding through the SBIR and STTR programs. The program

seeks to enhance the state's capacity for innovation and technology development.

Founded in 2023, Fluoriq has developed an innovative technology platform aimed at

enhancing pharmaceutical manufacturing and creating new biotechnology products

through the discovery of advanced solvents.

For more information about Fluoriq and its initiatives, please visit www.fluoriq.com

"Solvents for the Manufacturer of Pharmaceuticals"

David A. Colby, PharmD, PhD, founder of Fluoriq and professor of medicinal chemistry, has been named to the IDeA Regional Entrepreneurship Development, or I-RED, program funded by the National Institutes of Health and XLerateHealth, a national healthcare accelerator.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231010169059/en/XLerator-Network-Selects-9-Innovators-Across-Southeast-for-NIH-Funded-Entrepreneurship-Program-I-REDs-Inaugural-Cohort-Announce 

"New Solvents for the Production of Pharmaceuticals" 

David A. Colby, PharmD, PhD, founder of Fluoriq and professor of medicinal chemistry has discovered new fluorinated alcohols as solvents for the efficient production of pharmaceuticals and products for biotechnology. These efforts are supported by a two-year grant from the State of Mississippi through SMART Business Act Accelerator Initiative.