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How Deep checks works
Founders apply on our site. We vet them for (1) being deeptech and (2) appearing venture backable. We vet using their deck and LinkedIn profiles. We don't conduct interviews with founders; we haven't met the founders beforehand. We filter startups with a light touch, preferring to share more deals than fewer so we don't inject our own bias too much. Every three weeks, we then email the best decks to you. You then login into the page you're viewing now, browse the startups below, and click "Click to copy email" next to one to reach out to the founders directly. In short, we are not Y Combinator; we're a deck filtering program for the benefit of hardware founders. We work really hard to be efficient and respect everyone's time.
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Null Systems
Defense
Drones improving naval mine neutralization

Null Systems builds autonomous underwater robots that find and destroy naval mines in a single mission. This technology replaces slow, expensive legacy clearance methods, keeping human operators out of danger while matching the speed of modern autonomous threats.

  • Naval mines cost adversaries just $10,000 to deploy, but current methods cost the military $1.7 million to clear a single mine.
  • Instead of sending teams of over 30 people into dangerous waters, this system uses a single remote operator and an autonomous vehicle to do the job faster and safer.
  • While many defense companies are focused on finding mines, the actual process of destroying them is still manual and wide open for innovation.
  • The company uses a recurring revenue model by selling the autonomous vehicles, software licenses, and the consumable explosive rounds used to destroy the targets.
  • The founders include a former Navy explosive ordnance disposal technician and a lead underwater vehicle engineer who have already built a working prototype and secured interest from military program offices.
founder's note about traction
10 weeks in - 37 discovery interviews. 23 w/ active duty operators. 6 program offices. Built MVP of our simulation and C2 software and tested our vehicle design against real maritime physics engine. Invited to send white paper to DIU and ONR.  Discovery summary: Bottom mine neutralization is unsolved. Looking for a fully autonomous solution for single-sortie detect to kill.
founder's work & Education
Metova, Meo Health, Stasis, MIT Sloan School of Management, The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, University of Charleston
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The Covenant
Defense

The Covenant builds portable, automated 3D-printing microfactories that can manufacture small boats and unmanned vessels directly in the field. This on-demand production helps the military rapidly rebuild its maritime fleet and counter foreign shipbuilding advantages without relying on backlogged traditional shipyards.

  • The U.S. currently builds fewer than five commercial ships a year compared to China's 1,700, and the military's small boat fleet in the Indo-Pacific has shrunk from over 127,000 in World War II to just 70 today.
  • Traditional shipyards are struggling with a shortage of half a million workers, making automated manufacturing a necessary step to meet the growing demand for new vessels.
  • The startup created a mobile system with continuous 3D printers to build custom boats in a matter of days rather than weeks, allowing forces to print what they need right on the shore or aboard larger ships.
  • Instead of standard aluminum or fiberglass, they print with a special plastic called high-density polyethylene that is highly durable, nearly invisible to radar, quiet in the water, and completely immune to saltwater corrosion.
  • The company is led by two childhood friends with deep engineering experience from major defense companies like Hanwha and Northrop Grumman, giving them firsthand insight into the urgent need for reliable and affordable unmanned maritime systems.
founder's note about traction
At Hanwha, a Korea-based U.S. shipbuilder, I saw firsthand how critical maritime manufacturing has become amid rising geopolitical tensions. Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea are all investing in unmanned maritime systems, yet few companies offer solutions that effectively balance capability, reliability, and cost.
founder's work & Education
FutureProof, A Hanwha Company, AIR, Georgia Institute of Technology
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P1 Energy
Energy

P1 Energy builds containerized, plug-and-play refineries that produce synthetic gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel directly at the point of need. This decentralized approach gives defense and industrial customers a reliable, on-site fuel supply that bypasses fragile global supply chains.

  • The company has already proven its fossil-free fuel works by selling over $25 million worth to major automotive brands for use in racing engines without requiring any vehicle modifications.
  • Instead of spending billions and waiting a decade to build a custom refinery, these standardized units cost under $2 million and can be built and deployed in just 12 weeks.
  • The system runs on methanol and uses a special catalyst that creates the exact fuel needed with zero waste, needing 85% less energy than traditional synthetic fuel plants.
  • Customers avoid massive upfront costs because the hardware is funded by a $50 million private credit facility, allowing the company to scale quickly while earning recurring revenue from leases.
  • The U.S. military and import-dependent countries like Japan are actively pursuing this technology to secure their energy independence and avoid paying up to $300 per gallon for fuel delivered to remote locations.
founder's note about traction
P1 Energy builds containerized, plug-and-play "refineries-in-a-box" that produce drop-in synthetic gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel at the point of need, giving defense, industrial, and supply-constrained customers resilient on-site fuel without long, fragile supply chains. Our breakthrough is a proprietary catalyst (~90% selectivity) and automated process platform that shrink refinery-grade production into standardized, factory-built units, deployed in weeks, stackable like servers, and cheaper with every unit built (Wright's Law). We sell directly to anchor customers like the U.S. Navy and large industrials in markets where fossil fuel is already expensive or unreliable. Our standardized units can be financed off balance sheet by leasing partners, letting us scale quickly without funding the hardware ourselves.
founder's work & Education
P1 Fuels, SANI.AI, Heuro Labs GmbH, University of Finance and Administration
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Dozer.ai
Hardware

Dozer builds an AI-powered central command system for heavy construction that uses cameras and edge computers mounted on machinery to track jobsite progress and safety in real time. This technology gives site managers the visibility they need to stop the billions of dollars lost each year to idle equipment, labor delays, and avoidable mistakes.

  • The heavy construction industry loses $100 billion annually because managers rely on outdated spreadsheets and chatter instead of real-time data.
  • The system installs in under an hour, putting 360-degree cameras and smart computers directly on heavy equipment to process video instantly and alert operators to nearby dangers.
  • Their first customer saved $80,000 in just three months by preventing machine damage and proving they were not at fault for a utility strike, leading them to purchase more units.
  • They have already secured paid pilots with major construction firms like Bechtel and formed a partnership to distribute their technology to over 3 million machines worldwide.
  • The founding team brings over 20 years of experience in construction, hardware, and software from major companies like Samsara, Amazon, and Caterpillar.
founder's note about traction
1st Customer: Smith Denison (leading utilities construction co. in SF ) achieved a 6.3x ROI in 90 days. Owner bought 3 more full production units (Total: $41K HW + $9.6K / yr AI platform) Paid Pilots: Converting successful pilot to jobsite deployment with Bechtel (#2 US GC). Active pilot with Sterling (Top ENR 60). Distribution: Building a channel partnership to 3M+ fleets via Trackunit.
founder's work & Education
Foodsmart, Omada Health, TrueAccord, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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GravTech Solutions
Hardware

GravTech Solutions builds drone-mounted gravity sensors to map underground resources like critical minerals and water. This technology replaces slow and expensive traditional surveys with fast, high-resolution data to uncover hidden natural resources.

  • Traditional underground mapping costs millions and takes months, but this drone system delivers results that are 10,000 times more detailed in just 12 hours.
  • The company has already proven its technology works by successfully mapping a hidden 1950s cave system in the UK for a fraction of the cost of older methods.
  • They have strong commercial interest from major organizations, including a submitted 3.3 million dollar proposal to the US Forestry Service and discussions for a 10-year contract with the Saudi Water Authority.
  • Instead of just doing one-off surveys, they plan to build a global data marketplace where they can repeatedly license their underground maps to different clients.
  • The founding team combines a top gravity sensor scientist, a former US Navy drone operations expert, and an experienced venture capital director, backed by three pending hardware patents.
founder's note about traction
LOIs: T-Kartor LARX Guardian Sat Tom Tom (being finalised) Carahsoft (being finalised) Discussions towards commercial agreements inc. NDAs:  Chevron InterContental Energy MINML  Boliden NV5 (provider for US National Geospatial Agency) Saudi Water Authority  Stone Harp Larx Submitted Proposals: US Forestry Service ($3.3M)
founder's work & Education
AF Venture Partners, Living Earth, Macquarie Group, Queen Mary University of London
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FutureIntelligence Labs
Hardware

Future Intelligence Labs is an AI-native chip design house that uses artificial intelligence agents to replace human design teams and deliver ready-to-manufacture silicon. This approach solves the massive shortage of chip engineers and eliminates the months of waiting and millions of dollars typically required to develop complex hardware.

  • Instead of selling software tools, the company delivers finished chip designs for a fraction of the traditional cost, saving customers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • The AI system drastically speeds up the process, turning a manual five-week design phase into a task that takes less than a single day.
  • The platform learns from real-world manufacturing results, meaning the AI gets smarter and more efficient with every new chip it helps create.
  • They already have paying customers and signed agreements, including a strategic connection with Arm, whose technology is in almost all the world's chips.
  • The team is led by top professors, researchers, and former executives from major tech companies who have decades of combined experience in artificial intelligence and hardware.
founder's note about traction
Paid commercial contracts. LOIs
founder's work & Education
AI2 Incubator, Dfns, OpenMined, Boston University, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Quantic School of Business and Technology
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Determinant Materials
Materials

Determinant Materials builds advanced metal refineries to quickly increase the production of refined metals in the United States. This secures the domestic supply chain for critical materials and reduces reliance on foreign countries that currently control most of the world's refining capacity.

  • The company already runs a working refinery that can process 250 tons of metal per year and has secured supply agreements worth over $50 million in annual revenue.
  • The United States currently lacks the ability to refine its own critical metals, leaving the country dependent on China, which controls about 90% of the global market.
  • Their patented process turns complex materials into engineered powders, making it easier and faster to separate and refine almost any metal on the periodic table.
  • They are raising $10 million to upgrade their current facility into a fully autonomous factory to meet high demand in a $3 trillion global market.
  • The leadership team includes experienced chemical engineers, a former Fortune 500 plant manager, and industry veterans with decades of experience in industrial supply chains.
founder's note about traction
Determinant has secured multiple supply + offtake agreements, representing $50 Million+ in annual revenue and up to $500k prepayment. Multiple firms want our metal, and multiple firms want our refining services - Imara, Columbus Micro Systems, etc.
founder's work & Education
Independent, NexantECA, Energy and Chemicals Advisory, Shell, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Adatom Technologies
Materials

Adatom creates diamond and graphene cooling materials using advanced plasma reactors to prevent AI datacenter chips from overheating. This technology drastically cuts the massive energy and water costs required to run modern AI infrastructure.

  • Cooling takes up nearly half of the energy used by AI datacenters, and heat is the leading cause of chip failure.
  • The company combines diamond and graphene to pull heat away from chips, dropping operating temperatures by over 20 degrees Celsius.
  • They make these materials using smart plasma reactors that turn greenhouse gases into solid carbon, creating diamonds that are up to three times larger than what competitors can make.
  • Because they can grow much larger diamond wafers, they can produce 24 times more heat extractors per wafer than other leading companies.
  • This cooling method can cut computing electricity needs by up to 50 percent and reduce water consumption by up to 55 times, saving billions of gallons of water each year.
founder's note about traction
Adatom develops diamond-based thermal management materials for datacenters. Our core technology, fusion-inspired plasma reactors, grows diamond at lower cost and significantly greater scale than previously achievable. The diamond-graphene heat spreaders we make from these reactors can reduce computing energy costs by up to 50%, which we’re commercializing in a rapidly growing $1.1B market towards hyperscalers and the AI infrastructure economy.
founder's work & Education
Carnegie Mellon University, C-Crete Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Georgia Institute of Technology
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matter-wave technologies
Quantum (Hardware)

Matter-Wave Technologies builds semiconductor manufacturing tools that use atom optics instead of light to print and inspect computer chips. This approach relies on atomic wavelengths that are 200 times shorter than current methods, allowing the industry to keep shrinking transistors and increasing computing power without building massively expensive new facilities.

  • Current chip manufacturing is hitting a physical wall because the light used to print circuits can only get so small, and the machines to do it cost over $400 million each.
  • Instead of light, the company uses streams of neutral atoms to write and measure chip designs, creating a way to pack 1,000 times more transistors into the same space.
  • Alongside printing chips, they are building an atom microscope that can inspect surfaces and find defects at the resolution of a single atomic layer.
  • The founding team includes top physicists and engineers who have already achieved major scientific milestones, like demonstrating the first atom lithography and running the most powerful laser in the country.
  • They already have a letter of support from a publicly traded quantum hardware company and are in technical talks with Texas Instruments to develop their early prototypes.
founder's note about traction
The CTO of Infleqtion (NYSE: INFQ) has agreed to give us a letter of support to license/codevelop our atom-optics stack for their quantum hardware.   We are also in technical discussion s with Texas Instrument involving of TI fellows and a few lithography experts for a nonbinding LOI and agreement for the purpose of joint process development research using our prototypes.
founder's work & Education
University of Ottawa, KLA, Carleton University
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Proximity Orbital Technologies
Space

Proximity Orbital provides a non-contact deorbiting service that uses focused ion beams to safely push dead satellites and space debris out of orbit. This approach offers a scalable, low-cost solution to clear crowded low Earth orbits and help satellite operators comply with strict new federal disposal mandates.

  • A new federal rule requires satellite operators to dispose of their hardware within five years, creating a massive and guaranteed need for removal services.
  • Instead of using complex robotic arms to grab tumbling debris, the system fires an ion beam from a safe distance to drag targets down without ever touching them.
  • Because the spacecraft never docks with the debris, a single servicer can remove multiple satellites, cutting the cost of traditional removal missions in half.
  • The company has built proprietary physics software to plan these missions and secured agreements with NASA and top universities to test the hardware on the ground.
  • The founding team combines deep technical and legal expertise, featuring a former Blue Origin senior engineer and a space attorney who handles complex industry regulations.
founder's note about traction
We do not have revenue. We have letters of interest from NASA Glenn, Georgia Tech, and the University of Michigan for ground testing. We have a prototype simulation software and finished a comprehensive 100-page study of the technology. We have a 12-month roadmap with a budget breakdown.
founder's work & Education
United States Courts, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Georgetown University
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Ailit
Transportation (Hardware)

Ailit replaces diesel fuel in freight trains with modular, swappable battery packs that connect directly to existing locomotives. This approach cuts energy costs by more than half while eliminating the range limits and long charging delays of standard battery-powered trains.

  • Switching to grid power reduces train energy costs by about 2.5 times compared to traditional diesel fuel.
  • Instead of waiting hours for trains to charge, the system swaps batteries during standard crew stops to keep freight moving without delay.
  • The battery packs fit into standard shipping containers and work with almost any existing diesel-electric train as a hybrid backup.
  • Custom software manages the battery fleet across different stations, turning them into a smart energy network.
  • The team includes former executives from major rail and battery companies who have validated the model with industry operators and are building a full-scale prototype to demo later this year.
founder's note about traction
Pre-revenue, pre-LOIs.  We've taken the product & business model to several operator types (ports, shortlines, mines, and Class I railroads) and validated the product & business model. We're now converting those conversations into active commercial leads, done in parallel with building a full-scale prototype which will be demoed to the industry in Q4 this year.
founder's work & Education
Modulai, J12 Ventures, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, The Viktor Rydberg Schools Foundation
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Coda AI
Transportation (Hardware)
Edge computing enabling localized AI-driven vehicle diagnostics

Coda builds software that allows vehicles to process their own sensor data locally instead of sending it to the cloud. This helps fleet operators analyze data in real time to catch mechanical failures early, saving money on cloud computing and preventing costly roadside breakdowns.

  • Modern trucks generate over 18 terabytes of data daily, but operators currently discard almost all of it because sending it to the cloud costs too much.
  • The software runs directly on the computers already inside the vehicles, processing information instantly without relying on a delayed internet connection or new hardware.
  • Engineers can run custom checks on vehicles while they are on the road to predict when parts will fail before a breakdown happens.
  • The team has already built the core platform and is working with major manufacturers like PACCAR and Daimler to test the software on real vehicle data.
  • The founder has a PhD in mechanical engineering and started the company after having to physically carry hard drives full of vehicle data from the field to the office just to analyze it.
founder's note about traction
We are five months into building Coda and are transitioning from product development to pilot deployments. We have built the core edge and cloud platform and signed an NDA with PACCAR to access OEM-level vehicle data. We are actively engaged with PACCAR and Daimler on diagnostic and prognostic applications. These engagements are helping us refine the product and move toward paid pilots.
founder's work & Education
PACCAR, Daimler Trucks North America, West Virginia University, Anna University Chennai
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MantaBio
Biotech

MantaBio builds an automated contamination testing system for drug manufacturing that delivers safety results in two hours instead of weeks. This rapid testing prevents costly factory delays and gets life-saving personalized medicines to patients much faster.

  • Current sterility tests take up to 14 days, but MantaBio uses a specialized DNA test to confirm drug safety in just two hours with only one minute of hands-on work.
  • Traditional rapid tests often fail because they detect dead bacteria and trigger false alarms, so the company created a special dye that blocks dead DNA to ensure accurate results.
  • The company operates on a razor-and-blade business model where they sell the testing machines and generate recurring revenue from single-use test cartridges.
  • Fourteen of the top twenty global biopharma companies are already engaged for paid pilots, and two partners are exploring a global rollout that could generate up to $55 million in annual recurring revenue.
  • The leadership team includes a former Lonza executive who previously hunted for this exact technology, and they are currently raising $5 million to launch commercially and meet customer demand.
founder's note about traction
14 of the top 20 (top 20 = >50% global rev) global biopharmas are engaged for paid pilots in 2027. Our VP of BD led M&A at Lonza hunting for exactly this, then joined us. Five Global Directors of Quality will brief prospective lead investors. We expect our first PO to land in 1-2 weeks, and two customer prospects expressed appetite for global rollout ($35-$55M recurring rev opportunity combined).
founder's work & Education
Bird, Pegasus Tech Ventures, University of Southern California
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ArgenTag
Biotech
Platform enabling single-cell isoform sequencing for drug discovery

ArgenTag builds a sequencing platform that reads full-length RNA molecules at the single-cell level to reveal the exact structural variations that cause diseases. This approach unlocks new targets for drug discovery that older technologies completely miss by looking at the whole picture instead of just counting genes.

  • Traditional sequencing only reads short fragments and misses how genes are spliced, which is responsible for about 60 percent of disease-causing mutations.
  • The technology is officially certified and partnered with Oxford Nanopore and PacBio, the two largest companies in the long-read sequencing market.
  • Top research institutions have already submitted over 120 applications for early access, generating $300,000 in initial revenue with another $1.4 million in the pipeline.
  • Instead of just selling lab kits, the company is gathering data from these experiments to build a massive database of cell structures to license to pharmaceutical companies.
  • The founding team has over 20 years of experience in single-cell biology and bioinformatics, features a majority-female executive team, and is backed by advisors from Harvard and MIT.
founder's note about traction
Recent agreements executed with leading sequencing players, Oxford Nanopore and PacBio. After a technical due diligence we were designated as partners and compatible products.  +120 organic applications to our Early Access, $300K generated with scientists working in academia, biotech and pharma. $1,4M in the pipeline.
founder's work & Education
Draper University, Mardel Valley, IAE Business School, Jilin University, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
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Chainreactor
Biotech

Chainreactor uses 3D-printed bioreactors and artificial intelligence to simulate the physics of massive industrial tanks inside small lab-scale vessels. This allows biomanufacturers to predict how cells will behave at scale, preventing the high failure rate that typically plagues the industry and saving billions in lost assets.

  • The company went from concept to shipping in under a year and already has paying customers, multiple contracts, and a 13.2 million euro grant consortium.
  • By 3D printing their bioreactors with a special polymer, they can deliver custom hardware to customers in just 14 days, compared to the 26 weeks it takes traditional suppliers.
  • Their software acts like a flight simulator for biology, learning from every experiment to build a predictive model that helps researchers avoid costly mistakes before they happen.
  • They offer their hardware as a monthly subscription with no upfront costs, making it easy for companies to start using the platform before eventually paying to license the predictive software.
  • The founding team combines rare expertise in 3D printing, biology, and software, featuring a CEO who led major manufacturing efforts during the pandemic and a CTO with a track record of successful bioprocess automation exits.
founder's note about traction
We have paying customers: Recircle has contracted for multiple units plus a customized  design, and we have executed contracts with New Dawn, Bacter, and a 13.2M euro grant with Octarine Bio. These converted quickly once teams saw we compile a vessel to a target fluid microenvironment, building biomanufacturing's first flight simulator.
founder's work & Education
Distributed Additive Manufacturing, SurFFF, TBA21–Academy, Imperial College London, University of Agder, University of Agder (UiA), The New School
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Bloom Biotech
Biotech
Biomaterial production replacing animal leather in luxury fashion

Bloom Biotech creates premium, plastic-free leather alternatives from microalgae for the luxury fashion industry. This provides brands with a sustainable, biodegradable material that matches the texture and durability of animal leather without the heavy environmental footprint or cheap feel of synthetic plastics.

  • The material is made from microalgae in a process that takes only minutes or hours to turn biomass into a finished product, which is much faster than lab-grown leather or mycelium.
  • Unlike traditional vegan leathers that rely on plastics, this microalgae leather is completely plastic-free, biodegradable, and built from renewable biomass.
  • It can be produced in continuous fabric rolls with adjustable thickness and texture, making it easy to stitch, dye, and shape for high-end fashion needs.
  • Top-tier luxury brands like Hermès, Hugo Boss, and Ralph Lauren are already testing the material for use in handbags and small leather goods.
  • The company expects to reach price parity with traditional leather by 2026 and plans to scale up to industrial production levels to become highly cost-competitive.
founder's note about traction
We are at the stage between brand-testable material and commercial pilot. We’ve moved beyond lab POC: we can now produce microalgae leather-like sheets, we’ve shown first m²-scale production, and Tier-1 brands are already evaluating the material. The next step is to prove repeatability, complete the mechanical testing package, and convert 2–3 active brand discussions into paid co-development
founder's work & Education
Exothera Viral Vectors, Fette Compacting, Peace of Meat, Universidade da Beira Interior
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Mustard
Biotech

Mustard Biopharma builds AI-powered, automated factories and mobile manufacturing pods to produce pharmaceutical drugs with minimal human intervention. This software-driven approach makes drug production significantly faster and cheaper, helping to prevent medicine shortages and lower costs for patients worldwide.

  • The company has already signed $300,000 in letters of intent with pharmaceutical customers that serve over 50 million patients.
  • They tested their early software on real factory machines and saw a 20 percent increase in efficiency and output through autonomous control.
  • Instead of relying on fragmented legacy systems, their proprietary operating system connects and automates all manufacturing steps into one platform.
  • They are designing both large-scale automated hubs and small, containerized mini-factories that can be placed in research labs or hospitals to make drugs exactly where they are needed.
  • The founder is a manufacturing scientist and engineer who has previously built more than 12 factory projects for major pharmaceutical companies like GSK.
founder's note about traction
We have signed LOIs totalling $300K with pharma customers covering 50M+ patient populations. We tested our MVP on real factory equipment and measured 20% improved efficiency and output with autonomous control. We secured a space at Murrieta Innovation Center with process flow and equipment specs defined. We are raising $1.1M pre-seed to build out our pilot factory and convert our LOI's to revenue.
founder's work & Education
CAI, McCabes Pharmacy, Oak-Faith Pharmaceutical Resources Limited, Griffith College Dublin, CIM | The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Simon Page College of Marketing, College of Medicine, University of Lagos
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Nu Theory
Biotech

Nu Theory uses artificial intelligence and synthetic biology to create a daily probiotic pill that binds to microplastics in the gut and safely removes them from the body. This provides an easy way for people to protect themselves from the severe health risks of plastic accumulation that comes from eating everyday foods.

  • Most microplastics enter our bodies through the food we eat, which means standard water filters cannot stop this growing health threat.
  • The company is making a daily supplement to take with meals that catches unwanted plastic chemicals before they can enter the bloodstream.
  • The team relies on artificial intelligence and directed evolution to find and patent specific bacteria that are highly effective at binding to microplastics.
  • The product will be sold directly to consumers through a subscription plan that has an 80 percent profit margin.
  • The founders have a strong background, having previously raised over 150 million dollars and launched more than 200 health and wellness products.
founder's note about traction
While 90% of Americans view microplastics as a major threat - driving 60k monthly Google searches for filters - water filtration only scratches the surface. The reality is that we ingest most microplastics through our food, leaving 70% of Americans completely unsure how to protect themselves. Current solutions are failing. Nu Theory is building a solution using AI and synthetic biology.
founder's work & Education
Glyphic Biotechnologies, Edward Boyden Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley
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ReGround
Biotech

ReGround extracts a skincare ingredient from discarded coffee grounds to treat skin aging and inflammation. This approach turns a global waste stream into a profitable product without relying on expensive farming or fossil fuels.

  • Every day, the world throws away the grounds from 2.25 billion cups of coffee, which naturally contain a concentrated ingredient good for the skin.
  • The extracted ingredient fights skin aging by doing two things at once: calming inflammation and rebuilding the skin's protective barrier.
  • Because their raw material is completely free coffee waste, they avoid the high costs of growing plants or buying synthetic chemicals, resulting in a 97 percent profit margin per kilo.
  • Instead of making their own skincare line, they sell this active ingredient directly to the cosmetic brands that make the final creams.
  • They have strong legal protection for their process and recently brought on a senior industry scientist to their advisory board to validate their approach.
founder's note about traction
2.5 months into the journey, I reached out to the industry senior scientist and BizDev "rock start" for principal validation. She decided to join us as SAB on top of "yes, that works". The category itself is not new - our incumbents exist and are well-funded. But we have our unfair advantage.
founder's work & Education
projectfactor.tech, self-employed, TechTikkun, University of Liverpool, North-West Academy of Public Administration
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Retigenyx
Biotech

Retigenyx creates AI-designed RNA therapies to treat retinal diseases and restore vision, funding its drug development by selling lab-grown human eye models to researchers. This approach replaces frequent eye injections with long-lasting treatments that can regenerate damaged cells and target multiple disease pathways at once.

  • The company is ready to generate immediate revenue by selling lab-grown human retinal models to researchers, which helps pay for their long-term drug development.
  • Current treatments for age-related macular degeneration require frequent eye injections and only slow down vision loss, but these new therapies would only need to be given twice a year.
  • Instead of targeting just one part of the disease, their RNA therapies are designed to hit multiple disease pathways at the same time with a single injection.
  • The platform uses artificial intelligence to find specific genetic instructions that can reprogram existing support cells in the eye into new, healthy vision cells, similar to how zebrafish naturally heal their eyes.
  • The founder has over 15 years of experience in eye research at major pharmaceutical companies and holds the core patent for this retinal regeneration technology.
founder's note about traction
We are ready to enter the $2B organoid market, selling ready-to-ship human iPSC-derived retinal models to academic and pharma researchers. Our production workflow is operationally primed for immediate customer shipments upon final licensing execution. Addressing a 288M patient AMD market, Retigenyx develops twice-yearly multi-valent RNA therapeutics designed by AI to reduce patient burden.
founder's work & Education
AbbVie, Mogrify, Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd
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PRONOE
Climate (Hardware)
Carbon dioxide removal startup enabling ocean alkalinity enhancement

Pronoe builds automated systems that plug into coastal facilities like desalination plants to treat their wastewater, reducing its acidity before it returns to the sea. This process helps the ocean safely absorb and permanently store more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while protecting local marine life from harmful acidification.

  • The company secured a half-million dollar advance purchase contract from Frontier, a climate fund backed by major tech companies like Google and Stripe, which sets them up for much larger future deals.
  • They have already built and tested a working industrial demonstration system at an active water desalination plant in Spain.
  • Instead of building entirely new standalone plants, their technology connects directly to existing coastal infrastructure, saving money and resources.
  • The system relies on abundant natural limestone and an energy-efficient process that requires less water and power than competing ocean carbon removal methods.
  • They are actively working with major industrial partners, including three of the largest desalination companies in Spain and multiple limestone suppliers.
founder's note about traction
* Half-a-million prepurchase contract from Frontier (Google, Stripe, Shopify), paving the way to larger ($30m+) offtakes ;  * Demo site visits from 3/5 of largest desalination players in Spain, resulting in Paid R&D ($300k) and a LOI for technology integration.  * Collaboration with 4+ limestone/lime players.  * Ongoing discussions with power plant, district heating, aquaculture, LNG, datacenters
founder's work & Education
Entrepreneur First, AYRO, Ecole d'Architecture de Paris-la-Villette, INSEAD, HEC Paris, Polytechnique, ENSTA, Politecnico di Milano
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Vestige Defense
Defense

Vestige Defense builds robotic and sensor systems that provide long-term surveillance in dangerous underground and city environments. This allows military teams to drop a sensor network into hazardous tunnels and walk away, keeping watch for months without risking human lives.

  • The system sends a walking robot to drop small radar sensors deep inside tunnels, creating a network that monitors the area for up to six months without a human nearby.
  • The company already has a working sensor network with 25 units delivered, proving they have real hardware rather than just ideas.
  • They have secured direct access to test their equipment in the field with a specialized tunnel-clearing military unit in Israel.
  • The startup has clear paths to government contracts, including an upcoming presentation to US Special Operations Command and active submissions to defense research agencies.
  • A solo founder built the entire hardware and software system in just five months, backed by two leading military experts in underground warfare.
founder's note about traction
Pre-revenue, with a working sensor mesh and autonomy stack deployed and integrated with ATAK. We have established a field-testing pathway with the IDF's Yahalom unit. We have submitted to DARPA DSO and been invited to present through SOFWERX to USSOCOM this fall. The problem area is actively funded across DHS, CBP, DARPA, ERDC, and DTRA, providing clear government procurement pathways.
founder's work & Education
UBS, Willowlake Fund, The Family Offices Global, University of Miami, Rye Country Day School, University of Miami Herbert Business School
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Kalorie
Food

Kalorie builds software and sensor models that scan meals to measure their exact nutritional makeup, allowing people with chronic diseases like diabetes to accurately track their food intake. By licensing this technology to major appliance brands, they enable everyday devices like microwaves to provide precise dietary data instead of relying on inaccurate database guesses.

  • Most nutrition apps guess what is in a meal using photos or barcodes, which can be wrong by up to 60% because they miss hidden ingredients and exact portion sizes.
  • The company combines multiple sensors to scan a plate of food in seconds, providing an accurate breakdown of calories, protein, fat, and carbs.
  • Instead of making its own hardware, the startup licenses its software to major appliance brands so they can build this scanning technology directly into microwaves and ovens.
  • This approach is only possible now because the cost of the necessary sensors has dropped significantly over the last 18 months, making them cheap enough for consumer products.
  • They have filed a patent covering over 16,000 different sensor combinations and are working with a professional lab to build an accurate food database to train their system.
founder's note about traction
Pre-revenue, no LOIs yet, so here is why we know demand is real. OEMs and health platforms are racing to add objective nutrition data, but accurate food sensing is a hard physics/ML problem none can build in-house. That is what creates a licensing market, like ARM or Dolby. We hold a filed provisional patent and have begun direct OEM outreach to validate the model.
founder's work & Education
Moonjee Corporation
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Magnify
Hardware

Magnify is a green chemicals company that creates advanced resin particles to perform single-step molecular separations for industries like pharmaceuticals, food, and metals. This technology replaces expensive and energy-intensive traditional recovery processes, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and energy use.

  • Separations account for more than half of manufacturing costs in essential industries, and this new technology targets a large market worth over 60 billion dollars.
  • The team took their core invention from a basic concept to a working demonstration scale in less than three years using only pre-seed funding.
  • They have already completed an in-house pilot with a major enzyme company and are running active trials with large food, biochemical, and dairy manufacturers.
  • The company uses a printer and ink business model where they sell the consumable resin particles at scale, creating a reliable source of recurring revenue.
  • The startup is guided by industry veterans, including the expert who built a similar resin platform that led to a 3.7 billion dollar company sale.
founder's note about traction
In-house pilot complete with major enzyme company. Demo-scale unit now built, on-site demo scheduled for late Q3 with above biochemicals customer. Trials underway with major food and biochemicals companies. Head-to-head pilot underway w/ one of world's largest OEMs (investigating the technology for the separation of high-value dairy products). First data in metals recently landed.
founder's work & Education
Entrepreneurs First, The Good Food Institute, Triangle Insights Group, LLC, University of Cambridge, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Lotus
Hardware
Ring enabling pointing-based control of home devices offline

Lotus makes a wearable ring that allows users to control home appliances simply by pointing at them, without needing any apps, internet, or electrical rewiring. This gives millions of people, including renters and those with limited mobility, an accessible way to add smart technology to their homes.

  • The company has secured a 1.57 million dollar yearly contract with New York State and recently gained Medicaid approval in 11 additional states, which could increase revenue to nearly 20 million dollars.
  • The technology works right out of the box without requiring smartphone apps, internet connections, or electrical rewiring, making it easy for anyone to use.
  • The rings have built-in network effects, meaning a user's ring will automatically work with devices in other apartments or buildings that also have the system installed.
  • The product is highly rated by users with a near-perfect net promoter score of 96, holds 33 worldwide patents, and has been recognized by TIME's Best Inventions.
  • The team is led by a former Apple executive and includes hardware and software experts from Google, Amazon, and Meta, with backing from major investors like Kleiner Perkins.
founder's note about traction
Signed New York State contract (est. ACV = $1.6M/yr). $251k+ Y1 revenue, 65+% gross margin, exponential growth 6 quarters in a row. And just got Medicaid approved across 11 more states: $1.6M/yr → $19.7M/yr. NPS = 96.  33 patents (22 utility, 11 design). All nonprovisional. All PCT (i.e. worldwide). Recognition: TIME's Best Inventions, Red Dot Award, Forbes 200.
founder's work & Education
PillDrill, Inc., Apple, Georgia Institute of Technology, Indian High School
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SPARC Evolution
Materials
founder's note about traction
The process has been piloted and the product independently validated by a leading US national lab, with cathode performance on par with virgin materials. A Tier 1 cathode manufacturer approved the specifications and requested larger qualification samples. Secured MOUs/LOIs for feedstock and offtake, validating demand for cost-competitive domestic critical battery materials. PCT-filed IP.
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Carbion
Materials

Carbion uses a new chemical process to turn plant waste like sawdust and nutshells into battery-grade graphite. This creates a cheaper, cleaner, and fully domestic supply of a critical mineral that makes up a third of every lithium-ion battery, reducing reliance on overseas imports.

  • Graphite makes up a third of a battery, but 95 percent of it currently comes from China through supply chains that are expensive and polluting.
  • Their manufacturing method is ten times faster and needs half the heat of traditional processes, which significantly lowers energy costs.
  • By making graphite from renewable plant waste, they can cut battery manufacturing carbon emissions by 20 percent.
  • Producing this material domestically avoids geopolitical risks and is expected to be 30 percent cheaper than importing it from overseas.
  • The company already has early customer traction with five signed agreements, $70,000 in paid pilot revenue, and over $1 million in total funding.
founder's note about traction
We have proven the core technology at lab scale and are now scaling toward pilot production and customer qualification. We have early customer traction with 5 signed LOIs and $70K in paid pilot revenue. Demand is coming from battery manufacturers who need cheaper, cleaner, domestic graphite as supply chain risk increases. We have received over $1M in funding, pilot revenue, and commercial support.
founder's work & Education
Activate, Corn Next, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology
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Nexus Additive
Materials

Nexus is an AI-powered quality assurance platform that analyzes sensor data during metal 3D printing to instantly detect defects. This software eliminates the need for slow and expensive physical testing, making it possible to use 3D printed parts in safety-critical industries like aerospace and medicine.

  • Quality checks currently make up 30 to 50 percent of the total cost of metal 3D printed parts, which makes traditional manufacturing slow and expensive.
  • The software reads data from sensors already inside the printers to spot flaws layer by layer as the part is being built.
  • It creates a digital model of the finished part to show exactly where defects are, allowing manufacturers to skip costly X-rays or physical tests.
  • The company is already running or starting pilot programs with major aerospace and defense companies like Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, and GKN Aerospace.
  • The team includes industry experts who have previously built and sold 3D printing startups, alongside AI engineers from top tech companies.
founder's note about traction
Pilot commenced with Rolls-Royce Submarines, upcoming pilots/orders are also expected from Rolls-Royce Civil Aviation, Rolls-Royce Defence, AWE - Nuclear Security Technologies, BAE Systems and GKN Aerospace this year.
founder's work & Education
OSSTEC, Additive Instruments, Imperial College London, International School of Amsterdam
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Trace Health
Medtech (Hardware)
founder's note about traction
We're building devices that passively track health biomarkers from urine via sensors integrated into toilets. It uses an electrochemical aptamer sensor that enables quantitative, longitudinal hormone tracking that wasn't possible before. The tech has matured greatly over the last few years, and our advisors and hiring pipeline have driven much of this work. Our early go-to-market is B2B: elite sports teams, where we already hold 5 LOIs from MLS and Premier League coaches. Beyond sports, we see ourselves diving into TRT/men's health and longevity clinics before we hit consumers.
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Dottir Labs
Other
Raman spectroscopy-based process analytics enabling real-time multiplexed monitoring

Dottir Labs builds miniaturized, real-time chemical sensors that continuously monitor water quality without the need for lab samples or chemical reagents. This technology allows facilities like indoor fish farms and wastewater plants to maintain precise environmental control and prevent massive financial losses from toxic water conditions.

  • The system runs up to 100 different sensors at the same time using just one shared laser, making it easy to scale for large industrial sites.
  • Each sensor is about the size of a cell phone and costs ten times less than traditional options, bringing the price under $10,000 per unit.
  • The core technology relies on MIT patents that solve the usual physical limits between how sensitive a sensor is and how clearly it can read chemical signatures.
  • Their first target is indoor fish farming, where a lack of real-time monitoring for chemicals like ammonia currently causes high fish death rates and billions in industry losses.
  • The company has already secured over $400,000 in early funding and grants, and is setting up pilot tests with multiple equipment makers and fish farms.
founder's note about traction
Dottir Labs has developed a miniaturized swept-source Raman spectroscopy platform that measures dissolved chemical species continuously, in real time, with no reagents or consumables, replacing periodic lab sampling with a persistent signal. The technology is built on MIT-originated patents and represents the only field-scale Raman sensing architecture capable of deployment at commercial scale. The company's go-to-market strategy is built around structured pilots with platform partners and facility operators, starting in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems where unmonitored water chemistry drives $2B in annual industry losses, before expanding into wastewater treatment, where continuous multi-analyte monitoring enables the precise environmental control that biological treatment processes require for effective nutrient and waste removal at scale.
founder's work & Education
Activate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston Scientific, Tel Aviv University
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Magnolia Quantum Sensing
Quantum (Hardware)

Magnolia Quantum Sensing builds optical quantum sensors that measure magnetic fields inside MRI scanners to correct hardware imperfections. This technology improves image quality, cuts scan times by up to two-thirds, and lowers the cost of medical imaging to make advanced diagnostics more accessible.

  • The sensors easily fit into existing MRI machines without causing interference or requiring major physical changes.
  • A working prototype is already in use at a hospital, proving the sensors can accurately measure magnetic fields and correct scanner deviations.
  • The only competitor is highly expensive and limited to niche research, while this solution offers continuous measurements for broader use.
  • By making scans up to three times faster, the technology can cut MRI costs in half and help more patients get the care they need.
  • The startup has strong interest and a letter of intent from major industry players like Philips, with future potential to expand into fusion energy and electric motors.
founder's note about traction
We have a high-TRL prototype, that has sparked significant interest in the MRI community, both from the MRI manufacturer Philips (who have supplied a nice LOI), and from many MRI researchers who see the obvious advantage in our technology. We are in dialogue with several specific researchers who are interested in buying a system once we have a commercially available solution.
founder's work & Education
Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR), Københavns Universitet - University of Copenhagen, Aurehøj Gymnasium
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Geodesic Robotics
Robotics

Geodesic builds adaptive artificial intelligence that allows robots to continuously learn and adjust to their surroundings after they are deployed. This real-time adaptation prevents robots from failing when they encounter unexpected conditions, bridging the gap between controlled lab demos and actual real-world use.

  • Most current robot AI models are trained once and frozen, which causes them to fail when they face new situations or changing environments.
  • The software relies on small adaptive models that adjust in real-time, allowing robots to change their actions based on live feedback instead of following fixed instructions.
  • Instead of just copying human actions to predict the next move, this AI focuses on successfully completing the actual task at hand even when conditions change.
  • The company is building a workspace called Geodesic OS that lets engineers easily test, compare, and improve robot software without dealing with messy code dependencies.
  • The founding team brings a decade of experience in robotics, motion planning, and machine learning from institutions like Caltech and UT Austin.
founder's note about traction
We are early and pre-revenue, building around a simple belief: physical AI must keep learning & adapting after it is deployed. Today, many systems look good in demos but struggle when reality differs from training. Teams feel this in the slow, expensive gap between simulation/demos and deployment. We believe small adaptive models are the path to reliable physical AI.
founder's work & Education
Mensa International, University of Texas Center for Space Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
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DEFT ROBOTICS
Robotics

Deft Robotics supplies automotive manufacturers with wheeled humanoid robots powered by data-driven AI models. This allows factories to quickly automate complex tasks that traditional robots cannot handle, solving major labor shortages while keeping deployment costs low.

  • They already have contracts with two massive automotive parts manufacturers and are testing their robots with a European car company that makes over $100 billion a year.
  • Instead of spending months programming, the robots learn by watching and practicing, requiring only about 25 hours of on-site data to start working.
  • Unlike many robotics companies that are years away from production, their robots are built with mostly off-the-shelf parts and are ready to be deployed in factories today.
  • The robots pay for themselves in just five months by replacing expensive day and night shift labor costs.
  • The founding team has been friends since college and brings deep experience from top engineering schools and major companies like Tesla and Hyundai.
founder's note about traction
* 2 enterprise contracts (multi-billion dollar annual revenue automotive parts manufacturers) * Several other customers earlier in sales pipeline evaluating POC/pilot programs (multi-billion dollar annual revenue automotive parts manufacturers & including one European $100B+/yr automotive OEM group)
founder's work & Education
Tesla, University of California, Berkeley, American School of Dubai
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Montagne
Space
Perovskite space-grade modules powering orbital AI data centers

Anarion creates a proprietary chemical additive that stabilizes ultra-lightweight perovskite solar cells so they can survive extreme heat and radiation. This technology enables the low-cost solar panels needed to power future AI data centers in space, while also improving traditional solar energy systems on Earth.

  • Tech companies want to build massive AI data centers in space to capture abundant solar energy, but current solar panels are too heavy and expensive to launch.
  • A new material called perovskite is incredibly light and cheap to produce, but it normally breaks down within hours when exposed to the harsh environment of space.
  • Anarion invented a special chemical additive that solves this problem, allowing these lightweight solar modules to last for an estimated 28 years without losing much power.
  • The startup is already discussing co-design and testing opportunities with major aerospace companies like Blue Origin, Boeing, and Airbus.
  • Beyond space, the company is selling its additive to traditional solar manufacturers on Earth, which can boost the efficiency of standard silicon panels by 50 percent.
founder's note about traction
1. Currently in talks with Blue Origin, Sophia Space, Boeing, Airbus DS, Cowboy Space etc. We're unable to share the stage of discussion (for no) for each of them due to confidentiality reasons, but it mostly consists of co-design and/or tests of our tech. 1. As for the terrestrial market, we are in talks with First Solar, QCells, Enel Power... We're entering the Chinese market mid-June.
founder's work & Education
Airthium, Lazard, Cour des comptes, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, HEC Paris, University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business, Collège Stanislas Paris
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Satelyx
Space
Satellite buses providing in-orbit demonstrations and turnkey capabilities

Satelyx provides a shared satellite platform that hosts multiple payloads on a single mission to test and validate new space technologies in orbit. This allows space companies to prove their hardware works much faster and cheaper, unlocking major contracts that require a history of successful flights.

  • The space industry has a major bottleneck where new technologies cannot get funding or buyers until they are proven in space, which traditionally takes years and costs millions of dollars.
  • By packing one standard satellite with up to ten different payloads, the company drastically cuts the cost and time required for startups to test their equipment in orbit.
  • The company already has strong demand with over forty qualified customers, including signed agreements to test propulsion systems and computer chips on upcoming missions.
  • They are building a shared space network across Taiwan, Japan, and the United Kingdom to combine regional strengths in hardware, robotics, and software engineering.
  • The founding team includes experienced space program operators and a chief scientist who has successfully completed fifteen satellite launches.
founder's note about traction
* 40+ qualified customers and partners active * Initial regional focus on TW, JP, and UK * Collaboration initiatives with TASA, The University of Manchester, SAC, ADS, and UK ecosystem stakeholders * Japanese anchor payload LOI in final stage; multiple Mission 2 opportunities in development * Technical and commercial engagement with 7+ launch providers
founder's work & Education
SPIN • Smart Products Infrastructure Network, Headline - Asia, Infinity Ventures Crypto (IVC), National Taiwan University, Kobe University
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