UH Accelerator Announces Finalists for Second Cohort

The University of Hawaiʻi is pleased to announce the selection of 10 teams as finalists for the second cohort of its XLR8UH proof of concept center. Their innovative research represents solutions in the areas of biotech, robotics, clean tech and software–and could lead to commercial success as well. The teams have the potential to receive up to $50,000 for completing the program and are eligible for $100,000 in follow up funding.

Selected from more than 70 team applications, the 10 finalists are represented by faculty and student researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine, Institute for Astronomy, College of Engineering and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

“We are thrilled to welcome the finalists for our second cohort at XLR8UH,” said Omar Sultan, managing director of XLR8UH. “The diversity and quality of our teams are a wonderful showcase of the talent, innovation and commercialization opportunities present at the University of Hawaiʻi.”

The teams are currently in the first phase of the program, where they will be assessing and developing their business models based upon the Lean Startup methodology. Teams selected to advance on to the second phase will immerse themselves into further business development efforts and in the third phase they will develop and practice their pitch to investors. Throughout the entire program, the teams will have access to valuable mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and investors.

“The XLR8UH proof of concept center is a cornerstone to the successful commercialization of our research,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, UH vice president for research and innovation. “By developing talented entrepreneurs from our ranks and fortifying the entrepreneurial ecosystem at UH, we are also contributing to the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative in its efforts to diversify the state’s economy.”

XLR8UH Second Cohort finalists

• Adnoviv, a smart occupancy sensor that detects true human presence by heartbeat and respiration.
• Akabotics, an autonomous robotic platform used to conduct continuous maintenance dredging on shallow waterways.
• Arismus Creativity, a free design platform created for small business.
• Bio-Logic, an oral pharmaceutical used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and associated colorectal cancers.
• Comprendio, a proven education technology that can identify, align and close the knowledge gap through real-time learning metrics.
• EmployAble, an online vocational training tool aimed at helping people with disabilities achieve success.
• Epistates, provides personalized medical treatment via epigenetic assessment for high-performance athletes and patients with chronic disease.
• Jun Innovations, a super cooling technology that maintains freshness and increases longevity of perishable products.
• MorphOptics, high-quality lenses that can be inexpensively mass-produced for specialized applications in solar energy and meteorology.
• News Navigator, provides users with more control over the news they receive.

About XLR8UH

XLR8UH is the University of Hawaiʻi’s first proof of concept center. In a collaborative effort along with the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, XLR8UH seeks to identify, fund, mentor and empower University of Hawaiʻi entrepreneurs with the skills, connections and expertise needed to drive startup success. For more information, see http://xlr8uh.com.

About the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative

The University of Hawaiʻi is working in partnership with the private sector and government to build a thriving innovation, research, education and training enterprise in Hawaiʻi that will develop a third major economic sector for the state and addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by Hawaiʻi and the world. For more information, see http://hawaii.edu/innovation.