Startups

Forbes contributor Louis Columbus spotlights Verta, an MIT startup that is “dedicated to solving the complex problems of managing machine learning model versions and providing a platform where they can be launched into production.”

Fast Company reporter Elizabeth Segran spotlights the work of alumna Amanda Parkes, the chief innovation officer for Pangaia, which is focused on finding an alternative to plastic-based fibers. 

Forbes contributor Rob Toews spotlights the work of Professor Daniela Rus, the deputy dean of research for the Schwarzman College of Computing and director of CSAIL; graduate student Joy Buolamwini; and former MIT postdoc Rana el Kaliouby for their work shaping the future of AI. “They also serve as role models for the next generation of AI leaders, reflecting what a more inclusive AI community can and should look like," writes Toews.

Forbes contributor Angelica Krystle Donati spotlights MIT startup Clockworks Analytics, which “leverages existing products installed in buildings such as thermostats, building automation devices, and other sensors and focuses on generating sophisticated analytics based on that data.”

PlateJoy, a company founded by MIT alumna Christina Bognet, “offers a sophisticated digital platform that helps take some of the guesswork, challenge and waste out of eating for better health,” writes Elaine Howley for U.S. News & World Report.

Fast Company reporter Adele Peters spotlights Particles for Humanity, an MIT spinoff that is developing a new technology that makes it possible to deliver multiple doses of a vaccine in one shot. “The new technology works like traditional drug delivery,” writes Peters, “but with the addition of tiny time-release capsules filled with antigens, the part of the vaccine that stimulates the immune system so that it can later respond to a virus.”

Financial Times reporter Henry Sanderson spotlights Prof. Donald Sadoway’s work developing new battery chemistries that would allow batteries to store energy for longer than six hours.

Fast Company reporter Yasmin Gagne spotlights MIT startup Spyce, which has developed a robotic restaurant kitchen. “With a global pandemic ongoing, a meal cooked with a robotic system might be just enough of a differentiator to help Spyce thrive in an era that has decimated the restaurant industry,” writes Gagne.

Financial Times reporter John Thornhill writes that Prof. Tim Berners-Lee’s startup Inrupt, which is aimed at developing a new data architecture for the web, has launched its first enterprise-ready servers. Thornhill explains that Inrupt’s technology is aimed at empowering “users to create their own Pods (personal online data stores). This enables them to control their own data and grant access to third-party apps at their discretion.”

CNBC reporter Taylor Locke spotlights MIT startup Segment and speaks with the company’s founders about the lessons they learned from launching their own company. 

Forbes contributor Monica Haider writes about Droplette, a startup founded by MIT alumnae Madhavi Gavini and Rathi Srinivas. Droplette has developed an “innovative device [that] delivers over the counter skincare actives such as vitamin C, retinol, collagen and peptides by penetrating the skin with a fast-moving mist.”

TechCrunch reporter Danny Crichton spotlights r2C, a startup founded by three MIT alums that is aimed at analyzing and improving lines of code. “With r2c’s technology, developers can scan their codebases on-demand or enforce a regular code check through their continuous integration platform,” writes Crichton.

Biobot Analytics, an MIT startup, is testing sewage in regions across the U.S. as part of an effort to detect where the coronavirus is circulating “even before people start showing up at hospitals and clinics and before they start lining up for Covid-19 tests,” writes Maggie fox for CNN.

STAT reporter Kate Sheridan spotlights the work of Kartik Ramamoorthi PhD ’14 and his gene therapy company Encoded. Sheridan explains that Encoded’s first gene therapy will “target Dravet syndrome — a rare condition that can cause seizures, cognitive deficits, and mobility problems.”

Katie Rae, CEO and managing partner of The Engine, speaks with Forbes reporter David Jeans about the second round of funding raised by The Engine and how the venture is looking to help support tough tech ideas. “These are things with often longer [investment] timeframes,” Rae says. “They’ve almost always been backed by government-led research, and now they are ready to translate into companies.”