National Science Foundation — 2023 Investments

Aepnus is developing a sulfate recycling process that regenerates chemicals on-site from sodium sulfate waste, with a planned demonstration-scale plant designed to process over 500 tonnes of sodium sulfate annually.

Circular EconomyCleantechNew Materials

Co-investorsClean Energy VenturesISVLOWERCARBONLowercarbon CapitalVoyager PartnersIMPACT SCIENCE VENTURES+1 more

Agtec Innovations develops smart-release fertilizers, including controlled-release micronutrients, phosphorus products, coatings for DAP/MAP, and caged-urea that reduce nutrient runoff and improve crop yields.

AgTechCleantechNew MaterialsLos Altos, US

Chandrika Varadachari(Executive Officer, Director)Murli Varadachari(Executive Officer, Director)

Allium Engineering designs and manufactures a stainless steel cladding process for steel rebar that prevents corrosion, extending the lifespan of construction structures while lowering cost and carbon emissions.

CleantechConstruction TechNew Materials

Steven Jepeal(Cofounder)Samuel McAlpine(Cofounder)

Co-investorsAera VCBay Bridge Ventures ClimateCastor Ventures (an Alumni Ventures Fund)Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)Propeller VC

Altay Therapeutics develops small molecule inhibitors targeting transcription factors to treat serious diseases including facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and cancer.

BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSan Francisco, US

Ali Ozes(Founder)inOsman Ozes(Founder)in

Co-investorsCreative Destruction Lab (CDL)Tachyon VenturesY Combinator

Lasa Health offers LasaClinical, an EHR-integrated clinical decision support tool that tracks symptoms and identifies patterns to speed up the diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain in women.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthFemTech

Applied Impulse develops impulse-driven manufacturing technology that launches materials at high speed—using methods such as exploding-wire vaporization, electromagnetic solenoid force, and pulsed-laser ablation—to weld, repair, and build metallic parts.

Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardware

Archdia offers the DV8 tool suite, which provides software metrics, hotspot detection, technical/design debt calculation, and architecture visualization to help development teams analyze code quality and design debt.

Developer ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaS

AsimicA is a B2B strain engineering company that develops Microbial Stem Cell Technology (MiST) to repopulate microbial biofactories with young, productive cells during fermentation, reducing downtime and increasing yields.

BiotechDeep TechNew Materials

BLOCKsynop develops the Neural Blockade Monitor (NBM), a medical monitoring device, addressing clinical needs identified in collaboration with medical practitioners.

HardwareHealthtechMedical Devices

Wayne Sternberger(CTO & Co-inventor)Shari Sternberger(President/CEO)Ellyn Murphy(Senior VP, Marketing)

Co-investorsMaryland TEDCOTEDCO

Botelmot Research LLC works in ecology, conservation, and restoration.

Climate TechImpact & Social Good

Cali's Books makes interactive read-along children's books and audio products, such as sound books and kids' headphones, aimed at supporting early literacy and language development.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerEdTech

Calm Waters Group is a consulting firm providing technical assistance, scientific analysis, community engagement support, and strategic planning to non-profits, government agencies, and tribes.

CleantechClimate TechImpact & Social Good

Carbon Solutions develops software and provides research and consulting services for carbon capture, transport, and storage (CCS), including tools for CO2 pipeline routing, storage screening, life-cycle analysis, direct air capture assessment, and hydrogen and renewable energy systems analysis.

CleantechClimate TechEnergy

Richard Middleton

CarrTech makes FROG (Filter Removal of Glass), an FDA-cleared all-in-one device combining a filter and hypodermic needle in a single package for preparing injectable medications from glass ampoules.

HardwareHealthtechMedical Devices

Cartesian provides indoor spatial intelligence for retailers, using handheld RFID scanners and existing hardware to locate inventory precisely from storefront to stockroom.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechRetail Tech

CellChorus develops a visual AI platform called TIMING that performs high-throughput dynamic analysis of single cells, measuring cell activation, killing, and movement over time for biopharmaceutical research.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesHouston, US

Dan Meyer(Founder)inNavin Varadarajan(Founder)inLaurence Cooper(Co-founder & Board Chair)Rebecca Berdeaux(Chief Scientific Officer)

Co-investorsBreakout VenturesHouston Angel NetworkTexas HALO FundY Combinator

Cerflux develops POET (Personalized Oncology Efficacy Test), a patented diagnostic that screens multiple cancer therapy agents simultaneously on a patient's own biopsy tumor tissue to identify effective treatments in under seven days.

BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices

CurieDx is a screening tool that provides a patient screening interface and provider workflow for medical practices, offered to clinicians across specialties.

Digital HealthHealthtechSaaSBaltimore, US

THERESE CANARES(CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)RASHMI SACHAN(CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER)

Co-investorsCitrine Angels

Earth Mapping International (EMI) is a multi-disciplinary research and consulting firm working in climate change, geodesy and geophysics, geomatics, water resources forecasting, and information management systems.

CleantechClimate TechDeep Tech

Empallo provides telehealth cardiac care led by cardiac specialists, offering personalized treatment plans, lifestyle guidance, medication management, and at-home testing options such as Holter monitoring and sleep studies.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesCambridge, US

Co-investorsTechstars

Space TechSan Bernardino, US

Mike Gallo(Executive Officer)Jason Lee(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsInnovating CapitalTechstars

Free to Feed provides telehealth consultations with credentialed specialists (IBCLCs, RNs, RDs, and MDs) trained in infant food reactivity, offering symptom review and personalized action plans for elimination, reintroduction, or solids.

Digital HealthFemTechHealthtech

Trill Paullin(Co-Founder & CSO)

Co-investorsBeresford Ventures

Fria makes wearable cooling jewelry, such as bracelets with hydro-powered cooling technology, designed to give women discreet relief from menopause-related hot flashes.

FemTechHardwareWellness & Fitness

PureBioX uses AI-driven volatile organic compound (VOC) profiling to turn chemical emissions into predictive insights, with products for DNA collection, extraction and purification, rapid microbial detection, and a VOCScan software platform.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechFoodTech

Gaia AI provides AI-powered tools and sensor-based data collection (a wearable backpack and mobile/web apps) for forest inventory and analysis, delivering biometric insights to optimize harvesting, timber sales, and carbon credit strategies.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningClimate Tech

Co-investorsThe E14 FundUbiquity Ventures

gNu Technologies develops technology aimed at improving injection/puncture systems to address technical limitations in drug delivery, targeting applications such as autoinjectors, safety syringes, and specialized needles.

BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices

Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions develops natural, bio-based weed control products for agriculture and, through a partnership with SBM Life Science, the home and garden consumer market.

AgTechBiotechNew Materials

Co-investorsiSelect Fund

Hera Health Solutions is a biotechnology company that develops a proprietary nanotechnology platform to reformulate existing pharmaceutical compounds into more effective and longer-acting therapies.

BiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesMemphis, US

Garrett Whitfield(Executive Officer, Director)Idicula Mathew(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsInnova Memphis, Inc.Launch TennesseeTechstars

HistoneTx develops precision epigenetic reprogramming therapeutics that use engineered effectors and transient mRNA delivery via non-viral vectors to activate or restore expression of silenced genes without altering DNA.

BiotechDeep TechLongevity

Icorium is an advanced separation technology company that recovers high-purity refrigerants from complex mixtures using ionic liquid-based extractive distillation, hollow fiber membranes, and pressure swing adsorption.

Circular EconomyCleantechClimate TechLawrence, US

IAMECON (Intelligent Analytics and Modeling, Inc.) is a damages expert witness and economic consulting firm that provides litigation support, expert testimony, and computational modeling for law firms, government agencies, and businesses.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureLegalTechAustin, US

Devrim Ikizler(Founder & Lead Damages Expert)

InnoTech builds end-to-end robotics and autonomous systems for enterprise fleet operations, including autonomous charging, robotic safety monitoring, and V2X (vehicle-to-everything) systems.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareRobotics

iTomography develops computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction algorithms, software, and custom scanner development services for CT and microCT scanner manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users across medical and industrial fields.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechMedical Devices

Alexander Katsevich(CTO)

K-core analytics develops machine learning models based on Graph Neural Networks that analyze publicly expressed opinions on social media to forecast election outcomes in real time.

AI & Machine LearningData & Infrastructure

L5 builds the software intelligence that powers robotic systems for harvesting or handling fruits and vegetables, aimed at addressing labor shortages in agriculture.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningRoboticsLa Canada Flintridge, US

Alexander Gutierrez(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

LabForInvention provides optical measurement and metrology services using tools such as AFM, XRD, XRR, profilometry, SEM, and EDX, along with related software and expertise.

Deep TechHardwareNew Materials

Lakril develops catalytic technologies to convert biomass into renewable chemicals for use as alternatives to petroleum-derived building blocks.

Circular EconomyCleantechDeep TechNew MaterialsChicago, US

Christopher P. Nicholas(Founding Partner / CTO / Director)inPaul J. Dauenhauer(Founding Partner & Chief Technical Advisor)Justin Brown(CEO / Director)in

BoardLisa Dufresne(Director)inMel Luetkens(Director)inAndy Shafer(Director)in

Co-investorsEvergreen Climate InnovationsService Provider CapitalThe Innovation Space

LATERAL builds real-time monitoring and edge intelligence for controlled-environment agriculture, continuously tracking environmental and water conditions to detect issues before they affect crops.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningIoT

Ligero develops cryptographic technology based on zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) and secure multi-party computation (MPC).

Crypto & Web3CybersecurityDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareFintech

Carmit(Professor at Bar-Ilan University (ZKP/MPC researcher))

Co-investors1k(x)1kxConsenSys MeshDigital Currency Group

MarWell Bio develops antibody therapeutics using a proprietary generative AI drug design platform aimed at producing first-in-class and best-in-class antibodies.

AI & Machine LearningBiotech

Matmerize offers PolymRize, a no-code polymer informatics platform that uses machine learning and conversational AI to help researchers design and predict properties of new polymers and formulations, including sustainable PET alternatives.

AI & Machine LearningNew MaterialsSaaS

MealMate offers an AI-powered nutrition tracking tool that lets patients log meals via natural language and food images, then estimates nutrients like sodium and calories using USDA food database data.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtech

Mandy Korpusik(Founder and CEO)Eric Speck(Head of Business Development)Hadi Javeed(Chief AI Engineer)Sue Roberts(Nutrition Expert)

Metabob provides a code analysis engine that runs alongside generative AI coding tools, evaluating code in runtime to catch bugs and guide AI assistants toward safer implementation patterns.

AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSaaS

Co-investorsFoothill VenturesK20 Fund

Metfora Diagnostics develops blood tests that analyze circulating metabolites to create metabolic fingerprints predictive of chronic disease, aimed at detecting serious conditions early in patients with vague, non-specific symptoms.

BiotechDigital HealthMedical Devices

BiotechSan Diego, US

Ryan Montes, Ph.D.(Founder)inRyan Montes(Executive Officer, Director)Jason Butler(Executive Officer, Director)

Morningbird Space develops space technologies including additive manufacturing, materials engineering, advanced propulsion, and autonomous in-space construction (its ASCENT drone-based 3D printing initiative), and also makes 3D-printable educational robots (AppBot, AppDog) for STEM learning.

EdTechRoboticsSpace Tech

Motion Grazer AI (SIM) builds vision-based sensing hardware and machine learning algorithms that assess sow reproductive potential, body condition, and locomotion for pork producers with sow breeding operations.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningHardwareEast Lansing, US

Michael Lavagnino(Director)Madonna Benjamin(Director)Daniel Morris(Director)John McIntyre(Founder/CEO and President)

Co-investorsAg Ventures AllianceMichigan Rise

National Currency Technologies (NCT) builds an open, secure ledger to issue and scale a digital dollar stablecoin, including a security gateway interface and programmed hardware for securing interactions with the ledger.

Crypto & Web3FintechHardware

NEPTUNYA Ocean Power develops ocean energy generation technology, taking concepts from simulation and prototype design through in-water testing while aiming to preserve marine life.

CleantechDeep TechEnergy

NextIon develops aerogel-based battery technology aimed at faster charging, improved thermal management through efficient heat transfer, and prevention of battery fires in devices such as laptops, electric skateboards, vapes, and cars.

Deep TechEnergyNew Materials

Co-investorsFoothill Ventures

Nu Planet Isotopes conducts research on a process to induce radioactive decay and produce radioisotopes on demand.

Deep TechEnergySpace Tech

Osmoses develops a membrane technology for purifying and separating gas molecules, aimed at making industrial gas separation processes more energy-efficient.

CleantechClimate TechDeep TechNew MaterialsBoston, US

Francesco Benedetti(Co-Founder & CEO)Katherine Mizrahi Rodriguez(Co-Founder & Chief Implementation Officer)inZachary P. Smith(Co-Founder / Associate Professor, MIT)

Co-investorsBlindspot Ventures Management CoFine Structures VenturesMassVenturesNew Climate VenturesOrbia VenturesThe Engine Ventures

OtherWordly is a word puzzle game for iPhone and iPad in which players fling clue words into orbiting words with missing letters to solve them across space-themed topics.

EdTechGaming

Owlfly is a for-profit publishing company, technology incubator, and online store focused on developing and selling sustainable products, publications, and technologies aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

CleantechClimate TechE-commerce

Pearl Bio develops technologies for genome engineering, ribosome engineering, and biomanufacturing to enable production of novel proteins, chemicals, and materials for biotechnology and medicine.

BiotechDeep TechNew MaterialsStamford, US

Farren Isaacs(Co-Founder and Science Advisor)Michael Jewett(Co-Founder and Science Advisor)Amy Cayne Schwartz(Co-Founder, COO & CBO)Merton Gollaher(Executive Officer)

BoardGeorge Church(Science Advisor)Jesse Rinehart(Science Advisor)

Co-investorsKhosla Ventures

Perseus Materials manufactures large-scale composite parts without molds or tooling using fast-curing resins and continuous fibers.

Advanced ManufacturingHardwareNew Materials

Co-investorsAmerica's Frontier FundRoadrunner VenturesLockheed Martin Ventures

Cast Carbon makes fire-resistant, biodegradable agroecological wall tiles produced from binding minerals, raw clays, forestry-waste biochar and agricultural byproducts such as rice hulls and walnut shells.

Circular EconomyConstruction TechNew MaterialsHudson Valley, US

Polymer Solutions develops custom polymers for hydrogen-producing electrolyzers along with transient polymers, aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

CleantechEnergyNew Materials

Powder Watts makes a smart camera system using computer vision to monitor and control roof heat cables during winter, switching them on and off automatically and alerting homeowners to snow/ice buildup, worn cables, or circuit breaker trips.

AI & Machine LearningEnergyIoT

Prenostik's My Learning Coach (MLC) is an AI-powered coaching tool for higher education that gives students real-time, data-driven guidance and gives faculty, advisors, and administrators dashboards and reports to track engagement, wellness, and retention.

AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaS

Vesta develops Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering, adding carbon-removing olivine sand to coastal systems to permanently remove atmospheric CO2 while reducing ocean acidity and supporting shoreline protection.

CleantechClimate TechDeep Tech

Radmantis builds uncrewed, modular field-deployable systems that use machine learning image classification to identify and sort individual fish, serving aquaculture facility managers, invasive species control, and utility water-intake protection.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningRobotics

Moira van Staaden(Co-founder & Managing Director)Robert Huber(Co-founder & Senior Researcher)F. Scott Hall(Co-founder & Senior Researcher)

RCE Technologies develops a wrist-worn wearable (Infrasensor) that uses infrared sensors and machine learning to detect signals associated with severe coronary artery occlusion, aiming for earlier heart attack detection.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthMedical Devices

Co-investorsAtlanta Technology Angels

REEgen uses genetically engineered bacteria to recover rare earth elements and critical metals from ores and industrial by-products such as steel slag, electronic waste, spent catalysts, and coal ash.

BiotechCircular EconomyNew Materials

Remedium Bio is a biotech company developing gene therapy and biologic treatments for osteoarthritis and other rheumatology and metabolic conditions, drawing on research into cartilage regeneration and the FGF18 protein.

BiotechHealthtechLongevityBoston, US

Co-investorsUlu VenturesHKX Capital

RStream Recycling builds robotic sorting systems that use computer vision to identify and separate mixed waste streams — including food and beverage products, recyclables, and bagged or loose trash — into distinct recycling streams.

AI & Machine LearningCircular EconomyRobotics

Screen360.tv is a subscription-based distance-learning platform that curates international films for K-12 and film education, using foreign films aligned to school curricula (IB, AP, Common Core) to build empathy, language, geography, and cross-cultural understanding among children.

EdTechMedia & EntertainmentSaaS

Catherine (Katy) Kavanaugh(Founder)

Seaflight develops autonomous electric drones and aircraft with advanced aerodynamic technology for cargo logistics and defense applications.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningClimate TechDefense TechEnergyHardwareLogistics & Supply ChainRoboticsSpace TechCarson, US

Graham Doig(Co-founder)inWill Sutton(Founder)

Co-investorsY Combinator7percent Ventures

SixLine Semiconductor develops carbon nanotube processing and deposition methods to produce semiconductor-grade materials for high-performance, lower-cost semiconductor devices.

Deep TechNew MaterialsSemiconductors

STec develops the Reactive Cyclical Induction (RCI) System, an internationally patented marine exhaust technology that reduces CO2 emissions by 25% and NOx emissions by 85%.

CleantechClimate TechHardware

Sway develops seaweed-based materials to create compostable packaging products such as polybags and retail bags, offered to brands as alternatives to plastic packaging.

Circular EconomyClimate TechNew Materials

Co-investorsAlante CapitalBAM VenturesDesigner FundNew Earth VenturesThird NatureTrousdale Ventures+3 more

The Learning Bridge provides training, workshop facilitation, project management support, and event management for schools, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals.

EdTech

Co-investorsM Ventures

Transparent Path builds a cloud and IoT-based supply chain platform that uses continuous sensor data, machine vision, edge computing, and machine learning to improve traceability, reduce waste, and manage risk in the perishable food supply chain.

CleantechFoodTechHardwareIoTLogistics & Supply ChainSeattle, US

Eric Weaver(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

The website presents three offerings labeled Railspace, Deepspace, and Innovation Space, but the page text provides no concrete information about what the company builds or the customers it serves.

Sector Agnostic

Windscape develops AI-based software solutions that use onboard turbine and external data to improve the operational efficiency, smoothness, and predictability of wind farms.

AI & Machine LearningCleantechEnergy

XSight develops compact, high-flux X-ray imaging hardware built on custom semiconductor field-emission X-ray sources.

Deep TechHardwareSemiconductors

Zaiput Flow Technologies develops continuous equipment for process intensification in chemical processes, applicable to both continuous and batch operations.

Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardware