SUMMER 2022 HOTLIST
For introductions to any of these companies or for the password to access decks and videos, please contact:
Renaissance Venture Capital
[email protected] 734-997-8661
Additional data is available in the master Hotlist spreadsheet:
Renaissance semi-annually assembles the “Hotlist” – a listing of promising early-stage companies from around the midwest that anticipate raising venture capital in the next 12-18 months.
This group of around 50 high potential companies is curated from hundreds of recommendations made by Renaissance local partners (universities, incubators, accelerators, seed funds, angel networks, etc.).
Current Hotlist companies are shown below, sortable by sector and with embedded links where their pitch decks and short pitch videos may be viewed if available.
| Company Name | Primary Sector | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ripple Science | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | Ripple Science, a clinical trial technology company, is leading the digital transformation in clinical trials with a direct-to-patient software platform that was built by researchers for researchers. |
| 86 Repairs | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) | 86 Repairs is a subscription service that automates repairs and maintenance for restaurants and other commercial kitchens, providing data insights that have never existed in this massive industry. |
| Pocketnest | FinTech | Pocketnest (B2B2C & SaaS), provides comprehensive financial planning in a tech platform primarily targeting genX and millennials, identifying cross sell opportunities for our FI customers. |
| Alerje | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | Alerje has developed a proactive patient engagement adherence platform to improve the 220M lives worldwide that are impacted by food allergies. |
| Iaso Therapeutics | Healthcare - Biotech/Pharma | Iaso is a vaccine research and development company based on a new carrier protein mutant Qbeta. A wide range of antigens can be conjugated to the mQbeta including peptide, proteins, and sugars. |
| Andonix | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) | Andonix connects front-line workers with their teams, work, and machines to detect anomalies, increase yield, reduce scrap, lost days, and cost while improving workers' lives. |
| Deephow | Education Tech | Deephow is a Workforce Readiness Platform that empowers people to perform at their best by allowing them to quickly and easily capture know-how & access smart training videos via AI powered software. |
| Eebu Health | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | Eebu Health eliminates gaps in patient care through software that automates discovery and tracking patients that require follow-up. |
| Esperovax, Inc. | Healthcare - Biotech/Pharma | Esperovax has developed a novel oral mRNA vaccine platform based on its proprietary yeast technology that addresses the challenges and limitations of current injectable mRNA vaccines. |
| FlexTal | Marketing / Advertising / Sales | FlexTal is the #1 flexible talent matching platform. FlexTal matches organizations small and large with elite independent contractors for flexible hourly and project-based engagements. |
| GeneToBe | Healthcare - Biotech/Pharma | GeneToBe is a novel and improved modified CRISPR/Cas9 platform developing therapies for rare diseases. The technology improves precise gene-editing rates while reducing off-target errors. |
| Genomenon | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | Genomenon is an AI-driven genomics company that licenses life-saving genomic knowledge to pharma companies developing precision medicines targeting rare diseases and cancer. |
| HealthBridge Financial | FinTech | HealthBridge is a unique employee benefit that sits alongside a company’s health plan to help people manage their out-of-pocket healthcare costs with consolidated statements and easy payment options. |
| IndividuALLytics | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | IAQplus Helps Doctors Help More Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions Get Better Faster & Earn More with Patent-Pending AI Decision Support System with 10X Effectiveness and Accuracy Improvement. |
| MoxyTech | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | MoxyTech provides intelligent 3D software improving digital health solutions for reliable and unbiased pain outcomes. |
| Phenomics Health | Healthcare - Biotech/Pharma | Phenomics Health Inc. (PHI) is a platform bioinformatics-based precision medicine company providing pharmacological clinical treatment decision support products and services. |
| Wedge | OTHER (HR Technology) | Wedge is the modern recruiting platform. The one-way video screening solution helps companies make authentic connections with candidates – anytime, anywhere, any device. |
| BlastPoint | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) | BlastPoint is a CMU-founded startup that packages AI-driven, predictive customer intelligence models so that they can be used by teams new to advanced analytics. |
| NixCode | Education Tech | NixCode is an online SaaS company for tech startups that provides no-code tech educational courses and no-code app development software to build mobile apps. |
| Donatestock | FinTech | DonateStock makes charitable stock gifting easy and accessible for every investor and nonprofit. By making it fast, safe and free to donate stock, DonateStock is unlocking $100 billion in nonprofit funding |
| Drive My Way | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) - Recruiting | Drive My Way™ is a personalized recruiting marketplace powered by a platform that matches CDL truck drivers with jobs based on their qualifications and personal lifestyle preferences. |
| FIV Holdings | FinTech | FIV powers engines between the Insured’s, any distribution partner and those looking to sell their products. Helping insurance agencies to scale, add new risk products, and provide a modern, digital-first customer experience. |
| Functional Fluidics | Healthcare - Biotech/Pharma | Functional Fluidics is a technology-enabled diagnostics company commercializing the gold standard for assessment of red blood cell health. |
| BrandXR | Marketing / Advertising / Sales | BrandXR is a no-code Augmented Reality platform & award-winning XR creative studio. |
| Hush | Consumer Products | Hush is the comprehensive digital privacy service for families who are frustrated when trying to quickly find and eliminate their own data available to fraudsters, doxxers, stalkers, harassers. |
| INTECELLS | Advanced Manufacturing / Materials | An early-stage startup working to reduce battery cost and carbon footprint in battery production. Intecells is generating revenue from multiple customers with the first production expected in 2024. |
| M-Vision | Automotive / Mobility | M-Vision specializes in robotics and audio/vision sensing technologies for autonomous mobility. A University of Michigan spinoff based in Ann Arbor, M-Vision is an Army prize and SBIR contract winning technology company. |
| Speakfully | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) - HR/DEI Tech | Enables organizations to receive and manage anonymous reports and feedback about the workplace, while giving them real-time analytics to promote proactive action with data. |
| MetaVerseBooks | OTHER - Metaverse/Blockchain/NFTs | Access the Metaverse anywhere, anytime, on any device from a simple web domain, mobile app, or VR device to connect, share, and engage using NFTs. |
| Elroi Enterprise | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) | Elroi's data management tool to provide an easy solution to manage personal information data. Elroi is focused on shifting ownership of individuals' data, thereby creating innovative data management relationships between enterprises and users that influence social change and protect data. |
| Genusee | Consumer Products | Genusee is the first circular economy eyewear brand & manufacturer made in Flint, Michigan from recycled single-use plastic water bottles. |
| ShuffleME | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | ShuffleMe is an artificial intelligence software that utilizes biometrics for early detection & early intervention for therapists. Passive Internet analytics on patients for the treatment approach. |
| Ulendo | Advanced Manufacturing / Materials | Ulendo is a software services company focused on delivering advanced solutions for manufacturing automation. |
| Culturewell | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | Culturewell's cleanliness analytics platform saves healthcare administrators money by empowering them to make data-driven decisions on how to strategically deploy cleaning resources to prevent infections. |
| INHERET | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | INHERET provides an assessment of personal and family health histories against national guidelines for a personalized approach to cancer screenings and genetic testing. |
| Magsorbeo Biomedical | Healthcare - Medical Device | Magsorbeo is a medical device company that specializes in the design of temporary biomedical implants made from its proprietary bioabsorbable magnesium alloy (patent pending). |
| Marel Power Solutions | Advanced Manufacturing / Materials | MAREL’s power-stacks make power conversion over 10kW simpler, cheaper, lighter, smaller & scalable, for mobility, industrial, & renewables spaces, at 10x the power density of current systems. |
| Sparen Homes | Real Estate Services / PropTech | Sparen is a person-to-person real estate marketplace that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to digitize and automate real estate transactions. |
| STEL Technologies | Healthcare - Medical Device | STEL has developed tissue-engineered grafts that are fabricated in a proprietary, sterile, and automated system. |
| Automation Workz | Education Tech | Automation Workz provides certification training, personalized with a tech readiness assessment, to prepare front-liners for careers in cybersecurity, network engineering and programming. |
| CAPSolar Technologies Inc. | Automotive / Mobility | CAPSolar develops high-performance, flawlessly integrated solar modules into electric vehicles to significantly extend the range of EVs and power their daily travels. |
| Enspired Solutions | Advanced Manufacturing / Materials | Enspired Solutions is solving the global issue of PFAS contamination in water. A patented and EPA award-winning approach offers superior cost/performance value by completely destroying PFAS molecules. |
| PhotosynQ Inc. | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) | PhotosynQ helps plant scientists and farmers to make informed decisions on crop performance by providing instruments that track Photosynthesis efficiency, and actionable analytical tools for farming. |
| 17 Ways | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) | 17ways B2B SaaS makes it easy for purpose-driven enterprise buyers & suppliers to find each other and do business together, transparently demonstrating actions taken towards social & environmental impact. |
| Candoor | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) - HR Tech | Candoor is a web platform that leverages feedback and mentorship from in career professionals to develop, pre-screen, and hire diverse & underserved talent. |
| Hodos Health, LLC | Healthcare - Services or Health IT | Hodos is an AI SaaS EMR Plugin designed to increase Healthcare practice revenues by 25-30%, optimize operations and better patient outcomes. |
| Mouvit | Automotive / Mobility | Mouvit is a woman-owned tech company that provides a robotics platform for autonomous mobility services. The first application is a food and beverage vending bot for entertainment venues. |
| Great Lakes Biologics LLC | Healthcare - Biotech/Pharma | GLB is a startup CRDO specializing in the process development of active biologic product candidates used in pharmaceutical research and development under service contracts. |
| Kovina Therapeutics Inc | Healthcare - Biotech/Pharma | Kovina Therapeutics is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company developing first in class antiviral therapeutics to treat Human Papillomavirus (HPV) related premalignant infections and cancers. |
| FirstIgnite | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) | FirstIgnite, a Y Combinator backed startup, helps companies solve their toughest scientific problems by matching them with university experts for paid consultations. |
| OpenINSIGHTS | Information Technology (IOT, Enterprise, Internet) - Predictive Analytics | Growing revenue more than 540% in the last year, the OpenINSIGHTS platform delivers Customer Analytics and Predictive Insights for Retail and Direct-to-Consumer wholesale in their own tech cloud. |
| Uprising Food Inc | Consumer Products | Uprising Foods is a low carb superfood company disrupting the mass staple food system. Uprising has invented an all-in-one functional food bread that appeals to the modern diets and delivers medical grade health benefits. |
| HYVISTA | Automotive / Mobility | HYVISTA is partnering with UHaul and Roush, two great American companies, to "upcycle" end of life UHaul trucks into Overland Adventure Vehicles and sell direct to customers in the booming Overland market. |