Thank you for attending our Startup Pitch Day hosted jointly by Columbia Technology Ventures, Cambridge Enterprise, and Oxford University Innovation, showcasing the most exciting startups emerging from the research labs of Columbia, Cambridge, and Oxford.
Below are videos from the event. Please contact Connolly Jurkiewicz (ccj2116@columbia.edu) if you would like introductions to any of the startups.
Columbia Technology Ventures (CTV) is the technology transfer office for Columbia University and a central location for many of the technology development initiatives, entrepreneurial activities, external industry collaborations, and commercially-oriented multidisciplinary technology innovations across the university. CTV’s core mission is to facilitate the transfer of inventions from academic research labs to the market for the benefit of society. To join our mailing list or for questions about our events, please visit www.techventures.columbia.edu or send us an email at techventures@columbia.edu.
Part of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge Enterprise supports academics, researchers, staff and students in achieving knowledge transfer and research impact. We do this by helping innovators, experts and entrepreneurs use commercial avenues to develop their ideas and expertise for the benefit of society, the economy, themselves and the University. Liaising with organisations both locally and globally, we offer expert advice and support in commercialisation and social enterprise, including help with academic consultancy services; the protection, development and licensing of ideas; new company and social enterprise creation, and seed funding.
Oxford University Innovation (OUI) is the research commercialisation office of the University of Oxford, recognised worldwide for its ability to engage academic prowess through licensing, catalyse innovative solutions through consulting services, and support the creation of spinouts, start-ups, and social ventures. OUI is dedicated to showcasing these transformative technologies on the global stage, bridging the realms of academia and the commercial world, thereby weaving a future where knowledge, innovation and partnership drive forward solutions to global challenges. For more information, please visit https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/
Saravir Biopharma Incorporated is leveraging Columbia University’s cutting-edge humanized measles antibodies to treat and prevent measles infection. Despite the existence of a measles vaccine, there is a growing need for new therapies to address those who cannot or won’t take the vaccine. Immunocompromised patients, at risk of measles infections and its consequences, often cannot benefit from vaccination. Additionally, vaccination rates have been declining from year-to-year and will soon leave as many as 10% of the addressable population at risk of infection. Saravir’s antibodies have the potential to both prevent infection and treat patients with measles symptoms, including the 20% of those infected who require hospitalization.
NOVAJoint is a regenerative implant company focused on restoring native joint function through implanting biologic living joint replacements. NOVAKnee is our first product focused on total knee arthroplasty (TKA), aiming to reduce the number of surgical procedures and injections required during a patient’s lifetime by leveraging a patient’s native biology. NOVAKnee is an entirely resorbable (e.g., no permanent fixation), non-immunogenic, chondroinductive, osteoinductive knee replacement, and will recapitulate native tissue properties available as both an allogenic and autologous solution. It will expand the market for TKAs, enabling younger patients previously excluded from a traditional metal & plastic knee to restore native functionality through the living NOVAKnee. This solution will change the landscape of joint replacement and become the new standard of care for musculoskeletal joint replacement procedures. In partnership with Columbia University and ARPA-H, NOVAJoint has received $15MM of non-dilutive funding and is currently raising $8MM in seed funding to establish scaled manufacturing, support clinical trials, and continue engagement with the FDA.
Over the past decade, the Adam Mor Lab at Columbia University has conducted research revealing that the immune synapse—a critical interface between T cells and cancer cells where checkpoint receptors like PD-1 and CTLA-4 operate—is mechanistically vital for cancer immunotherapy in ways that are under-leveraged by existing therapies. We discovered that relocating the PD-1 receptor from the center to the periphery of the synapse significantly enhances T cell activation beyond traditional ligand blockade. Building on this finding, we have developed antibodies that induce this spatial shift, resulting in stronger anti-tumor responses and overcoming resistance to existing therapies like Keytruda®—in effect, creating “super-aPD1s.” Additionally, through careful study of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), our group identified IL-25 (a Type2 proinflammatory cytokine, alarmin) as a critical contributor to both tumor growth and toxicity from Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Consequently, we have developed a first-in-class bispecific antibody targeting both PD-1 and IL-25 that effectively suppresses tumors and mitigates irAEs, improving the therapeutic index of checkpoint inhibitors. IrAEs occur in 30-40% of patients on ICIs, half of which are severe, usually necessitating therapy discontinuation and probable tumor growth. With the rise of ICIs, including combinations and bispecifics, irAEs are becoming perhaps the most common autoimmune disease, surpassing conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes. Synaptic is seeking investor partnerships to advance these assets to clinical development.
NavLive – built out of deep tech research in robotics and AI at the University of Oxford – has developed a handheld scanning tool that enables architects, engineers and construction professionals to generate high-precision site scans instantly. Using edge AI and LiDAR, the device supports real-time capture of both 2D and 3D building data, with integration into BIM workflows. By helping teams create accurate site drawings and models directly in the field, NavLive aims to reduce friction in the design and construction process. This includes direct Scan-to-BIM output, reducing the need for third-party surveys, simplifying workflow and making site data easier to manage and actionable in real-time. Our team of 15 operates from offices in London and Oxford, with manufacturing in Oxford. We’ve had the opportunity to work closely with several respected firms across the AEC sector, including Jacobs, AtkinsRealis and Mace. NavLive has also been deployed for both nuclear and defence applications, including with the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
All grids need predictable baseload power to balance out the intermittency of renewables. The energy – dynamic pressure - in a medium tide, 3 knots, is about twice that of a hurricane force wind, as water is 780x denser than air. Tides are guaranteed and predictable, thus tidal-stream energy delivers predictable, affordable power. To date developers have been working with turbines, which require 5 knot tides, which are both limited in number and require high capital costs. This has resulted in tidal energy being niche, with a slow learning cycle. Porpoise Power’s bio-inspired design is focused on the abundant medium flow tides seen around the world. Like a whale’s tail, the Porpoise Power flapping tidal energy converter conforms to the natural movement of the flow, extracting energy with slow but powerful beats. It is modular, allowing low capital development, has a predicted LCOE of $60/MWh. There are tidal resources globally of c.1500GW. We raised our pre-seed of $1.5m a year ago, tested in sea water in February, and are raising a seed round of $6m now, with $3.8m committed. Our aim is to have 1GW deployed within 10 years, with Porpoise scaling as a technology provider.
Pictura Bio is an Oxford spinout developing a patented, AI-powered testing platform that delivers results for viral, bacterial, and microbial contamination 1 minute, without the need for a laboratory. Unlike conventional tests that rely on slow chemical reactions, Pictura’s specificity comes entirely from software, making the system 10–100× faster than competing methods. Applications range from industrial microbiology and gene therapy to point-of-care clinical diagnostics. The VISTA system uses a universal test cartridge with a non-specific reagent that labels all microbes in a sample. Once inserted, the instrument captures high-resolution digital images and employs trained AI models to filter background signals and identify pathogens of interest. New tests can be deployed via software updates, enabling rapid response to emerging threats. We are raising $9M to commercialize industrial applications, complete clinical system development, and prepare for clinical trials in 2027.
William Oak Diagnostics is a University of Cambridge spin-out developing a digital health solution for diagnosing nutritional deficiencies and anaemia. Nutritional deficiencies account for nearly 50 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally, significantly impacting healthy ageing and longevity. The link between nutrition and health is well established, poor nutritional status not only increases the risk of developing disease but also contributes to severity and poorer outcomes. Our innovation combines novel microfluidics with lateral flow technology to allow parallel testing of multiple assays simultaneously from a single drop of blood. This enables a test that is both extremely simple to use, with just one push of a button. Results are read via a smartphone app, providing a quantitative output to support clear decision-making, with a dashboard displaying key health parameters and integration with healthcare professionals. By utilising large-scale testing data, we are developing a predictive model that allows comprehensive targeting of deficiency risk-factors to allow efficient implementation strategies, as well as personalisation of testing and treatment for patients. We are currently raising our seed round and are seeking strategic US investors and implementation partners to support market entry and scale-up.
Several pilot clients have been partnering with our SecureFinAI lab to build customized financial agents, powered by FinGPT. Our clients expect to upgrade their internal systems for financial tasks, such as information retrieval, robo-advisor, customer services, credit scoring, report generation, and compliance. FinGPT is a cost-effective alternative to BloombergGPT and Bloomberg terminal. Using FinGPT as the base model, we provide an affordable and scalable solution to customize FinAgents for companies. Our solution includes three components: benchmarking model, curating a financial dataset, low-cost adaptation of models/agents. We aim to spin off campus and build a startup to serve our clients in the intersection of generative AI and finance.
Seloxium is a University of Oxford spinout that started in September 2022. Seloxium is developing its multi-patented Selectal technology which selectively extracts valuable and critical metals from diverse types of waste (aqueous, organic or solid) in a fast and cost-effective manner. Seloxium’s proprietary platform, Selectal, is the first scalable solution for economical metal recovery from industrial waste. It uniquely combines: (1) rapid processing (6-12 hours), (2) robustness to handle complex, variable waste types, and (3) high selectivity for >99% purity and >96% yield. No existing technology offers all three. While selective systems like ion exchange and solvent extraction exist, they are slow (often >48 hours), sensitive, and require costly pre-treatment and CapEx-heavy centralised infrastructure. This breakthrough allows Seloxium to access previously uneconomical, complex waste as a new source of critical metals.
SAAtient Therapeutics, Inc. is an early stage, oncology-focused biotech company spun out of Columbia University developing first-in-class monoclonal antibody therapeutics that inhibit the protein, Serum Amyloid A1 (SAA1). Our first product is a mutation-agnostic treatment for two hematologic cancers, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and High-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (HR-MDS). AML and HR-MDS have high unmet needs, resulting from short durability of responses to current standard of care treatments and consequentially high mortality rates. Changes to cancer stem cells (“clonal evolution”), often in response to drug therapy, can lead to the emergence of new, more resistant populations which in turn results in treatment failure. Our therapeutic innovation is a first-in-class antibody that decreases disease burden by neutralizing SAA1, a protein released by the bone marrow, which drives the disease process for both AML & MDS. Key advantages of inhibiting SAA1 include: (1) SAA1 does not clonally evolve or change in response to treatment and (2) SAA1 is present across diverse AML & HR-MDS patient populations. We have generated compelling proof-of-concept data with a murine model of AML and are in the discovery phase for human antibody development candidates. We have received pre-seed funds and are seeking investments to conduct IND-enabling work.
We are building the middleware for AI agents in Software Engineering — a unified platform that integrates deep program understanding, combining static analysis, symbolic execution, and dynamic runtime insights into a single, queryable layer. This infrastructure goes beyond storing knowledge; it orchestrates how agents interact with and reason about code, providing them with a trusted, context-rich foundation. Our immediate focus is on enabling high-level software engineering tasks that are typically performed by experienced engineers and require deep project-wide knowledge, far beyond basic coding assistance. Using our infrastructure, we will deliver two specialized agents:
1. Code Quality Reviewer – assessing the security, reliability, and maintainability of AI-generated code, effectively mimicking the judgment of a senior engineer during a code review.
2. Project Architect – analyzing and re-architecting entire codebases to accelerate large-scale software modernization, mimicking the strategic insights of an experienced system architect.
Ascension is a science-led company spun out from the University of Oxford, focused on enabling sustainable recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical materials from volcanic settings. Our approach leverages naturally occurring geothermal systems to enable environmentally responsible extraction, avoiding the destructive impacts of conventional mining. Ascension aims to support the clean energy transition by developing scalable, low-impact technologies that reduce the environmental footprint of critical mineral supply chains while enhancing long-term resource security.
Strokes affect 20 million people annually, and the most severe type, Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) strokes, account for 95% of stroke-related disability and death. Timely diagnosis is critical, but current methods are slow and location-dependent. Our LVOne is a rapid, life-saving blood test designed for paramedics. Using just a finger-prick sample, it provides crucial information on stroke type in a few minutes. Its portability, speed, and ease of use enable paramedics to quickly triage patients and transport LVO patients directly to a specialized center for a thrombectomy. This dramatically increases treatment rates, saving lives and reducing long-term disability. Our proprietary technology, protected by a granted US patent, has been clinically validated and is approved for commercialization in the UK. We are seeking US-centric investors to support our go-to-market strategy in the US in 2027.
Early-onset VMD is a macular disorder that leads to blindness in the fifth decade of life. This disease arises from any one of over 350 point mutations in the BEST1 gene, which encodes a calcium (Ca2+)-dependent chloride (Cl-) channel (Best1) in the membrane of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. BEST1 mutations decrease or extinguish this channel’s capacity to efflux Cl- (loss-of-function, LOF), causing fluid accumulation in the subretinal space that separates photoreceptor cells from the RPE. The result is elevated short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence within the lesion, photoreceptor cell impairment and increased production of bisretinoid lipofuscin in photoreceptor outer segments. Currently, there is no treatment or on-going trial for early-onset VMD. We have identified, designed and synthesized multiple small molecules that bind to Best1, stimulate its channel function and rescue disease phenotypes in animal models, and propose to develop drugs off them to cure this disease.
The West lab, through non-dilutive funding, has developed a hydrometallurgical process for nickel and cobalt production from sulfide ores. Nickel and cobalt are critical materials for energy storage, with projected demand for nickel to triple. Current State-of-the-Art processing techniques for these domestic resources are environmentally incongruent with near future increases in demand. At the lab scale, real ore resources from Tamarack, MN have been refined to mixed hydroxy precipitate- a key nickel commodity in battery supply chains. The product purity meets or exceeds industry standards, with operating expenses and environmental impacts that will make the technology attractive and viable for on-shoring metal production. To our knowledge, the Red Ox Metals chemistry and process is a unique platform relative to all existing and emerging technologies, and may be applicable to other critical materials.
Turnover Labs is building rugged, distributed electrolyzers that turn industrial CO2 emissions into high-grade feedstocks for fuels, plastics, and specialty chemicals. Unlike traditional solutions that require costly capture, purification, or pipelines, our electrified process runs directly on dilute, contaminant-rich emissions from fermentation off-gas, biogas, and petrochemical vent streams. Our “tractor-grade” electrolyzers are designed for reliability, low cost, and modular deployment to help industrial facilities decarbonize without waiting for massive infrastructure build-outs. Converting these emissions into revenue-generating molecules, rather than simply sequestering, offers a faster, more practical pathway to decarbonize the chemicals sector.
Zip Therapeutics has developed novel cell-penetrating peptides for treating a range of cancers. We are initially focused on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MDS are a group of bone marrow disorders characterized by the ineffective production of blood cells, leading to severe blood cytopenia and a high risk of progression to AML. From a clinical perspective, there is a great need for effective and tolerable treatment options for MDS and AML. The novel cell-penetrating peptides target leucine zipper transcription factors ATF5. CEBPB and CEBPD which are key players in cancer cell formation, growth, and metastasis. Pre-clinical data demonstrate encouraging efficacy and safety across multiple tumor types, including MDS and AML. Zip Therapeutics was founded by a team of researchers and clinicians at Columbia University (Drs. Azra Raza, Lloyd Greene, and Abdullah Ali) and UC Davis (Dr. James Angelastro). Michele Korfin, an experienced biotech leader with over 25 years in hematology/oncology drug development and launches, serves as CEO. Zip Therapeutics is currently seeking a total of $10 million: $5 million in investment to support our Investigational New Drug (IND) enabling studies and an additional $5 million to finalize readiness for Phase 1, including drug supply.
Xterna is a London-based, pre-seed stage Engineering Biology company developing xeno nucleic acid (XNA) binders against a novel antigen class for targeted drug delivery. With 90% of drugs failing in clinical trials—largely due to poor efficacy (50%) and unmanageable toxicity (30%)—novel antigens and targeting methods are urgently needed. Xterna develops binders made of XNA, a therapeutically relevant and nonimmunogenic building block used widely in the clinic, to target specific cell types. The technology leverages Xterna’s CSO's training in Cambridge's world-leading XNA chemistry group and CEO’s experience in oncology R&D, uniquely enabling HTS of large XNA based libraries directly in vivo. Xterna’s candidates also target a recently discovered nucleic acidbased antigen, unlocking cell types that evade protein antigen based targeting. Xterna’s discovery-stage R&D currently focuses on immuno-oncology, with plans to expand into additional therapeutic areas later this year. Backed by biotech VCs across the US and Europe and winners of the 2025 Daiichi Sankyo Golden Ticket competition, Xterna is driven to make the untreatable, curable.
We are developing a platform to increase protein expression by targeting upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in protein coding mRNAs. uORFs are common regulatory elements found in about 60% of mRNAs and generally lead to repressed protein expression form the primary ORF. To disable uORFs and increase protein expression, we target uORFs of interest with single stranded oligonucleotides designed to co-opt Adenosine Deaminases Acting on RNA (ADARs), which can edit the A in the uORF AUG start codon. The resulting change from AUG to GUG renders the uORF inactive as it is no longer recognized as a canonical start codon by the scanning ribosome allowing for more efficient translation from the primary ORF. We have validated our platform by showing that we can increase expression across a large number of disease-associated mRNAs and are focusing on increasing expression of PKD1 and PKD2, as a treatment for ADPKD.
Vivid Dx is a University of Oxford spin-out backed by Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), advancing an AI-powered precision diagnostics platform to transform the $8B microbiology diagnostics market, long dominated by slow, blood culture-based methods. The platform combines novel pathogen cell isolation, a scalable proprietary Raman spectral database, and advanced AI/ML models to deliver broad pathogen identification in 30 minutes and phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) in just 3 hours, directly from blood, with no need for blood culture. By cutting days off current workflows, Vivid Dx will provide clinicians with timely, actionable insights to initiate faster targeted antibiotics, improve patient outcomes, and reduce the misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics. With strong early data, de-risked core technologies, and clear alignment with global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) action plans, Vivid Dx is positioned to redefine how hospitals and healthcare systems manage sepsis and drug-resistant infections, saving lives, reducing costs, and bolstering global health resilience.
In New York City, air pollution cuts an average of 2.4 years from residents’ lives. Current PM2.5 air-quality regulations, and the sensors that enforce them, overlook 90% of the particles we inhale (ultrafine particles), which include nanoplastics, viruses, and other toxins. Ultrafine particles currently remain invisible and unmonitored — a gap the WHO aims to close with new regulations. Aetosense provides a cost-effective way to detect ultrafine particles, feeding real-time data into building management and smart-city systems. Our affordable hardware delivers the critical data link needed to connect clean air to measurable outcomes - reducing exposure, lowering sick leave, and boosting productivity. We target forward-thinking cities and building developers who seek actionable air-quality data for health, efficiency, and compliance with upcoming ultrafine particle regulations. Unlike competitors serving only research markets, we deliver scalable, affordable technology for mass adoption, which enables step-change improvements rather than incremental gains. Supported by public funding and paid trials, Aetosense technology is currently running trials with Bosch, University of Singapore and University of Cambridge Estate. We are seeking $1.15 million to bring our technology to market-ready scale and expand globally. Join Aetosense in safeguarding the health of future generations.
RegMetrics is a B2B compliance software that simplifies the regulatory journey for MedTech innovators. We make regulatory compliance easier, faster, and more cost-effective with clear step-by-step guidance, utilising AI functionalities. Many innovators and entrepreneurs in the healthcare and MedTech industries find it challenging to navigate the complex world of regulatory compliance. A lack of regulatory knowledge and the high cost of expert advice also pose significant barriers, often preventing innovative medical devices from reaching the market and helping patients. Therefore, we developed RegMetrics, a software that breaks down lengthy regulatory workflows and demystifies the regulatory journey. RegMetrics is widely used by universities, hospitals, and incubators to support researchers and entrepreneurs with their regulatory compliance. RegMetrics is on a mission to make regulatory compliance accessible to everyone and become the global platform of choice for medical device regulation.
Pathwai is commercializing EchoNext, an FDA Breakthrough-designated AI tool that analyzes routine 12-lead ECGs to detect structural heart disease (SHD) earlier and more accurately than standard care. Spun out of NewYork-Presbyterian & Columbia in April 2025 as a Delaware C-Corp, EchoNext transforms the standard ECG into a high-accuracy screening tool for SHD—including heart failure, aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiac amyloidosis. New CPT codes enable reimbursement at $129 per AI analysis of ECG, covered by CMS, with 150M ECGs done annually in the US. EchoNext is trained on >1.2M ECG-echo pairs, validated at 4 health systems, 11 hospitals, and over 190 clinics and has twice the accuracy of 13 cardiologists in a blinded study. Pathwai is led by Dr. Pierre Elias, Columbia cardiologist, NYP’s Medical Director for AI, and a nationally recognized expert in AI whose work has appeared in Nature, Circulation, JACC, and European Heart Journal.
There are more transistors made every year than there are grains of sand on earth, and like sand they are primarily made of silicon. Improved computer chip performance requires ever smaller transistor sizes, but silicon transistors have reached their fundamental physical limit. The most promising alternative to silicon at ultra-short length scales are two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors. Tessellate 2D manufactures the highest quality 2D semiconductors for next generation computer chips. Leveraging patented technology developed at Columbia University, we deterministically disassemble bulk 2D semiconductor crystals into their component angstrom-thick monolayers. This “gold-stamp” method produces monolayers with record low defect densities, record high performance, and industrially compatible sizes. Tessellate will supply the semiconductor industry with the 2D semiconductor monolayers it needs to meet the computational demands of high growth industries such as artificial intelligence.
Atom Array Technologies is building a scalable neutral-atom quantum computing platform with 100,000 qubits by 2028, enabled by our proprietary holographic metasurface technology. Neutral-atom systems, the fastest growing quantum computing platform, are facing a hard scaling limit in qubit number. Our chip-based approach breaks this barrier with hardware that is more powerful, cheaper, and inherently scalable. With qubit numbers more than two-orders of magnitude beyond the state of the art, our atom arrays will be the cornerstone for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Our team members - the pioneering researchers who developed this technology - are world leaders in atomic quantum systems and metasurface optics, uniquely positioned to transform laboratory prototypes into meaningful quantum devices. We are tackling the hardest problem in quantum computing - scalability - with a technology driven company.
Cambridge Photon Technology (CPT) is a University of Cambridge spin-out developing breakthrough Photon Multiplier (PM) materials that boost the power output of silicon solar panels by up to 15%, without altering panel design or manufacturing processes. Solar power has been the fastest growing source of electricity in the last 10 years. Silicon, the dominant photovoltaic (PV) material, has been steadily increasing in efficiency and decreasing in cost. However, this technology is now nearing its practical efficiency limit. Solar manufacturers need a new solution to continue raising panels’ efficiency and value, and to further reduce the cost of solar energy. CPT’s “drop-in” PM technology addresses this pressing need, delivering improved PV performance, lower energy cost and attractive financial returns for the whole industry without disruptive changes or new capital investments. Being compatible with all types of silicon solar panels, the patent-protected PM technology has a total addressable market of US$18 billion by 2034. Having established strategic business relationships, CPT has defined a business strategy and product roadmap to capture 25% of the market and achieve revenues of US$4.5 billion per year. The next step in the company’s journey is a Series A round raise to fund product development and commercialization.
PROscope is a non-invasive, objective diagnostic software tool for concussion and neurodegenerative disease detection. Utilizing a novel, proprietary software, PROscope captures and analyzes biometric signals to generate a digital signal, which translates to a numeric value that indicates normal or abnormal neurophysiological function. Our data support the tool’s ability to detect deficits, which is not otherwise available with current testing methods. The project’s long-term goals are to further validate these biomarkers with collaborative research, achieve FDA approval, and accelerate clinical adoption in high schools, community sports, emergency care, the military, and collegiate and elite sports medicine settings. The study is non-invasive. The test itself is easy to set up—with minimal hardware requirements—and takes only three minutes to administer. This technology has the potential to transform concussion management by delivering a scalable, objective, and reproducible diagnostic solution. Clinicians and athletic trainers can utilize an objective concussion, biomarker test to improve the quality of care, enhanced diagnostic certainty, streamline, patient management, and ensure athletes are properly triaged. Beyond sport medicine utility, we are also exploring the use of our biometric for detecting and monitoring neurodegenerative disease. We are currently seeking collaboration with neurology clinics specializing in neurodegenerative disease.
NebulEASE is a revolutionary pocket-sized delivery platform and natural formula that uniquely targets treatment directly to the vocal folds for restoration, preservation, and optimization of the voice for the 50 million professional voice users in the United States, including teachers, lawyers, singers, executives, and customer service agents. This OTC device delivers targeted treatment over only 30 seconds, it is faster, more convenient and effective than lozenges, sprays, and nebulizers. Developed by one of the world’s leading laryngologists/professional voice doctors, NebulEASE reflects a deep understanding of voice science, current treatment limitations, and the unmet needs of those who rely on their voice professionally.
Advanced nanomaterials drive next generation products in billion-dollar industries, from semiconductors to pharmaceuticals. However, companies often take 10 to 20 years to bring a laboratory innovation to an economically feasible, industrial scale production process. Accelerated Materials aims to disrupt this long and arduous pathway with a paradigm shifting platform for scaling-up nanomaterials production - cutting the time and cost to scale by 90%. The company has recently launched this platform, which combines patented, ultra-efficient microreactor technologies with machine learning and automation, through its "K-series" reactors and AI-enabled automation software "AMLearn". AM provides these technologies through solutions to R&D and manufacturing companies, which the company closely partners with through a licensing model. In this talk, CEO and Founder, Dr. Nicholas Jose, will describe this platform, as well as the recent efforts within the semiconductor packaging industry, where the company is poised to drive enormous value in the growing advanced semiconductor industry by enabling rapid, localized production of high performance thermal additives.
CAST Therapeutics is pioneering a new class of gene therapy based on CRISPR-associated transposases (CASTs), programmable enzymes that can integrate entire genes into precise genomic locations without creating DNA damage, developed in the labs of Dr. Sam Sternberg and Dr. David Liu. Unlike traditional gene therapy approaches that rely on viral vectors or error-prone DNA repair pathways, CASTs enable efficient, accurate, and seamless insertion of large DNA payloads directly into a patient’s genome. Using phage-assisted continuous evolution, CAST Therapeutics has engineered evolved CAST variants (‘evoCASTs’) that achieve robust integration in human cells — including primary fibroblasts — at efficiencies more than 200-fold greater than natural systems, while maintaining high specificity and product purity. This technology has been demonstrated across multiple clinically relevant loci and with therapeutic-sized cDNA cargos, including genes implicated in cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, and other monogenic disorders. By overcoming the limitations of existing gene editing tools, CAST Therapeutics aims to deliver “Gene Therapy 2.0”: broadly applicable, mutation-agnostic treatments that restore healthy gene function for patients with genetic diseases.
Reclinker (formerly Cambridge Electric Cement) is decarbonizing the cement industry by processing recycled feedstock in the electric arc furnaces (EAFs) used for steel production. Steelmakers already used lime as a flux in EAFs, and our trials have demonstrated that cement recovered from demolition waste performs very well in its place. Our approach bypasses the reactions that make cement production such a large contributor to global emissions and puts us on the path to making Portland cement at scale. We’ve recently signed a commercial agreement with a leading steelmaker for the pilot production of 2,000 tonnes of material and are negotiating off-take agreements with construction majors. The potential output from our first facility would be c.120k tonnes per annum without the need for significant capital expenditure. We are currently raising a £10m ($13.5m) Series A round, which we hope to complete by the end of 2025.
Trismik is a Cambridge University spinout on a mission to remove one of the biggest bottlenecks in AI research - slow, unreliable model evaluation. Built for applied scientists, ML engineers, and technical founders, our platform delivers both adaptive and classical testing, cutting time from test to insight by up to 98% without sacrificing rigour. With experiment tracking, stratified testing, and rich visualisation all in one place, Trismik accelerates iteration and builds trust in AI systems. In this pitch, we’ll share why our research-first approach sets us apart and give a glimpse of the product we’re launching just a week before the event.
The current precision cancer medicine is primarily based on DNA sequencing, which is powerful but too slow and only accessible to doctors, clinicians and centralized laboratories. This makes life-saving early testing a distant option for most people. SME Biosciences has the potential solution. Our breakthrough technology enables the non-invasive, early detection of cancer from bodily fluids directly at home. Developed from patented single-molecule electronic nanopore technology from Professor Jingyue Ju’s laboratory at Columbia University, our handheld device directly reads disease-specific molecules in real-time from a simple sample. We deliver what centralized labs cannot: true single-molecule sensitivity, results in minutes, and ultra-low cost for portable use at home, doctor’s office, or a senior living facility. We are not iterating on the past; we are defining the future of diagnostics. We are moving beyond the centralized lab to usher in a new era of decentralized, proactive health monitoring, starting by capturing a significant share of the $200B global cancer and biomarker detection market.