SBIRs can be a good first set of funding. Some agencies go with $100k for six months, so win a couple of grants and you are doing pretty good. The problem is that some agenices have different criteria, forms, etc. so just because you jumped through the hoops for one funding source, it doesn't automatically translate (government does love their paperwork/processes).

Some programs are specifically designed for commercialization and want to see a product available at the end. There was a big shift to that post 9/11 (sometimes called "little 'r', big 'D'": less research, more development.