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Henna
Techstars '25Portland, US · Founded 2024 · 16 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
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Henna provides commercialization services for research and IP, helping innovators create pitch decks, landing pages, and run targeted outreach campaigns to secure funding and customers.
Also known as askhenna.com
Investors · 1
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
Company profile
researched Sep 2026Henna is a Portland, Oregon-based startup affiliated with Portland State University (PSU) that builds what it calls a "commercialization engine" for deep science and research translation. Its platform is aimed at researchers and scientist-founders who need to turn complex intellectual property into market-ready ventures, generating materials such as pitch decks, data rooms and sales collateral, and supporting users through fundraising and sales processes.
The company began with a different focus: a no-code, web-based platform for auditing AI tools for fairness, privacy and safety. In that earlier form, users selected an AI tool, a task and demographic parameters, and Henna ran over 1,000 simulations to produce a detailed bias report within 24 hours, sold as one-time audits and subscription tiers for ongoing monitoring. The stated purpose was to help organizations mitigate legal liability, regulatory compliance and reputational risks, including discrimination lawsuits and confidential data leaks. Henna also worked on projects intended to close the gap between theoretical AI safety research and practical application, including a public leaderboard evaluating bias in publicly available large language models based on economic research and open-source AI safety standards.
During its participation in the inaugural USC and Techstars Digital Economy Program in the first half of 2025, the team concluded that the most effective route to bringing responsible AI research to market was to equip researchers themselves, and pivoted toward serving scientist-founders and technology transfer offices directly.
Founding story
Henna was founded in 2024 by Arsh Haque, Director of Portland State University's Business Accelerator and Chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee for PSU's Research & Graduate Studies department. According to Haque, the company's AI methods were based on DEI innovations developed at PSU and licensed from the university, its prototype was built in collaboration with PSU computer science capstone students, and its first pilot programs were run with units inside Research & Graduate Studies. A Techstars listing records a founding year of 2023.
Business model
Henna sells software and supporting services to research-driven founders and institutions. In its earlier AI-audit form the company offered one-time audits alongside subscription tiers for ongoing monitoring.
Earlier product positioning described one-time audit purchases and subscription tiers for ongoing monitoring.
Traction
Henna ran its first pilot programs with units within PSU's Research & Graduate Studies department, received University Venture Development Fund backing, was selected for the inaugural USC and Techstars Digital Economy Program, and launched a first implementation for early-stage businesses and university technology transfer offices by August 2025.
Latest developments
In August 2025 PSU announced that Henna would advance its AI-based commercialization platform, with a first implementation built for early-stage businesses and university technology transfer offices and a presentation scheduled for September 2025 at the Western Regional Conference for the Association of University Technology Managers.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Henna is positioned as a Techstars portfolio company and PSU spinout serving the research commercialization and technology transfer market, with the stated ambition of becoming a standard first step for research institutions and principal investigators building commercialization strategies.
The company combines AI methods licensed from Portland State University with a no-code, self-serve workflow, and positions itself as an "easy button" for scientists navigating commercialization rather than a consulting engagement; its earlier audit product emphasized 24-hour turnaround and affordability.
Technology
The platform generates commercialization materials including pitch decks, data rooms and sales collateral for IP-based founders. Its earlier no-code auditing product used simulation-based technology, running more than 1,000 simulations across a selected AI tool, task and demographic profile to deliver a detailed bias report within 24 hours. Related work included a public leaderboard evaluating bias in publicly available language models using landmark economic research and open-source AI safety standards. Underlying AI methods were licensed from Portland State University.
Go-to-market
Henna works through its university affiliation and accelerator networks, running early pilots with PSU Research & Graduate Studies units, targeting university technology transfer offices and PIs, and presenting at sector events such as the Western Regional Conference of the Association of University Technology Managers in September 2025.
Researchers and scientist-founders commercializing intellectual property, early-stage businesses, university technology transfer offices and principal investigators; the earlier audit product targeted organizations concerned about discrimination lawsuits, regulatory compliance and confidential data leaks.
Geography
Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with a Techstars listing also citing Herstal, Belgium; the team participated in a 13-week in-person accelerator at USC's University Park Campus in Los Angeles in 2025.
History
The company secured a $30,000 grant from PSU's University Venture Development Fund in August 2024 to support work on AI fairness and safety, using the funds to hire Joel Porter as CTO and to work toward launching a no-code AI auditing platform in fall 2024. In March 2025 Henna was accepted into the inaugural USC and Techstars Digital Economy Program, a 13-week in-person accelerator at USC's University Park Campus running March 10 to June 5, 2025, which offered up to $120,000 in funding, office space and mentorship. During the program the company pivoted from selling audits to building a commercialization platform for researchers, and by August 2025 it had launched a first implementation aimed at early-stage businesses and university technology transfer offices, with a presentation planned for September 2025 at the Western Regional Conference of the Association of University Technology Managers.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 5
launches, deals, and filingsHenna was scheduled to present at the Western Regional Conference for the Association of University Technology Managers in September 2025.
Henna announced a first implementation of its AI-based commercialization platform, built for early-stage businesses and university technology transfer offices, generating pitch decks, data rooms and sales collateral for IP-based founders.
Henna was accepted into the first cohort of the USC and Techstars Digital Economy Program, a 13-week in-person accelerator at USC's University Park Campus running March 10 to June 5, 2025, which provides participants up to $120,000 in funding, office space, mentorship and access to the Techstars network.
$120K source ↗
Henna received $30,000 from Portland State University's University Venture Development Fund to support work on AI fairness and safety. The funds were used to bring on Joel Porter as CTO and to work toward launching a no-code AI auditing platform, as well as a public leaderboard evaluating bias in publicly available language models.
$30K source ↗
Henna used University Venture Development Fund money to hire Joel Porter as Chief Technology Officer.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Henna do?
- Techstars-backed Portland State spinout building an AI commercialization platform that turns research IP into pitch decks, data rooms and sales collateral.
- Who are Henna's investors?
- Henna's investors include Techstars.
- Where is Henna headquartered?
- Henna is headquartered in Portland, US.