The University of Notre Dame's FY2017-18 Startups

Startup

Short Description

Industry

Founders

Startup Type

Adela supports women’s hygiene and sexual health by destigmatizing menstruation and providing convenient supply so that women avoid the privacy issues of shopping for products, empowering them to avoid disruption of their participation in school and other living activities. The Femtech firm was established in February 2018 by 2018 ESTEEM graduates Eydis Lima, Kunigunda Szentes, and Rania Mohammed. 

Claris Genomics is delivering the first-to-market colon cancer diagnostic test that sub-types a patient’s colon cancer in a way that better personalizes a patient's treatment plan. The test, ColotypeR, is expected to improve patient outcomes and health economics while avoiding costly overtreatment. The firm was started in June 2018 by President Christopher Cali, a 2015 ESTEEM graduate who earned a degree in science-business in 2014; Steven Buechler, a professor in applied and computational mathematics and statistics; and Yesim Gokman-Polar. It is based on research by Buechler and Amanda Hummon, an adjunct associate professor in chemistry and biochemistry. 

Ellu Company Ltd. is a private social network, an app and a wearable, that seamlessly combines the best of social media with added security features. It was founded in September 2015 by Yago Foncillas, a 2018 graduate in business administration.

Gigil provides an accessory device that empowers individuals with autoimmune diseases, including children, to overcome their fear of needles, learn proper techniques, and self-administer their injections. It was founded in November 2017 by Emily Russo, a 2018 ESTEEM graduate, and participated in the McCloskey Competition. The firm created three part-time jobs by June 2018.

Impowerus helps immigrant youth by empowering pro bono attorneys to connect with and provide advice to minors through video chat as well as access time-tracking and case management support. It also allows firms to effectively manage, administer, and oversee their cases. The firm was founded in September 2016 by law student Katelyn Ringrose. It received $60,000 in various grants and participated in the McCloskey Competition. Impowerus created six part-time jobs by June 2018. 

IngenoEye LLC is developing eye drops for the treatment of a tumor-like ocular surface disease known as pterygium. It was founded in September 2016 by President Jim Grady, who earned an MBA in 2015. The firm is based on the research of Mayland Chang and Shahriar Mobashery, professors in chemistry and biochemistry. It created three part-time jobs by June 2018. 

Navahealth LLC aims to facilitate the longitudinal relationships of low socioeconomic status patients with primary care physicians by enrolling patients in clinics that fit their medical and socio-economic profile, providing transportation to and from primary care physician appointments, and using a patient advocacy system to increase patient adherence to care management. It was founded in October 2017 by 2018 ESTEEM graduates Melissa Connolly, Isabella Martinez, Mikaela Saugstad, and Marissa Koscielski, who also earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics in 2017. Navahealth became inactive in May 2018 because of capital constraints and the lack of a full-time founder in South Bend. 

Pareto Life Sciences is the world’s first stem cell marketplace, using a swab kit and a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) database to connect willing donors with patients in need to treat blood-related diseases and cancers. Donors receive up to $10,000 per donation. The firm was founded in February 2018 by CEO Chas Pulido, an undergraduate management consulting major, and COO Matthew Curtis, a law student.

SecūrSpace is an online marketplace for parking and storing trucks, trailers, and shipping containers to increase capacity and efficiency in a market where trucking loses more than $5 billion a year because of a shortage of parking spaces. It was founded in November 2016 by President Cory Bailey, who earned an MBA in 2018, and CEO Lance Theobald. The firm received $25,000 as The McCloskey Competition's 2018 Grand Prize co-winner.

Streetlight Creations (streetlightcreations.com) is a custom music platform that connects customers with songwriters to inspire meaningful, beautiful music through storytelling and collaboration. It also helps artists build their portfolios and fan base. The firm was founded in 2017 by Nicholas Lampson, an IT management and industrial design major, and Ralph Moran, a computer science major. It participated in the McCloskey Competition. 

Structured Immunity is a drug discovery company dedicated to accelerating and de-risking T cell therapies, an emerging type of cancer treatment with massive potential that is difficult to develop and can cause adverse side-effects. The firm offers proprietary technology and specialized services to biopharmaceutical companies that help them develop safer, more effective cancer therapies with reduced risk of side effects. It is also developing a preclinical pipeline of molecules for cancer therapies. Structured Immunity was founded in 2017 by Scientific Adviser Brian Baker, a professor of structural biology in chemistry and biochemistry; Chief Scientific Officer Timothy Riley, who earned a Ph.D. in chemistry and biochemistry in 2018; and President David Hardwicke, a 2017 ESTEEM graduate. It is based on Baker's and Riley’s research. The firm received $35,000 in grants from Elevate Ventures and the McCloskey Competition. 

TeacherCode is a computer science professional development program with a bootcamp for teachers with no previous computer science background. It was founded in January 2018 by CEO Arielle Gannon, a 2018 ESTEEM graduate. The firm participated in the McCloskey Competition. 

Veripad, Inc. aims to deliver paper analytical devices capable of detecting counterfeit and low-quality medications, primarily in the developing world. It was founded in 2016 by CEO Bishoy Ghobryal and COO Da Wi Shin. The firm is based on the research of Marya Lieberman, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry. It created four full-time jobs by June 2018.