The 2025 Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst Program, a collaboration between global accelerator Techstars, The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation and The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, officially launched on January 30. The inaugural cohort, chosen from a record-breaking 56 applications, consists of 19 ventures led by Emory undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni, representing a wide range of disciplines and industries.

The program is facilitated by Christy Brown, CEO of Dr. Noze Best and a longtime Emory partner, with support from Techstars Senior Director, Oko Davaasuren. Over the course of the 10-week pre-accelerator program, founders participate in weekly masterclasses on topics ranging from refining their pitch to building a Board of Advisors, along with hands-on mentorship from over 50 professional mentors across diverse industries.

“This is the best cohort I’ve seen so far,” said Christy Brown. “The talent, passion, and innovation coming out of this group are exceptional. These ventures are not just solving problems—they’re creating meaningful impact across industries, and I’m excited to see where they go from here.”

As the program progresses, these ventures will refine their ideas, build relationships with mentors, and prepare to present their startups at Demo Day, where they’ll have the opportunity to showcase their innovations to the Atlanta and Emory entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Several ventures in this year’s Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst cohort are already earning recognition beyond the program. Dany Hernandez Gonzalez was featured in a recent article in Hypepotamus for his startup Sonaara. Blood Rheology Solutions was awarded the $10,000 EmpowerHER Award at the Startup Runway Foundation Showcase, honoring its impact on precision medicine for Sickle Cell Disease. Safe Squeeze Headgear took home wins at both the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) competition and The Hatchery Student Founders Showcase, spotlighting its commitment to youth sports safety. Meanwhile, Workforce IQ, led by Omid Razmpour, won the FY25 Emory Healthcare Innovation Challenge for its data-driven approach to tackling nurse turnover—demonstrating that these ventures are not only innovative but already making waves in their respective fields. Overall, founders in the program have been awarded $19,500 in non-dilutive funding since the cohort began.

“Emory’s commitment to empowering future innovators is evident in this program,” said Brian Cayce, Managing Director of the Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. “The diverse backgrounds and ideas represented in this cohort are a testament to the depth of talent within Emory’s community.”

“What excites me most about this cohort is the incredible diversity—not just in backgrounds, but in the types of problems these founders are solving,” said Dr. Wilbur Lam, Vice Provost, Entrepreneurship at Emory. “From precision diagnostics for sickle cell disease to AI tools for student success, and even platforms that support indie artists and athletes, these ventures reflect the full spectrum of innovation happening at Emory. It’s inspiring to see science and creativity working side by side to make real-world impact.” 

The program will culminate on Wednesday, April 30th, at 6:30 PM with Demo Day, where founders will showcase their companies to the Atlanta innovation ecosystem and the Emory community. The event will be held at The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation, offering a dynamic space for connection, celebration, and inspiration.

Demo Day Info

Date & Time | April 30th 6:30 PM

Location | The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation (1578 Avenue Pl #200, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA)

Registration | RSVP here

Cohort Highlights

Diverse Representation: The cohort includes participation from the Emory community representing:

• 3 members of the faculty

• 3 alumni

• 5 graduate students

• 7 undergraduate students

• 1 member of the staff

Venture Stages: Ventures span a range of growth stages:

• 20% at the concept stage

• 30% developing a prototype

• 15% in an unpaid pilot phase

• 10% have built a minimal viable product (MVP)

• 20% are running paid pilots

• 5% are already operationally profitable

Industry Impact: Ventures address challenges across diverse sectors such as the Sciences, Healthcare, Future of Work, Consumer Goods, Deep Tech, and EdTech.

“The Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst Program has been a game-changer for us,” said Erica Evans, co-founder of Blood Rheology Solutions. “The program equipped us with the tools to refine our business model and strengthen our product-market fit. Most importantly, it taught us to think beyond the science and focus on delivering maximum value to our customers.”

Meet the 2025 Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst Ventures

Appetite Ventures | Joel Offin, Undergraduate Student

Appetite Ventures connects food and beverage founders with investors, addressing a major funding gap while fostering a community that highlights their stories and innovations.

Blood Rheology Solutions | Erica Evans, Graduate Student

Blood Rheology Solutions offers red cell function testing to optimize patient selection for clinical trials, ultimately accelerating drug approval and ensuring life-changing therapies for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients.

ClariFi | Malia Wakesho-Ajwang, Undergraduate Student

ClariFi is an ADHD-support app for college students, providing time management tools, study techniques, and a supportive community to help students thrive academically and personally.

Commonology AI | Sam Liu, Undergraduate Student

Commonology AI is an adaptive learning platform using AI to personalize coursework and address unique challenges in standardized education systems.

Connectogen | Joshua Brown, Staff

Connectogen enhances collaboration in biomedical research by providing a centralized platform for researchers to post, manage, and find collaborators for projects.

Corridor | Albert Dijikeng, Graduate Student

Corridor formalizes and facilitates seminar bookings for mixed martial arts gyms across the U.S., connecting gyms with high-level fighters.

Could Be Pretty Cool | Kacie Luaders, Faculty

Could Be Pretty Cool is an audio-first think tank empowering creative entrepreneurs with data-driven resources and media content.

Luksai | Telita Meira, Faculty

Luksai is a platform enabling mentors, coaches, and content creators to scale globally by automating processes and bridging the gap between knowledge providers and those who need it.

Moji | Tyki Wada, Graduate Student

Moji is a project management tool using natural language processing to improve communication and clarity between product leads and development teams.

My Advisor AI | Hussain Punjani, Alumni

MyAdvisorAI is an AI-powered personal coach offering career advice, skill-building, and productivity support for young professionals and college students.

On the Level | Sri Harsha Soma, Graduate Student

On the Level uses sensor-based technology to provide real-time feedback on form and alignment during barbell workouts, preventing gym injuries.

Papercuts | Mecko Gibson, Alumni

Papercuts transforms research papers into short, animated videos that capture key insights, increasing engagement and accessibility.

Safe Squeeze Headgear | Anthony Vargas, Undergraduate Student

Safe Squeeze Headgear offers personalized head protection for youth flag football, addressing a growing need in this fast-expanding sport.

Seamlist | Dimi Deju, Undergraduate Student

Seamlist automates book marketing for indie authors, designing personalized workflows and providing chatbot support.

Sonaara | Dany Hernandez, Alumni

Sonaara enhances spontaneous, in-person connections by bridging the gap between meetup platforms and local venues.

SAMMS (Speech Amplifying Multi-Microphone System) | Adam Klein, Faculty

SAMMS offers real-time voice feedback for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, improving communication and reducing social isolation.

Subscription Intern | Emilio Van Cotthem, Undergraduate Student

Subscription Intern connects top university students with startups and investment firms, streamlining talent acquisition and management.

Uni-IP | Rishav Kumar, Undergraduate Student

Uni-IP connects academics and investors through a marketplace for university patents, bringing innovations to market.

Workforce IQ | Omid Razmpour, Graduate Student

WorkforceIQ uses data analytics to reduce nurse turnover and improve financial performance through real-time, actionable insights.

About Techstars

Techstars helps founders succeed. Through our global accelerators, we invest in early-stage startups led by founders building a better future for everyone. We leverage our vast network of alumni, mentors, partners and investors to support entrepreneurs and build thriving startup communities. Since 2006, we have invested in industry-defining companies including PillPack, Chainalysis, Zipline, DataRobot, Alloy and many, many more. www.techstars.com 

About The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation

The Hatchery supports innovators and entrepreneurs from all Emory schools and serves as Emory’s epicenter for exploring what’s possible. We empower students with the skill sets and mindsets to be purpose-driven and effective innovators and entrepreneurs who drive demonstrable social and economic impact. Housed within a 15,000-square-foot creativity and collaboration space, The Hatchery offers mentoring and program support for all stages of innovation — from inspiration and learning to startups. https://hatchery.emory.edu/

About The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

TheRoberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is a leading resource for entrepreneurial education at Emory University, meeting students, faculty and staff where they are in their development.  With access points and general exposure for the curious as well as skill development and in-depth learning opportunities for the highly engaged, the center offers both academic and experiential pathways for founders, connectors, investors and disruptors.  The Center seeks to foster entrepreneurship and innovation for Goizueta and the greater Emory community through critical inquiry, service to fundamental societal needs, execution of sound business principles, and possibilities that spark the imagination. https://goizueta.emory.edu/faculty/entrepreneurship-innovation

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