Founded in 2011, the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps™ program has supported thousands of scientists and engineers in transforming their inventions into real-world impact, fueling a nationwide innovation ecosystem and accelerating the path from lab to market.
VentureWell is proud to have supported the I-Corps™ program since its inception, delivering immersive, hands-on, entrepreneurial training to help innovators navigate the journey from research to commercialization.
The results speak for themselves. More than 2,546 teams have been trained in the program, collectively raising over $3.166 billion in follow-on funding. The companies that have emerged continue to make headlines as they bring breakthrough solutions to life across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing.
Below, we’ve compiled a selection of recent news stories featuring the work and progress of I-Corps™ teams, highlighting the ongoing impact of this powerful national program.
Akadeum Life Sciences (Two-Bead Method for Enhanced Cell Isolation from Complex Samples)
Charles River Enhances Cell Therapy Flex Platform through Collaboration with Akadeum Life Sciences
Alva Health
Alva Health Wins $500,000 in R&D Funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation
Aneurisk, Inc.
ARConnections
Ascend Elements (Lithium Ion Battery Recycling)
Ascend Elements Appoints John Swiger as Chief Financial Officer
Deacon Powell Named General Counsel at Ascend Elements
Astek Diagnostics
Astek Diagnostics Achieves Key Milestone with Successful Completion of Q4-50 Alpha Feasibility Study
Astek Diagnostics Awarded Competitive Grant from the National Science Foundation
Astek Diagnostics Completes Successful Pre-Submission Meeting with FDA for Jiddu™ Platform
Startup Astek Dx Aims to Deliver One-Hour UTI Testing With Optical Test System
Astek Diagnostics Named One of Maryland’s Best Startup Businesses 2025
Ateios Systems
Ateios Systems and Ubicept Selected As First-Round Picks in Inaugural TitletownTech Startup Draft
Innovation Crossroads Fellows Pitch Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs at Demo Day
CelluDot
Ten Arkansas Businesses Set to Start 10X Growth Accelerator Program
Corrolytics
Texas A&M New Ventures Competition: 2025 Results
Cyrus Biotechnology (Graphical Rosetta Modeling and Design on the Cloud)
Cyrus Biotechnology Congratulates David Baker, 2024 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and Cyrus Co-Founder
Diligent Droids
Diligent Robotics Hires Two Notable Cruise Alumni to its Leadership Team
Envision Biopolymers LLC
Startup Aiming to Reduce Plastic Reliance Joins Cornell Incubator
Heliotrope Photonics
MassCEC Awards $5.55 Million to Climatetech Companies and Researchers
Ikigai
Ikigai Labs’ Generative AI Platform Now Available in AWS Marketplace
Ikigai Labs’ Generative AI Platform Now Available in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace
Ikigai Revolutionizes Demand Forecasting and Planning With Cutting-Edge AI Solution
Moving from academia to tech: How easy is it?
Impedance Vapor Sensor (Lyten)
Battery Startup Lyten Yet to Convince Carmakers Over Northvolt Revival
Lyten Brings Back Northvolt Executives Following Asset Acquisition
U.S. Startup Lyten to Take Over Northvolt’s Energy Storage Systems Factory in Poland
InceptEV
Motive Acquires InceptEV to Help Customers Accelerate Electric Vehicle (EV) Fleet Transitions
Instrument Surface Cleaner (ClearCam)
ClearCam Assembles Medical Advisory Board, Appoints Dr. Rachel Medbery to Kick Off Growth Phase
ClearCam Awarded Breakthrough Technology Designation Agreement with Premier, Inc.
Katz Water Technologies
Katz Water Technologies Advances as a Qualified Team in Global XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition
Mekonos
Meet the Disruptors: Anil Narasimha Of Mekonos On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
Mekonos Closes Novartis-Backed $25M Series A for Cell Engineering Platform
Motmot
Motmot Secures $1.34 Million in Pre-Seed Funding
Student View: An Entrepreneur’s Journey From Civil Engineering To Water Innovation
Nabla Ascent (Gather AI)
Gather AI Names New Heads of Sales and Finance
Gather AI Releases AI-Powered Camera System for Material Handling Equipment
Top Tech Companies in Pittsburgh to Watch in 2025
Nanopharma (Nano PharmaSolutions)
Nitricity
Novineer
U.S. Air Force Awards Stratasys and Novineer SBIR for Non-Planar 3D Printing
Orbit Fab, Inc.
Orbit Fab Expands Advisory Board with Industry Luminaries Chris DeMay, Chris Stott, and Lee Rosen
Passive Photonic Radiative Cooling
Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator Selects Three Startups for Resiliency-Focused Cohort
PolyGone Systems
PolyGone Announces Grand Opening of Microplastic Removal Pilot at ACUA!
PolyGone Systems Expands Operations at Kearny Point and Bioscience Center
Prospect Growth
MassCEC Awards $5.55 Million to Climatetech Companies and Researchers
SageSpectra
Texas A&M New Ventures Competition: 2025 Results
Sigma Ratings (Sigma360)
Sigma360 Strengthens Senior Leadership As Demand for AI-Powered Compliance Accelerates
Sironix Renewables
Sironix Renewables Accelerates Manufacturing Scale-Up with Recent Investments
Solidec
Creative Destruction Lab 2024/25 Graduate Companies
Solidec Raises Oversubscribed $2M Pre-Seed Round to Reinvent Chemical Manufacturing
SpadXTech LLC
MassCEC Awards $5.55 Million to Climatetech Companies and Researchers
Transaera
MassCEC Awards $5.55 Million to Climatetech Companies and Researchers
TRIC Robotics
How TRIC Robotics is Reducing Pesticide Use on Strawberries Using UV Light
Visikol
BICO’s 3rd Exit Under CEO Maria Forss: MatTek and Visikol to Be Sold for $80M
ZBeats LLC
ZBeats Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for ZBPro Diagnostic
Zeno Power Systems
Zeno Power Secures Americium-241 Supply for Space Nuclear Batteries
This information is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Numbers 2320948, 1743651, 1724482, 1305035, 1261815, 1239638, 1220692.