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During the 2020-21 fiscal year, nine startups executed agreements to access foundational intellectual property and commercialize new technologies developed at the University of California, 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 51�ԹϺ��� Davis translated into commercial applications that benefit our regional economy and society at large,” said Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor for research at 51�ԹϺ��� Davis. “Innovations from 51�ԹϺ��� 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 California 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 51�ԹϺ��� 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 51�ԹϺ��� 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.  
• MILO – Machine Intelligence Learning Optimizer – Co-founded by , professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the company has developed a  that provides a fully automated machine learning solution for many different research and business needs.  
• – This startup is dedicated to reimagining the art and science of plant breeding through the interplay of molecular breeding and quantitative genetics.
• VasoBio –  C��-founded by , professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, this  is developing a novel coating technology to functionalize vascular grafts that will provide resistance to thrombosis, infection and blood clotting.  

Fueling innovation and entrepreneurship 

In order to facilitate the successful translation of research into commercial practice, the 51�ԹϺ��� Davis Office of Research in 2013 launched , a unit within the Innovation and Technology Commercialization division. Venture Catalyst offers several  that bridge the gap between early-stage research and commercialization by enabling and supporting robust university startups and spin-outs. Over the past fiscal year Venture Catalyst assisted 24 new startups with 32 university-associated team members. Startups that Venture Catalyst has assisted through its range of programs raised approximately $223 million in funding during the 2020-21 fiscal year period. &�Բ�����;

Milestones for previous startups 

In the last 10 years, a total of 119 startups rose from the 51�ԹϺ��� Davis research community with support from Venture Catalyst. Approximately 73% are active today. &�Բ�����; 

• , a  biotechnology startup that enables patients to beat cancer while decreasing toxicity has been  a Direct-to-Phase-2 Small Business Innovation Research Grant by National Cancer Institute.  
• , a startup that uses machine learning to detect fraudulent cards, transactions and phones has been , a global technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet.
• , founded by , is dedicated to developing the next generation of products to establish, restore and maintain a healthy newborn gut microbiome. The company recently closed a round of that will enable them to improve the health of infants worldwide.