Meet the Venture Connect 2026 Company Lineup
Innovators Shaping the Future Across Four Dynamic Sectors
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – February 20, 2026 On behalf of our CED team and external Selection Committee, we are excited to announce our Presenting Company Lineup for this year’s Venture Connect Conference!
Each year, we have a growing number of impressive founders who apply, and 2026 was no exception. We would first like to thank all 2026 applicants who applied and represented a dynamic and maturing ecosystem here in the RTP area.
Venture Connect brings together some of the most promising Early and Growth Stage companies driving meaningful change across industries. This year’s lineup spans the four categories we’re focusing on for VC26: Human Health—Biotech and Medtech, Next-Gen Hardware and Deep Tech, Science for a Healthier Planet, and Software Innovation. These companies represent the cutting edge of what is possible when bold ideas meet disciplined execution. Below, we are proud to introduce the companies — organized by session and stage — and the breakthroughs they are bringing to market.
DPAC Stage Presentations
Human Health — Biotech & Medtech
From ENT care to oncology, the companies in this session are redefining how medicine is practiced, delivered, and experienced. Whether through novel device engineering, AI-powered diagnostics, or breakthrough therapeutics, these innovators are tackling some of healthcare’s most persistent challenges.
excelENT is a comprehensive solutions provider purpose-built for independent ENT practices across the United States. The company supplies leading clinical products — including sinuplasty balloons, shaver blades, scopes, and nasal rinses — while also offering an integrated suite of services encompassing patient prospecting, automated insurance verification and scheduling, and billing support. By equipping local ENT practices with both the tools and the operational infrastructure they need, excelENT enables them to remain independent while delivering the highest quality of care to their communities.
Corit Medical is modernizing one of the most commonly performed ENT procedures: turbinate reduction. With more than 100,000 adult procedures performed annually in the United States alone, the existing tools for this surgery are widely acknowledged to be slow, messy, and decades out of date. Corit has developed a single-use, mechanical device that gives surgeons a faster, cleaner, and more predictable approach to removing turbinate tissue and bone — improving outcomes for the millions of patients who struggle to breathe clearly.
EmitBio is pioneering the use of LED light-based therapeutics to treat upper respiratory disease. The company’s proprietary technology represents what would be the world’s first non-drug antiviral, with its lead indication targeting COVID-19, followed by influenza and RSV. EmitBio has completed a successful double-blind, placebo-controlled pivotal trial for COVID-19 and is currently in the final phase of FDA clearance through its De Novo application — a significant milestone that speaks to the maturity of its clinical program.
Galaxy Diagnostics is redefining the standard of care for flea- and tick-borne disease detection, a fast-growing clinical and economic burden. Today’s conventional tests miss up to half of all infections, leading to delayed treatment and avoidable costs. Galaxy’s proprietary, peer-reviewed direct-detection technology delivers industry-leading sensitivity and accuracy, giving clinicians earlier and more reliable answers. Backed by a seasoned management team and a body of scientific work spanning more than 400 publications in vector-borne disease, Galaxy is advancing scalable, high-sensitivity solutions designed for routine clinical practice.
Redbud Labs is reinventing molecular testing through a convenient, reliable, and affordable platform for sample preparation automation. Built on patented materials technology, Redbud enables high-performance, gold-standard nucleic acid workflows to be executed on a compact microfluidic cartridge — bringing lab-quality results closer to the point of care and reducing the logistical complexity of molecular diagnostics.
RESTEC Solutions has developed the SONOCIDE® HLD, an automated disinfection system designed for hospitals and clinics. Using patented ultrasonic aerosol generation technology, the system achieves High-Level Disinfection of shared patient items — including non-lumened ultrasound probes — without the manual burden that characterizes current disinfection workflows. For healthcare facilities seeking to improve both compliance and throughput, RESTEC offers a compelling solution.
SonoVascular is a clinical-stage medical device company focused on transforming the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Its Sono Thrombectomy™ System combines ultrasound facilitation with thrombolytic enhancement to offer what the company believes is a safer and more effective alternative to current thrombectomy approaches. Given the significant morbidity associated with VTE, SonoVascular’s technology has the potential to meaningfully improve outcomes for a large and underserved patient population.
VQ Biomedical is developing a minimally invasive intravascular oxygenation catheter that delivers oxygen directly into the bloodstream. Targeting Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) — a condition that affects hundreds of thousands of patients annually and for which current treatments are invasive, risky, and frequently inadequate — VQ’s technology is designed to become a new standard of care in critical care settings, supported by promising early proof-of-concept data.
Bairitone Health is developing AI-powered diagnostic imaging technology that is affordable, non-invasive, and designed for use in the home. By reducing the need for inappropriate diagnostic procedures and lowering healthcare costs, Bairitone aims to increase access to high-quality diagnostics for underserved communities — representing a meaningful step toward more equitable, patient-centric healthcare.
Oncurie, Inc.
Oncurie is developing targeted radiopharmaceuticals to fight cancer. At the core of its platform is a proprietary chelator — a compound capable of securing and sequestering radioisotope ions — which serves as a safe carrier for targeted delivery strategies against tumors. By combining precision targeting with radiopharmaceutical science, Oncurie is working to improve the therapeutic index of cancer treatment.
SelSym Biotech is a preclinical-stage biotechnology startup based in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, developing novel platelet-mimetic therapeutics to transform patient outcomes following severe bleeding events. By engineering synthetic particles that replicate key hemostatic functions of natural platelets, SelSym is pursuing a new class of treatment with the potential to save lives in trauma and surgical settings.
Tellus Therapeutics was founded to address one of medicine’s most heartbreaking gaps: the absence of effective treatments for premature infants facing life-altering brain and gut injuries. The company is pioneering the first myelination therapy for neonatal white matter injury — a condition that currently has no approved therapeutic options — offering hope to families and clinicians navigating some of the most difficult moments in neonatal care.
Phase Advance is tackling one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most persistent and costly problems: the high failure rate of drug candidates in late-stage clinical trials. Its next-generation Predictive Technology Platform (PTP) models human biology and disease as a unified, in silico system, generating lifetime models of disease progression that can predict drug performance as far forward as Phase 3 trials. By delivering highly predictive, clinically actionable insights early in the development process, Phase Advance aims to dramatically improve the odds of translational success.
Lindy Biosciences is solving critical formulation challenges in the biotherapeutics market through its Microglassification™ technology. The platform produces high-dose suspensions of therapeutic proteins suitable for subcutaneous injection — a formulation approach that reduces administration costs, improves patient comfort and compliance, and enables a new class of high-dose molecules to reach patients. For a biopharmaceutical market increasingly focused on patient-centric delivery, Lindy’s innovation addresses a genuine unmet need.
Next-Gen Hardware & Deep Tech
The companies in this session are operating at the frontier of what hardware and deep technology can do. From advanced robotics and satellite systems to novel materials and semiconductor architecture, these innovators are building the physical and computational infrastructure of tomorrow.
AxNano destroys PFAS “forever chemicals” and other complex waste streams at the point of source. Its solution reduces waste disposal costs by 83% compared to off-site incineration or landfilling — offering military, industrial, and municipal customers a way to mitigate significant liability risk while achieving higher throughputs and cleaner outputs. As regulatory pressure around PFAS continues to intensify, AxNano’s technology addresses an urgent and growing market need.
Blue Sky Robotics is dedicated to leading the global robotics software industry by developing custom automation solutions that are perceptive, adaptive, and effortlessly programmable. Leveraging the latest advances in robotics, AI, and computer vision technology, the company helps businesses optimize their operations and improve efficiency through purpose-built robotic systems tailored to specific operational needs.
Carolina Instruments is a UNC Chapel Hill spinout building a camera-free eye tracking system for integration into next-generation Virtual and Augmented Reality (XR) headsets. Developed originally in neuroscience research, the company’s technology uses optical sensing — rather than cameras — to measure eye movement and pupil dynamics with high resolution. By reducing the power and processing demands of eye tracking, Carolina Instruments enables headset manufacturers to extend battery life, reduce size and weight, and simplify system integration.
CrossFire Technologies is enabling the Open Chiplet Economy with its holistic Chiplet Design Suite. While chiplets are becoming increasingly prevalent in AI system-on-chip design, their adoption in other segments has been constrained by high costs, complexity, and integration challenges. CrossFire addresses these pain points directly: its Direct Chiplet Interface (DCI) is 10–50x smaller and uses 10x less power than competing offerings, while its OmniDie™ integration approach eliminates the need for costly interposers or high-density package substrates — saving development time and cost for semiconductor designers.
Extellis is a satellite imaging company dedicated to delivering reliable Earth observations at industrial scale. Built on patented antenna technology invented at Duke University with DARPA-sponsored research, Extellis’s satellites are capable of capturing thousands of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images per day. By blending wide-area scanning with high-volume capture capabilities, Extellis brings advanced spaceborne monitoring to a broader range of customers with economics that make widespread adoption practical.
iOrganBio is a Chapel Hill-based biotechnology company specializing in the precision engineering and scalable manufacturing of human cells and organoids. Through its proprietary CellForge™ platform — which integrates AI-driven prediction, biological sensing, and automated 3D incubation — iOrganBio transforms complex cellular science into a programmable, closed-loop process. Founded in 2024 by experts from institutions including Weill Cornell Medicine and MD Anderson, the company provides biopharma partners with predictable, reproducible cell products for drug discovery, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine.
MithrilAI has developed what it describes as the world’s first silicon-proven AI circuits capable of preventing hardware attacks — including side-channel and fault injection attacks — that can expose commercially valuable AI models or cause critical misclassifications. Built on randomized multi-party computation, MithrilAI’s solution makes individual computations inside hardware computationally intractable while preserving the exact input-output functionality, bringing cryptography-level security to AI hardware deployments.
Natural Negative is building the missing infrastructure layer that has prevented next-generation sustainable materials from displacing plastics at scale. Its DropForm™ platform uses physics-guided models, structured formulation data, and digital twins of processing to translate a brand’s performance and manufacturing requirements into a custom, home-compostable drop-in material that runs on existing equipment. In doing so, Natural Negative gives sustainable materials the predictability and manufacturability that made plastics ubiquitous.
Onda Vision Technologies, Inc.
Onda Vision Technologies is advancing health and safety through intelligent monitoring systems designed to protect individuals experiencing shifts in hydration levels due to physical exertion, environmental exposure, or medical conditions. An NC State University spinout from the NSF-funded ASSIST Center, Onda Vision is translating academic research in sensing and monitoring into practical solutions for athletes, workers, and patients who face meaningful risks from dehydration.
PolyPV is an NC State spinout commercializing next-generation flexible organic solar modules designed for reliable power generation in environments where traditional rigid panels are impractical. By replacing fragile, rigid panels with a proprietary rugged polymer-based architecture, PolyPV delivers lightweight, easily transported, and field-ready energy solutions with superior power density per volume. Backed by funding from the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation, PolyPV is scaling a roll-to-roll manufacturing process targeting defense, disaster response, and off-grid power markets.
SkyMul is a construction-robotics startup building telepresence robots and digital twins for concrete contractors. Its flagship product is a drone-based quality assurance and quality control system that has already scanned more than 3 million square feet across tilt-up slab and data center projects — catching layout and embed errors before the pour. FAA-approved for remote drone-in-a-box operations and deployed in active paid engagements with leading concrete contractors, SkyMul integrates capture, verification, and reporting into a single digital-twin workflow.
Utilyst develops AI-native infrastructure intelligence platforms for utilities managing aging, complex infrastructure networks. Its flagship platform, WorldGraph, combines real-time sensor streams, geospatial intelligence, and AI agents into a unified decision-support system that goes beyond visualization to deliver actionable intelligence. Functioning as an AI co-pilot, WorldGraph helps operators prevent failures, prioritize maintenance, and optimize capital planning. With a signed contract with DC Water and active discussions with Duke Energy and others, Utilyst is validating a cross-utility platform approach with real commercial traction.
Uviquity is a deep tech startup pioneering the next generation of solid-state far-UVC light sources, enabling a new class of compact, energy-efficient devices for disinfection, sensing, and advanced photonic applications. Founded in 2022 and backed by leading venture capital firms, Uviquity has already partnered with multiple Fortune 500 companies and international commercial partners to bring its innovations to market — signaling strong early validation of both the technology and its commercial potential.
Windlift is developing autonomous tethered aerial systems that deliver persistent airborne presence for high-value security, communications, and sensing missions. Its G Series platform significantly outperforms conventional tethered systems across wind, endurance, stability, and deployment flexibility — enabling defense, maritime security, border monitoring, and critical infrastructure customers to achieve continuous coverage with minimal logistics. Built on more than $24 million in DOD-funded research and protected by core patents, Windlift is also advancing Airborne Power Generator (APG) technology capable of delivering 3 to 75 kW of distributed power for microgrids and remote operations.
SwabBot holds the only patent on automated swabbing — solving a critical industry problem that costs regulated consumer products companies millions of dollars annually and exposes them to employee injuries, product loss, and potential recalls. By automating a process that has historically required manual labor, SwabBot brings safety, consistency, and efficiency to life sciences, consumer goods, and food and beverage manufacturers. The company generates revenue through a robot leasing model combined with ongoing consumables sales.
MorphosAI is an AI architecture company revolutionizing vectorization and AI search pipelines for agentic AI. Its Green Vectors technology reduces vector storage by up to 99%, dramatically lowering storage costs, hallucination rates, and latency for AI applications. By building foundational infrastructure that addresses one of the core scalability challenges facing AI adoption, MorphosAI is positioning itself as a critical enabler of the next wave of enterprise and individual AI deployment.
Science for a Healthier Planet
The companies in this session are confronting some of the most pressing environmental and agricultural challenges of our time. From climate-resilient crops to next-generation water treatment and sustainable seafood, these innovators are using science to build a more resilient and sustainable world.
Upstream Biotechnology is developing a new generation of climate-resilient crop traits that enable plants to defend themselves against disease from within. Its SwitchBlade platform embeds disease resistance directly into the plant genome using tunable genetic circuits to precisely activate plants’ natural broad-spectrum immune system — Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) — delivering durable, season-long protection across multiple diseases. By combining advanced RNA biology with field-proven agronomics, Upstream is establishing a new standard for broad-spectrum disease management, transforming resistance from a transient external input into a built-in genetic feature.
ALORA designs gene-edited crop traits that protect yield during the most critical — and increasingly hostile — windows of crop production: pollination and grain fill. As climate change intensifies heat, salinity, and environmental instability, ALORA’s technology channels these stresses into productivity rather than loss. Drawing on the recognition that nature already contains genetic solutions to environmental extremes, ALORA’s traits are purpose-built for the agricultural realities of a warming world.
Eupry offers an automated temperature compliance solution purpose-built for the life sciences industry. Its integrated platform combines measurement, monitoring, validation, and calibration to ensure data integrity and patient safety across the global pharmaceutical supply chain. By automating what have historically been manual and error-prone processes, Eupry helps more than 1,000 customers worldwide maintain total compliance and reliability in pharmaceutical distribution.
Innatrix is revolutionizing crop protection through a target-based platform that develops environmentally friendly biological products. With more than $4 million in secured capital and two U.S. patents, the Research Triangle Park-based company’s approach delivers products to market faster, at 95% lower cost compared to traditional chemical pesticides, and with an 80–90% reduction in carbon footprint. By targeting specific pathogens, Innatrix eliminates the harmful off-target effects that have long been a concern with conventional crop protection methods.
Meiogenix advances crop improvement through proprietary breeding technologies based on precise, targeted recombination. By unlocking the natural genetic diversity of crops in ways that conventional breeding cannot, Meiogenix enables plant breeders to develop elite varieties that address the interconnected challenges of productivity, sustainability, and disease resilience — helping farmers succeed in an increasingly demanding agricultural environment.
NALA Membranes has developed a unique class of chlorine-stable reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes for water and wastewater treatment. Its patented polymer membranes are engineered to be up to 1,000 times more stable to chlorine bleach than any competing membrane on the market — a property widely regarded as a critical unmet need in the industry. NALA’s durable, low-fouling membranes offer new opportunities to improve efficiencies and reduce operating costs for even the most challenging water treatment applications.
Phytoform Labs is an agricultural biotechnology company focused on improving sustainability across the food supply chain through the power of genetics. By partnering with food brands, processing companies, and seed companies, Phytoform translates cutting-edge scientific discoveries into real-world commercial impact — bridging the gap between research and the practical needs of the food system.
TNT Eco Materials / TNT 3D Construction
TNT is pursuing a multi-pronged commercial strategy centered on the commercialization of TNT Eco Materials, the expansion of TNT 3D Construction, and an integrated workforce development engine. The company is working to capitalize on the significant opportunities emerging at the intersection of sustainable materials and next-generation construction technology.
Verdia Diagnostics is pioneering diagnostic tools for disease management in agriculture. By developing hardware and software solutions that enable earlier and more accurate disease detection, Verdia helps farmers improve yields while reducing the costs and labor associated with traditional disease management practices — bringing precision agriculture to the field of plant health.
Atlantic Fish Co uses cellular agriculture to develop the world’s most sustainable cultivated seafood. The company’s mission is to establish cultivated seafood as the third pillar of global seafood production — complementing wild-caught and aquaculture — offering a path to meeting growing global demand for seafood while reducing the environmental strain on ocean ecosystems.
RCOAST is building the world’s first searchable 4D coastal intelligence database, designed to track and predict which mitigation strategies actually work to protect coastlines. By helping governments, investors, and planners optimize the return on every mitigation dollar spent, RCOAST is creating an essential decision-making tool for a world increasingly grappling with coastal erosion and climate-driven sea level rise.
Software Innovation
This session showcases software companies using artificial intelligence, automation, and modern cloud platforms to solve real-world problems across healthcare, construction, education, finance, and beyond. What unites them is a commitment to replacing inefficiency with intelligence — and delivering measurable impact to the people and organizations they serve.
Theralinq helps pediatric therapy clinics extend care beyond the clinic walls while driving measurable business impact. Its secure platform strengthens caregiver-therapist collaboration through customized home exercise plans, real-time progress tracking, and actionable data insights. By improving family engagement and continuity of care, Theralinq helps clinics deliver better patient outcomes while unlocking new revenue opportunities — and gives families the tools to take an active, informed role in their child’s therapy journey.
Coworks is a coworking and flexible workspace management platform. Our mission is to be the operating system for the modern flexible workspace. Our platform is a full service operations system that manages scheduling, payments, room/desk reservation, and lead and member management. We sell directly to space operators and empower them to create operational efficiency while accessing key spatial data. Our member app allows the members in each space to easily access space resources, events, and community. Together we are able to provide key data and metrics to space managers around usage, growth, and community engagement while allowing the people in the space to easily understand how to utilize and access the workspaces on demand.
Scale Social AI is an AI-powered engagement and marketing platform that helps businesses transform real customer experiences into authentic, high-performing marketing content. By prioritizing engagement first, the platform makes it easy for brands to capture customer-generated content, enhance it with AI, and distribute it across the right channels with clear, goal-aligned outcomes. The platform serves small businesses, multi-location operators, and enterprise brands seeking visibility and growth without the complexity of traditional marketing agencies.
Sunlight is modernizing the operating system of America’s social safety net. As one of the fastest-growing GovTech startups in the country, Sunlight has scaled to serve 1 in 10 youth in foster care across 30 states. Its products are trusted by more than 300 agencies to improve communication, case management, legal representation, and care coordination in child welfare cases — demonstrating that software can be a powerful tool for social good.
Jobvious helps automotive specialists run and grow their businesses by connecting them with dealership work and equipping them with AI agents that streamline day-to-day operations. By bringing intelligent automation to an industry that has historically been underserved by technology, Jobvious enables automotive professionals to focus on their craft while the platform handles the business complexity.
Nolodex is a sales intelligence and relationship management platform that centralizes people, companies, and business deals into a single, actionable system. It helps identify opportunities, track relationships, and act on insights to close deals and receive income.
OneCare is an AI-powered, fully integrated Practice Operating System that consolidates EMR, billing, scheduling, payments, patient communication, and workflow automation into a single seamless platform. Designed to help medical practices run smarter and grow faster, OneCare reduces the administrative burden on care teams so they can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional patient care.
Ooga Technologies is a one-stop platform that empowers the non-destructive testing (NDT) industry to operate more safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. By leveraging cloud technology to connect customers with vetted NDT experts around the globe in a matter of minutes — and enabling remote testing through a suite of digital tools — Ooga is digitizing an industry that has traditionally required on-site, in-person presence for every inspection.
Kilsar
Kilsar is a dual-use AI and 3D-powered maintenance technology company modernizing how complex equipment is trained, operated, and sustained across commercial industry and the Department of Defense. Its flagship platform, Orion, converts unstructured maintenance data into interactive, step-by-step digital workflows with embedded AI, automated compliance, and 3D visualization. Orion is deployed across the largest U.S. aviation training network and expanding into energy, manufacturing, and construction, while also supporting U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Special Operations modernization efforts. By serving both enterprise and defense customers, Kilsar drives a dual-use flywheel that accelerates product innovation, strengthens cybersecurity posture, and positions Orion as the foundational AI layer for global maintenance and sustainment.
PETE is an AI-powered learning platform transforming workforce training. Its solution enables companies to create customized virtual academies that develop, host, and manage tailored training content without the need for a dedicated training department. From personalized onboarding to sales and compliance training, PETE’s adaptive technology ensures every employee receives the most relevant content for their role and experience level — maximizing learning impact at scale.
Solvrays is a cutting-edge insurtech workflow solution reshaping how insurance and third-party administrator (TPA) operations function. By applying AI, next-generation technologies, and workflow-driven automation at the intersection of insurtech and fintech, Solvrays is on a mission to bring meaningful efficiency and modernization to an industry long overdue for transformation.
Futureproof is building the world’s first autonomous finance team. Launching with bookkeeping, forecasting and planning, cap table modeling, and an investor-ready data room, Futureproof gives founders the tools to delay hiring a CFO and avoid building large finance teams prematurely. Its long-term vision is an AI that predicts financial challenges before they surface, manages cash with precision, and executes solutions in real time — eliminating the majority of finance overhead so founders can focus on growth.
Clinware automates post-acute care reimbursement, referral and admission workflows, and end-to-end healthcare operations. By eliminating manual documentation bottlenecks and empowering care teams with faster, data-driven clinical and financial decision-making tools, Clinware enables post-acute providers to operate with greater speed, accuracy, and financial sustainability.
Beam Dynamics helps enterprises streamline asset management, oversee large system integration projects, and increase the utilization of assets, facilities, licenses, and labor — all within a single cloud-based platform. Deployed globally at major media, entertainment, sports, live event, and broadcast companies, Beam empowers teams with a common source of truth and the data-driven insights needed to make informed decisions across their operations.
Roboro is delivering the industry’s first AI-powered legislative insights platform, transforming how organizations engage with public policy. By empowering lobbyists, businesses, and advocacy organizations to monitor, analyze, and influence legislation with unmatched speed and clarity, Roboro is bringing the power of modern AI to one of democracy’s most consequential processes.
Rozie Synopsis captures what is said on stage and on the show floor at live events, then transforms it into clear, usable outputs — including summaries, insights, and reports — available both during and after the event. For conference organizers, sponsors, and attendees seeking to extract maximum value from live programming, Rozie offers an intelligent solution that turns spoken content into lasting, actionable knowledge.
President’s Club Presentations
In addition to the DPAC stage presentations, Venture Connect features a dynamic lightning round where emerging companies present rapid-fire pitches. Below are the companies presenting across each session category.
Human Health — Biotech & Medtech
Artemis Immersive builds interactive 3D technology designed to close the communication gap that exists between patients and physicians, across specialist providers, and even in legal contexts involving medical evidence. Its first product, VoxScan, uses spatial technology to create a more complete and interactive understanding of medical imaging results — breaking down the silos of medical understanding and enabling patients, providers, attorneys, and jurors to quickly comprehend complex clinical findings. The platform is currently offered in both the patient engagement and legal industries.
Boundless Science is a healthcare-focused technology company dedicated to improving outcomes in heart and lung failure through innovative, science-driven solutions.
Cervu Health has developed the first system dedicated to supporting female cancer survivors living with chronic pelvic pain and dyspareunia. Founded in 2022 in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, Cervu’s at-home device and companion mobile app delivers four distinct pelvic training modalities — a significant advance over competing products, which typically support only one or two. Developed with approximately $550,000 in local, state, and federal grant funding, Cervu’s device is designed to improve quality-of-life outcomes, expand access to care, and enhance survivors’ comfort and overall experience.
Coprata is a health technology company transforming how gut health is measured and monitored. Its patent-pending Microbiome Activity Tracker (MAT) kit converts a traditionally lab-based biochemical measurement into an affordable, repeatable at-home experience — moving gut health from guesswork to actionable insight, and from episodic testing to ongoing feedback. Coprata also serves nutrition companies with technologies that support rigorous microbiome research. Its longer-term vision is a Smart Toilet product that integrates this monitoring capability directly into the home environment, transforming the bathroom into a personal health hub.
Founded in March 2025, Quellios is a pre-seed technology startup on a mission to combat food-triggered inflammation and restore health through seamless, science-driven biointelligence. The company is developing a patent-pending platform that reimagines the smartphone as a tool for real-time inflammation monitoring — opening the door to a large and growing market spanning precision nutrition, digital health, and chronic disease management.
SonoVoice is an early-stage medical device company spun out of Duke University and NC State University, developing new voice assessment tools for speech-language pathologists and laryngologists who care for the estimated 30 million Americans living with voice disorders. The company has raised more than $550,000 from investors including the National Science Foundation and NYU’s MedTech Venture Fund, and is building technology that stands to meaningfully improve the precision and accessibility of voice disorder diagnosis and treatment.
Scyntek, Inc. is a medical device company developing noninvasive technology for early detection and monitoring of vascular health conditions. By combining engineering innovation with clinical insight, Scyntek aims to make advanced diagnostics more accessible and preventive care more effective. The company’s mission is to improve patient outcomes through simple, reliable, and scalable health
monitoring solutions.
Tessifi Medical Solutions is a medical device innovation company dedicated to improving healthcare outcomes through smart technology and thoughtful design. The company is modernizing inpatient monitoring by replacing outdated, manual, and error-prone processes with automated, objective systems that deliver real-time, accurate patient data — reducing the burden on clinical staff while improving the reliability of the information on which care decisions depend.
Totality Biosciences
Totality Biosciences is developing a breakthrough synthetic biology platform that uses genetically engineered plants to produce the full spectrum of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). Its technology has the potential to unlock all 200 HMOs found in breast milk at kiloton scale—up to 5X more structures than current R&D libraries support. Backed by peer-reviewed technoeconomic analysis published in Nature Foods, the platform enables a projected 10X reduction in minimum selling price and a 1000X capacity increase over incumbent production methods. Totality aims to democratize access to full-spectrum HMOs, addressing unmet demand and transforming human health from preterm infant care to lifelong gut and immune optimization.
Next-Gen Hardware & Deep Tech
CareHome Health Solutions is transforming medication management for seniors and caregivers through its flagship Graciela device — a smart, hands-free medication dispenser that simplifies daily adherence for older adults experiencing memory loss, arthritis, or mobility challenges. By combining automated dispensing with real-time compliance tracking, CareHome replaces unreliable self-reporting with objective, actionable data. Its caregiver and provider dashboard enables families, home health agencies, and clinicians to monitor adherence, receive missed-dose alerts, and intervene earlier — addressing one of the most expensive and preventable problems in senior health. CareHome is currently in the prototype and pilot phase, supported by a utility and PCT patent, with strong interest from home health agencies and family caregivers.
Anatra builds rugged unmanned cargo aircraft — both runway-capable and amphibious — engineered to deliver 500 pounds of payload over 500+ miles to remote and contested areas where traditional logistics infrastructure cannot reach. Designed for the most demanding operating environments, Anatra’s aircraft open new possibilities for defense logistics, humanitarian supply chains, and commercial delivery in underserved geographies.
Genesis 1 Technologies helps institutions eliminate recycling contamination, drive user engagement, and access real-time data on waste stream activity. By bringing intelligent monitoring and feedback to the recycling process, Genesis 1 addresses one of the persistent practical challenges in achieving meaningful recycling compliance across institutional settings.
Luxar AI combines advanced photonics and edge AI to deliver real-time black ice detection and roadway safety intelligence across roads, bridges, and runways. By providing earlier and more reliable warnings of hazardous surface conditions, Luxar AI offers transportation agencies, airport operators, and infrastructure managers a powerful tool for preventing weather-related accidents and improving public safety.
Science for a Healthier Planet
Challenging Forces designs natural infrastructure for commercial spaces, turning unused vertical space into profitable, scalable horticultural systems that improve people’s experience without adding operational burden. Its Climate Gardens are modular, frame-mounted vertical ecosystems for commercial buildings — bringing living greenery into the built environment in a way that is both aesthetically compelling and operationally practical.
Druid’s goal is make precision agriculture accessible to farmers globally. Druid’s SERRA system uses cameras & sensors to collect real-time images & metrics of any indoor or outdoor growing space. Druid’s patented system can detect anomalies in plant health and alert farmers when their crops are in need of attention, providing a hassle-free and cost-effective way to keep tabs on their investments. Paired with our companion app, all of the images, metrics, and alerts can be viewed on your phone or laptop
Rooted-in-Tech is revolutionizing plant propagation by delivering high-quality, disease-free young plants near grower hubs. By integrating advanced sensing, autonomous growing modules, and customized environmental recipes, the company reduces farming risks, enhances plant quality, lowers transportation costs, boosts yields, and strengthens the resilience of the food system. Rooted-in-Tech is positioned to supply millions of plants across multiple crops, redefining the future of plant propagation.
Soteria Formulations is a B2B AgTech company upcycling crop residue into biodegradable and microplastic-free delivery platforms for extended performance of pest control products — including agrochemicals and biocontrol agents. Founded in July 2023 in North Carolina and commercializing a patent-pending technology exclusively licensed from NC State University, Soteria’s approach was developed with over $3 million in research funding, primarily from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Across more than nine years of field trials in eight countries, the foundational technology has consistently improved yield by more than 10% and enabled effective pest control at just 10% of the broadcast rate of agrochemicals — enabling a 90% reduction in active ingredient use while improving crop yield.
Software Innovation
Afuse is a mobile app helping students find roommates and friends before they get to campus — addressing the social uncertainty that often accompanies the transition to college life and making it easier for incoming students to build connections from day one.
Caffeine builds the governance infrastructure that makes autonomous AI insurable. The problem is that current AI models are probabilistic black boxes that drift and hallucinate, creating undefined liability that prevents enterprise adoption. Caffeine solves this by wrapping the model in a deterministic governance layer, using Test-Driven Governance (TDG) to convert every past failure or business rule into a hard mathematical constraint that prevents recurrence. Paired with a State-Tuple Ledger that captures an immutable chain of custody for every decision, Caffeine gives enterprises the forensic proof they need to verify compliance — turning AI from a liability into a managed asset.
Citrus Oncology is managing adverse events in cancer patients by building a multi-specialty care orchestration platform. Patients undergoing cancer treatment — and the growing population of 18 million+ cancer survivors — face adverse events that, if left untreated, drive up costs to payers through higher ER visits and hospitalizations while diminishing quality of life. Citrus combines AI-powered triage with a fast and cost-effective multi-specialty network of physicians to support patients and eliminate burden on oncology teams.
DayOf is the distribution layer for event travel — the world’s most predictable form of travel. The platform unlocks off-venue spending generated by major conferences and events by transforming them into a marketplace for local experience providers — including tour operators, attractions, restaurants, and sports teams — to reach high-intent sponsors and attendees planning team outings, client entertainment, and exploration.
FlightSuite.ai is building the first universal AI operator for CRM systems — an AI layer that actually runs the CRM on behalf of the user. Instead of logging in and clicking through complex workflows, businesses simply tell FlightSuite.ai what needs to be done, and the operator executes across the business’s existing CRM platform. With 41 paying users, strong retention, marketplace distribution through GoHighLevel, and enterprise licensing discussions underway, FlightSuite.ai is redefining how service businesses manage clients and revenue operations.
Home Dock is building a marketplace that helps people make confident decisions about buying, owning, and repairing a home. Using real estate transactions as the entry point, Home Dock enables licensed residential real estate agents to capture property issues through guided video and AI-generated repair plans. After closing, those plans become available to execute through the Home Dock marketplace with vetted local service providers. The platform aligns incentives through verified homeowner intent and success-based monetization, with marketplace execution beginning in early 2026 in the Triangle.
Janaza Pro is a cemetery management SaaS platform that helps families locate graves using GPS navigation and assists cemetery staff with digital record-keeping and management — bringing modern technology to a sector that has long relied on manual processes.
Meridian Performance Systems, Inc.
Meridian Performance Systems is harnessing computer vision to make people safer, healthier, and more capable in pursuits that matter. Rather than building just another AI application, Meridian is creating a foundational technology layer that lets digital intelligence reach the physical world. Its proprietary edge-based 3D analysis transforms everyday devices into precision tools to augment human perception — delivering professional-grade visual intelligence across sports, manufacturing, healthcare, and beyond.
Mindr is a digital platform backed by human coaches that delivers evidence-based multidomain lifestyle interventions to reduce the risk or delay the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Its initial focus is on supporting those caring for a loved one with an ADRD diagnosis, fostering self-care and improving their chances of maintaining good cognitive health, with an ultimate goal of helping instill good habits for cognitive health in everyone.
Nearby Nearby is a location-intelligence and local discovery platform purpose-built for rural America. The platform solves a critical visibility and data gap by making it easy for residents, visitors, and businesses to discover what is nearby — local businesses, parks, trails, events, and community services — through a single, proximity-based search experience. Unlike ad-driven platforms that prioritize paid placement and urban density, Nearby Nearby delivers unbiased, distance-based results powered by verified local data and community engagement. Beyond consumer discovery, Nearby Nearby is building the nation’s first zero-party rural dataset, enabling future data products for local governments, tourism boards, and economic development organizations.
NexStratus is an AI-native enterprise platform company transforming how critical infrastructure industries make decisions. From global supply chains to hospital systems, its flagship platform, Deep-SKAI, fuses AI and behavioral science to deliver real-time situational awareness, predictive modeling, and prescriptive guidance — integrating data, workflows, and people into one decision-intelligence environment and accelerating outcomes across a wide variety of ROI use cases.
Nuvai Medical Technologies is dedicated to making pharmacy care smarter, more efficient, and cost-effective. Its initial technology, Aseptique, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to evaluate an individual’s aseptic technique in real time — built for both quality assurance and ongoing monitoring. The platform gives organizations confidence that each employee is following appropriate aseptic technique on every product, with individual dashboards documenting each breach and an enterprise-wide dashboard that tracks organizational performance over time. The system also monitors frequency and completeness of hood cleaning, ensuring full regulatory compliance.
OpenScope is an AI-native platform that turns patient symptom and insurance confusion into clear next steps and in-network care. Patients receive fast, tailored guidance in under two minutes, while health systems gain a smarter digital front door that brings in more new patients while reducing out-of-network leakage. OpenScope’s structured clinical taxonomy, real-time insurance reasoning, and validated medical RAG power a guided, safe, and compliant patient experience.
Path Intelligence transforms real estate sales with AI-guided virtual tours that engage buyers inside immersive 3D spaces while capturing detailed behavioral data — giving sales teams richer insight into buyer interest and enabling more personalized, effective follow-up.
REAP is revolutionizing investor relations by replacing investment banks with AI-powered, real-time communication between listed companies and investors. Its custom AI agents deliver direct insights, Q&A, and data aggregation — bridging the information gap and eliminating outdated middlemen in the capital markets communication process.
SenterME is the first Structural Health Intelligence platform that transforms real-time workforce signals into organizational health insights. It detects invisible strain, quantifies readiness, and models risk propagation — giving leaders the foresight to redesign systems before turnover or care disruption occurs.
Squadies solves a straightforward problem: Americans don’t trust public bathrooms — and retailers are paying the price. Squadies is a B2B SaaS platform powered by consumer engagement that helps families and travelers quickly find clean, safe restrooms, while giving convenience stores, travel centers, and cities the real-time hygiene insights they need to improve customer experience and capture revenue that’s currently walking out the door. Its Bathroom Trust Score™ and Clean Access Zone™ dashboard turn an overlooked operational blind spot into measurable gains in foot traffic, loyalty, and profitability.
Swik AI is building an AI-native intelligence layer for small-business and commercial lending. The platform helps underwriting teams unify fragmented borrower, transaction, and third-party data to automate verification, surface risk signals, and accelerate credit decisions. Starting with invoice verification and underwriting workflows for non-bank lenders, Swik AI is evolving into a unified credit intelligence platform that supports faster, more confident lending at scale.
Valuable is the leading platform for sellers of secondhand goods — providing the tools and marketplace infrastructure sellers need to operate efficiently and reach buyers effectively in the growing resale economy.
VS Connects & Virtual Storefronts by USPACE
VS Connects and Virtual Storefronts by Uspace® is civic-scale digital infrastructure that gives independently owned businesses, public safety agencies, and local organizations verified presence in both search engines and direct community communication. The platform operates through two interconnected systems: Virtual Storefronts — keyword-optimized business profiles that feed directly to Google — and VS Connects, a verified, one-way broadcast app connecting local entities directly to residents’ lock screens. Together, these form Main Street 2.0: a collaborative, locals-only network that prioritizes geographic relevance over the attention-economy dynamics of global platforms.
Stay Tuned
Our interactive Company Directory will go live next week! And full VC26 Agenda Coming Soon.
The companies featured above represent some of the most compelling ventures in their respective fields — each addressing real problems with differentiated technology and strong founding teams. We look forward to seeing them share their stories, connect with investors, and make strides.
We will be sending out VC26 App Invites, Event Agenda, and more details in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned for the best ways to connect with these founders on-site.
For media inquiries, please contact Katelin Wheeler at kwheeler@cednc.org.
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