MesoMaterials adapts pharmaceutical drug delivery technology to create smart fertilizers and protectants for agriculture. This approach allows farmers to use significantly fewer chemicals while increasing crop yields and eliminating toxic runoff.

• The company uses proven methods from human healthcare to create particles that are small enough to enter plants easily but large enough to carry powerful ingredients.
• Farmers can use half as much fertilizer or pesticide while increasing their harvest by 25% because the inputs are delivered exactly where the plant needs them.
• Their computer platform designs special coatings and capsules that protect biological ingredients and control exactly when nutrients are released into the plant.
• Unlike traditional chemicals that leave poisonous residues, these materials break down naturally and stop toxic runoff from entering the environment.
• The team combines top scientists with business experts and is already running field trials with major agricultural companies in a massive global market.

Orbital Sentry operates a commercial satellite platform that provides continuous, real-time wildfire detection across the Western United States. By spotting small fires in seconds, it allows insurers and first responders to stop ignitions before they become catastrophic disasters.

• Unlike most satellites that only pass over a spot briefly, this system sits in a high orbit to watch the entire Western US 24/7 without stopping.
• It spots new fires in seconds instead of minutes, picking up heat signatures as small as a few meters to catch problems immediately.
• Instead of just selling data, the company works directly with insurance providers who save money by stopping fires early, creating a built-in market for the technology.
• Beyond fighting fires, the continuous monitoring helps defense agencies track missiles and other threats, allowing the company to serve both commercial and government customers.
• The leadership team includes veterans from Planet Labs, NASA, and the CIA who have a proven history of building and launching successful space systems.

Quantum Light manufactures advanced paints and dyes using quantum dots to create colors that emit light rather than just reflecting it. This technology produces significantly brighter and purer colors for applications ranging from nail polish to automotive coatings.

• Regular paints look dull because they only bounce light back, but these particles create their own light to make colors much brighter and clearer.
• The technology uses Nobel Prize-winning science to make materials that are safe, non-toxic, and can handle very high heat without breaking down.
• They have already secured their first paid order and are currently testing their products with big international brands in fashion and electronics.
• The leadership team includes the person who invented the electronic ink used in Amazon Kindles and a current Vice President at Meta.
• They are going after a $15 billion market by offering better options for plastics, high-visibility safety gear, and security printing.

RetinaLogik replaces expensive, bulky eye exam machines with AI software that runs on standard VR headsets. This allows clinics to automate routine tests and see more patients at a much lower cost.

• Clinics can stop buying expensive, single-use machines and instead use portable VR headsets that do the same job for less money.
• The software guides patients through eye exams automatically, which lets staff focus on other important work instead of running tests manually.
• The company is already making about $1.2 million a year with almost no customers leaving, showing that the product works well for real doctors.
• Upcoming features will let patients see exactly how treatments will improve their vision, helping clinics sell more glasses and procedures.
• The founders include experts with deep technical skills in eye care AI and practical experience in growing healthcare businesses.

Substance is an AI-native insurer that deploys autonomous robots inside warehouses to continuously measure real-world risk. This continuous monitoring replaces outdated annual inspections with real-time data, allowing the company to prevent accidents before they happen and price policies with unmatched accuracy.

• Traditional insurance relies on checking a facility once a year, but this startup uses robots to patrol floors every day and catch safety issues the moment they arise.
• Their robot, FELIX, uses lasers and thermal cameras to build a 3D map of the building, spotting dangers like overheating equipment or piled-up boxes that could block escape routes.
• By fixing risks before they turn into disasters, the startup helps facility owners lower their insurance bills while keeping workers and inventory safe.
• The leadership team combines logistics experts from Amazon and Walmart with insurance veterans who have decades of experience writing complex policies.
• Beyond selling insurance, the detailed physical data collected by their robots creates a rare and valuable library that can be sold to help train other artificial intelligence models.

Inevitable builds automated, vertical farming systems that allow growers to produce healthy, disease-free seedlings directly on-site. By optimizing the very first stage of plant life, they help farmers cut waste, shorten supply chains, and significantly boost harvest yields.

• Most commercial crops begin as seedlings shipped from distant nurseries that often arrive damaged, but this platform lets farmers grow their own resilient starters right where they are needed.
• The system uses vertical stacking and smart automation to produce four times the number of plants per square foot compared to traditional methods.
• Instead of a high upfront cost, the company uses a subscription model that covers hardware and software to make it easier for growers to adopt the technology.
• Tests show the technology reduces operating costs by a quarter and speeds up growth cycles, allowing farmers to harvest more frequently.
• The company is already profitable and led by a team with experience at major organizations like Apple, Impossible Foods, and Bowery Farming.

Rhizome uses autonomous AI agents and physics-based models to design small molecule drugs with high speed and accuracy. This platform simulates how atoms interact to identify viable treatments for diseases that traditional methods struggle to reach.

• The company built a specialized AI that understands the 3D shape of molecules, allowing it to design stable and effective drugs that other text-based models cannot create.
• Their simulation software tests how well a drug works 92 times faster than standard methods, shrinking the time needed to check potential cures from days to minutes.
• Instead of just making tools for scientists, they are creating autonomous software agents that can plan experiments and learn from results to find drugs on their own.
• While many competitors try to fix every part of biology, this startup focuses strictly on small molecules, which make up the vast majority of today's medicines.
• The team is led by experts from places like Carnegie Mellon and J&J who have deep experience combining chemistry with machine learning.

ImmunoVec engineers immune cells directly inside the body using targeted nanoparticles to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer. This method avoids the safety risks and complexity of current treatments by ensuring medicine activates only in the specific cells that need it.

• The company secured over $40 million in government awards, providing a long cash runway without having to sell off parts of the company to investors.
• While most gene therapies accidentally end up in the liver, this technology uses a two-step check to make sure the medicine only works in the intended cells.
• Instead of the slow process of removing cells to change them in a lab, their system modifies cells directly inside the patient to fight diseases like Lupus.
• They created a new delivery shell that protects the DNA and enters cells easily, avoiding the toxic side effects common with older delivery methods.
• The leadership team includes experienced founders and scientists from Johns Hopkins and UCLA who have previously built and sold companies to giants like Google.

Arrakis Technologies builds tiny quantum sensors and software that help drones and vehicles see and navigate in places where GPS fails. By shrinking room-sized lab equipment onto a chip, they allow autonomous systems to detect hidden targets and move accurately in difficult environments.

• They shrink massive, room-sized quantum lab equipment into tiny chips that are easy to make and fit onto drones or vehicles.
• Their sensors read the Earth's magnetic field like a map, allowing machines to navigate underwater or in jammed areas where GPS stops working.
• The technology is 1,000 times more sensitive than satellite sensors, capable of finding buried mines or even a pair of AirPods hidden underground.
• Unlike competitors who build closed systems, they offer an open software kit that lets other companies easily plug these sensors into their own robots.
• This is not just theory; they have already tested their hardware outdoors, secured defense contracts, and successfully found military targets in real-world conditions.

Alkemi develops a liquid metal material that replaces traditional copper wiring to enable the production of next-generation 1nm microchips. This technology removes the need for bulky protective layers, significantly reducing electrical resistance and allowing manufacturers to overcome current physical scaling limits.

• Current copper wires fail at very small sizes because they need thick protective shells that take up too much space.
• This new material works without those barriers and lowers electrical resistance by over 25%, helping chips run faster and more efficiently.
• Industry giant Applied Materials has already tested the technology and asked for supplies to run trials in their own machines.
• The liquid solution fits easily into current manufacturing lines, so factories do not need to overhaul their entire process.
• The company started at the National University of Singapore and is led by experts with years of experience at major tech firms like Dyson and GlobalFoundries.

SixLine Semiconductor produces carbon nanotube materials that replace silicon to overcome physical performance limits in modern electronics. By integrating these materials into chips, they enable next-generation wireless speeds and AI processing that run significantly faster while consuming a fraction of the energy.

• Silicon chips have reached their physical limits, so this company created a carbon-based alternative that runs five times faster while using 1,000 times less energy.
• Scientists have struggled for 30 years to make carbon nanotubes work for electronics, but this team finally cracked the code to produce them with the necessary purity and alignment.
• Their manufacturing process is designed to fit into existing chip factories, meaning they can scale up production without needing to build new facilities from scratch.
• They are already working with commercial manufacturers to put their technology into wireless devices by 2026, with plans to power AI computers shortly after.
• The founders are the original inventors of the technology and have secured seven patents to protect their unique method of making these advanced materials.

FAST Metals extracts critical minerals like iron and rare earth elements from red mud, a toxic waste byproduct of aluminum production. This process turns a massive environmental liability into a valuable source of essential materials for the global supply chain.

• The company processes red mud, a waste product from aluminum manufacturing that is currently stockpiled in massive quantities around the world.
• Their patented chemical process removes iron from the waste first, which solves the fouling issues that have stopped previous attempts to recycle this material.
• By breaking down this waste, they recover valuable materials like aluminum, titanium, and rare earth elements needed for electronics and clean energy.
• The system operates at low temperatures and uses waste carbon dioxide to run the reaction, making it far more energy-efficient than traditional mining.
• Major industry players like Rio Tinto have already invested, and the team brings over 120 years of combined experience in the mining sector.

Rise Reforming builds modular plants that convert waste biogas from farms and landfills into valuable low-carbon chemicals. This technology turns a potent greenhouse gas into a profitable resource, reducing emissions while offering a cheaper alternative to fossil-fuel-based products.

• Most biogas sites currently waste their gas or burn it for little profit, but this system captures that lost value to make chemicals right on site.
• They have already signed a deal to host a pilot unit at a wastewater plant and a $5 million contract to sell their future output to a major manufacturer.
• The company targets the massive aerosol and propane markets, providing a green ingredient that competes directly on price with fossil fuels.
• Their small, mobile plants use a unique process that avoids the massive construction costs and complexity of traditional chemical facilities.
• The founders are supported by senior advisors from the Department of Energy and Honeywell, bringing deep industry experience to the project.

Pyri creates biodegradable, heat-activated sensors that are air-dropped into forests to detect wildfires immediately. This battery-free technology enables affordable, large-scale monitoring of remote areas that are otherwise difficult to protect with satellites or cameras.

• The sensors are made from organic materials that break down naturally, so they do not pollute the forests they are meant to save.
• Instead of relying on batteries that die, the devices stay asleep for years and only send a signal when they feel the heat of a fire.
• Deployment is simple because the sensors can be dropped from drones or helicopters to cover huge areas of rough terrain very quickly.
• This method is much cheaper than using satellites or complex networks, making it affordable to protect millions of acres of land.
• The team has already lined up interest to cover over 85,000 square kilometers across several countries and is running pilot programs in California, Portugal, and Canada.

Lir Labs creates an autopilot system for wastewater treatment plants using real-time cameras to monitor the bacteria that clean the water. By replacing slow chemical sensors with instant visual data, they help facilities cut energy waste and avoid costly shutdowns.

• Wastewater plants currently waste a huge amount of electricity pumping air into tanks just to keep cleaning bacteria alive.
• Current sensors are too slow to catch problems, but this startup uses cameras and AI to watch the bacteria and spot issues instantly.
• The software predicts bacterial health issues up to 48 hours in advance, giving operators plenty of time to fix things before they get fined or have to stop operations.
• They use a low-cost sensor and a subscription model that helps plants double their net profits by saving on energy and avoiding downtime.
• The team has reached the finals of a major global startup competition and has already lined up pilot tests with several large water companies.

HELGEN builds automated networks that detect airborne pathogens and biothreats in under an hour, replacing slow manual testing with real-time monitoring. This infrastructure allows governments and businesses to identify risks immediately and stop outbreaks before they spread.

• Most current biodefense systems rely on manual lab work that takes over a day, but this technology identifies threats in less than an hour.
• The system uses rugged sensors to constantly monitor the air for dangerous germs, removing the need for humans to collect samples by hand.
• Their equipment is much more affordable than existing solutions, costing up to 70 times less to buy and 12 times less to maintain.
• The software doesn't just detect bugs; it uses data to predict where diseases will go next so officials can stop them early.
• The team includes engineers with experience at organizations like NASA and has validated their approach with military stakeholders.

Spectara builds real-time air monitoring systems that use mass spectrometry to instantly detect chemical and biological threats like fentanyl and engineered pathogens. This technology replaces slow lab analysis with autonomous sensors that protect critical infrastructure and hospitals from invisible dangers.

• The company’s sensors are already active in high-stakes locations like Pittsburgh International Airport and JPMorgan’s headquarters, proving the hardware works in the real world.
• While older detection methods take days to return results, this platform identifies dangerous chemicals and biological agents in under five minutes with over 99% accuracy.
• The technology is sensitive enough to diagnose lung infections just by analyzing a patient's breath, spotting illness up to eight days before standard medical tests can.
• They have secured over $11 million in government contracts and are led by a team of experts from prestigious organizations like DARPA and Johns Hopkins.
• A single instrument can watch for both chemical weapons and biological viruses at the same time, fixing a major security gap that typically requires multiple expensive machines.

Petrel Technologies manufactures mass-produced, hybrid-electric drones that provide high endurance and heavy payload capabilities for defense and industrial applications. By building American-made aircraft at a fraction of the cost of competitors, they enable scalable fleets for missions ranging from logistics to surveillance.

• Petrel sells its long-range drones for roughly $90,000, which is a fraction of the price of similar aircraft that typically cost between $500,000 and $5 million.
• The drones are hybrid-electric and can take off vertically like a helicopter, carrying up to 50 pounds of cargo for 6 to 8 hours at a time.
• Unlike many competitors that rely on expensive custom engineering, this company uses mass production techniques to build American-made hardware that meets strict government security standards.
• The company has already secured rare FAA approval to fly drones beyond the pilot's line of sight and is working with major customers like U.S. Special Operations Command and NextEra Energy.
• The leadership team includes former U.S. Army Special Forces and engineers with deep experience in drone software and rapid prototyping.

SOARISE builds a modular heavy-lift drone platform that replaces multiple single-purpose aircraft with one standardized airframe and swappable mission modules. By allowing operators to switch roles in seconds, it reduces logistical complexity and costs for defense and industrial users who need one fleet to do it all.

• Most drones can only do one job, but this platform uses a quick-release rail system that lets users swap out tools to change the mission in under 30 seconds.
• Defense teams can stop buying dozens of different drones and instead use this single design for everything from hauling cargo to surveillance, which makes training and repairs much simpler.
• It lifts up to 60 kilograms (132 lbs), providing the power needed to move heavy supplies or weapons without the high cost of traditional heavy-lift aircraft.
• The body is built from tough aluminum designed for mass production and easy repair in the field, avoiding the fragile and expensive materials found in other high-tech models.
• Military leaders in Ukraine and Poland have already validated the design, confirming that a versatile, all-in-one drone solves urgent logistical problems in active war zones.

Aether Transmission Systems builds superconducting power cables that carry ten times more electricity than standard copper wires while significantly reducing energy loss. This technology allows power-hungry facilities like data centers to drastically increase their energy capacity without needing more space or major construction.

• Traditional copper wires get too hot and bulky when carrying huge amounts of power, but these cables use superconductors to carry far more electricity in a smaller space.
• The system cuts down on wasted energy, helping facilities like aluminum smelters and data centers run more efficiently with less heat.
• Unlike upgrades that require tearing up buildings or digging new trenches, these cables are designed to fit right into existing electrical trays and conduits.
• They use a special cooling system that actively manages temperature, making the cables safer and more reliable than older designs that rely on passive cooling.
• The company spun out of UC Berkeley and is already in talks with major industrial giants like the Adani Group and Tata Group to test this technology in real-world settings.

Alternative Energy Materials builds on-site systems that turn renewable electricity into green ammonia to provide long-term energy storage and eco-friendly fertilizer. This technology offers weeks of grid backup power while cutting costs and eliminating emissions associated with traditional agricultural chemicals.

• Lithium-ion batteries usually die after four hours, but this system stores energy in ammonia to keep the power on for weeks at a much lower price.
• The company makes money in two ways by selling ammonia to farmers for crops and offering emergency backup power to utility companies when the grid goes down.
• Making fertilizer usually creates a lot of pollution, but this unit makes green ammonia right on the farm to stop carbon emissions and avoid shipping delays.
• A special patented design lets the system work without expensive hydrogen compressors, which makes the equipment smaller, simpler, and easier to set up.
• The leadership team mixes deep technical skills from a research professor with the real-world know-how of a CEO who runs a large wheat farm.

Oleo turns cheap biomass waste into carbon-negative oil for fuel production using a specialized biomanufacturing platform. This approach cuts production costs significantly while drastically lowering carbon emissions compared to standard methods.

• Instead of using food crops, the company makes high-quality fuel oil from cheap waste materials like almond shells and wood scraps.
• They use a rare deep-sea yeast that makes twice as much oil as standard types, combined with a microwave process that cuts energy use by more than half.
• Making this oil costs much less than soybean oil, which helps fuel producers save money while earning extra income from carbon credits.
• The technology works on 30 different kinds of plant waste and has already attracted interest from major energy companies like Marathon and Shell.
• The leadership team mixes deep technical knowledge in biology with practical experience running operations in the military and industry.

Vibrant turns standard HVAC systems into autonomous infrastructure that continuously senses and adjusts indoor conditions in real time. This hardware-first approach upgrades existing mechanical equipment to improve air quality and efficiency without needing a full replacement.

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• Most building tech companies just make software, but this team builds their own sensors and hardware to ensure deep integration with mechanical systems.
• The technology works with the heating and cooling equipment you already have, so you don't need to rip out expensive machinery to get smart features.
• It uses sensors to detect exactly which rooms are occupied and adjusts airflow instantly, rather than wasting energy on empty spaces.
• The system runs on autopilot, constantly learning from the building's environment to fix air quality and temperature issues before people even notice them.
• All hardware and software is designed and assembled in the USA, giving them full control over quality and security from end to end.

Ncrspt turns bacteria into biological hard drives by encoding digital files into DNA and storing them inside living cells. This approach solves the space and energy limits of traditional data centers by archiving massive amounts of information in a tiny footprint for centuries.

• Unlike competitors that store DNA in fragile test tubes or on chips, this method places data inside living organisms to keep it protected and stable for the long term.
• The technology is so dense that it could theoretically fit all the information from a massive data center into a container the size of a single drinking glass.
• Because bacteria naturally multiply, the system can create millions of backup copies of the data automatically without the high energy costs of running servers.
• This biological approach is designed for deep archiving, keeping records readable for over 100 years compared to magnetic tapes that often degrade within decades.
• The company is led by a scientist who patented a heat-resistant version of the gene-editing tool Cas9, giving them a unique technical edge in engineering these cellular storage systems.

MiniProto automates the design and manufacturing of custom wire harnesses, replacing a slow, manual process with a streamlined digital workflow. This platform allows hardware teams to get instant pricing and production-ready wiring in days rather than months, removing a major bottleneck for complex engineering projects.

• Custom wiring typically delays hardware builds by weeks, but this platform automates the entire process to deliver U.S.-made harnesses in as little as 5 to 10 days.
• Instead of trading emails and waiting for quotes, engineers use an online tool that instantly checks designs for errors and provides immediate pricing.
• The company has already served over 125 clients, including Amazon Robotics and the U.S. Navy, and sales have grown 500% in the last year.
• Led by a former SpaceX engineer, the team is tackling a specific but painful bottleneck that slows down almost every complex hardware project.
• As manufacturing returns to the U.S. and the robotics industry expands, the need for a fast, domestic source for custom wiring is increasing rapidly.

Simply Agnostic Controls develops affordable HVAC automation hardware and software designed to bring advanced energy management to light commercial buildings like restaurants and hotels. By moving control logic directly to the device and automating configuration, they eliminate the high costs and complexity that prevent smaller properties from optimizing their energy use.

• Most commercial buildings still rely on basic thermostats because professional automation systems are too expensive and complicated, leading to significant energy waste and equipment damage.
• The platform uses AI and edge computing to replace expensive servers and manual coding, allowing systems to be configured with simple prompts instead of complex programming.
• Their patented hardware design separates the smart interface from the wiring, meaning contractors can install advanced controls quickly without needing specialized engineering skills.
• This technology targets the millions of small-to-mid-sized buildings that are currently ignored by major automation vendors because the old model is too costly to scale.
• The team has already built working prototypes, secured patents to protect their cost-saving approach, and is moving into manufacturing to launch their first product.

Deep Blue Biotech genetically engineers cyanobacteria to convert carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals for the personal care industry, starting with hyaluronic acid. This platform enables the production of carbon-neutral ingredients that are significantly cheaper and cleaner than those made by traditional manufacturing methods.

• The company programs microscopic algae to turn carbon dioxide into valuable ingredients, meaning their production process removes carbon from the air instead of adding to it.
• Their first product is a form of hyaluronic acid that costs 40% less to make than current options, solving the common problem where sustainable products are too expensive.
• They have already won a sustainability challenge with L'Oreal and secured interest from major beauty brands like Unilever and Croda to test their materials.
• The manufacturing process is highly efficient, using up to 70% less energy and creating a product that is seven times cleaner than existing alternatives.
• The team is led by an exited founder and expert scientists who specialize in molecular biology and scaling biotechnology from the lab to the factory.

Zylotex transforms Canadian hemp waste into high-performance, eco-friendly textile fibers using a novel manufacturing process. This creates a sustainable, domestic alternative to synthetic materials while turning agricultural byproducts into valuable resources.

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• Turns leftover hemp straw—often burned or wasted by farmers—into high-quality textile fiber.
• Adapts the eco-friendly "lyocell" production method to work with hemp instead of the usual wood pulp.
• Produces biodegradable fibers that replace microplastic-shedding synthetics and save trees used in traditional rayon.
• Born from breakthrough research at the University of Alberta to bridge the gap between agriculture and fashion.
• Secured $7.5 million in grant funding to build a traceable, local supply chain from farm to fabric.

VitrofluidiX builds an automated organ-on-a-chip platform that simulates human biology to test new drugs more accurately than animal models. By integrating live imaging and universal compatibility into a single device, it helps researchers identify effective treatments faster while reducing the high failure rate of clinical trials.

• More than 90% of drugs fail in human trials because animal testing is often inaccurate; this platform offers a human-relevant alternative to catch failures early.
• Current organ-simulation setups are messy and hard to use, but this device combines fluid control, automation, and imaging into one simple unit that fits in a standard lab.
• The system is designed to work with almost any existing organ-chip on the market, meaning scientists do not need to buy expensive proprietary consumables to use it.
• Built-in microscope support allows researchers to watch how cells react to medicine in real time, generating better data than traditional methods.
• The team has already generated revenue from pilot customers and is positioning its technology as the universal standard to help different labs and companies share data easily.

Vayura Quantum Tech builds navigation systems that use quantum sensors to read the Earth's magnetic field instead of relying on satellites. This allows vehicles like drones and aircraft to navigate precisely even when GPS signals are jammed or unavailable.

• Most defense systems currently depend on satellite signals that are easily blocked or faked, which can cause aircraft to get lost or crash.
• This startup's device acts like a highly sensitive compass that uses diamond-based sensors to track the Earth's natural magnetic lines for location data.
• They have already built and tested a prototype in the lab that successfully detects tiny magnetic changes, proving the science works.
• The technology is designed to be much cheaper than existing military options, with different versions available for everything from fast jets to slower drones.
• The founding team consists of engineers with specialized degrees in scientific instrumentation and experience at major research organizations.

Retina Robotics creates a plug-and-play device that mounts on existing forklifts to automate inventory tracking using computer vision and AI. By eliminating manual scanning, the system allows warehouses to maintain near-perfect accuracy and double their speed without requiring expensive infrastructure changes.

• In just five months, the company has deployed in five warehouses and reached $200K in annual revenue with major customers like Ryder and Spreetail.
• Their device attaches to any standard forklift and uses cameras to identify and track inventory in real-time, even without scanning barcodes or labels.
• Unlike complex automation systems that require massive construction projects, this hardware works right out of the box and requires no changes to the building.
• The system creates a live virtual map of the warehouse, giving managers a perfect view of where every item is located at any given moment.
• The founders are robotics experts with degrees from top engineering schools and experience at major tech companies like Microsoft and Nokia.

Genie Mobility builds autonomous electric trikes designed to automate last-mile urban delivery for food and goods. By deploying road-legal vehicles that are faster than sidewalk robots and cheaper than full-sized cars, they significantly lower delivery costs while improving speed and efficiency.

• The startup uses self-driving electric bikes that travel up to 25 mph on local roads, making them much faster than slow robots that get stuck on sidewalks.
• Delivery costs are a major burden for businesses, but these bikes eliminate expensive human labor and are designed to pay for themselves in just over four months.
• The founding team is made up of robotics engineers who previously worked together at Fyto and Truebird, giving them a strong track record in building automated hardware.
• They are already testing a prototype on the streets of San Francisco and are set to launch a pilot program with a restaurant chain this April.
• This approach targets a $66 billion market by offering a practical middle ground that is more efficient than human couriers and far less capital-intensive than autonomous cars.

Devol creates a force-aware AI layer that gives industrial robots a sense of touch, enabling them to adapt to physical contact and recover from errors instantly. This allows manufacturers to automate complex tasks that usually break traditional robots which rely only on cameras.

• Most robots fail when they physically touch objects, but this software lets machines adjust their force and grip in real time.
• Instead of stopping completely when an error occurs, the system corrects itself and learns from the mistake to improve performance.
• The software works with the robot's existing controls to handle unexpected variations without requiring weeks of reprogramming.
• They are already generating revenue and have deployed systems in actual factories, proving the approach works in real production environments.
• The founders have both deep research backgrounds and practical experience running manufacturing floors, giving them insight into real-world automation problems.

PickNik builds a software platform that combines AI reasoning with precise motion controls to help companies deploy reliable, intelligent robots in complex environments. By adding safety guardrails to generative AI, the system enables automation in unstructured places like airports and space stations where traditional robots struggle.

• The software pairs generative AI with strict safety controls, allowing robots to "think" about tasks while guaranteeing they won't crash or act unpredictably.
• It is built on top of the world's most popular open-source robotics framework, giving the company a massive stream of potential customers who already know and use the core technology.
• Developers can program robots using simple drag-and-drop tools or even plain English instructions, which speeds up the creation of new applications by roughly 75%.
• The system works with almost any robot hardware, from factory arms to walking machines, so customers can switch equipment without rewriting their software.
• The company is already generating significant revenue and has secured contracts with major organizations like NASA, Blue Origin, and the US Space Force.

Decompute builds software that enables industrial robots to measure their own uncertainty, allowing them to pause and ask for help instead of making costly errors. This technology transforms robotics from a high-maintenance service business into a scalable system where fleets adapt to new tasks in minutes rather than months.

• Current industrial robots are brittle and often break if lighting or layouts change, forcing companies to hire expensive on-site engineers to constantly fix them.
• The software provides a real-time "trust score" that lets a robot know when it is confused, which prevents accidents by stopping the machine before it fails.
• Operators can teach robots new skills using just a handful of examples, allowing the system to update itself in minutes on the factory floor instead of waiting weeks for retraining.
• By reducing the need for constant human supervision, the platform allows a single person to manage up to 50 robots at once, drastically improving profit margins.
• The founders are former leaders from Apple's AI and robotics teams who have a track record of building reliable autonomous systems for the real world.

Cortex Robotics builds autonomous pipe-climbing robots that inspect critical energy infrastructure like oil and gas facilities. By replacing expensive scaffolding and manual labor with automated climbers, they make safety inspections significantly cheaper, faster, and more frequent.

• Scaffolding currently eats up 70% of inspection budgets and 95% of the time, but these robots climb pipes directly to cut those costs and delays.
• The robots can drive vertically and horizontally, navigating past bends and obstacles that usually prevent automated tools from reaching the right spots.
• The company has strong early traction with seven letters of intent, three prototypes, and upcoming tests at major facilities like Equinor's lab.
• Instead of relying on dangerous and infrequent manual checks, the system provides consistent data so operators can spot corrosion or leaks before they become disasters.
• Demand for this solution is rising because aging infrastructure requires more frequent monitoring, and facility owners are actively looking for safer, automated alternatives.

Blackwing Space mass-produces affordable, modular nanosatellites and provides turnkey mission services to drastically reduce the cost and lead time of getting to orbit. This approach opens space access to startups and researchers who are currently priced out by the industry's shift toward massive, expensive systems.

• While big aerospace companies focus on massive, expensive satellites for the military, this team builds small, affordable "nanosatellites" for commercial businesses and universities.
• They use an automotive-style manufacturing process to make satellites like "lego blocks," which cuts costs and production time by 50% to 80% compared to custom builds.
• Customers can buy a satellite as easily as a consumer product using an online tool that shows transparent pricing, rather than negotiating opaque contracts.
• The company doesn't just sell the box; they manage the entire mission, including launching the rocket, getting government licenses, and operating the satellite in space.
• The CEO has 15 years of experience designing space missions and launching satellites, while the COO is a serial entrepreneur with multiple successful company exits.

Mass Balance uses microgravity environments to stabilize complex proteins and develop drugs that are difficult or impossible to manufacture on Earth due to gravity-induced defects. This platform helps pharmaceutical companies rescue failed drug candidates and target diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's that traditional methods struggle to treat.

• Gravity often causes proteins to clump together or fold incorrectly, so this company moves the process to space where liquids remain still and proteins can form the right shapes for effective medicines.
• The founders are expert biologists rather than just aerospace engineers, giving them a distinct advantage in understanding the complex science required to develop viable drugs in orbit.
• They move incredibly fast for a space company, having designed and built their first biological testing payload in less than three months.
• Beyond just launching hardware, they are building a unique database of how proteins behave in zero gravity to train AI models that predict better drug designs.
• Their business model involves more than just selling services; they plan to co-develop drugs and earn royalties, creating long-term value from the medicines they help discover.

Haast Autonomous builds a network of high-speed, self-flying drones to deliver critical medical supplies like organs and blood between hospitals. This system replaces slow and unreliable ground couriers with on-demand air transport that drastically reduces wait times for urgent care.

• Hospitals currently rely on unpredictable ground couriers for urgent deliveries, but this startup cuts travel time from over 30 minutes to just 3 minutes using autonomous aircraft.
• The company has already secured letters of intent from four major hospital systems and is preparing for the world's first clinical trial for drone-based organ transport.
• Their custom-built drones take off vertically like helicopters but fly fast like airplanes, covering up to 500 miles at speeds reaching 200 mph.
• Beyond just the hardware, they provide a complete software platform that handles flight tracking, regulatory compliance, and the chain of custody for sensitive medical payloads.
• The founding team combines expertise in aerospace engineering and medical science, including a transplant surgeon who previously led research on drone organ delivery.

LNK Energies retrofits heavy-duty trucks with a patented system that extracts hydrogen from a safe liquid fuel, enabling fleets to go zero-emission using existing pipelines and gas stations. This technology matches the cost and performance of diesel while eliminating the need for heavy batteries or high-pressure tanks.

• The system runs on a liquid that stores hydrogen safely at room temperature, meaning it can be transported in standard tankers and pumped like regular gas.
• Traditional hydrogen is expensive to move, but this method cuts delivery costs by over 90 percent to make it as cheap as diesel to operate.
• An onboard device pulls hydrogen out of the liquid fuel as the truck drives, which removes the need for dangerous high-pressure gas tanks.
• Trucks using this system keep their full cargo capacity and 600-mile range, avoiding the long charging times and weight limits of electric alternatives.
• The technology was invented at MIT by a team that is now building a fuel production plant to support a pilot program on a major US freight route.