Idaho – Swanson Reed | Specialist R&D Tax Advisors

Oklo Secures Greenlight for Microreactor Site Inspections

Oklo, a nuclear startup, has received the greenlight from the Department of Energy to conduct site investigations, bringing them closer to their first commercial microreactor.

Current plans will have the microreactor constructed at the IDaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls. The site investigations will focus on infrastructure planning, environmental surveys and geotechnical assessments. At present, the company hopes to break ground in 2026.

Oklo, however, still needs approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build and operate the plant after its first application was rejected in 2022. The CEO acknowledged there’s a risk the 2027 start date gets pushed out depending on how long the NRC review takes.

Oklo, which aims to build, operate and directly sell power to customers under long-term contracts, went public in May through a merger with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s SPAC, AltC Acquisition Corp. Altman serves as Oklo’s chairman.

The company said its microreactors, called Aurora, will have smaller and simpler designs that will range from 15 megawatts to as much as 100 megawatts or more. The average nuclear reactor in the U.S. currently is around 1,000 megawatts, according to the Department of Energy.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Breaking Barriers: Casa Shares Raises $1.5M to Democratize Real Estate Investing

Casa Shares, a real estate investing platform, has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding, marking a significant step towards democratizing real estate investment. Founded by Mirza Beg and McKay Francis, Casa Shares simplifies the investment process, allowing users to acquire shares in prime income properties starting at just $100.

The platform addresses a pressing issue: the exclusion of younger generations from real estate wealth-building due to soaring property prices. Casa Shares aims to break down these barriers, offering an inclusive investment experience accessible to all.

In today’s volatile market, the search for stable investment options has intensified. Real estate emerges as a desirable alternative, yet high entry costs deter many potential investors, particularly first-timers.

Casa Shares is committed to democratizing real estate investment, making it feasible for millions without the necessary funds, time, or expertise to venture into property investment independently.

With their first offering, The Lorene, a premium condominium in Rexburg, Idaho, Casa Shares has already made strides towards their mission. Looking ahead, the company plans to diversify its portfolio with properties in various locations and is developing an iOS app to enhance the investment experience.

The funding round, led by private investors sharing Casa Shares’ vision, underscores the importance of creating an inclusive real estate investing ecosystem for future generations.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

KORE Power’s Innovative Research and Development Fuels Sustainable Energy Solutions

KORE Power, Inc., a pioneering force in the clean energy industry, has announced a recent multi-year offtake agreement and collaboration with Nidec North America. This agreement is a testament to their commitment to advancing power technologies and promoting sustainable energy solutions.

Under this groundbreaking agreement, KORE Power is set to deliver between 450 MWh and 600 MWh of cutting-edge lithium-ion battery cells, modules, and racks to Nidec North America in 2024, with the potential to scale up to an impressive 2.2 GWh by 2026. This partnership solidifies KORE’s position as a leading supplier in the energy storage and power conversion systems sector.

The collaboration goes beyond mere supply agreements; it’s a strategic partnership aimed at developing turnkey energy storage systems for both utility-scale and commercial/industrial projects. KORE’s DC Blocks and Nidec’s Power Conversion Systems (PCS) are at the forefront of this innovative venture, promising efficient, durable, and high-density solutions that can seamlessly integrate into challenging electricity grids.

KORE Power is making ambitious strides in lithium-ion battery technology by committing to deliver 450 MWh to 2.2 GWh of battery cells, modules, and racks within the next three years. This aligns perfectly with Nidec’s commitment to supplying 225 MVA to 1,100 MVA of power conversion systems, all to meet the surging demand in North America’s energy storage market.

The significance of this partnership is echoed by Lindsay Gorrill, CEO and Founder of KORE Power, who highlighted the century of combined experience that both companies bring to the table. They are united in their mission to drive energy storage solutions forward for industrial, commercial, and utility-scale customers.

Dominique Llonch, President of Nidec Industrial Solutions, emphasized the importance of addressing the growing demand for energy storage projects and maximizing returns on intermittent energy sources. Together, these companies are poised to deliver innovative solutions that cater to the ever-evolving energy landscape.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Cradlepoint’s Acquisition of Ericom Software: A Boost to Enterprise Security in 5G Settings

Cradlepoint, a wireless WAN vendor based in Boise, Idaho, has made a bold move in the security sector. The company recently acquired Ericom Software, an Israeli cybersecurity veteran, to expand its SASE, zero trust, and cloud security offerings. The purchase of Ericom will bolster Cradlepoint’s mobile-capable and router-integrated SASE and zero trust technology portfolio, which can now cover fixed-site, remote worker, in-vehicle, and IoT use cases. The acquisition is a key part of Cradlepoint’s strategy to build a full-stack enterprise security service optimized for 5G.

Founded in 1993, Ericom Software has experienced three decades of bootstrapped growth, employing 111 people without taking any outside funding. Ericom CEO David Canellos is excited about the acquisition, as it enhances the company’s ability to meet the cybersecurity needs of global enterprises as they accelerate their rapid adoption of 5G technologies.

Cradlepoint’s SD-WAN and security strategy is based on the belief that enterprises will not deploy products from multiple vendors to address wireless and wireline network infrastructures. Therefore, the company’s SASE and zero trust offering will interoperate with its SD-WAN platform. Cradlepoint has more than 10,000 SD-WAN customers, and its market operations are focused on North America.

While Ericom historically focused on remote access and web security, it has recently debuted a full SASE platform in 2022 that includes SD-WAN, firewall, network access, data loss prevention, and basic access management with multi factor authentication.

Cradlepoint’s acquisition of Ericom is the second since March focused on delivering single-vendor SASE, and it comes a month after Hewlett Packard Enterprise bought security service edge startup Axis Security. As cybersecurity becomes increasingly critical in the 5G era, more companies are likely to follow suit and acquire established security vendors to expand their portfolios.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Soiltech Wireless Secures $2.5M in Seed Funding for their Remote Monitoring AgTech

Idaho-based Soiltech Wireless Inc., a startup focused on remote crop monitoring and traceability from field to transport and storage, has announced the close of a seed funding round bringing in $2.5 million.

The funding will go towards accelerating growth, as the company strives to bring their product to customers. Beyond this, the funding will also help drive the development of the Soiltech software platform which will aid in the collaboration across the agriculture supply chain. This collaboration will deliver enhanced insights to farmers, advisors, processors, and input companies alike.

After a long stint of R&D, the product is set to improve crop quality, increase yields, reduce costs, and lower environmental impact. The technology includes proprietary sensors which would arrive pre-configured, pre-charged, and ready to deploy.

The company began development with the intention of overcoming gaps and challenges in a crop’s production cycle. Their wireless monitoring makes real-time insights possible. They have taken a grassroots approach to innovation, working with growers, agriculture scientists, and industry researchers to make sure its technology solution was addressing real pain points, as well as being simple-to-use, affordable and of high-value for all farmers.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Eden Awarded $3.8M from DOE’s ARPA-E for Geothermal Stimulation Technology

Microbeam Technologies Awarded $250K in Funding

Eden GeoPower Inc. (Eden) has been selected to receive $3.79 million in federal funding from the US Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). This funding will be directed towards their “Electro-Hydraulic Fracturing of Enhanced Geothermal Systems” project. In addition to this funding, the company will receive support from world-class researchers from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Eden was founded with the intention of developing scalable, sustainable extraction of Earth’s geothermal heat and natural resources. To meet these goals, the company is developing a first-of-its-kind Electrical Reservoir Stimulation technology which offers a safer, more effective, and more efficient method of recovering these natural resources. Once developed and implemented, this has implications for a carbon-free future.

Their Electro-Hydraulic Fracturing of Enhanced Geothermal Systems aims to make a novel electromagnetic reservoir stimulation technology. This stimulation will increase the subsurface permeability in Enhanced Geothermal Systems, allowing fracturing and natural resource extraction with reduced environmental impacts. Traditional hydraulic fracturing techniques create extreme pressure and temperature conditions within the fractured hole and limit the stimulation of geothermal reservoirs.

“We are developing a radically different approach to reservoir stimulation, which utilizes high-voltage electricity as the main mechanism to increase reservoir permeability. This technology complements recent innovations in geothermal reservoir drilling, since drilled wells will need to be successfully stimulated to achieve maximum net power output per well,” described Eden Co-founder and CEO Paris Smalls.

Since its founding in 2009, ARPA-E has provided $2.93 billion in R&D funding, and ARPA-E projects have attracted more than $7.6 billion in private sector follow-on funding to commercialize clean energy technologies and create sustainable clean energy jobs. In 2019, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) received funding under the ARPA-E awards for the development of a revolutionary high-rate drilling system using electric pulses to drill high-temperature geothermal wells.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

ATOMIC Receives $1.5M from NSF Funding

The Center for Atomically Thin Multifunctional Coatings (ATOMIC) has received a grant from the National Science Foundation that will help them to further expand. This center brings together university, industry, and government partners to develop atom-thin 2D coatings with wide-ranging industrial applications.

ATOMIC was launched in 2015 and has 13 industry partners and five government partners. It is the only NSF center dedicated to the development of 2D coatings. They have won $1.5 million in Phase II funding which will allow them to add new academic partners – starting with Boise State University – and new industry partners.

The research is focused on designing and developing 2D materials with unique physical, optical, electrical and chemical properties. Ranges in thickness vary from to a few atoms can enable new technologies to address corrosion, oxidation, abrasion resistance and more.

Are you developing new software for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Team Effort Achieves Microgrid EV Fast Charging Station Designer

XENDEE develops world-class Microgrid decision support software. They aim to help designers optimize and certify Fight-Through resilience and performance in distributed energy systems. Recently, they have announced they teamed up with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to create a Microgrid Fast Charging Station Designer.

In an effort to develop a sufficient and effective fast charger designer they tested and validated it in two in-depth case studies – one in a grid connected operation and the other as an islanded set up. They were specifically aiming to create a framework that could design renewable based Microgrid configurations that provide optimal EV fast charging and energy management. Built as an expansion on XENDEE’s existing platform, this new development can project simulations, financial optimizations, and operational dispatches to maximize system efficiency and detect early returns on investment.

By intelligently mapping all cables, transformers, and distributed technology interactions, their software can mitigate problems during peak use times. INL provided resources to test real-life viability through simulated applications. These tests showed the platform was capable of optimizing dispatch and generation throughout the day, allowing the Microgrid to take advantage of energy sales and better manage the electrical fleet.

With the increasing abundance of electric vehicles, high-power and high-speed charging stations will become more and more critical. With smart platforms like this, there is an opportunity to revamp and enhance Microgrid development.

Are you developing new software for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Continuous Composites partners with NOVA of Saint Gobain

Idaho-based Continuous Composites announces their partnership with NOVA – a venture arm of Saint-Gobain. This provides Continuous Composites with the opportunity to commercialize their patented Continuous Fiber 3D Printing (CF3D) technology.

Continuous Composites wants to advance additive manufacturing with their work in composite materials. Their CF3D combines high-performing composite materials with rapid curing thermoset resins to create complex parts on demand. Continuous Composites recognized that traditional 3D printing was burdened by weak materials and slow print speeds. They redesigned the system, creating an option that is automated, scalable, and cost effective.

Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s oldest companies, currently focuses on construction and materials. Their investment opens Continuous Composites up to a massive pool of resources and connections with experts worldwide.

Are you redesigning technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Karus Cares About Your Finances

Karus, a financial technology startup, is going to be launching in Boise. The startup is using artificial intelligence (AI) to maximize efficiency in credit. Enhancing and increasing the data that’s available to lenders and loaners alike through machine learning will help determine the risks of loans and whether or not the risk is worth it. Karus points out that good credit scores don’t always mean that loans aren’t still a risk. Karus plans to set up their programs to present information like payment predictions, recovery rates, etc.

Karus is hoping that their data will help investors look past credit score and use the valuable information they have to offer to make loans and investments less risky. And by incorporating AI, they see this as a big opportunity to uniquely define their financial technology. They’ll use their AI to score each individual loan to give a bottom-up score rather than a top-down.

Are you developing new software? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.