Fifteen local companies looking to get their goods and services into the hands of international customers have been selected to participate in MetroConnect, an export assistance program run by World Trade Center San Diego, an affiliate of the San Diego Economic Development Corp.
The companies that have been selected, which include two brewing companies, Coronado Brewing Co. and Julian Hard Cider, language translation software platform Urban Translations and cleantech company Envision Solar International, will receive $10,000 in matching grants to cover up to half the costs associated with international expansion and other financial and programmatic resources to support their efforts in going global.
The companies also will be considered to compete in May for an additional $35,000 at MetroConnect’s Grand Prize Pitchfest.
The MetroConnect program launched in 2015. Two cohorts – a total of 30 companies – have gone through it so far. Together, according to the San Diego EDC, they have generated $10.5 million in new export sales, signed more than 70 new contracts, added 50 new jobs to the region, set up nine new overseas facilities and seen three successful company exits.
Companies that have participated in the program include Calbiotech, which was recently acquired by Germany-based company ERBA Diagnostics, and Cypher Genomics, which was snapped up by San Diego’s Human Longevity Inc. in 2015.
Here is the list of companies selected to go through the program this year:
Coronado Brewing Co.
CP Global Manufacturing
CureMatch
Del Mar Oceanographic
Dermala
Envision Solar International
FoxFury
Guru
Julian Hard Cider
Optimized Fuel Technologies
Performa Learning
Planck Aerosystems
Tioga Research
Tunnel Vision
Urban Translations