2015 Startup Report

Karl Koster, Executive Director of the ILP, welcomes a capacity crowd at STEX Cracking Cancer workshopfeaturing serial startup founder Bob Langer and Tyler Jacks, director of the Koch Insitute for Integrative CancerResearch at MIT.

Having wrapped up a successfulyear-one launch, MIT Startup Exchange(STEX) has established itself as a rallyingpoint for MIT-connected startups in Bos-ton/Cambridge and provided a bridge tocorporate partnerships through its par-ent, the MIT Industrial Liaison Program(ILP). The STEX initiative has gatheredand engaged hundreds of company found-ers through a series of networking events,industry conferences, and promotionalopportunities, and has secured numerousone-on-one meetings with executives fromthe 200+ ILP member companies.

Building on the ILP’s deep expertisein academic/industry collaboration, theSTEX initiative broadens the organiza-tion’s perspective to include MIT-con-nected startups. By compiling a sizeabledatabase and hosting regular opportuni-ties for networking and interactions, STEXhas given many young companies a legup in their development and has helpeddefine and give shape to a vibrant entre-preneurial community.

MIT is a proven leader in takingresearch from the lab to the market, asit has given the world GPS, radar, micro-chips, the mapped human genome, anddigital encryption, to name just a few. Thatcommitment to making industry-readytechnology permeates campus. Many ofthe professors are serial entrepreneurs,having started two or more companies,and their students follow suit. By con-centrating some of the world’s best scienceand technical talent in an ecosystem brim-ming with entrepreneurial spirit, the com-munity breeds a special brand of startup,one that is wholly original, forward think-ing, and science-based.

Between faculty- and alumni-foundedstartups, and companies based on MIT-li-

censed technology, STEX scouting effortshave identified close to 1,200 startups withthe “MIT-connected” pedigree. STEX aidsILP member companies further throughits unparalleled startup database and theILP’s cadre of 27 Industrial Liaison Offi-cers (ILOs). ILOs survey the startup fieldthrough a lens of collaboration, always onthe lookout for opportunities to match thedevelopment needs of young startups withthe operational and innovation needs ofestablished industry players from the ILPmember roster. The response has beenstrong and enthusiastic, translating intonumerous partnerships.

STEX Workshop Series

Monthly gatherings started small, withjust one at the end of 2014. But the positiveresponse to this unique setup was imme-diate. Each event was focused on a specificsector – mobile technology, cybersecurity,

biotech, the Internet of Things – and lim-ited in size, usually topping out at a fullcapacity of 100. Most importantly, theseevents brought together essential play-ers in the Boston/Cambridge innovationecosystem. Panels mixed faculty, indus-try managers and executives, governmentleaders and seasoned financiers, all dis-cussing innovation within a sector and itsfuture outlook.

Founders learned what it takes tomanage and successfully grow a startupcompany and heard first hand the impactthat industry partnerships can have. Eachevent featured “Lightning Talks,” where,in the course of 15 minutes, 8-12 startupentrepreneurs eagerly shared their expe-riences and gave elevator pitches. Poten-tial industry partners listened closely fortechnologies and applications that couldforward their business objectives. Having“primed the pump,” the program agendathen shifted to an informal networking

STEX Expands StartupNetwork in Year OneStartups Gain Traction with Industry Players Through STEX Workshops and Partnering Efforts

startupexchange.mit.edu

break where attendees could make con-nections and start discussions for futurecollaborations.

Startup Exhibits at “Technology andthe Corporation” Conference Series

Each year, the ILP hosts a con-ference series called Technology andthe Corporation, designed to keepcompanies in touch with researchdevelopments and issues affectingtheir industries. With the launchof STEX, conference programs nowinclude startup exhibits, panel ses-sions, and technology demonstra-tions by MIT-connected startups,and opportunities for networkingwith MIT researchers and top execu-tives. The exhibits have become a pop-ular program element with more than20 startups taking part in the annualResearch & Development Conferencein November.

2015 MIT Startup EcosystemConference

Subtitled “Accelerating Serial Innova-tion,” this event was held in the world-re-nowned MIT Media Lab for a capacitycrowd. Over 300 people attended andtook in the various sessions associatedwith startup challenges and success, andheard pitches by over 30 MIT-connectedstartups in various stages of development.Startups were divided into three groups: 1)“High Growth” businesses with a market-able product and an established customerbase, who shared advice about navigatingthe early days; 2) “Product Stage” compa-nies that had enjoyed modest success butstill weren’t yet visible outside of their sec-tor, who spoke on the necessity of makingproducts that can transition easily, andhow corporate partnerships can help; andfinally 3) “Early Stage” startups with noveltechnologies and prototypes, but no mar-ket presence, who gave quick pitches abouttheir companies and made direct requestsfor partnerships.

“The STEX startup ecosystem con-ference provided a number of differentformats for interactions which helped gen-erate a number of tangible outcomes,” saidone happy startup attendee. “I met one

potential new investor, one brand new cus-tomer lead, and we moved closer to clos-ing an existing customer lead. This kindof event helps us move the ball down theline.”

MIT Silicon Valley Showcase

A highlight and culmination of thelast year’s work happened in January of2016. STEX had gained growing commandof the Boston/Cambridge ecosystem, andthis event took that unique story to theWest Coast. STEX flew out a number ofMIT-connected startups as part of the

roadshow, and these entrepreneurs rel-ished the chance to showcase their com-panies and pitch corporate attendees. TheMountain View event, held at the SamsungGlobal Innovation Center, offered valuableinsights on what it means to be an indus-try-ready startup and a startup-ready cor-poration.

The Silicon Valley Showcase fea-tured breakthrough ideas like startupLiquiGlide’s permanently slick surfaces,invented at the Varanasi Lab at MIT;Ambri’s innovative grid-scale energystorage technologies, developed in thelab of MIT Professor Don Sadoway; andMIT Institute Professor and serial startup

MIT Industrial Liaison Program ilp.mit.edu

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“Right now, the area

around MIT has the highest

concentration of biotech

companies in the world. It’s

a wonderful environment for

entrepreneurs.”

Bob LangerMIT Institute Professor

2015 STEX Startup Clusters

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5

TECH/ICT - data encryption, data solutionsfor IoT, monitoring/detection devices, robotics,big-data analytics, software development

ADVANCEDMANUFACTURINGadditive manufacturing,digital design tools,logistic/navigationsoftware, 3D printablematerials

BIOTECH - drug delivery,devices, wearable healthmonitors, data managementfirst-in-class therapeutics,science-based food prep,enzyme assay formats

HYBRID INNOVATION - precision 3Dprinters, robotic pets, child safety/chaperonedevices, glasses-free 3D displays ,underwater drones, identity authentication,remote sensing and data analytics for cropmonitoring

HEALTHCAREmedical devices,disease diagnostics,targeted treatments,synthetic boneadhesive, healthcaremanagement

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founder Bob Langer reminding attendeesof the continued startup opportunities inthe biotech sector. “Right now, the areaaround MIT has the highest concentrationof biotech companies in the world,” saidLanger. “It’s a wonderful environment forentrepreneurs.”

Media Lab spinout Tulip Interfacesused the showcase to emerge from stealthmode and raise its profile with potentialpartners. Tulip works with manufactur-ing companies to integrate sensors withexisting equipment on the shop floor. Itsadvanced analytics bundled with propri-etary machine learning and computervision systems give manufacturers accessto previously unobtainable productioninsights.

“Tulip made its public debut at the MITSilicon Valley Showcase,“ said founderNatan Linder, “and the event providedgreat exposure and networking. Tulipcame away with dozens of client leads, andwe are in partnership discussions with sev-eral ILP member companies.“

Ability to Search and Discover

Startup-ready corporations under-stand the challenge of identifying the smallnumber of startups that could positivelyimpact their company. The STEX data-base has been designed to make that fil-tering task a little easier by providing acomprehensive and searchable databaseof MIT-connected startup information.Of the 1,200 total companies, almost480 new entries were added in the pastyear, including the 83 startups founded in2015. Company biographies are regularlyupdated, and the monthly STEX newslet-ter offers full-length company profiles andvideo interviews with startup founders andexecutives. As the database evolves, it’salso becoming easier to use, with searchfilters such as number of employees, stage,MIT connection, origin of the technol-ogy, location, revenue, and industry. TheSTEX database has become the go-to toolfor ILOs who help guide the on-campusresearch agendas of global ILP membercompanies, and organize as many as 2,500meetings annually between executives andMIT faculty/researchers.

2015 Partnering Activity

For last year’s EmTech Digital in SanFrancisco, the ILP and STEX collaboratedwith MIT Technology Review to bring anumber of MIT faculty and startup found-ers to the Bay Area. During the event, anILO introduced an executive from theSamsung Global Innovation Center to KarlIagnemma, CEO of nuTonomy, an MITstartup developing advanced software forautonomous vehicles and vehicle fleets.

That initial introduction led to conversa-tions between nuTonomy and Samsung thatculminated in Samsung Ventures partici-pating in a recent round of seed funding.

“We are impressed with nuTonomy’stechnical acumen, especially their lead-ership in decision-making methods forvehicles,” says Amit Garg of SamsungGlobal Innovation Center on Gas 2, agreen technology blog, in a post covering

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MIT Startup Exchange 2015 Startup Reportstartupexchange.mit.edu

Bob LangerMIT Institute Professor

83 MIT-connected startups founded in 2015 were added to the STEX database

Over 80 percent of 2015 STEX startups were founded byMIT faculty or alums, which is consistent with the entre-preneurial spirit of MIT, and 87 percent exploit technol-ogies originating from “hard” sciences, a distinguishingcharacteristic of STEX startups.

For the second year in a row, the largest cohort ofstartups founded in 2015 came from the Tech/ICT sector,reflecting MIT strengths in Big Data, Internet of Thingsand work in robotics. Biotech saw the second largestnumber of new startups followed by Healthcare andHybrid Innovation.

the announcement. “Partnering across the spectrum in theindustry will be essential to turning years of research into aneveryday reality.”

“nuTonomy’s vision is to deliver the world’s smartest auton-omous vehicle and be the software engine of automated cars,”says Karl Iagnemma, CEO and cofounder of nuTonomy. “Byapplying advanced techniques from the aerospace industry,we’re creating a self-driving car that is safe, confident, anddrives in a truly ‘human-like’ manner.”

Another kind of partnership was struck in September, whenDropWise Technologies Corporation, an MIT startup com-mercializing advanced industrial coatings and vapor depositionprocesses developed at the Gleason Lab, signed a joint devel-opment agreement with Henkel Corporation, a world leaderin consumer and industrial products with a global businessunit focused on adhesive technologies, and an ILP membercompany.

“We are very excited to be partnering with a global leaderin metal surface treatment,” says Adam Paxson, CEO of Drop-Wise, in a press release announcing the partnership. “Henkel’sdeep technical expertise and strong track record of bringingnew innovations to their customers, will enable us to fast-trackcommercialization in key market areas.”

“Collaborating with promising startups that provide accessto cutting-edge future technologies is an integral part of ourinnovation strategy,” explains Mike Olosky, Corporate SeniorVice President and Global Head of Innovation & New Busi-ness Development for Henkel Adhesive Technologies, in thesame press release. “Together with DropWise we can combinetheir unique technologies with our global market know-howin coatings to generate profitable growth for both partners inthe future.”

All STEX activities are aimed towards fostering and facil-itating just such mutually beneficial partnerships betweenemerging startups and established industry players. In 2015alone, ILOs organized over 100 meetings between MIT-con-nected startups and ILP member companies.

“Startups are key to technology commercialization, “ saidKarl Koster, Executive Director of the ILP. “These young,dynamic companies are at the forefront of adapting new tech-nologies to solve industry and societal problems. Additionally,ILP member companies are increasingly viewing startups aspotential sources of innovation and strategic partnering. Mak-ing relevant and impactful connections between the two playerswill continue to be a service priority for the ILP.”

Looking to 2016 and 2017, STEX plans to build a startuppresence at ILP’s existing conferences in Austria, Japan, andChina and is planning roadshow events for London and Cal-ifornia.

NANOTECH

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MIT Industrial Liaison Program ilp.mit.edu

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Founded in 2015

Founded in 2015

2015 STEXStartup Profiles

Neon Therapeutics

Neon Therapeutics is building a productengine poised to take full advantage of thebiology of neoantigens to induce immunerejection of tumors. Neon Therapeutics,a cancer-treatment startup founded onresearch from Harvard University andthe Massachusetts Institute of Technol-ogy, sealed $55 million in initial fundingto pursue a new, personalized approach tobolster the immune system’s fight againstthe disease.

Neon Therapeutics is an immuno-on-cology company focused on developingnovel therapeutics leveraging neoantigenbiology to treat cancer. A neoantigen-basedproduct engine will allow Neon to developfurther treatment modalities includingnext-generation vaccines and T cell thera-pies targeting both personalized as well asshared neoantigens. Neon Therapeutics’lead program is a personalized neoantigenvaccine that builds upon years of researchand development at the Broad Instituteand Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and isalready in multiple clinical trials.

They have assembled a team of worldexperts in cancer immunotherapy todevelop therapies that target abnormal pro-teins called neoantigens, which are pro-duced by cancer cells. Their programs aredesigned to leverage multiple facets of theimmune response to elicit potent immuneattack of tumors, with the aim of providingdurable response to patients in need.

Neon is committed to advancing thefield of cancer immunotherapy by investingin research in neoantigen biology, epitope

prediction, cancer bioinformatics, person-alized therapies, and advanced immuneprofiling of cancer patients.

Headquartered in Cambridge, MA.,Neon Therapeutics is a private companylaunched in 2015 with $55 million in SeriesA venture capital financing from ThirdRock Ventures, Clal Biotechnology Indus-tries, and Access Industries.

Neoantigens arise as a result of accu-mulating somatic mutations and foreignsources such as viruses. These alterationsin a patient’s tumor DNA occur during thedevelopment and progression of tumors.These neoantigens are inherently non-self,thus are seen as foreign by the immunesystem. Mounting evidence suggests thatimmune rejection of tumors, for examplethat which is seen with checkpoint modu-lators, may be mediated by recognition ofneoantigens.

Neon Therapeutics is building a prod-uct engine poised to take full advantageof neoantigen biology. We are develop-ing multiple programs in therapeutic vac-cines and T cell modalities, targeting bothneoantigens that are specific to individ-ual patients as well as neoantigens that areshared across patients and tumor types. Bytaking this multimodality approach, NeonTherapeutics hopes to easily integrate withstandard-of-care therapies as well as withcomplementary experimental immunother-apies to dramatically improve the patientresponse to treatment.

With an aim to generate truly novelimmunotherapies, Neon is building end-to-end capabilities that include such areasas tumor cell DNA and RNA sequencing,advanced algorithms for neoantigen predic-tion, as well as in vitro and in vivo immunestimulation and advanced immune moni-toring approaches.

Neon’s focus is to bring truly person-alized medicine to patients. Cutting-edgegenomic technologies and immune pro-filing tools are core to Neon’s therapeuticapproach. High-throughput Next Genera-tion Sequencing (NGS) and sophisticatedbioinformatics approaches to data analysisallow for full characterization of the geneticaberrations and their abundance in an indi-vidual patient’s tumor. This is a molecularfingerprint that defines how each patient’sdisease is unique. State-of-the-art compu-

tational approaches convert the massivedatasets from exome sequencing and distillthe key pieces of information that supportthe generation of personalized therapeu-tics. In effect, computational methods findthe ‘needles in the haystack’ that define thetherapeutic strategy for each individual.

This paradigm-changing application ofNGS and bioinformatic techniques, coupledwith an advanced toolbox of immune moni-toring and profiling technologies, promotesfurther understanding of how and why apatient responds to therapy. The insightsgleaned from this work can help tailor theright therapy for the right patient in addi-tion to providing scientific insights into thefundamentals of tumor biology and tumorimmunology.

Neon’s lead program, NEO-PV-01, isa personalized neoantigen vaccine thatbuilds upon initial clinical trials developedcollaboratively by the Broad Institute andDana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dana-Farberis currently enrolling two investigator-ini-tiated trials studying the personalizedneoantigen vaccine in melanoma and glio-blastoma. Neon will support these ongoingtrials and potentially other trials from lead-ing academic institutions, and build uponthese by initiating a company-sponsoredclinical development program. Neon isinterested in combining NEO-PV-01 withimmune checkpoint modulation and poten-tially more traditional modalities.

In addition, Neon Therapeutics will alsodevelop personalized T cell therapies thatleverage the strengths of its platforms inepitope prediction and immune monitor-ing. The company is committed to work-ing with leading experts in industry andacademia to accelerate the developmentof its precision therapies for the benefit ofpatients.

NANOTECH

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MIT Startup Exchange 2015 Startup Reportstartupexchange.mit.edu

Addeation

Exergy Dynamics

Hive Maritime

Telamens

Unipolar

2 0 1 5Aprinoia Therapeutics

AssayQuant Technologies

Ayar Labs

BioDevek

Foodium

Frequency Therapeutics

Humon

Krypton Immuno-Oncology

Landsdowne Laboratories

Lyndra

Ribon Therapeutics

Sentio Solutions

Suono Bio

Theraxen

A2 Medical

Accel Digital Health Foundry

Celero, LLC

Central Health

Digital Cognition Tech.

EverestAtWork

Glympse Bio

LaunchPad Medical

Privo Technologies

Sonde Health

ETSAikicrypt

Apcerto, Inc.

Betazip, LLC

CapSen Robotics LLC

Categorical Informatics

CultiVu

Decilvl, LLC

Emerald

Eyque Inc.

FeatureLab

IdeaFlow

InvoPlace

Lexumo, Inc.

Microtomacro LLC

MORSE Corporation

Neurensic, Inc.

Obivilock

Pi

S.W. Ventures Ltd.

Sentenai

Smartvid.io, Inc.

SUPRAC

Torque, Inc.

Worldwide Incident Command Services, Inc.

Yaxa

TECH/ICT HEALTHCAREBIOTECHADVANCED

MANUFACTURING

MIT Industrial Liaison Program ilp.mit.edu

Addeation

Exergy Dynamics

Hive Maritime

Telamens

Unipolar

2 0 1 5

A2 Medical

Accel Digital Health Foundry

Celero, LLC

Central Health

Digital Cognition Tech.

EverestAtWork

Glympse Bio

LaunchPad Medical

Privo Technologies

Sonde Health

X

Desktop Metal

Emoters

EPage, Inc.

Lumii

Microswarms

Mident Solutions

Raptor Maps

Rendevr

Rhyno

Samsara

TransitX

Advanced Silicon Group

American Boronite Corp.

Bonzer Inc.

Cloak Technology

CoolComposites

CurrencyDoc

FundTerra

GridOrder

Khethworks

Labber

Make in LA

Neon Therapeutics

Optimus Ride

Qvatec

Sandymount Technologies

Sublamit, LLC

WeScout Inc.

Zolitron Technology

ET

HEALTHCARE ADVANCEDMANUFACTURING

HYBRIDINNOVATION

OTHER

MIT Startup Exchange 2015 Startup Reportstartupexchange.mit.edu

83 MIT-connected startups founded in 2015were added to the STEX database

strates, to create real-time sensors of phos-phorylation, as developed by the Imperialilaboratory at MIT. The result is a simpleyet powerful method to measure the activ-ity of protein kinases using a homogeneousand continuous (kinetic) format, where thelevel of fluorescence is directly proportionalto the amount of phosphorylated product.This assay is ideal for elucidating drugmechanism of action and is increasinglybeing applied earlier in the drug develop-ment workflow to address the challengesand opportunities for next generation pro-tein kinase inhibitors.

AssayQuant Technologies is activelydeveloping next generation Sox Tech-nology Sensors to meet customer needs.These efforts incorporate improvementsfrom MIT’s Imperiali laboratory, includingthe Cysteine-Sox method to create superiorSox-based substrates by allowing for flank-ing sequence recognition determinants oneither side of the Sox moiety/phosphoryla-tion site. They are applying this approachto generate both highly generic substrates(for use with a range of purified kinases)or highly-selective substrates (for use withunfractionated cell or tissue lysates).

The Sox technology is covered by severalpatents and has been exclusively licensedby MIT to AssayQuant Technologies, Inc.

Desktop Metal

Desktop Metal made headlines lastfall when it closed $14 million in its firstfunding round without a working pro-totype or even a website, based primar-ily on the strength of its personnel and

AssayQuant (Bio)

AssayQuant is a life science companythat develops innovative enzyme assay for-mats for a quantum improvement in per-formance and productivity to acceleratediscovery and drug development. Usingpatented real-time fluorescence-based sen-sor technology from the Imperiali lab atMIT, their initial focus is the more than 500protein kinases that comprise more than 30percent of all drug development. The com-pany applies rigorous development, valida-tion, and manufacturing practices to deliverproducts with exceptional value.

Protein kinases transfer a phosphategroup from ATP to serine, threonine, ortyrosine residues within protein or pep-tide substrates. There are over 500 pro-tein kinases, and this group of enzymes isintensely studied since dysregulation ofkinase activities lies at the center of manyhuman diseases. Generation of proteinkinase inhibitors and the need to accuratelymeasure kinase activities in basic research,drug development, and diagnostic appli-cations is an active area that spans manymarkets including pharmaceutical, biotech-nology, diagnostic and contract researchcompanies, and academic and governmentinstitutions. There has been a surge in thegeneration of non-ATP-competitive kinaseinhibitors, with an increased need for betterassay tools to effectively characterize theirmechanism of action and drive decisionsearlier in the drug development process.

To develop assays for measuring theactivity of protein kinases, AssayQuant hasharnessed chelation-enhanced fluorescence(CHEF) using the sulfonamido-oxine (Sox)chromophore in peptide or protein sub-

its vision. Founded by a team of veteranentrepreneurs, including four MIT profes-sors — Chris Schuh and Yet Ming Chiang(Materials Science & Engineering), JohnHart (Mechanosynthesis Lab), and EliSachs (Mechanical Engineering) — Desk-top Metal seeks to bring about the equiva-lent of the personal computer revolution inthe manufacturing of metal products andcomponents. The company is developing aline of “office-friendly” 3D printers that willproduce customized objects from high per-formance metals cheaply and safely enoughfor small-scale and personal use.

Scott Grunewald of 3Dpring.comreported that, according to Desktop MetalCo-Founder and CEO Ric Fulop, “their $14million first round funding includes techVC firms like NEA, Kleiner Perkins Cau-field Byers, and Lux Capital. Other inves-tors include Boston hardware investor andprototype shop Bolt, Founder Collective,and Data Collective. And, of course, par-ticipation from 3D printing giant Stratasys,which has a valuable worldwide fabricationand distribution network that would be ableto put any new industrial metal 3D print-ers onto the market quickly and relativelyefficiently.”

While 3D printing of certain materi-als has become commonplace in a num-ber of design and manufacturing fields, 3Dprinting metals remains an expensive andhighly specialized practice, requiring indus-trial-scale space and resources as well asspecial licensing for operators. Improvingsafety while bringing down scale and min-imizing cost would open numerous sectorsto potential disruption by 3D metal print-ing, from custom personal electronics tomedical device and implant manufactur-ing. It would also open domains in moreconventional manufacturing to further dis-ruption by smaller startup companies andmaker communities.

Desktop Metal has been relatively quietso far regarding specifics about their newtechnology, though Fulop did tell Xconomylast fall that they were working on a “com-pletely different” approach “that won’t uselasers,” as most 3D metal printers do now.The goal is to develop a system “that’s veryfast and more accessible.”

The company has grown rapidly sinceits founding. Scott Kirsner of BetaBoston

BIOTECH

HYBRID

INNOVATION

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MIT Industrial Liaison Program ilp.mit.edu

Smartvid.io

Smartvid.io is an enterprise-class cloudplatform for the management, collabora-tion, and automated analysis of industrialvideos and photos wherever they come from- mobile devices, drones (UAVs), GoProcameras, and more. Smartvid.io’s industrialmedia platform makes documenting fieldactivities, sharing best practices, and find-ing critical information faster, easier, andmore secure than was ever possible before.

Smartvid.io’s platform helps userstrack progress, document work, conductinspections, complete site assessments, andexecute other tasks: capture all field uservideos and photos from mobile devices,wearables, and drones; use existing mate-rials such as training videos, webinars, andother files; create tags manually or auto-matically with the SmartTag™ engine andcategorize images and video based on anycriteria; import tag dictionaries managedat the project level from external sources;manage project documentation across theenterprise in one platform; collaboratebetween field teams, management, and keystakeholders on projects, files, and evenspecific tags; find and display critical photoand video documentation instantly; createtimelines of specific content so you can seehow specific tagged content has changedover time.

Starting in the AEC (architecture, engi-neering, and construction) industry withplans to expand to other verticals the com-pany has multiple early stage customers (all$B firms, CIO-level engagement). Smart-vid.io’s founding team previously workedtogether to build Field Software provider,Vela Systems, which is now known as BIM

reported Desktop Metal had an 11-personteam just before closing their first roundof funding in the fall of 2015. Now theirwebsite boasts a team of 22 executives, sci-entists, and engineers with research andinnovation experience in material scienceand metallurgy, mechanical engineer-ing, robotics, industrial design, software,3D printing and Computer Aided Design(CAD). The team also includes veterans ofstartup ventures including the lithium-ionbattery company A123 Systems, the CADsoftware provider Solidworks, and KivaRobotics, which was acquired by Amazonin 2012.

Optimus Ride

Optimus Ride Inc. is an MIT spinoffcompany based in Cambridge, MA thatdevelops self-driving technologies thatenable safe, sustainable, and equitablemobility systems. They bring these tech-nologies to the market by integrating themseamlessly into everyday life, “giving usersmore time to focus on what really matters.”

Optimus Ride combines over 30 yearsof interdisciplinary university research inself-driving technologies (DARPA UrbanChallenge), electric vehicles (CityCar), andMobility-on-Demand Systems. The teamalso has a decade of industrial and entre-preneurial experience that includes sharedfleets (Zipcar) and manufacturing robots.The team is focused on the fastest path tomarket in order to maximize the benefits ofself-driving technologies for all. They havecreated a highly collaborative, hands-on,and open environment that is centrallylocated in the Hub of Innovation.

360 Field, Autodesk’s “fastest growingproduct,” and includes the founding prod-uct officer of Mobiquity.

As Smartvid.io founder and CEO JoshKanner announced on their blog last fall:

“We’re on an exciting journey with ourcustomers to build a platform for indus-trial media—the content coming from proj-ect sites and other locations where work isbeing executed. We’ve seen a huge increasein the use of devices like mobile phones,GoPro® cameras, and even drones for con-struction projects, inspections, and otherfield activities so we’re building the indus-try’s first platform for managing that data.

Smartvid.io’s team has worked togetherfor many years and across companies, likeVela Systems, which Kanner co-foundedand that was acquired by Autodesk in 2012.As with Vela, he sees one factor as critical tothe startup’s success—being closely linkedto customers so that they can build the bestpossible product.

Says Kanner, “If you are using yourmobile phone to capture photos from thejobsite, we want to hear from you.

“If you are a drone pilot and trying towork out how to professionally share con-tent with your customers, we want to hearfrom you.”

Lyndra

Lyndra has for the first time developeda technology that extends oral drug deliverybeyond one week. The benefits of this tech-nology include improved drug adherence,improved pharmacokinetic profiles, con-venient patient experience (particularly forpopulations that lack easy access to care),decreased potential for antibiotic resis-tance, and vastly reduced healthcare costs.

TECH/ICT

INTELLIGENT MOBILITY

BIOTECH

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MIT Startup Exchange 2015 Startup Reportstartupexchange.mit.edu

Patients often struggle to adhere totheir treatment regimens, which under-mines medical care, puts outcomes at risk,and increases overall healthcare costs, bothdirectly and indirectly. Patient compliancewith treatment regimens is estimated to be~50 percent in developed nations and evenlower in the developing world. Economistsbelieve this noncompliance creates costs inexcess of $100 billion per year in the UnitedStates alone.

Scientists have been trying to developextended drug release technology for over30 years, but current oral formulations onthe market only extend delivery by 12 to 24hours. The Lyndra team -- comprised ofMIT and Harvard scientists and physicianscientists -- has for the first time developeda technology that extends oral drug deliv-ery beyond one week. Ultimately, Lyndraenvisions a world in which patients realizethe full potential benefit of their medicalcare and where the overall burden on thehealthcare system is reduced.

Lyndra’s oral sustained release formu-lation uses FDA-approved, inexpensivematerials. It has been tested in over 150pig experiments with no adverse events,no clinically apparent symptoms, and nomucosal injury visible on endoscopic eval-uation.

By combining improved adherence withsuperior pharmacokinetics, Lyndra’s tech-nology has the potential to significantlyincrease the net clinical benefit associatedwith medical treatment. Lyndra is currentlycollaborating with leading pharmaceuticalpartners to develop extended release for-mulations of their products. A partnershipwith Lyndra can take one of many forms,ranging from small-scale feasibility stud-ies to licensing the technology for drugs indevelopment or on the market.

Addeation

As additive manufacturing becomesmore readily available and leveraged to cre-ate innovative products and business mod-els, more companies are exploring how theycan integrate this technology in their designand production value chain. Companies arelooking to make investments in 3D printingproducts, materials, production processes,and maintenance services.

However, as 3D printing becomes morepervasive, the majority of individuals look-ing to leverage additive manufacturing donot have the background needed to design,develop, and commercialize new productsand business models. Addeation works withexecutives to separate and remove the hypefrom reality and think through market andinvestment strategies, train product man-agers on design for additive manufacturing,and arm manufacturing engineers with theknowledge to make smart decisions on AM.

Addeation is a consultancy that focuseson design strategy and additive manufac-turing for accelerated product develop-ment. The company works with businessleaders to harness the value of 3D print-ing/additive manufacturing and integratedigital design, development, and rapidcommercialization tools into their busi-ness model for a sustainable competitiveadvantage.

Addeation helps companies understandthe implications of additive manufacturingon industry and business; imagine break-through products and business models;accelerate product development and mar-ket test new concepts; scale new processesand reduce cost to commercialize; andup-skill the organization on new productdevelopment technologies and strategies.

Breakthrough innovation requiresbreakthrough imagination. But to imaginewild ideas for new products or businessmodels that can be commercialized andcreate value requires an understanding ofadvanced design tools and developmentprocesses. Addeation supports clients asthey think through new designs and helpthem develop an innovation strategy thatmeets their business-growth targets andstrategic objectives

Sentio Solutions

Feel is the first wearable wristband thatleverages proprietary algorithms to recog-nize and track human emotions through-out the day. At the same time, the mobileapplication provides actionable recommen-dations based on advanced psychologicaltechniques to help all of us develop positiveemotional habits and achieve wellbeing.

Feel consists of 3 parts: the wristband,the emotion recognition algorithms, andthe mobile application.

Four integrated sensors on the wrist-band measure and track biosignals fromusers throughout the day, while the propri-etary algorithms on the background classifythese biosignals into emotions.

At the same time, the mobile applica-tion not only visualizes the emotional dataof the users but also provides actionablepersonalized recommendations based onadvanced psychological techniques to helpusers achieve wellbeing.

These unique emotional consumer datacan be used in a variety of industries suchas internet services, healthcare, entertain-ment, and of course CPG and retail, toextract insights about consumer behavior,

HEALTHCARE

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MANUFACTURING

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MIT Industrial Liaison Program ilp.mit.edu

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personalize experiences based on the mood ofthe user, and monitor health and wellness.

Privo Technologies

Privo is developing a novel, nano-technology-based drug delivery platformcapable of local and systemic delivery ofa constant, controlled therapeutic dosethrough the mucosa. This approach elim-inates needles, avoids stomach acids, cansignificantly reduce toxic side effects ofdrugs, and allows for higher dosing wherethe drugs can be most effective – all ofwhich improve patient outcomes and com-pliance.

Privo was founded by MIT alumManijeh Goldberg who is a seasonedexecutive with over 20 years experiencein the medical industry as an executiveleader and a scientist in large and smallstartup companies, one of which (Epicon)was acquired for $275M. Her 12 years oflarge company experience includes workingfor HP Medical and Siemens MedicalSystems. Manijeh’s MBA from MIT andMS from Harvard Medical School led toher working with Professor Robert Langer.Professor Langer has global expertise innanotechnology and drug delivery, and isnow an advisor to Privo.

The proprietary nanoengineered plat-form is based on innovations in nanotech-nology and material science discovered atMIT’s Langer laboratory. Privo’s platformis designed to create robust treatments fora wide range of indications while reducingor limiting the treatments’ harmful sideeffects. They are developing novel targetedtreatments for worldwide markets at facil-ities in Cambridge and Boston.

Privo is excited about building a pipe-

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MIT Startup Exchange 2015 Startup Reportstartupexchange.mit.edu

line of treatments with a range of productcandidates in oncology, infectious diseases,and radiation. Their initial product candi-date is a treatment for the critically under-served worldwide market of oral cancer.Privo delivers drugs via the mucosa with theinitial focus on oral cavity mucosa.

Privo is focused on dramatically improv-ing human health through its novel and pro-prietary Mucosal Delivery Particle (MDP)platform. Privo’s platform has both smalland large molecule applications. The tech-nologies used in Privo’s platform have previ-ously received MIT’s prestigious DeshpandeCenter for Technological Innovation Awardas well as an award from MIT’s $100K(Best Product) for work surrounding buccaldelivery of insulin.

Advanced Silicon Group

Advanced Silicon Group (ASG) wasco-founded in 2015 by Marcie Black, MITPhD in optoelectronic materials, to com-mercialize silicon nanotechnology codevel-oped by ASG employees. The applicationsfor this technology include photovoltaics,Li-ion batteries, microfluidics, MEMS, andmore. ASG will work with you to improveyour company’s performance and reducecosts by helping you incorporate siliconnanowire arrays into your products.

Consulting: ASG consults with firmsto help them incorporate silicon nano-wires into their products for improved per-formance, enhanced functionality, and/or lower cost. These consulting servicesrange from ASG engineers and techni-cians working side by side with your staffin the lab to provide remote assistancewith testing and guidance in making your

products. Application areas include solarcells, Li-ion batteries, MEMs, lab-on-chip,optical detectors, chemical and biologicaldetection, anti-reflection layers, anti-bac-teria films, and thermoelectrics. In thearea of photovoltaics, ASG can also providesolar cell device and process development,including analysis and characterization ofsolar cells.

Licensing: ASG licenses clients tomanufacture products using its IP portfo-lio in applications ranging from solar pho-tovoltaics to Li-ion batteries, microfluidics,MEMS, and more.

Custom Fabrication: ASG can producesilicon wafers with customized nanowirestructures.

Foodium

Founded at MIT, Foodium combinesscience and art to make good food for per-formance-focused teams. Foodium is runby a passionate collection of chefs and culi-nary school valedictorians, nutrition sci-ence researchers, and food system geeks.Foodium takes fresh, whole ingredients,chops, cooks, and seasons them to perfec-tion, and brings them to your team. Food-ium starts with ingredients that make yourbody strong and resilient and avoids ingre-dients that clog things up. Chefs bring eachfresh ingredient to its global maximum ofawesomeness in their food lab. Foodiumdesigns with precision and science. Theycook “with love and art.” Foodium caters tocompanies in the greater Boston area thatfeed their teams regularly and want to getthe most out of their investment in food.

BIOTECH

NANOTECH

Aerospace Innovation

September 15th

8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

AEROSPACE WORKSHOP

One Main Street, Cambridge12th Floor

San Diego, CA

June 28th

9:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

MIT STARTUPSHOWCASE

Qualcomm Headquarters5775 Morehouse Drive

San Diego, CA

Intelligent Mobility:Driverless Cars, Ambient

Intelligence, TransportationNetworks

May 9th

8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

MOBILITY WORKSHOP

One Main Street, Cambridge12th Floor

October 12th

8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

2016MIT Startup

Ecosystem Conference

Media Lab, MIT Campusstart

upexch

ange.m

it.ed

u

September 8th

8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

2016 MITDIGITAL HEALTH

CONFERENCE/STARTUP EXHIBIT

Media Lab, MIT Campus