The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) awarded a $383,114 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) to Venova Technologies Inc., a women-led and minority-led medical device startup company. The grant will support the development of a novel, non-hormonal, long-acting female contraceptive device. Venova Technologies is advancing their patent-pending technology through iterative design cycling to enhance the device's barrier efficiency and insertion reliability in anticipation of future biocompatibility testing and clinical trials. Success in this Phase I project will enable Venova to apply for a future SBIR Phase II grant to conduct pilot clinical studies and partner with an industry company for pivotal trials, regulatory approvals, and commercialization. This project aims to address the critical unmet need for contraceptive options that avoid the side effects associated with hormonal and copper-based methods.