IPIRA Startups

IPIRA Startups

Ergodicity

Brief Description

Ergodicity develops analytical methods for the age of AI. The company takes a data-first approach to create next-generation optical tools that set new standards in the accessibility of information in chemical and biophysical analytics for biotech.

Inventors

Hendrik Utzat

Company Founders

UC Berkeley Assistant Professor of Chemistry Hendrik Utzat and Richard Maceiczyk

Timeline 2025. Company founded

Azalea Therapeutics, Inc.

Brief Description

Azalea Therapeutics is an early-stage biotech startup on a mission to revolutionize genomic medicines. By designing vehicles that enable cell-specific delivery inside the body, the company aims to unlock precision therapeutics for genetic diseases and unleash the promise of cellular-based therapies.

Inventors

Connor Tsuchida, Jennifer Doudna, Jennifer Hamilton

Company Founders

UC Berkeley Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology Jennifer Doudna, Jennifer Hamilton (UC Berkeley PhD, Doudna Lab, 2018-2023); Connor Tsuchida (UC Berkeley...

SirenOpt

Brief Description

SirenOpt provides manufacturing intelligence solutions that accelerate research and development and enable cost-effective manufacturing of high-performance micro- and nano-materials, including lithium-ion batteries, membranes, semiconductors, flexible electronics, packaging materials, and many others. The company's real-time manufacturing intelligence platform, designed for cost-effective manufacturing of thin films, utilizes cold atmospheric plasma and physics-informed machine learning to collect critical manufacturing data and improve manufacturing quality and output....

Water Harvesting, Inc

Brief Description Water Harvesting Inc. was formed in 2018 to commercialize atmospheric water harvesting systems based on metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and address the global challenge of water scarcity. MOFs work for atmospheric water harvesting even under very arid conditions. Inventors

Farhad Fathieh, Nikita Hanikel, Markus Kalmutzki, Ievgen Kapustin, Hao Lyu, Mathieu Steven Prevot, Omar Yaghi, JingJing Yang, Bing Zhang

Company Founders

Frank Ramirez (Berkeley Law, JD, 1979), Chris Kay, Eugene Kapustin (UC Berkeley PhD, 2018, Chemistry), David Kuo (UC Berkeley, MS, 1985, Ph.D...

ProMOF, Inc.

Brief Description

ProMOF is commercializing molecular weaving, a method of creating materials by interconnecting organic threads at the molecular level, much like weaving fabric. The technology, pioneered by UC Berkeley Professor of Chemistry Omar Yaghi, makes polymer composites stronger and tougher without compromising function, with potential applications in energy storage, gas separation, and other fields.

Inventors

Omar Yaghi, Yuzhong Liu, Ting Xu, Cornelius Groop, S. Ephraim Neumann, Junpyo Kwon

Timeline 2024. Company...

Atoco

Brief Description

Atoco was created to leverage decades of advancements in reticular chemistry and nanotechnology to fight climate change. The company is tackling the causes of global warming and the resulting water scarcity by developing sustainable and transformational solutions in the fields of Atmospheric Water Harvesting and CO2 Capture – all built upon Professor Omar Yaghi’s discoveries in molecularly engineered materials. When Yaghi pioneered reticular chemistry in the 1990s, he did not envision that this breakthrough could change the world. He was more focused on the task at hand:...

Reticular Labs

Brief Description

Developing practical water harvesting technologies to address global water scarcity.

Inventors

Nikita Hanikel, Steven James Lyle, Hao Lyu, Lac Ha Nguyen, Wentao Xu, Omar Yaghi, Bing Zhang

Timeline 2023. Company founded

Isoreticular Sciences

Brief Description

The design and synthesis of novel isoreticular materials.

Inventors

Nikita Hanikel, Steven James Lyle, Hao Lyu, Lac Ha Nguyen, Wentao Xu, Omar Yaghi, Bing Zhang

Timeline 2020. Company founded.

Algen Biotechnologies

Brief Description

Algen Biotechnologies is building a next-generation, functional genomics-based platform for the discovery of novel therapeutics for cancers with high unmet need. Algen’s research group focuses on developing and applying novel functional genomics technologies to address scientific challenges in drug discovery. The company's biologists and data scientists are collaborating to deliver innovative, patient-centric medicines for the toughest-to-treat diseases.

The company was founded to commercialize technology developed at UC Berkeley while Algen Biotechnologies CEO...

Ekso Bionics

Brief Description

Since 2005, Ekso Bionics has used exoskeleton technology to enhance natural abilities and improve quality of life. The exoskeleton industry leader, offering technologies that help those with paralysis to stand up and walk, enhancing worker capabilities globally, and providing research for the advancement of R&D projects intended to benefit U.S. defense capabilities.

Formerly known as Berkeley Bionics and Berkeley Exotech.

Timeline 2005. Company founded 2014. The company acquired PN Med Group Inc. through a reverse merger,...