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EnTiCe

EnTiCe is developing a low-cost battery for grid reliability. The EnTiCe system is an all-soluble, electrode decoupled and long lasting design that is considerably less expensive than all-Vanadium RFBs ($400/KWh at scale). The EnTiCe battery uses patented membrane and electrode technologies, with the plan to reach <$50/KWh following scale up and commercialization. The initial target market for this redox flow battery is utility scale storage, which is expected to grow at 20% CAGR in the near term with growth concentrated in China, EU and North America.

Princeton NuEnergy

Princeton University

(10.2022 Update -Princeton NuEnergy, Inc. ("PNE"), an emerging growth company primarily engaged in the regeneration of lithium-ion battery ("LIB") material, announced it successfully closed a seed funding round at $7M in Q4 2021. The round was led by Wistron Corporation (TPE: 3231), a Fortune Global 500 member and an industry leader in electronics recycling services. Other investors in the round include Shell Ventures, Greenland Technologies (NASDAQ: GTECH), CleanTech Open, AIBasis Fund, WorldQuant Ventures, and the angel round investors. Princeton NuEnergy ("PNE") is an innovative clean-tech startup company spun out from Princeton University in 2019 focused on the direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles and consumer electronics. Opened its Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) Direct Recycling 500-ton pilot production line with Wistron GreenTech. )

Pangolin Therapeutics

Yale University

[Update (8.2023): The company raised $350,000 of seed funding from Connecticut Innovations and others on May 26, 2021] Numerous clinical trials in amyloidosis have failed as a result of misdirected focus on amyloid states of disease-causing proteins. Pangolin Therapeutics’ (PTx) small-molecule platform, termed Pangomers™, was developed to address this deficiency. The Pangomer™ core structure enables selective targeting of pre-amyloid, toxic oligomers (PAOs). Here, we seek to address Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), an aggressive, orphan-indicated form of Parkinson's for which there are no approved therapeutics. Our pilot efforts have identified and validated a strategy for development of Pangomer™ analogues that neutralize PAOs from MSA. Additional funding will allow execution of this strategy delivering a lead molecule for pre-clinical advancement.

MCW Gene Therapy

The Medical College of Wisconsin Office of Technology Development (MCW’s “Tech Transfer Office”) seeks an experienced biotechnology leader to start a new company, license gene therapy IP described below, raise the funding needed and to bring one or more products to Phase I clinical testing. The ideal candidate will have experience with the earliest stages of gene therapy (or other complex biologic) product development and testing. They would understand how to develop a plan, raise funding (whether SBIR, Angel, VC), work with investors, build an effective team and engage with CROs.

Allagium Therapeutics

Yale University

Modulation of MAP Kinase Phosphatases in Targeting Liver Disease. A novel platform for allosteric targeting of MAP kinase phosphatases to achieve nodal regulation of signaling pathways that can be leveraged for therapeutic purposes.

Allyx Therapeutics

Yale University

[Update (8.2023): The company raised $2.31 million of Series A1 venture funding in a deal led by Spring Mountain Capital on February 9, 2023] Loss of brain synapses is highly correlated with symptom progression in Alzheimer’s dementia, but there is currently no treatment to slow or halt synapse loss. Allyx’s prion protein antagonists rescue synapses and memory function by interrupting the deleterious signaling triggered by amyloid without removing plaque itself and are effective at reversing deficits after they develop.

Vanish Therapeutics

University of Pittsburgh

Pain is the second largest burden on the US health care system, and with the advent of the opioid epidemic it has become apparent that patients with chronic pain do not have sufficient treatment options. A proven non-pharmaceutical method of pain treatment is through nerve and spinal cord stimulators, which are devices that are implanted in the body and use electrical signals to control and modulate the perception of pain. In addition, patients report that their pain is controlled long after electrical stimulation has stopped, and the nerve stimulator market has grown to over $3Billion per year. However, these stimulators often require surgery to implant, can cost more than $30,000 and have excessively high failure rates which are estimated to be over 30%, requiring revision operations and rapidly increasing costs to over $100,000 for a single device.

Milo Sensors

University of California, Santa Barbara

Millions of people all over the world face challenges with alcohol. One of the more traditional solutions people first consider is Alcoholics Anonymous. Through market research, we have learned that more and more non-traditional solutions are being sought out to supplement the recovery journey and we, at Milo Sensors, believe we can provide an option for the supervised or self-monitoring of alcohol consumption. Unlike other existing alcohol monitoring tools such as ankle bracelets, ION™ is designed for the wearer first, with discretion, comfort, and usability at the forefront. Common industries that benefit from similar monitoring devices, such as the criminal justice system or family law, seem to follow only after the recovery support network has failed and act as a punitive measure. In contrast, we aim to help anyone who seeks to improve their general wellness by focusing on their relationship with alcohol and then help rebuild trust with surrounding family members and supporters.

Inleptin Therapeutics

George Washington University

Note: No company is formed yet. Seeking entrepreneur to lead. Opioids remain an indispensable treatment for severe pain despite increased risk for obese patients with tolerance. Of particular concern is opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD), especially during sleep, due to comorbid obstructive sleep apnea common in obese patients. Naloxone is the only drug available that can reverse the adverse effects of opioids and prevent death. However, naloxone has limited use because it reverses analgesia and induces withdrawal. A preventive treatment for sleep-related OIRD that does not affect analgesia or induce withdrawal is critical in patients with obesity. GW and JHU researchers found that intranasal leptin can reverse morphine-induced apneas, hypoventilation, and upper-airway obstruction while enhancing analgesic effects in mice with obesity.

Qunnect

Leveraging proprietary hardware and the quantum mechanics properties of photons to enable quantum communications. Quantum-secure networking leverages the physical-encryption of photons to enable unprecedented sensitivity and speed of detecting eavesdroppers/hackers. Several barriers exist to broad implementation of scalable quantum networking in the real-world. Foremost, devices supporting quantum transactions, analogous to digital telecom, need to be invented. These devices must be deployable in the real-world and, ideally, also compatible with existing infrastructure, like optical fiber beds.

SPARKBio

George Washington University

Over 30% of such withdrawals are due to cardiac toxicity (pro-arrhythmic effects mediated by cardiac ion channels), therefore regulatory agreements mandate the testing of all new drugs for cardiac liability. GW researchers developed the first scalable automated all-optical system for high-throughput cardiac electrophysiology and electromechanics. The system includes a method for combined optical pacing and optical recording from a variety of primary and stem-cell-derived cells and tissues. This platform allows for active dynamic interrogation, such as robust pacing protocols that can reveal Vm, [Ca2+]i or contraction’s frequency response (restitution) and temporal instabilities. The researchers also developed “spark-cell” spheroids which can be used as a reagent that can be frozen, transported, and deployed on-site to confer optical pacing of cardiac cells.

Atomwise

The company’s proprietary AtomNet technology identifies new small molecules for therapeutic targeting of difficult proteins. Atomwise is a venture-backed drug discovery platform company powered by robust and evolving machine learning algorithms. The proprietary AtomNet technology identifies new small molecules for therapeutic targeting of difficult proteins. Atomwise has wholly-owned pre-clinical assets in immunology, co-developed assets in oncology, hematology, and immunology, as well as several stealth candidates in discovery phase. (University of Toronto)

Surgical ai

Harvard University

Operating rooms are often not efficient and are costly to hospitals. Solutions to increasing efficiency neglect to monitor errors in real time which can be stopped and improve efficiency from the time of the incident. This technology pairs artificial intelligence with real time monitoring of operating room procedures to increase efficiency of hospital operating rooms.

Vine Robot Technologies

University of California, Santa Barbara

Soft robotics shows promise for creating robots which are better able to navigate narrow and variable environments. The vine robot is able to extend its length many thousands of percent its body length with an internal pressurized vessel, which can be manipulated to change the direction of the robot tip. In testing, the vine robot is able to navigate through small passages and can even autonomously navigate towards light source with the addition of a camera.

Rhenium Chemotherapeutics

Cornell University

About half of treated cancer patients receive platinum-based drugs (eg. cisplatin, carboplatin) alone or in co-administration with other anticancer agents. Despite their efficacy, their use is limited by toxic side effects and inherent or acquired resistance to platinum-based drugs by tumor cells. To address this challenge, a Cornell team lead by Prof. Justin Wilson have developed rhenium-based chemotherapeutics for treatment of platinum-resistant cancers.

AgileMD

University of Chicago

Industry-leading analytic for predicting all hospital-caused deterioration and sepsis. eCART continually monitors patients using real-time data and drives clinical workflows for front-line staff and rapid response teams to prevent failure to rescue. AgileMD eCART is dedicated to improving patient outcomes by leveraging the way data is used. They are part of a revolutionary change in the delivery of healthcare that is being driven by the rapid uptake in technologies related to the capture, storage, and analysis of data. They empower electronic health records to deliver standardized clinical pathways that recommend orders, document decision-making, and save time.

Bone-Rad Therapeutics

University of California, Irvine

Bone-Rad Therapeutics, Inc. is a Delaware corporation whose objective is to develop and market Spine-Rad (TM) Brachytherapy Bone Cement as an innovative, improved, and cost-effective treatment paradigm for the management of cancer tumors in the spine which affect over 230,000 patients per year in the U.S. and a similar number in the E.U. Four patents covering this technology have been issued and exclusively licensed to Bone-Rad Therapeutics. An additional patent is pending. Developed at The University of California Irvine, Spine-Rad Cement delivers internally-targeted radiation therapy directly to the tumor as it simultaneously treats existing or impending vertebral fractures, restoring strength to the bone. Administered in a single procedure, Spine-Rad Cement will eliminate the 10-20 hospital visits typically needed for external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) as well as the significant side effects of EBRT.

Carver Biosciences

Princeton University

(Update 9.22 - Closed $3M seed round by Khosla Ventures). Broad-spectrum antiviral therapies do not exist, tragically hindering our ability to respond to viral outbreaks and pandemics. We need new approaches to treat these diseases, as existing therapeutics are very narrow-spectrum and take many years to develop. Carver Biosciences is a startup company developing CRISPR-based therapies for RNA viruses that infect humans. Carver’s approach is a programmable, platform technology that could offer a generalizable solution for treating many viruses, as targeting is dictated by a guide RNA sequence. The underlying technology, CARVER, was developed by founder Cameron Myhrvold during his time as a postdoc at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and was published in Molecular Cell in 2019.

Sensible Photonics

Carnegie Mellon University

Sensible Photonics is partnering with utilities, OEMs and regulators to improve grid reliability and resilience through low-cost sensing solutions for distribution transformers and other electrical equipment. To keep pace with the growing demand for electricity and heightened threat from climate change, the grid needs to be smarter and more self-aware. At the same time, supply for distribution transformers is constrained, causing utilities to seek solutions for extending the life of these assets. Sensible Photonics fiber optic sensors provide real-time temperature readings for electrical assets and can enable the proactive prediction of required maintenance and imminent failures due to thermal runaway, resulting in improved reliability, financial savings, enhanced lifespan of equipment, operational efficiency, and safety. Future product offerings will enable real-time monitoring of additional critical parameters relevant for electrical equipment health monitoring.

OT Bio

George Washington University

OT Bio aims to apply our patented intranasal oxytocin therapy to treat sleep apnea and protect patients from associated heart disease. The scientific leaders have complementary bench and clinical expertise that has enabled both understanding of oxytocin's mechanisms in the brain and human studies showing improved respiratory and cardiac functions.

MyophonX

Cornell University

Solutions for silent speech production lack innovation, cultural acceptability, and often involve invasive surgery. MyophonX is cutting-edge wearable technology for silent communication, with applications to stroke and laryngectomy patients as well as voice searching.

CardiacTEEM

Brown University

Cardiotoxicity of pharmaceutical drugs, industrial chemicals, and environmental toxicants can be severe, even life threatening, which necessitates a thorough evaluation of human response to chemical compounds. Predicting risks for arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death accurately is critical for defining safety profiles. Currently available approaches have limitations including a focus on single select ion channels, the use of non-human species in vitro and in vivo, and limited direct physiological translation. CardiacTEEM has developed in vitro 3D models of atrial and ventricular tissues from human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes that can be used to evaluate chamber-specific responses without the need for animals. This self-assembled 3D microtissue technology provides a straightforward way to analyze physiologically relevant metrics like action potential patterns. CardiacTEEM is exploring applications in pharmaceutical development as well as environmental chemical toxicity testing.

Gene Activation Product Engine

Yale University

Over 95% of rare disease have no treatment or cure: there are over 7,000 known rare diseases collectively affectiting 30 million Americans. Many of these disease are genetic disorders, in which there can be considerable genetic variation between patients. Current drug development pipeline does not cater to rare mutations, as drug development often takes more than 10 years and over $2B to get a drug to market, making the small patient populations inhibiting. Even if a therapy is developed, genetic variation of the disease means not all patients in the already-small patient population may be able to be treated, limiting their impact and incentive to develop these therapies.

HealthStream

Build and manage a curated set of courses that allow medical practitioners to find professional training in almost all areas of healthcare. Employs sophisticated software to validate a medical provider's knowledge/skill, ensuring that consistent care is achieved. They are most well known for Jane, a machine learning program that measures clinicians ability and knowledge to create an education plan for work competency.

bioProtonics

University of California, Santa Barbara

[Update (8.2023): SBIR/STTR funding total - $150k, Venture funding total - $2.86M] Many diseases can only be diagnosed properly by looking at sections of the tissue post-mortem or from invasive biopsies. Imaging of subtle textural aspects of tissue is not possible due to low resolution in magnetic resonance (MR) images. bioProtonics has developed a method to measure tissue texture using MR data without the need for rendered images. In many diagnostic workflows, the bioProtonics technique could replace biopsies. Such applications include neurodegenerative disease, liver disease, osteoporosis, cancer, lung disease, prostate disease. (Update 2019 - 2021: $1,049,785 + $782K Seed Funding)

Bacchus Therapeutics

[Update (8.2023) SBIR/STTR funding total: $405k] Bacchus Therapeutics is a biotech company that exploits cancer’s hypermetabolic state by targeting specific cancer metabolic pathways. The aberrant expression of MYC is virtually unmatched, making MYC one of the most frequently deregulated oncogenes in human tumors, including, liver, kidney, CNS, hematopoietic, breast, prostate, lung and GI tumors. Human studies and animal models have established that dysregulation of MYC underlies the pathogenesis and aggressiveness of numerous cancers. Our founders, Drs. Gouw and Felsher, discovered that MYC regulates the aberrant lipid metabolism of tumors and that inactivation of key lipid enzymes results in regression of tumors. (Update: After receiving the IGNITE program grant in 2021, Bacchus opened a lab at one of the shared wet benches in the Prince William County Accelerator in early 2022.)

cAPAcity Genomics

University of California, Irvine

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of noncoding variants associated with human traits and diseases. However, translating these variants into therapies continues to be a significant challenge. Alpaca Genomics has constructed a multi-tissue atlas of human 3′ UTR alternative polyadenylation (APA) quantitative trait loci (3′aQTLs), connecting thousands of noncoding GWAS variants with the APA of target genes, identified in 49 tissues isolated from 838 individuals (sourced from the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project). Alpaca Genomics is using 3’aQTLs to discover novel APA-linked susceptibility for many human diseases, such as diabetes, prostate cancer, coronary artery disease (CAD), Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

physIQ

Purdue University

[Update (8.2023): physIQ has raised a total of $27.09M in funding through 8 funding rounds]. physIQ has created wearable sensors for continuous, remote patient monitoring to provide predictive insights. The platform gives clinicians 24/7 access to provide treatment and care through virtual or hospital-at-home models, it helps to avoid hospital re-admissions by altering the team to life-threatening events in advance, and helps patients take charge of their own care to improve disease management.

Rixel

Freelance deep learning developers and data scientists creating technical projects and participating in hack-a-thons. Projects include a Medical Gateway Platform to connect medical devices and platforms with real time, secure, and private data. A Health Data Labeling System that helps medical companies integrate new data from smart devices. The software collects, cleans, and labels the data. Finally, a Synthetic NF1 which is a method to solve the MRI data shortage in the field of neurofibromatosis type I.

DeckTherapeutics

[Update (8.2023): Raised seed investment from CH Innovations & Catalytic Impact Foundation & won a $500K grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in July 2022] THDG3 represents a novel, patent protected omega-3 diglyceride emulsion developed by Dr. Deckelbaum’s laboratory at Columbia University. Acute injection of THDG3 emulsion following stroke leads to a marked reduction in brain tissue death (up to 90%, demonstrated in 6 rodent models), with associated preservation and recovery of both short and long term neurofunctional outcomes. Due to the high risk profile and short window of administration, less than 8% of stroke patients receive treatment with t-PA, the current standard of treatment for stroke. DeckTherapeutics is currently developing THDG3 emulsion as a drug candidate for standard emergency treatment for stroke, a global unmet need, with phase 2a trials planned in 2021.

Andluca Technologies

Princeton University

(Update 12.21 - Andluca Technologies has been awarded a $1M Phase II SBIR grant from NSF to continue development of their near-ultraviolet (NUV) organic photovoltaic technology. Andluca was selected for $400,000 in follow-on funding from Empire State Development via the Luminate NY accelerator program. The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology (CSIT) awarded $75,000 through the Clean Tech Seed Grant Program. Andluca, a Princeton University spin-out, has developed UV-solar-powered smart glass for improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Andluca’s patented technologies can reduce building energy use by up to 40% while significantly enhancing occupant comfort and productivity.

Aero Therapeutics

Yale University

Aero Therapeutics is helping physicians in low-resource settings treat neonatal respiratory issues with their sustainable, rugged and affordable devices. ​Their current device oxygenates, warms, humidifies, and sterilizes air before it is delivered in a single, compact, and mobile enclosure. ​Developed iteratively in Ethiopia, their final prototype demonstrates comparable performance with commercially available devices at ~1/10th the cost.

AnelleO

University of North Carolina

[Update (8.2023): SBIR/STTR funding total - $2.17M] AnelleO is harnessing the advancements in the speed and scale of 3D printing technology for novel solutions in Women’s Health. AnelleO’s Intravaginal Rings (IVRs) offer a unique platform for sustained delivery of therapeutics – a non-invasive, self-administered and retrievable platform that can deliver drugs over a period of weeks or months. AnelleO is a medical device company that is developing a 3D printed intravaginal ring that can be used as a platform for treating a wide range of women's health conditions. Their first product, AnelleO PRO involves the only single administration of progesterone for infertility. Their technology enables controlled drug-release kinetics with up to 100% drug release, as well as rapid manufacturing and custom sizing. The manufacturing method allows for formulation of biologics and drug combinations not possible with traditional technologies.

Mucosinix Pharm

Yale University

Mucosinix has a new class of antibiotics which have not been shown to trigger resistance in MRSA culture. This new antibiotic class shows promise as a treatment for multidrug resistant microbes.

Vittix Therapeutics

Yale University

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a highly lethal, orphan lung disease with limited treatment options. Vittix Therapeutics, led by Dr. Naftali Kaminski, Chief of the Pulmonary Section at Yale University, has identified thyroid hormone small molecule mimetics as a novel therapeutic approach, targeting mitochondrial function in lung epithelial cells and to date, has produced compelling in vivo proofs of concept. Received a Blavatnik Award in May 2019.

FUSONEX

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a hereditary disease that affects ~50,000 families in the United States and causes the development of hundreds to thousands of adenomas in the rectum and colon. When left untreated, 100% of FAP patients develop colorectal cancer by the age of 45. Although small molecules and monoclonal antibodies targeting mTOR and IL-23 are be tested to treat FAP, these approaches are not specific to polyps and therefore cause a variety of unintended side-effects. Additionally, although genetics studies have identified variants in the APC gene as the causal mutation for FAP, gene therapy technologies need to be optimized to achieve the precision and efficacy necessary to serve as a viable therapeutic option for FAP. This technology is a monoclonal antibody targeting the Annexin A1 (ANXA1) protein complex that may be useful in treating FAP and other cancers related to ANXA1 activity.

SquidTek, Inc.

University of California, Irvine

The Future of Performance Fabrics IS Thermoregulation. What is Revolutionary here? In the sixties, waterproof-breathable membranes forever changed how we think about rainwear. In the nineties, we learned that polyester was superior to cotton in athletic wear, spawning a new age of fitness apparel. The next BIG THING will be THERMOREGULATORY materials – and they’ll revolutionize the industry.

SkyNano Technologies

Vanderbilt University

Using patent-pending technology developed at Vanderbilt University, our technique overcomes cost and scaleability limitations associated with traditional manufacturing techniques, while also giving commercial viability to carbon conversion technologies through the introduction of a high-value secondary material produced from greenhouse gas inputs. Our technique relies on electrochemistry, rather than solely catalysis, and results in a highly efficient process to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into useful functional nanomaterials.(6.2022 - SkyNano was selected to receive $2M in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The funding is part of the ARPA-E HESTIA program, which prioritizes overcoming barriers associated with carbon-storing buildings, including scarce, expensive and geographically limited building materials. As of August 2022, SkyNano has raised ~$8.5M (million) in non-dilutive funding from a variety of federal, state, and commercial sources.)

HeroWear

Vanderbilt University

[Update (8.2023): SBIR/STTR funding total - $1.9M, Venture funding total - $2.85M] Working men and women lift every day. They do it in warehouses and on production lines. In offices and combat zones. Every day, they lift the economy worldwide. Whether it’s the day-to-day grind or responding to a crisis, their strength supports us all. And they deserve gear that sustains their strength, for work and for life. That makes their job safer. The HeroWear Apex means that their weight is over. The world’s first exosuit for all, built from the ground up for both men and women, the Apex is a back-assist exosuit that uses a proprietary band-based mechanism to reduce strain on the back without getting in the way.

Pearl Bio

Yale University

[Update (8.2023): The company raised $4.11 million of seed funding from Khosla Ventures on October 7, 2021] Pearl Bio is an early-stage venture pioneering design and production of next-generation therapeutics and biomaterials for medical applications and beyond. Biology is constrained to the 20 natural amino acids, limiting the ability to site-specifically modify therapeutic proteins to improve half-life, tissue targeting, or assembly. In contrast, chemical synthesis of therapeutics enables access to greater functional diversity, but template-directed synthesis is challenging. Pearl Bio unites the precision of biology with the unlimited diversity of chemistry in a transformative platform that produces therapeutics and biomaterials with tunable properties for applications in oncology, immunology, and rare disease.

Qlarity Imaging

University of Chicago

AI software that gives radiologists information they do not have access to today. Qlarity Imaging utilizes the QuantX MRI image analysis technology and reference database to aid in initial diagnosis and evaluation of extent of known disease of breast cancer patients. The software dramatically improves biopsy precision and treatment outcomes by identifying exactly where a malignancy is, how and where the needle should be inserted, and how deep the needle should go, effectively guiding the radiologists performing biopsy procedures. The technology was designed with physicians in mind, resulting in easy implementation and adoption in research and community hospitals demonstrating that not only does the technology work in theory, it also works in practice resulting in material improvement to patient outcomes.

M^3

We treat faces as if they were feet, and that’s absurd. Unlike feet, faces are 3D, yet we still measure them using 2D objects such as paper cutouts in the massive $6b market to fit people with masks. This doesn’t cut it, and the data backs it up: 50% of Americans don’t wear the CPAP masks they’ve been prescribed because of these fit, comfort, and convenience issues. The only reason we’ve tolerated this is that until recently there has been no better way to get good 3d measurements of your face without lots of specialized tools. We solve this problem by making it as easy as taking a selfie to get precise 3D measurements of your face.

QuantHub

Platform to assess current state and provide personalized intervention where needed. Founded in 2018, QuantHub provides an efficient yet rigorous vetting platform for hiring data professionals and a modern, in the flow of work, learning platform focused on both AI skills for analytics teams and data literacy skills for the entire enterprise. QuantHub is a SaaS subscription-based platform written for data scientists by data scientists, providing skill tests, data challenges, and skill development plans completely tailored to the unique characteristics of the advanced analytics space.

3rd Arm Inc

Articulated Wearables to enhance human productivity. 3rd Arm is prototyping a wearable, articulated robotic device that can be attached to a person at the hip or other location to augment human task productivity. This mechanical "third arm" has many uses such as assisting abled users (e.g. holding additional tools to enhance work), helping disabled users (e.g. providing support and lifting objects), and as a haptic interface for interaction with robotics systems and AR/VR experiences. 3rd Arm is incorporating the latest robotic technology with a newly designed 4-state brake mechanism in joints for advanced operations.

ERLY Antivirals

Carnegie Mellon University

Our lab has developed novel broad-spectrum antivirals for treatment of all nine human and several animal herpesviruses that overcomes drug resistance. We have shown that the pressurized state of the viral packaged genome is a target for antiviral therapies. This pressurized DNA state in herpesvirus capsid shell (exerting tens of atmospheres of pressure) is responsible for DNA ejection into a cell nucleus, causing infection. Several lead compounds that "turn off" capsid pressure and block viral genome ejection into a cell have demonstrated superior efficacy and safety in testing conducted at the NIH/NIAID. Although high activity has been shown with all human herpesviruses and several animal herpesviruses, our focus will be on treatment of human cytomegalovirus and MDV (Marek’s disease virus in poultry). For HCMV treatment, the market is dominated by generics, such as ganciclovir and foscarne, that have low efficacy and safety profiles. For MDV, no treatments are available.

Gateway Bio

Duke University

Gateway Bio is developing an innovative “PEG-like” drug conjugation technology that eliminates the antigenicity issues surrounding PEGylation today. Gateway Bio was specifically formed to translate several scientific breakthroughs from the lab of Professor Chilkoti at Duke University into commercially viable products and processes by combining the expertise of the academic scientists closest to these technologies with the business acumen of experienced start-up professionals. The initial core technology of Gateway Bio is based on several key patents on POEGMA conjugates that have been successfully licensed from Duke by Gateway Bio. Our novel method of creating PEG-like conjugates could be applied to generics, existing drugs, newly developed drugs or any of the PEGylated pharmaceuticals currently on the market. There are currently 15 FDA-approved peglyated drugs, with dozens more in clinical trials. Sales of the two most successful pegylated products, Pegasys and Neulasta, exceeded $5 billion in 2011.

ThinkLive

University of Chicago

Founded in 2018 at the Georgia Institute of Technology, ThinkLive! is a vibrant blend of education and music, offering STEM education through the medium of turntabling. This unique platform is built by a collective of passionate educators, STEM professionals, and music enthusiasts, aiming to foster intellectual curiosity, socioemotional functioning, and an enduring love for STEM among students. By leveraging youth culture and music, ThinkLive! creates interactive teaching strategies that resonate with diverse learners.

LeptoX BioPharma

Yale University

Leptospirosis is the Ebola virus of the bacterial world, difficult to diagnose, and for which there is a 20% mortality rate. Leptospirosis is a global health threat, particularly for travelers and for soldiers. The vaccine for human leptospirosis is unsafe and of unknown efficacy, creating a vast domestic and global demand for an effective vaccine that is currently unmet. Current vaccines are bacterin type vaccines and of limited efficacy, duration, and safety, however LeptoX is offering a first-in-class vaccination (first for animals, to be developed for humans) that outcompetes its competitors in all of these categories.

Nanopath

Dartmouth College

(Aug 2022- Nanopath announced that it has closed $10 million in Series A funding, co-led by Norwest Venture Partners and the Medtech Convergence Fund, a SV Health Investors venture fund, with participation from Gingerbread Capital and Green D Ventures.) Nanopath has developed a platform for rapid, point-of-care biomarker purification and characterization from a patient sample. Our technology is using advances in bioengineering and nanotechnology to reduce noise and improve signal in diagnostic systems. This allows for an integrated system that takes a complex patient sample, isolates key biomarkers, and analyses them without the need for lengthy clinical workflows. We believe that this new diagnostic paradigm has applications to a range of disease indications including bloodstream infections, cancer liquid biopsy, urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, and wound infections. It also finds use cases in fields of environmental monitoring and biosecurity.

Velox Biosystems

University of California, Irvine

Velox Biosystems plans to develop and launch a rapid diagnostic product for urinary tract infections (UTI), a problem that affects nearly 50 percent of the population at least once in their lifetime. This decision follows the startup’s completion of a recent clinical feasibility test that yielded impactful clinical data for the company to move forward with the next steps in development. Velox Biosystems has created an ultra sensitive rapid detection system that provides for no or minimal sample processing, high throughput scanning of large sample volumes, with single target sensitivity and unprecedented speeds. Utilizing a digital droplet molecular detection platform, we are developing a point of care diagnostic device to address critical unmet needs in the UTI, liquid biopsy, and sepsis spaces. Total available market of over $1 Billion.