Maine Technology Institute
Maine Technology Institute (MTI) is a nonprofit public charity based in Portland, Maine, formed in 1999. Founded and funded by the Maine State Legislature, it supports Maine’s innovation economy through grants, loans, equity investments, and services for businesses, organizations, and entrepreneurs.
Maine Technology Institute at a glance
In short: Maine Technology Institute gave $22.2M across 194 grants in 2025 (avg $115K), mostly in Maine. 66% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $22,244,003
- +31.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 194
- +50.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $114,660
- -12.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $22,477,274
- -23.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 66% first-time grantees (126 of 192, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maine (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Maine Technology Institute
- How to Apply
-
For Business Innovation Funding, start with the Startup Questionnaire; if proceeding, submit the online interest form to be connected with an MTI team member. For Federal Funding Assistance, begin with the program assessment. For other programs, submit an interest form through the relevant program page.
- Review Cycle
- MTI says its four core programs have no deadlines to apply.
- Deadline
- MTI says its four core programs have no deadlines to apply.
- Contact
Mailing address: 16 Middle St 201, Portland, ME 04101-5163
Phone: (207) 582-4790
Website: https://mainetechnology.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Maine Technology Institute
Who Maine Technology Institute funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Somerset Economic Development Corporation ($3.0M). Together the top 10 received $8.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
927 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 524 grants of 927 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
MTI’s website describes its work as supporting Maine’s innovation economy and economic impact in Maine. In filing year 2025, 94% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in Maine, 3% to Massachusetts, and 2% to Vermont. The reported shares for New Hampshire and Delaware were each 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 194 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Maine Technology Institute open to new grantees?
66%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 126 of 192 grantees (66%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $120K; repeat grants $103K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $7.6M (2021) to $30.7M (2023). In 2025 it made 194 grants totaling $22.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset Economic Development Corporation Skowhegan, ME | Somerset Forest Recovery Program. | $3,000,000 |
| Hancock Lumber Company Inc Casco, ME | Bethel Value Added. | $990,000 |
| Stratton Lumber Inc Stratton, ME | Hurst Boiler, Grinder and Auto-wrapper. | $990,000 |
| Roux Institute Portland, ME | BioIN Incubator and BioPILOT Lab, a collaboration between the Northeastern/Roux Institute and the University of Southern Maine.; Future of Healthcare Founder Residency; Life Science Impact Forum; Startup Solutions: Immigrant Welcome Center; The Maine Summer Accelerator at the Roux Institute. | $560,000 |
| EME Biofuels LLC Woodstock, VT | EME Biofuels. | $500,000 |
| Tanbark Molded Fiber Products Inc Portland, ME | Electricity Upgrade to expand Production Capacity Video Production for Marketing Assets. | $499,317 |
| Robbins Lumber East Baldwin LLC Searsmont, ME | Better Utilization of the Eastern White Pine Resource through Implementation of Value-based Scanning. | $495,000 |
| Sappi North America Inc Westbrook, ME | Improvement of pulp and paper mill productivity when softwood chip ratio increases beyond 15% during the Copulp process at Somerset mill. | $495,000 |
| Godfrey Forest Arizona LLC Marblehead, MA | Godfrey Forest Maine OSB Mill. | $490,000 |
| T&D Wood Energy LLC Sanford, ME | Acquiring two shuttered facilities and expanding existing facility to meet rapidly increasing demand. | $450,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Maine Technology Institute?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $22,477,274 | $30,490,647 | $29,947,461 | $22,244,003 | 194 | $736,872 |
| 2024 | $29,202,613 | $22,492,763 | $21,984,308 | $16,973,160 | 129 | $696,274 |
| 2023 | $22,300,505 | $36,158,450 | $35,498,648 | $30,692,143 | 243 | $392,679 |
| 2022 | $19,619,742 | $14,853,693 | $15,091,479 | $10,620,378 | 250 | $166,670 |
| 2021 | $20,192,850 | $10,752,801 | $10,538,560 | $7,619,460 | 111 | $378,252 |
| 2020 | $38,580,369 | $27,495,350 | $27,468,624 | $22,502,694 | 118 | $418,970 |
| 2019 | $41,636,601 | $35,533,893 | $35,173,668 | $25,939,690 | 111 | $682,280 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
MTI’s stated mission is to support research and development leading to the commercialization of new products and services in Maine’s technology-intensive industrial sectors, strengthen those sectors’ competitive position, encourage industrial clusters, and create jobs for Maine people.
MTI funds research and development projects in seven technology sectors: biotechnology; composites and advanced materials; environmental technologies; forest products and agriculture; information technology; marine technology and aquaculture; and precision manufacturing. Its 2024 filing describes businesses, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and entrepreneurs as eligible for funding.
MTI’s 2025 grants included support for different kinds of organizations and projects. Somerset Economic Development Corporation received $3 million for the Somerset Forest Recovery Program. Maine Center for Enterprise Development, doing business as Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, received $234,382; it describes its mission as creating high-quality jobs through business incubation services, including support for intellectual property, business plans, research and development, early-stage financing, and product commercialization. Sea Meadow Marine Foundation received $200,000; it says it works to preserve Maine’s working waterfront and integrate environmental science and education into support for the marine economy. Island Institute received $150,000; it describes its work as helping island and coastal communities navigate climate and economic change.
Grantmaking
MTI offers grants, loans, equity investments, and services. Its website describes four continuously run programs: Business Innovation Funding, the Maine Entrepreneurial Resource Corps, Event Sponsorship, and Federal Funding Assistance. It says those core programs have no application deadlines.
In filing year 2025, MTI reported 194 grants totaling $22,244,003. Grant amounts ranged from $5,040 to $3 million, with a median of $50,000. Among the largest listed awards were $990,000 to Hancock Lumber Company for Bethel Value Added, $990,000 to Stratton Lumber for a boiler, grinder, and auto-wrapper, and $560,000 to the Roux Institute for several initiatives, including a bio-incubator and BioPILOT Lab collaboration with the University of Southern Maine. Other listed awards included $500,000 to EME Biofuels, $499,317 to an individual recipient, and $426,413 to Maine Space Corporation.
For Business Innovation Funding, the process begins with a Startup Questionnaire, followed by an online interest form and an initial meeting with an MTI team member. The website says an investment officer is assigned within 10 business days after the interest form is submitted. Applicants who proceed are provided an application form and supporting templates; applications require an application, project budget, and scope of work, with additional materials required for larger requests. MTI says its typical application review takes around two months, though timing can vary.
Business Innovation Funding eligibility includes being a Maine-based organization, having a connection to at least one of MTI’s seven technology sectors, and proposing a technical or scientific innovation that is substantially different from existing alternatives and has potential for economic impact in Maine. Applicants must show customer validation and access to at least 1:1 matching funds; cash match is required, though some in-kind contributions may be accepted at lower funding levels. Maine-based requirements include Maine registration, a regular place of business in the state, and qualifying leadership living in Maine full-time for at least the award period.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Melissa LaCasse as chairperson, Amberlynn Esperanza as treasurer, and Jake Ward as vice chairperson. Directors listed were Jed Beach, Michael Cassata, Elizabeth Love, Charlotte Mace, Colin March, Meredith Mendelson, and Rob Pierson.
Maine Technology Institute is led by Brian Whitney, President on every filing since 2019; 1 of 16 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brian Whitney
President
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa LaCasse
Chairperson
Chair → Chairperson, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory N Lee
Director of Finance & Administration
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$81K (2019) → $119K (2025)
Ian Swanberg
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Meredith Mendelson
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jed Beach
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Cassata
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rob Pierson
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Tapley
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charlotte Mace
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Colin March
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Love
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dan Belyea
Past Director
Director → Past Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Heather Johnson
Past Director
Director → Past Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jake Ward
Vice Chairperson
Secretary → Vice Chairperson, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amberlynn Esperanza
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: John Pavan (2023–2024) — Past Director
- Former: Donna Cassese (2019–2023) — Past Chair
- Former: Raymond Kelley (2019–2023) — Past Treasurer
- Former: Richard Ganong (2019–2023) — Past Director
- Former: Rosaire Pelletier (2019–2023) — Past Director
- Former: Sebastian Belle (2019–2023) — Past Director
- Former: Sarah Curran (2022–2023) — Past Director
- Former: Alexander Spaulding (2019–2022) — Past Vice Chair
- Former: Stacey Huth (2019–2022) — Past Director
- Former: Paul Edmonds (2019–2020) — Past Director
- Former: George Gervais (2019) — Past Director
- Former: Nina Fisher (2019) — Past Director
- Former: Scott Bourget (2019) — Past Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $119K, to Gregory N Lee (Director of Finance & Administration).
Frequently asked questions about Maine Technology Institute
How much does Maine Technology Institute give each year?
Maine Technology Institute gave $22.2M across 194 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $17.0M across 129 grants.
What is Maine Technology Institute's typical grant size?
Maine Technology Institute's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $114,660, across 194 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Maine Technology Institute that year got $120K on average.
Where does Maine Technology Institute give grants?
Maine Technology Institute gives mostly in Maine: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (47 grants), Brunswick, ME (8 grants), Orono, ME (7 grants) and Yarmouth, ME (7 grants).
Does Maine Technology Institute give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of Maine Technology Institute's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 194) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Maine Technology Institute's largest grantees?
Maine Technology Institute's largest 2025 grantees include Somerset Economic Development Corporation ($3,000,000), Hancock Lumber Company Inc ($990,000) and Stratton Lumber Inc ($990,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Maine Technology Institute?
Maine Technology Institute reported $22.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $30.5M.
What does Maine Technology Institute fund?
MTI’s stated mission is to support research and development leading to the commercialization of new products and services in Maine’s technology-intensive industrial sectors, strengthen those sectors’ competitive position, encourage industrial clusters, and create jobs for Maine people. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Maine Technology Institute?
For Business Innovation Funding, start with the Startup Questionnaire; if proceeding, submit the online interest form to be connected with an MTI team member. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Maine Technology Institute's EIN?
Maine Technology Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0529871. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 23, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Maine Technology Institute's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Maine Technology Institute funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 7, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/maine-technology-institute-morg_307e02078da54e01a600894001099d74
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_010529871_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Maine Technology Institute funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/maine-technology-institute-morg_307e02078da54e01a600894001099d74},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-07. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Maine Technology Institute's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Maine Technology Institute down — hundreds of funders to go?