Stemora, Inc., the Frederick, Maryland-based regenerative medicine company, announced on August 31, 2026 that it has received a $100,000 matching grant from the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program to fund a collaboration with Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor Srinivasa Raghavan at the University of Maryland. The project, titled “Biopolymer Gel to Regenerate Cartilage,” will engineer controlled-release hydrogel formulations for STM-01, Stemora’s lead therapeutic candidate, which works by modulating the body’s own skeletal stem cells to promote cartilage regeneration. To work effectively, STM-01 requires its components delivered in a precisely timed two-step profile — the technical problem this MIPS-funded collaboration is meant to solve. CEO Dr. Srujana Cherukuri said: “We are excited to receive this MIPS award and to collaborate with Professor Raghavan’s team. This project focuses on foundational formulation engineering that will allow STM-01’s biochemical cues to be delivered in a controlled and predictable manner.”
Engineering a Controlled-Release System for STM-01
The MIPS-funded work centers on formulation engineering rather than clinical testing: Stemora and Raghavan’s lab will optimize hydrogel composition, evaluate the material’s shear-thinning and injectability properties, and characterize how it releases biochemical cues over time under laboratory conditions, described in the release as the first step in establishing a robust delivery system for STM-01. Raghavan said: “Our lab has extensive experience designing hydrogel-based biomaterials and controlled-release systems. We look forward to applying that expertise to support Stemora’s development of STM-01.” Raghavan’s lab has built its reputation designing “smart” gels and hydrogels for biomedical applications, including hemostatic and superabsorbent formulations, making the pairing a close technical fit for Stemora’s delivery-system problem. MIPS pairs faculty at Maryland’s public universities with Maryland companies through matching, non-dilutive research grants — up to $100,000 a year for established small and large companies, and up to $90,000 a year for start-up firms.
Part of a Broader 2026 Funding Run
The MIPS award is Stemora’s third disclosed funding relationship of 2026. BioBuzz previously covered the company stacking two other wins this summer: a $25,000 investment from TEDCO’s Pre-Seed Rural Business Innovation Initiative, announced June 10, and a $305,000 Phase I SBIR grant from the National Science Foundation, announced June 25, together totaling $330,000. Where those two awards funded Stemora’s own preclinical work, the new UMD partnership adds an academic collaborator directly into the company’s formulation science.
About Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS)
MIPS promotes the development and commercialization of products and processes through industry-university research partnerships, providing matching funds to help Maryland companies pay for research conducted by faculty and graduate students at the state’s public universities. Projects are initiated by companies to meet their own R&D goals, with proposals submitted jointly by the company and a participating researcher.
About Stemora
Stemora is a regenerative medicine company developing next-generation biomaterial and cell-modulating technologies to restore tissue function and improve patient outcomes in musculoskeletal health. The company’s platform integrates advanced biopolymer engineering with translational research to create therapeutic solutions for cartilage repair and related degenerative conditions. Stemora is headquartered in Frederick, Maryland.
