Purdue Innovates Ventures organized a startup showcase event to promote Purdue-connected founders, CEOs and their companies around the country to an audience of Purdue alumni, investors and innovation leaders. Ventures invests in venture-scale startups that can benefit from the strengths of Purdue University and its relationships around the world.
Participating company leaders with Purdue University ties pitched their early-stage companies during the Innovation Showcase at the Purdue Entrepreneurial Alumni Reunion, Nov. 9-11. All seven companies have a Purdue University alumnus in a founder or CEO capacity.
“The event showcased the vast range of industry expertise and startup innovation coming through the Purdue ecosystem,” said Madison Sowards, community manager, Ventures, Purdue Innovates. “Entrepreneurs understand the value in their Purdue connections. Participants traveled from every corner of the United States – California, Florida, Massachusetts and Texas – along with those based Indiana.”
Leaders delivered three-minute pitches then engaged with attendees at their expo booths. The participants and their companies were:
- Meng Deng and Keith Johns, Adipo Therapeutics. Adipo Therapeutics is a late-stage pre-clinical biopharmaceutical company developing a treatment to combat the dual epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Notch inhibition along with nanoparticle technology are used to increase energy expenditure by converting energy-storing white fat into energy-burning, metabolically beneficial brown fat. Adipo is based in Indiana.
- Nick Gunady, Aerovy. Aerovy is a software company developing solutions for airport electrification and electric aircraft charging, optimizing infrastructure operation at scale with machine learning.
- Chris Hodges, GoGig. GoGig is an anonymous professional networking platform that helps currently employed, passively seeking individuals advance their careers confidentially through career desire and cultural “fit” metrics using Artificial Intelligence. Hiring professionals can tap into a completely new group of passive candidates that they otherwise didn’t know existed through powerful algorithmic search. No job postings, no applying, no keyword crawlers, no ‘tinder swiping’ gimmicks. GoGig is based in Florida.
- Ian Randall, MagLev Aero. MagLev Aero is developing the MagLev HyperDriveTM, a maglev-electric propulsion platform for the next generation of aircraft, drones and eVTOL. MagLev Aero is based in Massachusetts.
- Peyton Truitt, Plotr. Plotr helps commercial real estate businesses seamlessly merge, enhance and decipher relevant data, making it intuitive to help them grow their business. Plotr is based in Texas.
- Ethan Krimins, Quantum Research Sciences (QRS). Quantum Research Sciences is an American technology company focused on the discovery, development and delivery of practical quantum software. Quantum Research Sciences created the DoD’s first operational quantum SAAS and is working toward new quantum applications every day. Quantum Research Sciences is based in Indiana.
- Matt Tabatabai, ZUUM. ZUUM connects shippers, brokers, carriers, and drivers on one logistics super platform. ZUUM delivers shipments reliably at a lower cost for shippers and at a higher profit for carriers through efficient technology. ZUUM is based in California.
Adipo Therapeutics and MagLev Aero were invited back to the stage the following morning at the Power Pitch Breakfast. The event kicked off with welcome remarks from Jim Bullard, the Dr. Samuel R. Allen Dean of the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business and Distinguished Professor of Service. Following the remarks, representatives from the companies pitched their startup and answered questions from a panel of expert investor judges, including Ben Marcus, Chris Somogyi and Danielle Salters.
For more information on joining the Ventures investment community or to learn how Ventures supports a company, visit its website.