North Columbus News

Techstars Columbus Powered by The Ohio State University has announced the 12 new companies to join its program for early-stage entrepreneurs.

This will be the second cohort to join the program supported by Ohio State’s Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge and the university’s Center for Software Innovation. It combines the university’s research and entrepreneurial expertise with Techstars’ accelerator model, which has supported the growth of thousands of companies worldwide.

“This program is an important part of our mission at the Center for Software Innovation. We are excited to welcome a new class of entrepreneurs seeking to grow their companies and provide innovative solutions to complex challenges,” said Executive Director of the Center of Software Innovation Shereen Agrawal.

The companies have access to funding, receive training and mentorship from top software experts, and connect with the combined networks of Ohio State and Techstars. The program helps founders define their product, core customers, and go-to-market strategy, as well as offering additional support in raising venture capital funding.

“Our vision continues to bring the best companies driving innovation through software for our most critical industries to Columbus, forging meaningful connections between them and the central Ohio ecosystem that create lasting returns for these companies and the region,” said Tim Grace, managing director of Techstars Columbus.

Grace said the program has received excellent support from the university and central Ohio community with a series of events, mentor sessions, workshops, and a Demo Day when companies can showcase their progress. The support provided tailwinds to the program and set the stage for the next class to thrive, he said.

The 12 companies hail from across the globe. They include some with roots in Ohio and the greater Midwest along with representation from both coasts, Canada, and Europe. The cohort of mission-driven founders comes from sectors that directly address pressing needs such as mental health treatment, equity and access in health care, scalable clean energy solutions, among others.

The new fall cohort includes:

409.ai: Providing a program for easier 409A valuations

AI-MD: Developing wellness recommendations driven by biometrics

Arbizal: APIs for health care data powered by AI

Cuvris Technologies: AI-driven dental practice revenue optimization

Dependbuild: AI risk management for infrastructure projects

Engyne: SaaS inbound marketing powered by AI

Five Star Fans: Fan support platform for collegiate athlete recruiting

Gentle: Neurotech platform for alleviating depression

Hansel Medical: Surgical tray tracking and loss prevention

Karneyium: Platform for clinical trial patient recruitment

Kazadi Enterprises: Using heat in air to power dehumidifiers

SoFiiT: Wellness solutions designed for universities