2020 Pitch Summaries

Virtual TransTech 2020 Conference - Pitch Session Summaries

Pitch Session 1

RUBITECTION: Sanna Gaspard, CEO, Pittsburgh, PA.

Prototype/seed stage start-up, $1,081,000 total cash funding to date, mostly government grants. Assessment system for early detection, care recommendations, and telehealth connectivity regarding bed sores and skin health assessment for residents of nursing homes, hospitals, and home health settings. Functional prototype has demonstrated 96% accuracy in clinical evaluations. Several medical and healthcare companies are confirmed as future distribution partners. The go-to-market strategy envisions a three-year program of further product development, product launch, and growth to $153 million in revenue in 2023. Seeking $1.6million to be allocated as follows: prototype - $450K, pilot testing - $300K, IP expansion -$100K, team expansion - $600K, operations - $150K.

VISUAL DAWN: Trevor Squier, CEO, Seattle, WA.

Pre seed early stage startup, $20,000 cash funding to date, F&F. Product is an augmented reality (AR) soft contact lens with initial target applications for defense, early responders, and heavy industry. Key enabling technologies are 1) patented biocompatible, biodegradable power source (battery), and 2) patented (provisional) manufacturing process and materials. Go to market strategy includes prototype development with MVP in 2021, consumer ready products in2023, and additional feature development through 2028. Seeking $500,000 to achieve MVP in2021.

V0AIGE: Dipan Pal, Founder and CEO, Pittsburgh, PA, CMU.

Pre-seed, very early stage, $2500 grant funding to date. Propose to develop and market the “Cobot,” a trainable robotic arm that can assist SMSC with simple tasks such as palletizing, picking, and sorting. Cobots would be available on a trial/rental basis with no upfront costs to users. Bio-inspired deep learning AI technologies would be applied in future development to expand Cobot capabilities to more complex tasks. Use of Cobots will help overcome barriers to manufacturing such as an aging population, crippling immigration policies, and low interest in basic manufacturing jobs that SMSC’s have with scaling their businesses. Seeking $200,000 for hiring a software engineer and purchase of robotic arm prototype components.

Pitch Session 2

ATP-MD, LLC: Joseph James, President, Salisbury, MD

Prototype/seed stage, $230,000 total cash funding to date. The patented Combined Remediation Biomass and Bio-Product Production Process (CRBBP) process is proposed as a cost-effective CO2 capture and sequestration mechanism. A 15-year study at the University of California-Berkeley on a 100-acre plot demonstrated that Biomass sorghum captured and sequestered twice as much C02 as switch grass and four times more than pine trees. The proposal is to remediate vacant lots and brownfield sites in and around Baltimore, MD with the CRBBP process, while reducing atmospheric CO2 levels. The Excelon Foundation Climate Change Initiative is supporting the Baltimore project. Seeking $100,000 to match Excelon’s$100,000 to design, test, and commercialize Vertical Bio-Crop Farm systems.

FARM TO FLAME: Kwaku Jyamfi, CFO, Kearney, NJ.

Prototype/seed stage startup, $100,000 funding to date mostly grant funding. Propose to provide affordable renewable backup power in regions of unreliable grid, expensive on-site generators, and hazardous air quality. System uses locally available biomass fuel from agriculture and wood products operations – patented low-emissions biomass combustor has99% thermal efficiency. Current Letter of Intent with University of Calabar teaching hospital in Nigeria for a $1.2 million system to be implemented upon completion of FTF’s 25 kW commercial unit. Seeking $45,000 for completion of 10kW system.

LEAF SOLAR DESIGN SYSTEM: Evan Haug, Cleveland, OH

Commercializable project , no cash funding to date. The goal of the concept is to create software that optimizes and automates some of the more common and routine tasks usually performed manually by solar design engineers. The proposed program will work in conjunction with existing blueprints and CAD files to accelerate the solar array design process. Electrical and computer solar design engineers at Continental Electrical Construction Company, Chicago, IL are advising the project team. Seeking funding for development of an MVP. Cleveland, OH -CWRU

LOW-COST SENSOR FOR SIMULTANEOUS HYDROGEN AND TEMPERATURE DETECTION: Mudaabbr Badar, Entrepreneurial Lead, Pittsburgh, PA, U Pitt

Commercializable project, no funding history provided. Fiber optic circuits enable real time hydrogen gas and temperature measurements that help avoid transformer failures and provide thermal management for energy storage systems. Potential customers include Eaton, ABB, and Schneider Electric for power transformers; and Siemens, GE energy and Tesla for battery and power converter manufacturers. Proposed technologies could be 2% to 5% the cost of currently available T and H sensors. Seeking $300,000 for additional customer discovery and prototyping with OEM partners.

Pitch Session 3

LI-NNOVATE: Joseph Grzyb, Graduate Student, Cleveland, OH, CWRU

Commercializable Project, no cash funding to date. Proposed technology will reduce the tendency of Li-Ion batteries to become thermally unstable and catch fire if subjected to overusage, large power fluctuations or damage. Addition of a phosphorus additive to the Li-Ion battery’s electrolyte solution has been demonstrated to increase failure temperature and reduce the likelihood of fire. Charge capacity of the battery is not affected. Phosphorus fire retardants are currently used in paints, plastics, and textiles. Seeking $10,000 for component materials and prototype testing.

COREPOWER MAGNETICS: Paul Ohodnicki, CTO, Bridgeville, PA.

Prototype/seed stage startup, $30,000 funding to date, F&F. Proprietary alloys and advanced manufacturing technologies combine to enable production of next generation power electronics components required for future high-performance inductors, transformers, and motors. The new alloys and manufacturing technologies, protected by 22 patents and patent applications, enable production of more efficient and higher power density magnets. Seeking $1.2 million inconvertible note funding to support a manufacturing facility and on-board strategic hires.

LI-ON CARE: Rounak Chawla, PI, Cleveland, OH

Very early stage Commercializable project, $1500 funding to date thru CWRU’s GLEI. Proposed technology is an integrated system for monitoring battery health, showing remaining useful battery life, and recommending best practice procedures. Current status of the product is validation by experts – IP measures are in progress. Seeking $10,000 for initial prototype development and access to research database from battery vendors and industry leaders.

ELEMENTAL DYNAMICS, POMETHEUS: David Allen, Founder, Boca Raton, FL

Prototype/Seed stage startup, $35,000 cash funding to date. The concept is to supplement industrial process heat with concentrated solar power (CSP). The proposed approach is to accurately focus the power of the sun onto thermal absorbers, thus achieving efficiencies approaching 5 times greater than conventional solar panels. Seeking $100,000 to acquire expertise and materials for lens production and system testing, then, if successful, $500,000 for6-month development phase, then, if successful, $1.2 million for a 1-year production phase to produce 20 market ready systems.

Pitch Session 4

CLIMATE SHELTER, LLC: Don Osborne, PI/Project Manager, White Sulphur Springs, WV.

Prototype/early stage start-up, $147,500 cash funding to date, mostly F&F. The proposed product is modular, transportable, highly energy efficient, storm and fire resistant structures that are suitable for manufactured housing, military shelter/housing, FEMA shelters and disaster relief. R-values ranging from 34 to 200+ are achieved through use of solar powered vacuum chambers in the roof and walls. Wind, fire, and flood resistance are achieved with heavy gauge structural steel components. The modular units are constructed at regional manufacturing plants and may be truck shipped and erected on-site in 1 – 2 days – units may be bolted together as needed. Seeking $250,000 for development of phase 2 production model and further marketing studies.

NEOWASTE: Jessica Findley, CEO and Co-Founder, Pell City, AL

Early stage startup, $93,000 funding to date. Chemical conversation (polycrack technology) of mixed plastics waste streams into diesel fuel. The conversion process uses a patented homogeneous catalyst that reacts with vapor streams from the gas-phase reaction. Proposed business model is to collect tipping fees for industrial waste plastic recovery and obtain revenue from sale of diesel fuel to distributors such as Sonoco. Seeking $200,000 for design and manufacture of larger conversion unit and shredder prototype, box truck, testing, validation, and software development.

STAR SENSORS: Rohan Sina, CEO and Co-Founder, Strongsville, OH

Seed stage, $28,600 funding to date, mostly non equity. Predictive maintenance for industrial plants – based on interconnected plant floor. Reduced operational costs through alerts for essential maintenance and repairs, reduced energy usage with low-power sensors and recovery of vibrational energy. Proposed 3-year strategy of pilot operations with industry partners, conversion to long term contracts, followed by development of AI based asset management applications. Seeking $150,000 for paid pilots and software development.