TEDCO awards $1M toward Harford biomanufacturing facility  

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The Maryland Technology Development Corporation has granted $1 million to a Howard County-based company to help build the state’s first fully integrated algae-based biomanufacturing facility in Aberdeen, Harford County officials announced.

The grant money, part of an Equitech Growth Fund award from TEDCO, went to biomanufacturer BrightWave LLC – which is headquartered in the Columbia area but has an office at the CONVERGE Center in Aberdeen.

According to Harford County officials, the funding will enhance BrightWave’s partnership with Early Charm Ventures VC at the CONVERGE Center. The facility, also known as the CONVERGE Innovation Center, supports startup companies, commercializing biomanufacturing technologies and workforce training. 

“BrightWave’s award is a major win for Harford County and the Greater Baltimore region. It demonstrates the kind of innovation the federal Tech Hub designation was meant to ignite, and it shows how regional coordination and targeted investment can build an ecosystem that supports cutting-edge companies and creates high-value jobs,” Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly said. 

“We’re excited for what this means not just for CONVERGE, but for the future of biomanufacturing in our county.”

Biomanufacturing uses living systems – algae, bacteria, enzymes and so forth – to produce polished materials and products suitable for commercial use.

According to a county release, the award will support advanced production equipment and key facility upgrades, including BrightWave’s patented photobioreactors; specialized downstream processing tools; and various upgrades to ensure the facility can operate safely and reliably.

The abovementioned improvements will transform 1,000 square feet of CONVERGE into a production floor designed to make sustainable materials, including carbon-negative building products and specialty chemicals used in personal care, aerospace and defense.

“The investment marks a major step forward in Harford County’s long-term strategy to grow a world-class biomanufacturing hub,” county officials said. 

“Earlier county and state support… created the foundation that helped make this award possible.”

TEDCO is a state-supported agency that provides funding and resources for technology and life sciences companies throughout Maryland.