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New Startups Built From UC Davis Research and Innovation Emerge With Solutions in Health, Energy and Agriculture

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Female scientist outdoors in front of UC Davis Medical Center
Heather Siefkes, assistant professor of pediatric critical care at UC Davis, is co-founder of NeoPOSE. The startup company is developing new technology to detect heart defects in newborns.

During the 2020-21 fiscal year, nine startups executed agreements to access foundational intellectual property and commercialize new technologies developed at the Ƶ, Davis.

The emerging startups are focused on technological solutions to meet needs in health, energy and agriculture. 

“It is always exciting to see innovations from UC Davis translated into commercial applications that benefit our regional economy and society at large,” said Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor for research at UC Davis. “Innovations from UC Davis and other universities across the globe play an instrumental role in developing new technology that fuels the products and services of tomorrow.”

One of the startups, , is commercializing supplements that may allow a consumer to enjoy the same cellular benefits that one gets from fasting, without having to fast. Co-founded by , associate professor in the Department of Nutrition, the company participated in the accelerator to advance their patent-pending fasting  focused on healthy living and longevity. 

, a clean energy startup co-founded by , associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is developing technology to help Ƶ meet its sustainable energy goals. The startup gives a new life to used batteries from electric vehicles to provide energy storage systems with various applications, such as solar power. The team recently secured a and won a .

NeoPOSE, founded by , assistant professor of pediatric critical care at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, is developing a  that could improve the detection of congenital heart defects in newborns. In 2020, Siefkes received internal funding through a proof-of-concept grant from the Venture Catalyst Data, Informatics and Application Launch, or DIAL, program to advance the technology towards commercialization.&Բ; &Բ;

“Building a new startup to commercialize an early-stage technology is difficult in normal conditions, but doing so during the constraints from the pandemic illustrates the resolve and passion of these entrepreneurs,” said Ryan Sharp, director, Venture Catalyst. “We are excited to see these startups advance new technologies toward commercial products that will benefit society and are pleased to provide assistance to them along the way.”

Additional companies that executed agreements to access foundational intellectual property from UC Davis during the 2020-21 fiscal year are highlighted below. Two companies have chosen to remain in “stealth mode” for competitive reasons and are not listed.  

  •   Co-founded by , assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, the  is based on a novel method using inhaled statins to treat severe respiratory disease associated with COVID-19.  
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