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Judges
AiLun is the VP of Community and Capacity at the EGF Accelerator, a Leadership Fellow with the Heckscher Foundation for Children, and a Senior Strategic Advisor to NationSwell. She previously served as President and CEO of The Opportunity Network, supporting first-generation college students and young people of color to pursue education and career opportunities to…
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Speakers
Aina Fadina is a strategist, investor, and storyteller who operates at the intersection of catalytic capital, culture, commerce, and community. With a career spanning public health, biotech, media, fashion, and venture capital, she brings a unique global perspective to fundraising and ecosystem building. Most recently, Aina served as Chief Investment Officer at 10xBeta, a venture studio…
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Finalists
Akomapa is a scalable model for chronic disease care in Ghana and the United States. Through university-community partnerships, student-run clinics deliver screening, treatment initiation, longitudinal follow-up, and education for hypertension and diabetes under expert supervision. Our model integrates digital patient management, nutrition interventions, and ethical leadership training to improve outcomes and build future health leaders….
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Judges
Allie is a junior student in Pauli Murray College double majoring in Ethnicity, Race & Migration and Political Science. Born and raised in New Mexico, she has been excited to find a lot of similarity between the community organizing scenes in both states. She is hopeful that her involvement in New Haven and in New…
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Finalists
AllStrum creates devices that enable individuals with or without disabilities to play real stringed instruments independently. By attaching to any guitar or ukulele and pairing with a companion app, users strum while chords are held autonomously, unlocking the therapeutic, social, and empowering experience of playing music. Founder(s): Eytan Israel (YC ’26)
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Finalists
Someone in the US dies from a preventable overdose every four minutes, often alone; AltruMed’s DOVE is a wearable sensor that detects respiratory failure faster than any bystander and instantly alerts first responders to rescue them before it’s too late. Founder(s): David Gordon
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Judges
Amir has over a decade of experience in private equity, reverse merger and project finance transactions in clean energy across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, having raised in excess of $1B in direct equity capital commitments for solar, wind and electric vehicle charging companies. Amir previously led all M&A and developer partnerships…
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Judges
Dr. Anne Merritt is a physician-executive operating at the intersection of generative AI, healthcare, and global regulatory strategy. As a Senior Product Manager at Google, she leads the development of AI governance architecture to enable the deployment of cutting-edge AI tools in global markets. Her technical contributions to AI safety infrastructure were recognized with the…
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Finalists
Apical improves solar-power forecasts by correcting cloud-driven sunlight errors using physics-informed ML. More accurate forecasts reduce unnecessary solar curtailment and help grids use more clean electricity. Founder(s): Shivansh Chaturvedi (SOM ’26)
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Judges
Arjun Ganesan is the CEO and Founder of Ancera, where he leads the vision, mission, and strategy to deliver real-time intelligence for food protection and defense. Since founding the company in 2012, he has guided the commercialization of breakthrough technologies by integrating diagnostics, data science, and secure communications to detect threats like Salmonella, Coccidia, and…
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Judges
Arthur W. Thomas III received his Bachelor’s in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University. Upon graduation, he worked in finance for many years while preparing for the transition to investing in real estate and community development. Once transitioned, Arthur focused on residential rehabilitation and acquisition for both his personal investment company and in a…
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Judges
Dr. Ashwin Vasan, ScM, MD, PhD, is an internist, epidemiologist, and health policy leader recognized nationally for advancing innovative, data-driven public health solutions. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Yale School of Public Health and Affiliate Faculty at the Jackson School of Global Affairs, following a decade on the faculty at Columbia University….
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Finalists
AssistiveMath enhances inclusive math education for blind and visually impaired learners using assistive technology and AI. It is a multi-sided platform supporting students, teachers, and test centers through accessible learning tools, inclusive discussion spaces, independent study via an AI assistant, and faster, affordable, accessible content delivery and feedback. Founder(s): Ron Pile (YC ’27)
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Judges
Audra Gibson began her startup journey as an entrepreneur herself. From there she became a startup mentor, Startup Weekend facilitator, lead organizer of 1 Million Cups, board member for Charleston Women in Tech, Yale Summer Fellows mentor, experienced ecosystem builder, and Ambassador for Right to Start. Audra is currently a Program Lead for Techstars, a…
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Finalists
BareFoote Metals stabilizes heavy metals in contaminated brownfield soils using enhanced rock weathering, engineered, locally sourced basalt fines that accelerate mineral formation and immobilize metals in situ. We deliver regulator-ready verification and closure packages so municipalities and developers can reuse sites without defaulting to costly dig‑and‑haul excavation. Founder(s): Quinn Zacharias (YSE ’26)
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Judges
Bethany Park is Global Managing Director of Policy, Advisory, and Strategy at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), where she leads efforts to bridge the gap between research evidence and action at scale. With over a decade of experience in international development, her work focuses on translating rigorous evidence into scaled interventions and systems change through…
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Judges
Blake is an entrepreneur focused on building solutions for underserved populations. He previously founded a behavioural health company that delivered psychological and nutrition services through contracts with organisations such as the Salvation Army and the Veterans Affairs system. Today, he is the CEO and co-founder of Upkeep Care (the 2024 winner of the Thorne Prize),…
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Judges
Brandon Blaesser is a Vice President at the Ecosystem Integrity Fund. His responsibilities include sector research, pipeline development and tracking, investment due diligence, and portfolio company support. Brandon sits on the Yale Club of New York’s Board. He received a BA in Economics and a BA in Environmental Studies from Yale University. He also holds a LEED AP…
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Finalists
CHET is an investing-first credit card designed in particular to help young adults, a group facing rising housing costs, student debt, and stagnant wage growth, begin building assets early and automatically. By routing everyday spending into low-cost ETFs, CHET lowers structural barriers to equity ownership and to participation in long-term economic growth. Founder(s): Kal Leung…
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Judges
Cheryl Heller, PhD, is a designer, artist, business strategist and educator. Through her design agency, CommonWise, she helps leaders around the world develop their creative capacity, navigate the future and realize their purpose in it. Her clients include Ford Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, Lumina Foundation the Girl Scouts of America, Verizon, American Express, Marriott Corporation,…
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Finalists
Cosnetix ends skincare guesswork by analyzing your genetics, microbiome, and skin traits to predict product compatibility before you buy. We make personalized skincare science accessible, putting actionable knowledge in consumers’ hands so they can make confident, informed decisions backed by their unique biology, not marketing claims. Founder(s): Diana Salha (SPH ’27)
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Finalists
The U.S. grid is overextended, costing consumers $20 billion annually and preventing decarbonization. Culver Labs combine RF sensors, LiDAR cameras, and on-device AI for real-time power line monitoring, safely unlocking 30-40% more capacity from existing infrastructure. Our solution accelerates clean energy deployment while increasing grid resilience during extreme weather events. Founder(s): George Hu (LAW ’28)
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Judges
David Femi currently serves as M&T Bank’s Regional Manager for Business & Professional Banking for Fairfield County and Southern Connecticut. From January 2020 to January 2024, he built the framework and infrastructure as the Head of M&T Bank’s Multicultural Banking & Diverse Market Strategy. David is well sort after nationally and internationally as a diverse…
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Finalists
Denial Co-Pilot is an AI-powered platform that helps healthcare providers overturn insurance claim denials. By analyzing historical outcomes and predicting appeal success, we help community health centers and hospitals recover millions in lost revenue—keeping them financially sustainable and ensuring patients receive the care they need. Founder(s): Ahtasham Firdausi (SPH ’25)
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Judges
Deniz Basar, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Art & Design at the University of New Haven, where she also serves as director of the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in User Experience Design and the Master of Science in Information Science programs. Her work focuses on advancing interdisciplinary education that integrates design,…
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Speakers
Erin Ollila is a sought-after content strategist, SEO expert, and storyteller who believes in the power of words to transform audiences and create authentic connections. Her approach centers on understanding audience psychology and brand values, ensuring every word drives meaningful impact. In addition to her work with small businesses, she’s helped major brands like Oracle,…
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Finalists
forEVA is harnessing the power of saliva to decode the internal balance of the female body. FERN by forEVA is a smart toothbrush that analyzes your saliva as you brush, delivering real-time hormonal and biometric analysis to your smart device in minutes. Founder(s): Jaya Dadwal (SPH ’26)
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Judges
As founding partner of AWSM LABS (”awesome”), Fritz is a strategic design leader, designer and educator with over 25 years experience serving in executive design roles at DDB, Digitas, New York University, IBM, McKinsey & Company and most recently with Boston Consulting Group as NA Head of Strategic Design. Linkedin
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Judges
Genevive Goubourn-Walker was raised in New Haven, Connecticut. She attended Educational Center for the Arts and studied theater and graduated from Wilbur Cross High School and subsequently attended and graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies. She later received her MA in Elementary Education at Teacher College,…
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Finalists
Every year, nearly 30,000 incarcerated individuals file federal lawsuits alleging civil rights violations — each one a failure of the internal grievance system designed to resolve their complaints. Gideon is building an AI-powered phone hotline that helps prisoners navigate that system, while giving corrections departments the modern digital infrastructure they need. Founder(s): Jeremy Rodrigues (LAW…
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Finalists
Havn is a digital health platform embedded in EHRs that uses clinical and demographic data to match patients and caregivers to eligible pharma- and advocacy-sponsored support programs, including financial assistance, education, and psychosocial resources, with seamless AI-powered, one-click enrollment. Founder(s): Bhavya Chauhan (SOM ’26)
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Judges
Dr. Ingrid T. Katz, MD, MHS, is a nationally recognized physician-scientist and global health leader currently serving as Director of the Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH) beginning January 1, 2026. She holds a joint appointment at the Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Public Health, with a secondary appointment at the Yale…
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Judges
Jamal Robinson is the Director of Sales and Marketing at New England Brewing Co. With over 20 years of experience in the brewing industry, he has successfully helped develop, launch, and manage sales for both national and regional breweries. A champion of diversity, Jamal has spearheaded the establishment of two African American Brewers Scholarships for…
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Judges
Jongnic “JB” Bontemps is a distinguished film composer whose critically acclaimed work reverberates around the world. His score for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, directed by Steven Caple Jr., a longtime collaborator of Bontemps, was recognized with the inaugural NAACP Image Award for Outstanding TV/Film Score and received a nomination for a Hollywood Music in…
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Judges
Joshua Espinoza is a Baltimore-based performing musician, recording artist, and entrepreneur whose work bridges creative practice, education, and arts-driven enterprise. An active pianist and collaborator, he maintains a performance career that spans solo work and ensemble projects, with a particular emphasis on jazz adjacent and cross genre repertoire. His recordings and performances reflect a commitment…
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Judges
Justine is the CEO of ClimateHaven, a climate tech incubator. She is an active early-stage venture investor and advisor focused on sustainable transportation and the energy transition. From 2019-2022, Justine was a partner and Chief Operating Officer of 25madison Ventures, where she invested in and advised early-stage technology companies across fintech, sustainability and health-tech. Justine…
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Finalists
KarinaJ Denim is a women’s denim brand creating slip-on jeans that adapt to daily body changes. Designed for real life, the jeans feature an expandable waistband that moves with the wearer while maintaining a classic, premium denim look—so women don’t have to choose between comfort and confidence. Founder(s): Karina Gupta (SOM ’26)
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Judges
Kelsey is an independent consultant focused on social and economic justice. She helps organizations scale their impact through partnerships, capacity building, and capital deployment. Currently, she works with Brocade Studio on the firm’s business development, strategic planning, and business planning verticals. Previously, as Senior Director of Business Development and Program Design at Possibility Labs, she…
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Finalists
Kijani Carbon turns sugarcane waste into revenue and climate impact by pyrolyzing it into biochar—creating durable carbon removal credits and affordable organic fertilizer. With Angata Sugar Mills as our feedstock partner in Western Kenya, we’re building a repeatable model to scale across East Africa. Founder(s): Sadiq Shamji (SOM ’26)
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Speakers
Kofi Ampadu is the founder and General Partner of SKU’d Ventures and a former Venture Advisor with the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (Tsai CITY). He is an entrepreneur, startup advisor & investor with over 10 years of professional experience. As a two-time founder, he is well-versed in the pitfalls and rewards of…
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Judges
Lana Graf, PhD – is an impact investor and principal industry specialist at Disruptive Technologies and Funds dpt. at IFC, a private sector arm of the World Bank Group (WBG), where she leads Ai/ML and Deep tech verticals. At IFC, Lana is helping to bring advanced technologies to clients and industries across emerging markets, utilizing…
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Judges
Lindsay Greene is the president and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. Previously, Lindsay was chief strategy officer at New York City Economic Development Corporation and for Economic Development and Housing in the New York City mayor’s office. She started her career by shaping policy decisions at food startups, and in finance at…
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Judges
Luis is a New Haven native who believes that civic innovations strengthen communities. Luis has facilitated civic innovations throughout his career as an AmeriCorps Service member, Co-creator of New Haven’s Cultural Equity Plan, and non-profit board member supporting New Haven’s food system. Since 2016 Luis has worked at the New Haven Free Public Library and…
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Judges
Malik brings the technical acumen of a multidisciplinary chemistry background and an adaptable generalist in the broad-ranging space of business operations. Prior to joining Connecticut Innovations, Malik was manager of business operations at the early-stage biotech EvolveImmune Therapeutics, where he delivered valuable insights on strategic workstreams in competitive intelligence and market analysis, coordinated the intellectual…
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Judges
Dr. Mehta is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Yale School of Public Health, where his work focuses on innovation and the application of AI in healthcare delivery. He is the co-founder of MCCM, a novel distributed healthcare entity expanding in Canada through a Public-Private Partnership model. He serves as an advisor and board member…
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Judges
At Material Impact Fund, Melissa brings a unique mix of scientific and business acumen applicable at both the strategic and tactical levels and has a passion for developing and commercializing early-stage scientific innovations. She recently led an investment in and joined the board of Ripple Foods. Melissa has enjoyed an extensive career as an operator….
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Speakers
Nkem is a fractional COO/Chief of Staff who partners with pre-Series B founders to streamline operations and execute GTM strategies that unlock growth. She has 12+ years of experience as a startup operator, founder, and management consultant. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Yale and an MBA from Harvard Business School. LinkedIn
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Judges
Dr. Padron is a portfolio manager within J.P. Morgan’s Commercial & Investment Bank in the Innovation Economy team, partnering with founders and investors of early-stage deep science and emerging technology companies to accelerate growth. Previously, Dr. Padron founded EmpiricaLab, a Techstars-backed enterprise software startup; helped scale digital health technologies on Anthem’s new ventures team; and…
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Finalists
Oilzyme is a biotech venture that deploys shipboard microbial consortia to safely break down tanker sludge and oily residues during voyages. Our dry-powder treatment and rapid test kits help shipping companies cut disposal costs, reduce illegal dumping and incineration, and meet tightening environmental regulations with a low‑carbon, scalable solution. Founder(s): Jenelle Lee (YSE ’26)
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Finalists
Scientific publishing hides failed and inconclusive experiments, leading to wasted time, repetitive work, and slow progress. Parallax is a web platform where researchers rapidly share negative and orphan experimental results in a citable, searchable format, helping avoid dead ends, accelerate discovery, and give the researchers credit for all their work. Founder(s): Mara Kushelman (GSAS’27) Ananya…
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Finalists
PARTEE is firmware security for robots and other physical AI devices, creating Docker-like, real-time containers and orchestration. Today, an exploitable bug in a robot’s OS can compromise the robot’s entire software stack. PARTEE prevents this by protecting critical software inside hardware-isolated secure containers, without requiring developers to rewrite their code. Founder(s): Sophia Yang (SOM ’27)…
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Finalists
PEARL is a Connecticut-based nonprofit focused on reducing periodontal disease disparities among underserved adults through community-based oral health education, preventive screenings, hygiene kit distribution, and app-based education and appointment navigation to affordable dental care. We partner with trusted local sites to improve oral health literacy, access, and long-term preventive behaviors. Founder(s): Andja Demiraj (SPH ’26)…
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Finalists
Pulse is a healthcare platform that connects underserved patients with culturally competent providers through identity-based matching, care style compatibility scores, and community-verified reviews tagged by reviewer identity. Founder(s): Yemajha Caraballo (SOM ’26)
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Finalists
Pyari is championing menstrual health transformation in Nepal, merging cultural reverence with innovation by delivering comprehensive menstrual education, producing affordable and sustainable menstrual products, and advocating for policy reform, all while fostering local women’s empowerment. Founder(s): Nikita Paudel (YC ’25) Priyanshu Pokhrel
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Finalists
QuarterMill turns the world’s unprocessed archives into living, searchable knowledge. Our AI reads historical documents and oral histories, discovers the people and places inside them, connects them across collections, and builds a verified knowledge graph, where every fact traces back to its source. Years of research, compressed to days. Founder(s): Keith Pemberton (YC ’27)
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Judges
Rashmi Pendse is an impact investing specialist whose work has centered of directing private capital into sustainable and socially responsible initiatives. She is currently a member of New York City’s Urban Design Forum’s “Lifelong” Forefront Fellow Cohort, focusing on helping older adults age in place. Formerly, she was Director of North America Social Impact at…
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Finalists
Surge is a creator intelligence platform built from five years running a $3M influencer agency. We help brands find, track, and run short-form influencer campaigns based on what creators actually post – turning influencer marketing from manual guesswork into measurable performance. Founder(s): Christopher Huang (SOM ’26)
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Finalists
Rosetint Community Theatre is building sustainable, community-rooted musical theatre infrastructure in New Haven at a moment of rising cultural demand. Through bold artistic choices, strategic community partnerships, youth education, and diversified earned revenue, Rosetint expands musical theatre access for non-professional artists and underserved communities while strengthening the city’s creative economy. Founder(s): Charlotta Lebedenko (MED ’32)
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Finalists
Safari Strives is a nonprofit in Rwanda transforming precarious work into stable jobs and scalable ventures. We run a print and tailoring hub and a poultry farm funding venture acceleration with in-kind inputs, branding, marketing and bookkeeping. We are non-sectarian but partner with a church to provide land, workspace, verification. Founder(s): Elie Imani (GSAS ’27)
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Judges
Samantha Sweig is the founder of Calmware, a tactile mindfulness brand creating beautifully crafted tools that support stress regulation through everyday rituals. Her work bridges design, mental well-being, and creative entrepreneurship, with a focus on making nervous system care more accessible and human-centered. Samantha is an alumni of the Yale School of Management MBA program (’25) and the Tsai…
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Finalists
SkySoil is a digital MRV (measurement, reporting, and verification) platform using Multi-Sensor Data Fusion (MSDF) to automate soil carbon verification. By reducing costs from $100/acre to under $5/acre, we enable smallholder farmers to access high-integrity carbon markets through scalable, satellite-based technology and immediate blockchain-enabled settlement. Founder(s): Luke Schubert (YSE ’27) Andrew Saah (YSE ’27)
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Finalists
Spark is building a core-compute smartphone that drives zero-compute shells (laptop, tablet, desktop, etc.), coalescing your ecosystem of devices. When docked, the smartphone adapts to the form factor’s required interface, delivering a desktop-class experience from a single compute core. The result: a more accessible, integrated, and sustainable personal computing stack. Founder(s): Ahaan Bhansali (YC ’26)…
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Judges
Stafford (Staff) Sheehan is an American scientist and entrepreneur. He has founded, co-founded and developed core technology for companies that have generated more than US$250 million in investment and revenue, and employed over 300 engineers, scientists, operators, and other professionals. LinkedIn
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Finalists
Studio B-Du is a creative venture focused on making craft education accessible to all. I provide handcrafted ceramics, instructional templates, and physical tools that guide makers of any skill level to create professional-quality work. By combining design-driven instruction with approachable, hands-on learning, the venture empowers both new and experienced makers to engage confidently with ceramics….
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Finalists
SummerStore is a moving and storage company for college students. We handle the full summer storage journey for college students: supplies, movers, coordinated move-out pickup, climate-safe storage, and coordinated move-in delivery. Founder(s): Kennedy Smith (YC ’26) Gabriel Haley (YC ’27)
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Judges
Tai Hutchinson currently serves on various boards including serving on the board of directors for the Housatonic Community College Foundation; Vice-Chairman of the Greater Bridgeport Business Regional Council and, also serves on the leadership committee of the American Bankers Association Black Banker Employee Resource Group. LinkedIn
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Finalists
The Micro-Clinic Project delivers high-quality, affordable primary care to rural communities in low- and middle-income countries through a rugged and versatile telehealth kit that empowers community health workers and connects them to physicians worldwide—all at under $1 per consultation. Founder(s): Rishit Shaquib (YC ’28)
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Judges
Tomo Matsuo is a seasoned fintech and SaaS executive with over a decade of senior executive experience in global lending, payments, and analytics. He is the Founder & CEO of AdvanceIQ.ai, a data intelligence platform delivering portfolio and risk insights for the SMB alternative lending sector. Previously, he co-founded Yardline Capital (acquired by Thrasio) and…
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Finalists
Vault Kinetics is building the first vertically integrated preventative-health ecosystem combining data collection (hardware), analysis (software), and implementation. Starting from the ground up, we embed proprietary sensors into the floor to quantify movement and enable data-based decision making. No wearables or labs. Sports science for everyone, everywhere. Founder(s): Paul Douglass (YC ’26) Joshua Gao (YC…
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Judges
Wendy Jiang is the Director of the Yale Angel Initiative, a venture capital fund managing $2.5M annually to support and scale Yale-affiliated startups. She is also a former venture-backed startup co-founder in health-tech and gov-tech. She was part of the Founding Team at health-tech startup Upkeep Care, where she led go-to market strategy and partnerships….
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Finalists
Woofwoof Lux is a smart, fully automated dog wash and dry machine, makes bathing a dog more consistent, mess-free and safer comparing to traditional baths. The system uses sensor and AI technology to adapt wash cycles based on dog’s size, coat type, and behavior, while touchscreen allows owners to start, monitor, and customize the wash….
