Katherine Olives
With Demo Day and the Final Pitch only about a month away, we thought wed re-introduce you to the startups vying for seed funding totalling $150,000. Usually, we introduce them to you in their respective tracks (Kaylie Hardware, Zahn Social Impact, Standard Chartered Women+Tech4NYC, and Zahn Technology), but this time, we thought wed highlight some of the themes were seeing startups explore this year.
While theyre still competing by track, youll notice that many of them could fit in multiple categories. Were pleased to report that across the board, were noticing many startups at CCNY have a socially-focused mission. Also, in addition to the Women+Tech specific track, our entire cohort represents a 50/50 gender parity.
At Demo Day, youll get a chance to meet teams (and an array of interesting entrepreneurs) exploring the fields of medtech, biotech & edtech, and also those advocating for human rights, creating solutions for the underserved & making our everyday lives better. Get to know them below before you vote for them at Demo Day!
A love for science inspiring creative solutions for real-world problems
Youll meet Brystech, a team creating a device that makes breast cancer screenings not only more accessible, but wayyy more comfortable. Then theres Free Foot, a team helping individuals with gait disorders get back on their feet.
If you love the sun, youll want to talk to ZIMNO, a team led by two brothers thats creating smart sunscreen to help you remember to re-apply (and avoid skin cancer). And dont miss Exostride, a team focused on reducing knee fatigue.
Of course theres also Lucid Motion, the startup that wants to re-write the aging process and give the elderly their freedom & mobility back.
A passion for sports re-imagined to encourage healthy habits
Sporta is building a platform for athletes (and the average player) to find leagues and others to play with in their area. The team of software engineers wants us to de-stress and get out and play!
FreightTran is a team of high school friends helping fellow longboarders save their shoes from the wear and tear of the sport. Theyve been working on this idea since they realized they went through way too many skate shoes.
Finally, Sprtlook aims to give athletes a place to shine, and connect them directly with coaches eager to add to their teams. The entrepreneurs behind the idea boast a variety of experiences, but are all athletes and avid soccer fans.
Using big data, virtual reality & machine-learning to empower entrepreneurs and consumers alike
Khamis + Co is a travel app inspired by the co-founders grandfathers love of exploring. They aim to connect curious travelers so that they can explore new places and create lasting friendships. Another app, CakeWLK, also wants to bring people together. This team believes theres safety in numbers and has found a way to enhance the buddy system.
Dont miss two startups using data to empower everyday entrepreneurs. Theres Fare, an app thats helping hardworking cab drivers better predict demand. And Vesta, a smart solution that helps property owners better service their tenants.
Theres also BioBowl, a social impact startup thats building a VR pop-up experience for city dwellers to help reconnect us with our natural environment and make more sustainable choices.
Last but not least is Skinno, the winner of last years Nestlé SHIELD Skin Health Hackathon. They believe consumers deserve to know whats in their skincare products, and have developed a smart technology that helps you translate that science jargon.
Advocating for others & stepping up to create a better world for ALL
Meet FindJustice, a group of young activists who want to make it easier for grassroots organizations and nonprofits to communicate with & grow their memberships. Then theres endWH, a startup led by pre-law and business students determined to end workplace sexual harassment once and for all (and support victims of it in the meantime).
Then theres Prime, an app designed to help those suffering depression, powered by AI technology. You wont want to miss SHIELD Enterprises, a team working to empower the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean by bolstering local business and ending remittances.
Focusing on the next generation, and saving one thats considered a lost cause
We hope youll get excited about teachxchange, an edtech startup that aims to connect educators to share lesson plans and other resources to support one another, and improve their students classroom experience.
And of course theres Listen! This team is focused on helping Syrian refugees in Turkish camps. They dont want to lose an entire generation thats currently growing up in refugee camps, so theyre developing solutions for the children there.
We hope youre excited to meet these startups at Demo Day on April 30th where youll help us choose the Audience Favorites & award four startups $1,000 each! You can reserve your ticket today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zahn-center-demo-day-2018-tickets-44306150890