Credit: Justin Knight
Megan Xu of Eki Agrivoltaics
The ideas start in dorm rooms, during independent study courses, at the gym, and over rounds of drinks at the campus pub.
While every startup’s journey is different, “that’s the whole point of entrepreneurship: When it’s successful, you end up with something that’s never been done before,” said managing director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, during the 2023 delta v Demo Day startup showcase.
Demo Day, which is held on MIT’s main campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the culmination of the center’s delta v accelerator. The name comes from the measure of a change in velocity. Notable past participants include Biobot Analytics, which is studying wastewater as a way to track COVID-19 and other viruses, and Spyce, a restaurant with a robotic kitchen, which was acquired by salad chain Sweetgreen.
“We are very interested in helping you to become entrepreneurs,” Aulet said to the crowd of students, past competitors, and future participants, “because entrepreneurs are the ones who are going to solve the world’s problems.”
Here are the 22 new delta v startups hoping to tackle those problems.
Agrichat
Agrichat is developing an artificial intelligence-based chat feature that allows farmers to ask questions about agriculture and automatically receive answers that are pulled from research papers and institutions.
Ape Fitness
Ape Fitness is building a sensor that attaches to gym equipment and sends information about the amount of weight lifted and number of repetitions to a gym member’s phone.
AugMend Health
AugMend Health is developing a self-guided virtual reality onboarding program for mental health therapists and patients to help alleviate scheduling and session backups.
Be Your Own Boss
Be Your Own Boss is creating a virtual task and workflow manager for content creators that will help them identify, pitch, and explore brand partnership opportunities.
Boston Quantum
Boston Quantum is using quantum computing processes to find opportunities for arbitrage profit in currency markets, which would allow customers to trade and exchange one currency for another to make a profit.
Cru
Cru is developing a financial management platform for small and midsize businesses in Latin America.
Eki Agrivoltaics
Eki Agrivoltaics is developing a revenue-sharing power system driven by vertical solar panels installed on agricultural farms.
Fascia
Fascia is developing hardware and software to help make sleep-science studies more convenient and comfortable for researchers and participants.
Fazenda da Mamma
Fazenda da Mamma is creating a subscription grocery service that draws from small and midsize food producers in Latin America.
Gleen
Gleen is building an app to provide consumers and potential investors with information about various companies’ sustainability and environmental protection practices and any human rights-related concerns.
Jane Energy
Jane Energy is developing an AI-based chat feature that answers homeowners’ questions about and provides resources on renewable energy options.
MacroCycle
MacroCycle is developing a zero-emissions recycling process to revive end-of-life plastics that would otherwise end up in a landfill or the ocean.
Medikana
Medikana is building a platform that connects medical device manufacturers and distributors to encourage and streamline health care innovation in Latin America.
Mindful Maverick
Mindful Maverick is building a platform to make it easier for retail shareholders to see what environmental, social, and governance actions their portfolio companies are taking.
NeuroBionics
NeuroBionics is developing a microscopic implantable fiber that stimulates, modulates, and records brain activity without the need for open brain surgery.
Nona Technologies
Nona Technologies is building a portable desalination device that uses an electrical current powered by a solar panel to extract salt and bacteria from water.
Nurtur
Nurtur is creating a mental health app that includes data analysis to predict postpartum depression, self-guided therapy for new mothers, and trained mentors to provide support.
ReHome
ReHome is developing a real estate platform that matches landlords with refugee agencies to find available rental units for refugee tenants.
Seak
Seak is developing a software-as-a-service platform to help Southeast Asian small businesses break into American B2B marketplaces.
Soundboard
Soundboard is building a platform for one-person businesses or solo practitioners to help manage invoices and payments, scheduling, and other administrative duties.
T33
T33 is developing an oral treatment that uses a mouthguard-style device and a small electrical current to rapidly whiten teeth.
Yoku
Yoku is developing an emotional-communication aid using generative AI and smartphone cameras.
