STARTUP FINALISTS AND WINNERS
2021 UC Startup Pitch Competition
EARLY STAGE TRACK
AUCTUS SURGICAL
UC San Francisco
Auctus Surgical, Inc. is developing a less-invasive spinal implant system – known as a vertebral body tethering system(VBT) – to correct pediatric scoliosis. The system incorporates a dynamic magnetic technology permitting a child’s spine to be non-surgically adjusted; eliminating the need for traumatic fusion surgery.
EARLY STAGE TRACK
FIXING CO2
UC San Diego
Fixing CO2 is a cleantech startup that focuses on carbon utilization and production of clean fuels and chemicals to help mitigate climate change. The company is building a reactor (electrolyzer) that converts carbon dioxide to fuels and chemicals using renewable sources of energy (solar, wind). It is developing an electrolyzer and electrocatalysts for the electrochemical CO2 reduction.
EARLY STAGE TRACK
KOVADX
UC Berkeley
KovaDx is building tools that make the diagnosis and monitoring of sickle cell (as well as other intrinsic and extrinsic hemolytic anemias) faster and more accessible.
EARLY STAGE TRACK
TAKACHAR
Berkeley Lab (LBNL)
Takachar is focused on dramatically increasing the amount of plant-based residues (biomass) economically transformed into marketable products around the world. Using a novel concept called oxygen-lean torrefaction, Takachar is simplifying reactor design to enable small-scale, portable, and decentralized biomass conversion that cuts transportation cost of transporting loose, wet, and bulky biomass from rural communities.
EARLY STAGE TRACK
XIRETSA
UC Santa Barbara
Xiretsa is developing a new class of antibiotics that can treat infections unresponsive to current antibiotics and combat the growing antibiotic resistance problem. Xiretsa’s technology originated at the University of California Santa Barbara, has been demonstrated to cure mice of untreatable superbug infections, and represents the first new class of broad spectrum antibiotics to be discovered in the past 50 years.
GROWTH STAGE TRACK
MEMCOMPUTING
UC San Diego
MemComputing is disrupting High-Performance Computing by delivering the performance expected of Quantum Computing with its non-quantum Virtual MemComputing Machine (VMM). The VMM is a Compute as a Service offering that is live today and free to evaluate. Visit https://memcpu.com to register.
GROWTH STAGE TRACK
MYOGENE BIO
UCLA
MyoGene Bio is a preclinical biotechnology startup dedicated to developing cutting edge therapies for muscle diseases. Our first approach is a gene editing therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a devastating muscle wasting disorder.
GROWTH STAGE TRACK
SOPHIE'S BIONUTRIENTS
UC Davis
Sophie’s BioNutrients, the grand prize winner of the 2019 The Liveability Challenge, is a Singapore-based company using patent pending fermentation technology to grow alternative protein from microalgae. Using very little land, water, and energy, the company will bring this sustainable technology to the world to solve the food security issues.
GROWTH STAGE TRACK
SQUISHY ROBOTICS
UC Berkeley
Squishy robots are mobile sensing, rapidly deployable, air-droppable robots for disaster rescue, remote monitoring and space exploration. Its emergent technologies are at the fusion of robotics, mobile sensing, machine learning, big data fusion and smart IoT.
Their sensors provide first responders with the chemical sensor data and visual information needed to safely plan a mitigation response, all from a safe distance away from the “hot zones.” Its scalable and reconfigurable robots can carry customized, third-party equipment in a variety of deployment scenarios.
GROWTH STAGE TRACK
SYMSOIL
UC Berkeley
SymSoil has products and services for regenerative agriculture to improve the profitability of farmers. SymSoil captures & cultivates indigenous soil microbes and, with a patent-pending process, makes products based on the complete soil microbe biome. RC and FIB, its flagship products, sequester carbon, reduce irrigation needs, and increase produce flavor while improving soil health.
2020 UC Startup Pitch Showcase
WINNER & XTC FINALIST
DAMIEN KUDELA
UC Santa Barbara
Cayuga Biotech is a startup developing novel hemostatic drugs and devices to reduce uncontrollable bleeding, a leading cause of death from traumatic injuries. The treatment uses nanotechnology and biomaterials to accelerate the body’s natural coagulation process to limit blood loss, save lives, and minimize recovery time post-injury.
SHOWCASE & XTC FINALIST
EAMONN KEOGH
UC Riverside
FarmSense is an agricultural smart trap using optical sensor technology to monitor insects in the fields. FarmSense’s patented algorithm captures flying insect signals from the field and transmits this categorized data, along with environmental information, allowing early detection to reduce pesticide use and increase crop yields.
SHOWCASE & XTC FINALIST
MONAL PARMAR
UC San Diego
The fully-automated platform of Educational Vision Technologies generates online classes to enhance student success. By capturing, distilling and connecting educational information, educators can save money and time in the creation of online courses.
2018 I am a UC Entrepreneur Competition
WINNER EARLY-STAGE TRACK
BYRON SHEN
UC Berkeley
A clinical diagnostics startup, Velox Biosystems has created a comprehensive digital detection system that rapidly identifies pathogens, biomarkers, and other abnormalities in patient samples, reducing diagnostic wait times from days or weeks to under an hour.
WINNER LATE-STAGE TRACK
JASON MCKEOWN
UC San Diego
Neurovalens is a global health-tech company that creates non-invasive neurostimulation products used to solve some of the world’s greatest neurological diseases, without the need for implanted electrodes.
2017 I am a UC Entrepreneur Competition (Alumni Edition)
WINNER
SOPHIA YEN
UC Berkeley | UC San Francisco
Pandia Health is a women-led birth control delivery company that partners with pharmacies and doctors to streamline the way women manage their reproductive health.
