CCF grants support startups, critical early technology testing and market validation efforts

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, August 15, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- The Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) today announced that ChowCall has been awarded a Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) grant for $75,000. VIPC’s CCF programs have distributed more than $51 million to Virginia-based startups, entrepreneurs and university-based inventors since 2012.

Based in Norfolk, Va., ChowCall’s on-demand delivery platform provides meals, groceries and other goods to customers living and working on and around military bases and federal installations. This CCF grant will help to commercialize a military base addressing technology capable of integrating with civilian and governmental entities in order to facilitate "Click2Door" services, improve the quality of life for military community users including cost savings on groceries, and increase revenue opportunities for providers. ChowCall has previously received funding from VIPC’s equity investment program, Virginia Venture Partners (VVP).

“I started a food delivery restaurant after returning from deployment and leaving the Marine Corps in 2006,” said Todd Waldemar, CEO and founder of ChowCall. “After delivering more than two million orders to military bases over 14 years, I started ChowCall in 2019 to deliver orders onto military bases from favorite restaurants. After living through a global pandemic that changed how we all live and go about our daily lives, these delivery services for military families are even more critical. Most military bases have limited options and services due to access and logistical constraints. ChowCall’s mission is to change this and improve the quality of life for our military heroes. We also deliver groceries from military base Commissaries and have delivered over 15,000 grocery orders to date. We appreciate the support of VIPC through this CCF grant and look forward to further supporting military communities.”

“We are pleased to award a CCF grant to ChowCall,” said Jeanette Townsend, VIPC’s Director for Private Sector Grants. “VIPC’s CCF grant program plays an important role in getting funding to Virginia-based pre-seed and seed-stage startups when they need it most. Our goal is to help Virginia companies grow and lead the nation in innovation, opportunity, and job creation. ChowCall’s innovative military base addressing technology promises better access to consumer products and services for U.S military service members and their families who reside on military bases.”

About the Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF)
VIPC’s Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) awards funding on a rolling basis to Virginia’s small businesses and university-based innovators. The CCF Private Sector program seeks to fund high-potential Virginia-based for-profit technology companies at the early stage of commercialization. The grants support early technology and market validation efforts such as the development of prototypes or a minimum viable product (MVP), customer pilots, intellectual property protection, and more. For more information on funding opportunities and eligibility requirements, or to apply, visit the CCF pages at www.VirginiaIPC.org.

About Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
VIPC: Connecting innovators with opportunities. As the nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA), VIPC is the commercialization and seed stage economic development driver in the Commonwealth that leads funding, infrastructure, and policy initiatives to support Virginia's innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, and market development strategies. VIPC collaborates with local, regional, state, and federal partners to support the expansion and diversification of Virginia’s economy.

Programs include: Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) | VVP Fund of Funds (SSBCI) | Virginia Founders Fund (VFF) |Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) | Petersburg Founders Fund (PFF) | Smart Communities | The Virginia Smart Community Testbed | The Virginia Unmanned Systems Center | Virginia Advanced Air Mobility Alliance (VAAMA) | The Public Safety Innovation Center |Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) | Federal Funding Assistance Program (FFAP) for SBIR & STTR | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. For more information, please visit www.VirginiaIPC.org. Follow VIPC on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Angela Costello, Vice President of Communications
Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
angela.costello@VirginiaIPC.org
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