XLR8UH, the University of Hawaii’s nationally recognized startup program, has named four technology startups to its sixth cohort.
The four companies are working on developing sensor technology, collaborative meeting environments and gift-wrap for digital items.
They were chosen from more than 100 applicants across the 10 University of Hawaii System campuses for the program, which called for applicants interested in becoming entrepreneurs, starting a company, commercializing technology or joining a startup.
“As we continue to build out a complete innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem for the entire UH System, we are pleased to see a high number of strong applicants competing for the few seats in this round,” David Ai, chief innovation officer and director of the UH Office of Innovation and Commercialization, said in a statement. “It is a clear sign that UH has a robust entrepreneurial culture in place, which motivates us to continue to offer more services to give our startups their best chance at success.”
This year’s participants are:
- Adnoviv: Olga Boric-Lubecke and Victor Lubecke. The startup, which makes intelligent occupancy sensors that save energy, was part of XLR8UH’s second cohort and was awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
- Maticy: Reza Ghorbani and Nour Lababidi. The startup helps health care providers and physicians remotely monitor and examine patients via secure web portals and web-intergrated wireless devices. The startup was part of the Cyclon Cyber Accelerator’s eight cohort in London and the third cohort of the Dubai Futer Accellerator.
- Rendezview: Alberto Gonzalez Martinez, Dylan Kobayashi and Ryan Theriot. The startup is developing a collaboration platform providing real-time team workspaces in the cloud. It won first place in the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship 2018 Business Plan Competition.
- Swipewrap: Tom Knapp-Ramos. This startup is developing gift wrap for digital gifting and took third place in the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship 2018 Business Plan Competition.
The four teams, which will attend weekly workshops and work with mentors and other experts, are eligible for up to $75,000 in seed capital, plus an additional $100,000 in follow-on funding, for a total XLR8UH-driven investment of $175,000.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the University of Hawaii,” Omar Sultan, founder and managing director, XLR8UH, said in a statement. “The excellent companies in this year’s cohort are sure to contribute to the program’s ongoing national recognition.”