Thank you for attending the Startup Pitch Day hosted jointly by Columbia Technology Ventures and the State University of New York (SUNY) Research Foundation, showcasing the most exciting startups emerging from the research labs of Columbia and SUNY. Below are videos from the event.Â
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.
SUNY Research Foundation (SUNY RF) is the largest comprehensive university-connected research foundation in the country, providing The State University of New York (SUNY) campus system with essential business services and program offerings that enable faculty to focus on the education of students, performance of life-changing research, and commercialization of innovations. SUNY RF provides talent, services, and technology that empower SUNY to research, innovate, and transfer discoveries that transform the world. To join our mailing list or for questions about our services and events, please visit rfsuny.org or subscribe here.
Sidereal Therapeutics is an early-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics for Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)/Chronic Kidney Disease, with additional applications in Hematology and Transplant. We deploy our Equilibrium™ technology platform to upregulate natural pathways of innate immunity to maintain healthy tissue and organ function. The base technology was invented at Columbia University and with encouraging early proof of concept data was then spun out into Sidereal Therapeutics. Our first program, SIDE-100, upregulates a natural pathway of iron trafficking & mitochondrial tissue protection in a precision manner. SIDE-100 is designed to prevent organ damage in certain key scenarios such as cardiac surgery, sepsis and with use of nephrotoxic medications, as well as transfusion-related Iron Overload and Bone Marrow Transplant. Sidereal is leveraging recent improved understanding of the complexities of mitochondrial dysfunction and the development of more predictive biomarkers to change the treatment paradigm & quality of life for a significant number of patients.
Perpetual Bio develops therapeutics for age-related diseases, powered by a discovery platform that identifies novel regenerative medicine targets. Our lead candidate, Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor (PEDF), is an important regulator of lipid and vascular homeostasis and immune response. Data suggests that its systemic and tissue-specific downregulation during aging significantly contributes to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other chronic age-related diseases. In our lead program we are developing an AAV-PEDF gene therapy for our initial indication, dry AMD/Geographic atrophy, which represents a significant unmet medical need and a substantial market opportunity. Our data indicates that restoring healthy levels of PEDF improves retinal structure and function, offering a promising and novel treatment avenue for AMD. This target and others emerging from our discovery platform are also being investigated as therapeutic candidates for additional age-related diseases.
Genomic analysis has been widely used in drug development, but the vast majority of inter-individual variability in disease outcomes results from non-genetic influences, not the genome. These non-genetic influences are captured under the framework of exposomics. Exposomics is the field that measures the comprehensive and integrated compilation of all physical, chemical, biological, and social influences that impact biology, an analog of the genome. What is currently elusive are models that can enhance discovery of the etiological process of disease that incorporate the non-genetic influences and their interactions with biological pathways. Exposome Therapeutics aims to digitalize the real-world phenomena of human exposure to bring scale to both discovery and translation. We use artificial intelligence-based approaches to accurately model the biology of exposures, suggest new exposures that explain disease and risk, and simulate and synthesize new individual-level therapeutics that can either enhance or mitigate the exposure-driven biological phenomena. This platform will drive the identification and prioritization of molecular targets and pathways for therapeutic intervention based on the relative contribution of environmental factors to a given disease or health condition. The co-founders are pioneers in exposomics and have received substantial funding from NIH, ARPA-H, and SPARK-NS to support their underlying academic work.
MR Access, Inc is committed to integrating the latest technological advances in superconducting magnets, imaging physics and parallel electronics architecture to deliver clinical quality, whole body MRI via satellite-linked, distributed cloud networks to every patient on the planet. This is done by redesigning MRI to meet WHO criteria for global accessibility which includes local availability, affordability, sustainability and autonomous utility without the need of trained expertise on-site. We will deploy a system and a business plan that will deliver MRI diagnostics to doctors offices and drugstores in Manhattan, or to remote villages in the Indian subcontinent, doing our part to bring affordable health-care to the consumer.
We are developing an innovative cancer vaccine platform using engineered probiotics. Leveraging the natural ability of bacteria to target tumors and stimulate anti-tumor immunity, we use synthetic biology to engineer probiotics to efficiently deliver tumor-specific neoantigens directly to cells. This system is optimized for enhanced production and cytosolic delivery of neoepitope-containing peptide arrays, while also improving susceptibility to blood clearance and phagocytosis. These features enhance both safety and immunogenicity, driving potent and specific T cell–mediated anti-cancer immunity that effectively controls or eliminates tumor growth and extends survival in advanced murine primary and metastatic solid tumors. Our approach leverages the advantages of living medicines to continuously deliver antigens in the optimal context, thereby inducing specific, effective, and durable systemic anti-tumor immunity.
QAS.AI provides decision support software for endovascular procedures, allowing medical teams to immediately revise their approach during surgery based on real-time assessments of potential inadequate outcomes. This AI-driven technology utilizes advanced machine learning to identify lesion locations and analyze key hemodynamic parameters, thereby helping to predict treatment outcomes or assess reperfusion following ischemic stroke. Seamlessly integrating with imaging systems, QAS.AI optimizes data capture and analysis, ensuring rapid and reliable support for making critical decisions during the surgery.
Patients with chronic kidney disease who end up with kidney failure usually need dialysis treatments three times a week, in order to remove waste from the blood, regulate blood pressure and keep them alive. Patients are connected to dialysis machine through a surgically created vascular access, using the patient’s native veins (fistula) or artificial material (graft). Both fistulas and grafts have a high propensity to fail due to the high blood flow through the vascular access. The high blood flow stresses and stretches the vascular access and results in an inflammatory response. This reactive process leads to neointimal disease that narrows the vessel lumen. Currently, there is no drug that can cure or prevent neointimal disease. A team of world-renowned scientists and Nephrologists founded Vasocure to solve this problem. Our senior scientists were the first to discover the F11 receptor in humans. After 20 years of research to perfect the science, we found that activated smooth muscle cells express F11 receptor and blocking the F11 receptor slows smooth muscle cells proliferation and migration significantly. We developed Pedifin, our patented, game-changing therapeutic, as a blocker of the F11 receptor to prevent and treat neointimal disease.
As our world becomes increasingly battery-powered, lithium-ion batteries have become part of our everyday life. However, the current Li-ion batteries have approached plateaus in energy density, cost and charge rate and face potential mineral shortage; the holy grail solution of Li-metal battery still, after over 30 years, is suffering from the anode dendrite growth that is preventing their commercialization and putting Net Zero emissions goal at risk. LIBAMA has invented a new way to create high energy batteries. Our patented platform Advanced Metal Anode (AMA) technology, which features an advanced 3D structure, will enable dramatic improvement of lithium batteries, as well as other metal batteries, such as sodium batteries, zinc batteries and aluminum batteries. The technology provides a structure-based fundamental solution for the dendrite growth problems, enabling next generation batteries with 2x energy density and 30% lower cost that can find wide application in drones and wearables, consumer electronics, electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
Cyrus is a next-generation surveillance solution powered by Generative AI that provides enhanced situational awareness for safety and security. Leveraging multimodal AI, Cyrus can understand and integrate text, audio, and video into actionable data, allowing security personnel to operate more efficiently. Currently, personnel and responders are inundated with vast amounts of information from various sources—phone calls, video feeds, audio, and text—which can hinder their ability to make timely decisions. Cyrus digests all of this data to ensure that the most important information is not missed and quickly reaches the personnel. By reducing the burden of manual monitoring, Cyrus improves productivity and mitigates human errors. Cyrus detects anomalies, unusual behavior, and unauthorized items, providing instant alerts to personnel. Its core technology minimizes response time without compromising reliability. Cyrus can be controlled via voice and chat interfaces, making it especially useful during emergencies when time is limited. It leverages the generalizability of Generative AI models to eliminate the need for extensive training or data labeling, making it applicable across diverse environments. We envision this technology to be deployed in public and private spaces for enhanced safety and automated surveillance, as well as consumer applications, such as pet, child, and elder care.
Digital Chefs
Based on research from the lab of Hod Lipson, James and Sally Scapa Professor of Innovation in the Department of Mechanical Engineering; Co-Director, Maker Space Facility, Columbia University
Imagine a personal chef who knows your personal eating habits, dietary restrictions, all at the press of a button. At the Creative Machines Lab we are developing novel approaches to assembling cooked meals. We leverage additive manufacturing technology to deposit food ingredients and directed laser beams to cook food as it is being assembled. We have already proven the ability to print a host of different ingredients (e.g. doughs, meats, and vegetables) and cook a range of foods to varying degrees (e.g. browning, baking, and broiling). The true innovation lies in combining these two processes into one functional machine to provide end-to-end cooking at a local level. Being able to combine ingredients with precision heating techniques gives us limitless ability to create new flavor profiles and customized meals. Because we can control the deposition and heating of food via software, we can tailor the recipe and nutrition on a per person basis. This digital cooking technique has a number of applications including military, space, hospital, and commercial settings.
At Copprium, we are transforming the conductive ink landscape with innovative copper-based solutions. The global reliance on silver, the traditional material for conductive inks, is becoming increasingly unsustainable. Silver mine production has plateaued, with global output struggling to meet rising industrial demand. Critical sectors like photovoltaics (solar panels) and electronics are driving exponential growth in silver consumption, contributing to persistent supply deficits that show no signs of easing. Experts predict that if current trends continue, accessible silver reserves could be depleted by 2040. This looming shortage, coupled with silver's price volatility, presents significant challenges for industries dependent on its availability. Our copper-based inks provide a seamless, affordable alternative without compromising performance. These inks are designed to replace silver in existing processes, overcoming barriers such as solderability issues and cost fluctuations. With Copprium, industries can adopt sustainable, future-proof solutions for their conductive ink needs, ensuring stability in a rapidly evolving market.
Microplastics are minuscule plastic particles found globally in our food, water, and environment. About 35% of microplastics in the oceans come from synthetic clothing. Even if landfilled, the particles can spread through runoff and wind. This results in the average person ingesting the equivalent of one credit card's worth of plastic every week. Moby Filters provides a modular B2B solution that captures and reuses microplastic pollution from textile manufacturing and washing. In doing so, we prevent these particles from polluting the environment and impacting people's health around the world.
Sangali provides rapid species analysis of timber for lumber buyers and sellers so they can maintain a reputation of being law-abiding and sustainable while not disrupting their manufacturing time. Our mission at Sangali is to provide a testing service for the private sector, to identify the specific species of wood that they are purchasing. In the US and globally, there are restrictions associated with the import and export of wood. Failure to adhere to these laws can result in years of jailtime, millions of dollars in fines and damaging negative press. Our service provides the analysis of wood in any form, whether it be logs, planks, slivers or shavings. The testing itself takes approximately 15 seconds to complete and a minimum of a pinhead of sample is needed for analysis. Our service can ensure companies that they are law-abiding, promote environmental sustainability and maintain their positive reputations.
Flaviviruses – such as Zika virus and dengue virus – are among the most widespread and significant infectious disease threats in the world. Nearly 1.5 billion people are at risk of dengue virus infection alone, with an estimated 300 million infections occurring every year. These numbers have increased by over 10-fold over the last 20 years, and this trend in infection rate is accelerating. Despite this significant and growing infectious disease burden there are currently no licensed therapies to treat or prevent dengue virus infections and the currently available vaccines fail to provide broad protection to many at-risk groups. Development of safe and effective dengue vaccines and/or therapies is complicated by a phenomenon known as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), wherein antibodies from a first dengue virus infection enhance the severity of a second infection instead of providing protection from disease. This has significantly hindered the development of traditional vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies. The goal of Azimuth Biologics is to circumvent these historical challenges by utilizing novel antibody engineering strategies to develop safe and effective monoclonal antibody therapies to treat and prevent flavivirus infections.
RETRN Bio offers sustainable packaging solutions designed for paper packaging manufacturers. Its innovative technology transforms abundant plant waste into recyclable, marine biodegradable, and home compostable coatings, addressing the rising demand for sustainable materials. Utilizing proprietary engineered microbes, Retrn Bio converts plant waste, such as papermill waste and sugarcane bagasse, into versatile bioplastic products suitable for various applications. At RETRN, we provide paper packaging manufacturers a sustainable drop-in replacement for traditional plastics, like polyethylene in coffee cups, which provides effective barrier performance and is fully biodegradable. These manufacturers then sell their products to businesses in emerging sustainable packaging markets, meeting their significant need for advanced materials. Once consumers use these products, they can easily recycle them, or, the items will safely break down in the environment into CO2 and water without generating any microplastics. Our ideal customers are chemical suppliers to the paper industry, such as Solenis, and vertically integrated manufacturers like Smurfit WestRock. These companies are investing heavily to close the technology gap for sustainable packaging. RETRN Bio provides a solution that allows them to capitalize on this opportunity and capture market share in sectors dominated by plastics companies, a market valued at $694 billion.
DigitalPASS by CyberSpara is an advanced, cloud-based cybersecurity training platform designed to simulate real-world hacking scenarios for users of all levels. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned professional, DigitalPASS offers a dynamic and interactive environment to sharpen your skills in threat detection, ethical hacking, and defense strategies. With DigitalPASS, users can dive into hands-on learning experiences in a virtual setting that mimics actual cyber threats faced by organizations today. The platform covers a wide range of topics, including phishing scams, misinformation, malwares, password selection and so on. Each challenge is designed to progressively increase in difficulty, providing a rewarding learning curve that promotes deep understanding and mastery of cybersecurity techniques. One of the standout features of DigitalPASS is its customizable learning paths, which allow both individuals and organizations to tailor the training experience based on specific needs or goals. Additionally, DigitalPASS provides detailed performance analytics and reports, helping learners and teams track their progress and areas of improvement. Ideal for IT teams, cybersecurity professionals, educational institutions and even individuals, CyberSpara’s DigitalPASS prepares users to combat emerging threats in an ever-evolving digital landscape. It's more than just a training tool—it's an essential resource for staying ahead of the curve in cybersecurity defense.
VibrantBio is developing next-generation in vitro diagnostic assays that are rapid, affordable, and highly multiplexed for genotyping, diagnostics, and environmental surveillance. The technology leverages cutting-edge optical spectroscopy and nanofabrication to develop massively multiplexed qPCR tests, capable of detecting up to 2000 biomarkers simultaneously.  At the heart of this innovation is our proprietary RAM (randomly addressable microreactor) chip, which miniaturizes tens of thousands of individual qPCR reactions and makes them optically traceable. Rooted in the same fundamental chemistry as widely used qPCR chemistry, VibrantBio offers a seamless integration into existing workflows while delivering 100 times the biomarker screening capacity—with similar cost and time as regular qPCR tests. Our solution addresses the urgent demand for comprehensive diagnostics across healthcare and environmental sectors, enabling faster, more accurate decision-making for global health challenges.
At DUB TX, our mission is to use self-delivering siRNA (sdRNA) technology to improve the health and well-being of global citizens living with fibrotic disease. We are committed to developing innovative solutions to successfully address fibrosis and improve the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic illnesses—many of which have a fibrotic underpinning. Our team of scientists and clinicians are leaders in the field of biomedical science and biotechnology and have extensive experience in developing cutting-edge next generation therapeutics, like sdRNA. We are working efficiently to improve health outcomes in patients all around the world starting with those suffering from vision impairment and blindness from corneal disease. Our most developed programs focus on ocular and dermal wound healing, and we look forward to dosing of our first patients Q1 of 2026.
The wide array of functions that RNA performs depends on its ability to fold dynamically into various structures in response to changes in conditions. These structures traditionally form in individual strands of RNA. However, we have developed a patented, RNA nanoswitch technology, called sxRNA, that uses two separate pieces of RNA to form a functional structure. Using sxRNA, we can engineer switchable RNA structures that can be used to control complex biological functions, much like a light switch can be used to turn on a lamp. We are using the sxRNA technology to create mRNA drugs with precise cell or tissue activity and in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging - National Institutes of Health, we are developing a pre-clinical Alzheimer’s therapeutic for use in neuronal 3D tissues and organoids.
Founded in 2019, SupreMEtric LLC, supported by the National Science Foundation via the STTR Program, is a small business developing novel methods for forensic applications based on laser spectroscopy and advanced statistics. Our mission is to streamline the forensic analysis of biological stains by creating a universal nondestructive method for detection, identification and analysis of all main body fluids. This novel technology was originally developed in Dr. Lednev’s research laboratory at the University at Albany, SUNY under the financial support from the National Institute of Justice through the "Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes" Program.
Standard Potential’s sodium-ion battery innovation eliminates critical bottlenecks in existing battery manufacturing infrastructure, allowing energy storage to be deployed with a fraction of the capital cost and plant footprint of today’s gigafactories, while also using earth abundant minerals. The resulting sodium-ion systems could set new standards in performance, cost, and safety while bridging terawatt hour unit operation compatibility with terawatt hour sustainable inputs. By deploying our sodium-ion batteries across many industries, Standard Potential will help accelerate the transition towards decarbonization and electrification.
Carbon Infuse is developing an innovative solution that integrates carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) processes into a single step, converting CO2 emissions and industrial waste into cementitious materials. The process can operate under ambient conditions, and thus, it is low-cost and highly scalable. The resultant materials substitute carbon-intensive cement to decarbonize concrete further and permanently store mineralized CO2 in our infrastructure. Carbon Infuse addresses the economic and efficiency barriers inherent in current CCUS technologies, contributing to the decarbonization of heavy industries and the built environment.
Lux Semiconductors is commercializing its Smart Metal Core platform for advanced semiconductor packaging, a critical component of the semiconductor supply chain. The Smart Metal Core provides several key advantages over organic cores that dominate the substrate market, and over emerging glass core substrates. This technology effectively addresses the major industry challenges related to warpage control, heat management, and power delivery, which to date are holding back the size and scale of GPU-based superchips. The company holds several key patents related to Smart Metal Core, and has been fabricating prototypes out of its Ithaca, NY facility, with support from many partners and facilities. Lux is now in the process of raising funds to bring all processes in house and establish a pilot line to de-risk manufacturing, and to secure customer letters of intent. To date, the development of Smart Metal Core has been largely supported by the US Department of Defense and its industrial base, and Lux is now progressing on its broader commercialization roadmap through engagements with customers in automotive, healthcare, and AI/ML datacenter markets.
Mechanismic Inc. specializes in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of SnappyXO Design, an advanced AI-powered robotics education solution tailored for K-12 schools, colleges, makers, and hobbyists. SnappyXO fills a gap in the existing robotics products by introducing the critical element of "Design" through its cutting-edge robot mechanism design software and dedicated designer and builder apps, available at http://www.snappyxo.io. These apps enable users to create highly customized robot mechanisms, which can be seamlessly 3D printed or laser-cut. Mechanismic's patented hardware kit is intuitive, scalable, and compatible with widely used electronics and microcontroller platforms, including Arduino and ESP32. The company has received significant funding, including Phase I and II STTR grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Stony Brook Manufacturing Technology Research Consortium (MTRC), SensorCAT, and the NY State SPIR program. In collaboration with Stony Brook University, Mechanismic Inc. was awarded funding from the SUNY Research Foundation Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF) and benefited from NSF I-Corps program support for customer discovery and market validation. It also received the Fuzehub Commercialization award. Founded as a spin-off from Stony Brook University, Mechanismic Inc. is based on innovations developed in the Computer-Aided Design and Innovation Lab within the Mechanical Engineering Department. The company is registered as a C-Corporation in New York State.
NoMIS Power was founded to bring the breakthrough advantages of Silicon Carbide (SiC) out of the laboratory and into the global power electronics industry. We are recognized leaders in the design and development of novel SiC power semiconductor devices and packaging architectures. We help leading companies achieve a decisive competitive advantage through our cutting-edge SiC products and bespoke services.
We found Tactorum with a single mission: to help measure pain in both animals and humans. For years, pain treatment and research has been held back by one frustrating challenge—our inability to measure pain objectively and reliably. Whether it’s a patient suffering silently or an animal, this gap has long been an obstacle for doctors and scientists alike. We, however, saw this not as a dead-end, but as an opportunity to tackle the problem head-on. The first major achievement was the development of the ARM—a device designed to combine hardware automation, machine vision, and brain imaging with AI behavior analysis – leading to measuring pain with an unprecedented level of precision and much faster results. This tool has been a game-changer in our lab and is now being sold to other labs and industries, including pharma and CROs. While we are currently focused on preclinical pain research, our goal is to push the boundaries and bring this technology to human applications. Pain should not be an enigma but something we understand. Tactorum’s mission is to transform pain measurement, paving the way for more effective treatments and improving the quality of life for both humans and animals suffering from pain.
Blend technologies is a medtech wearables startup focused on revolutionizing hypertension management and promoting overall health across the United States. Blend has developed the first medical-grade cuffless blood pressure monitor designed to be worn comfortably on the upper arm. Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. live with high blood pressure, a condition that significantly elevates the risk of heart disease and stroke among many other conditions. According to current estimates, approximately 30 million patients have uncontrolled blood pressure, including those on medication. Traditional intermittent measurements, ambulatory monitoring, and at-home methods often rely on bulky cuffs that can be uncomfortable and obtrusive, highly sensitive to motion, and result in low user compliance, leading to critical health data going unreported. Our groundbreaking device leverages novel technologies incorporating a comprehensive understanding of underlying physiology, including deep learning algorithms for sensor selection, signal fidelity measurements and multisensor transit time estimation, and proprietary hydrostatic pressure correction to deliver highly accurate and repeatable measurements with minimal calibration. Led by a world-class team of experts in health technology, Blend's mission is to provide an easy and non-intrusive solution for hypertension management. The wearable band is designed for user convenience and enables individuals to seamlessly integrate health tracking into their daily routines. By making reliable health tracking accessible to everyone, Blend aims to empower individuals to take charge of their cardiovascular health.
Neurokine Therapeutics is developing orally bioavailable, highly de-risked, stable, and cost-effective small molecule that is Phase II clinical studies-ready with the potential to treat Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), neuromuscular disorders such as facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), pain management, and gastrointestinal disorders. To date we have completed human safety, toleration, and PK documented in phase 1a (SAD) & phase 1b (MAD) trials. Validation of FDA compliant commercial production, release of phase 2 compliant GMP clinical drug (16 Kg). Phase I studies were funded by peer reviewed NIH STTR & SBIR grants and disease foundations. NKT is seeking $20M to support execution of Phase IIa dose range finding 12-month trial to meet FDA milestones with addition of observational pharmacodynamic end points for neuroinflammation and neuronal status as surrogates for target engagement and potential disease efficacy.
Our startup offers a novel particle Imaging, identification, and quantification platform based on stimulated Raman scattering microscopy. This is done with chemical specificity, nanoscale sensitivity, and fast speed. With our tailored algorithm, our platform enables automated high-throughput particle counting with multidimensional characterization at single particle resolution.
AquaSaniTech develops the next generation nature-based water and sanitation technologies. By (re-)engineering microbiomes and harnessing their appropriate genomic inventories, powered by ML-driven algorithms, AquaSaniTech designs and implements energy- and carbon-efficient bioprocess technologies for resource-positive water and sanitation.Â
