Boilermaker entrepreneurs aren’t waiting until graduation to launch companies. They’re building the startups of tomorrow while still in school. The inaugural Purdue HIVE student accelerator was created to help them develop and scale even faster.
The Purdue Hub for Innovation, Ventures, and Entrepreneurship (Purdue HIVE), operated by the College of Engineering, helps student innovators build and grow technology-driven startups. Presented by Purdue Innovates, the accelerator offers student founders an intensive 11-week, equity-free program focused on venture development, mentorship, and measurable business progress.
Related: University celebrates the grand opening of the Purdue HIVE
Learn more about the student-founded companies participating in the first cohort:
AllergenMaps
AllergenMaps is developing a pharmaceutical ingredient database and software platform that helps pharmacists identify potentially harmful inactive ingredients in medications for patients with allergies and sensitivities when drug manufacturers are not required to label food allergens on their products.
The team includes CEO Kai Fraehsdorf and CMO Simon Tackett, College of Pharmacy and Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation; COO Justin Kam, Department of Computer Science; and CTO Alex Forman, Kean University.
Related: Innovative solutions abound at Moonshot Pitch Challenge
What’s changed since joining the accelerator
Mentor and industry feedback helped the team expand its value proposition beyond individual pharmacists to include pharmacy owners and managers, highlighting opportunities to reduce operational costs and deliver measurable business value.
Learn more: Visit the company’s website. Follow on LinkedIn and Instagram.
We are very excited to be partnering with Purdue Innovates to offer this accelerator program to the student ventures in the Purdue HIVE. The dedicated space on campus allows student founders to build their startups, immerse themselves within the community of Boilermaker entrepreneurs, and learn valuable lessons from advisors along the way. Programs like this accelerator are an essential part of what keeps the space ‘buzzing,’ and I look forward to seeing all the impressive growth coming from student participation in these offerings.
- Christopher Brinton, HIVE’s inaugural faculty director and Elmore Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Anurassaa
Anurassaa turns agricultural by-products into a sustainable, plant protein. Using natural fermentation with no GMOs and no added acid, the company turns would-be waste into a 95% pure protein powder with no taste, smell or color of its own. The team includes CEO and Founder Manya Kadiwala, a senior in the College of Agriculture, and CCO Sonali Garg, a senior in the College of Engineering.
What’s changed since joining the accelerator
The company went into the accelerator planning to raise a seed round, build the plant, and go find customers. The mentor swarms flipped it: now written customer commitments come first, and the funding conversation has widened to strategic partners, loans and subsidiaries, and even a food manufacturer who could invest and become the anchor buyer.
Learn more: Visit the company’s website. Follow on LinkedIn.
Crcle
Crcle is building the intent layer for personal computers: press one key, say or type what you want in your own words, and Crcle takes you straight to it, whether that’s the right app, tab, file, setting, or person. Founded by Industrial Design student Joshua Rayan, Crcle has two patents pending and is in a private Mac rollout.
What’s changed since joining the accelerator
Conversations with mentors across venture, product, and operations sharpened Crcle’s direction toward a future where technology understands what users mean in their own language, instead of asking them to adapt to it. Those conversations are shaping Crcle’s next stage of growth as the company begins speaking with early backers who share its long-term vision.
Learn more: Visit the Crcle website or connect with Rayan on LinkedIn.
One of the most rewarding parts of this cohort is watching founders gain clarity and confidence. In many cases, the biggest breakthroughs aren’t new technologies or features, but a sharper understanding of their customers and the problems they are trying to solve. The accelerator creates space for honest feedback, rapid learning, and meaningful connections, helping these student entrepreneurs move forward with greater focus and momentum.
- Doug Applegate, associate director of Purdue Innovates Incubator
Mirri Diabetes
Mirri Diabetes is developing diabetes management technology that helps people better understand the context behind their glucose data. Its flagship platform, Mirri One, allows users to track insulin, carbohydrates, meals, workouts, classes, and other daily activities while Mirri Cloud enables secure sharing of that information with caregivers and healthcare supporters.
Founded by School of Mechanical Engineering students Greg Powers and Donald Kaplan, the Lafayette-based startup is focused on creating more personalized, user-centered diabetes care.
What’s changed since joining the accelerator
Originally planning separate apps for different audiences, the team shifted toward a single adaptable platform after feedback from a variety of stakeholders. The approach simplifies the experience while allowing the product to serve a broader range of health needs.
Learn more: Visit the company’s website. Follow on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Polistock
PoliStock is building an AI-powered investing platform that allows everyday investors to turn a trading idea into an autonomous agent that monitors the market around the clock and executes trades directly within their brokerage accounts.
Founded by College of Science students Nivan Gujral, Aryan Kiran, and Aditya Pachpande, the startup is preparing for growth and fundraising while refining its product for newer investors.
What’s changed since joining the accelerator
Based on mentor feedback, the team is expanding its platform with educational features that help users understand why their agents make certain decisions and how different market conditions affect trading strategies.
Learn more: Visit the company’s website. Follow on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Turna YZ
Turna YZ is an AI-powered entrepreneurship platform that helps high school and university students transform ideas into businesses. The platform combines idea discovery, validation, venture development, AI coaching, mentorship, and investor connections while giving educational institutions tools to support and track student progress.
Founded by Mitch Daniels School of Business students Kayra Kanpolat, co-founder and CEO, and Taylan Nuhoğlu, co-founder and CTO, Turna YZ is exploring partnerships with U.S. educational institutions as it continues to refine its platform for the next generation of entrepreneurs.
What’s changed since joining the accelerator
Conversations with mentors and university stakeholders uncovered that the company should prioritize institution-facing workflows — focusing on more than just individual users — alongside existing AI coaching tools.
Learn more: Visit Turna YZ’s website. Follow on LinkedIn.
