It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the season of annual best-of lists! With the recent publication of both the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 and TIME’s The Best Inventions of 2024, we are celebrating 18 VentureWell-supported STEM companies that have been selected for these prestigious lists. We are proud of the part we have played in supporting these dynamic teams that are inventing the future we want to see.
TIME’s The Best Inventions of 2024
TIME selected its list of the most impactful new products and ideas by evaluating each contender on key factors including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact. This year, the following VentureWell-supported companies were featured:
Ambercycle Cycora is addressing the increasingly damaging global problem of fast fashion, in which 92 million tons of textiles end up in landfills every year. Their solution, Cycora, liquefies and separates polyester-rich textile waste in clothes, recycling it to create high-quality yarns and fabrics. In 2015, the team participated in both stages of our E-Team Program, as well as in our 2015 OPENminds Innovator Showcase. Read more about Ambercycle Cycora in TIME.
Sonavex EchoMark is targeting hemodialysis patients who rely on central venous catheters, which can lead to severe bloodstream infections. EchoMark, an ultrasound marker, can be implanted to monitor the fistula and reduce the use of catheters in hemodialysis. The team completed both stages of the E-Team Program between 2013 and 2015 and participated in the BME-IDEA Competition in 2013. Read more about Sonavex EchoMark in TIME.
2025 Forbes 30 Under 30
The Forbes 30 Under 30 list is an exciting roundup of the young people who are shaping our world, highlighting the accomplishments of innovators and leaders in 20 industries, all under 30 years old. Here are the entrepreneurs who participated in VentureWell-supported programs:
Energy & Green Tech
Perry Bakas, Harrison Meyer, and Conor Rooney, cofounders of Oxylus Energy, developed technology that reduces the need to burn fossil fuels by converting carbon dioxide into high-value products that can be used for energy and materials. Oxylus Energy participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2023.
Leopold Dobelle, cofounder of Mitico, developed technology that captures and purifies carbon dioxide to help industrial companies lower their carbon footprint without the use of hazardous byproducts during the process. Mitico participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2023.
Rawand Rasheed, cofounder of Helix Earth Technologies, developed an air filtration system from existing technology used in spacecraft, providing commercial buildings with a more efficient, energy-saving option. Helix Earth participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2023.
Benjamin Schafer, cofounder of Rarefied, developed an ultralight drone powered by sunlight with a novel photophoretic propulsion mechanism, allowing the aircraft to maintain flight indefinitely. Rarefied participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2023.
Healthcare
Sidney Collin, cofounder of De Oro Devices, developed the NexStride device that attaches to a walker, cane, or walking pole, offering users visual and auditory cues for assistance with mobility. De Oro Devices completed both stages of the E-Team Program, Aspire Medtech, and the OPENminds Innovator Showcase, all in 2019.
Kevin Mekulu, founder of DementiAnalytics, developed artificial intelligence (AI)–powered technology that analyzes speech transcripts, providing highly accurate early detection and monitoring of dementia. DementiAnalytics participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2023 and 2024.
Aviv Elor and Ash Robbins, cofounders of Immergo Labs, developed virtual reality technology that allows therapists to meet with their patients remotely, while AI analyzes each session and generates notes. Immergo Labs participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2020, the NSF SBIR Bootcamp in 2021, and Aspire Medtech in 2022.
Kanishka Rao, cofounder of Carenostics, developed AI-powered software that integrates with digital health records to identify high-risk, undiagnosed chronic disease patients and allow for early detection. Carenostics participated in NSF I-CorpsTM and the NSF SBIR Bootcamp in 2022.
Manufacturing & Industry
Michelle Chao, cofounder of Phoenix Tailings, developed a fully clean mining and metals production process, which harvests rare earth metals from mining waste and creates a constant recycle loop that ensures zero carbon emissions. Phoenix Tailings participated in NSF I-CorpsTM and the NSF SBIR Bootcamp in 2020.
Ryan Cowdrey and Blake Herren, cofounders of Raven Space Systems, developed automated composite 3D-printing technology to make silicon and silicon carbide parts for space travel, using minimal labor and waste. Raven Space Systems participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2021 and the NSF SBIR Bootcamp in 2024.
Krish Mehta, cofounder of Phnx Materials, developed technology that refines landfilled coal ash into valuable products like titanium, aluminum, and rare earth elements, helping to lower carbon emissions in the cement industry. Phnx Materials completed both stages of the E-Team Program in 2024.
Bryton Praslicka, founder of FluxWorks, developed magnetic gears that are significantly quieter and more efficient than traditional gears, and capable of use in a variety of extreme environments such as space travel and sea exploration. FluxWorks participated in the NSF SBIR Bootcamp in 2024.
Ilayda Samilgil, cofounder of LLume, developed soft and stretchable wearable fiberoptic sensors that use light to measure movement and chest expansion, offering precise data on fatigue and recovery. LLume participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2017 and 2020, and the NSF SBIR Bootcamp in 2020.
Minh Tran, cofounder of Heliotrope Photonics, developed a coating for solar panels that converts wasted ultraviolet (UV) light to usable infrared light, ensuring easy and cost-effective integration with existing solar panels. Heliotrope Photonics participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2023.
Transportation & Mobility
Cody Biedermann, Clay Dowdey, and Micah Ulrich, cofounders of Flux Hybrids, developed a conversion kit that rapidly upgrades trucks into plug-in hybrids, enhancing fuel efficiency and allowing for remote data collection on speed, idling, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Flux Hybrids completed both stages of the E-Team Program between 2021 and 2022, and Aspire Climatetech in 2022.
Science
Sai Zhou, founder of CircuCare, developed a hands-free, at-home wearable ultrasound device that provides automated, continuous 3D medical imaging of the brain, which can detect cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke. CircuCare participated in NSF I-CorpsTM in 2023 and 2024.
About the VentureWell Accelerator
For over 27 years, VentureWell has helped student innovators and startups uncover opportunity, discover and validate their target market, and prepare for investment and commercialization. The VentureWell Accelerator is a suite of programs that gives participants access to immersive learning, mentorship, industry experts, and network-building opportunities.
VentureWell has bolstered over 1,700 innovators and propelled 740+ teams to successfully raise more than $1 billion in follow-on funding. These changemakers have launched their groundbreaking products, securing 280+ patents and creating over 450 new businesses.
About the I-Corps™ Program
The I-CorpsTM program was created by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2011 to help move academic research it has funded to market. Through a dynamic collaboration with VentureWell, the NSF offers select participants from U.S. academic laboratories the opportunity to participate in a special, accelerated version of Stanford University’s Lean LaunchPad course. The I-CorpsTM program engages participants in moving products out of the lab and into the market by talking to potential customers, partners, and competitors and encountering the challenges and uncertainty of creating successful innovations.