Company Profile
Eighty Nine Robotics
Makers of Rook, a Wi-Fi enabled drone for the home or office
The Pitch
Eighty Nine Robotics is the maker of a Wi-Fi-enabled drone called “Rook,” designed to monitor your home or office from anywhere in the world. Developed by a team of students from Northwestern University, Rook can be controlled remotely--regardless of distance--by a smartphone application. The drone comes with a high-definition camera that streams video on your phone in real time. Its software will be run on the cloud to provide premium features like security analytics, alerts, and flight routines. The startup is also exploring additional features including voice-enabled commands, integration to smarthome suites, and custom enterprise solutions.
Traction
Eighty Nine Robotics received a $12,000 seed grant from Northwestern University’s startup incubator, The Garage, and was accepted into the Department of Homeland Security-backed EMERGE Accelerator for first responders. The company’s Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign went live on February 14 and surpassed its original $20,000 goal two days after launching. The Rook’s retail price is expected to be about $250 and will begin shipping in December.
Ephemeral
Developer of tattoo ink with a safe removal solution
The Pitch
New York University students are developing a removable tattoo ink with their startup, Ephemeral. The goal is to deliver high-quality ink that gives customers the option of safe, easy, and effective removal with a proprietary removal solution. The Ephemeral technology is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing tattoo equipment, so the application process remains unchanged. Ephemeral hopes to capture a share of the billion-dollar industry, in addition to potential consumers who might be more interested in tattoos if easy removal is an option. The startup is in the process of testing prototypes and expects to have a finalized product within 12 to 18 months. Ephemeral estimates that its ink and removal products will cost about $100 to $200, less than traditional laser-removal procedures that cost over $2,000 and can leave permanent skin damage.
Traction
Ephemeral completed the NYU Summer Launchpad Accelerator Program last year, and won the first-place prize of $75,000 in the technology venture category in NYU Stern’s Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation 200K Entrepreneurs Challenge. The startup was also featured at the Google I/O Extended NYU event and Columbia University's Future of Urban Innovation Startups conference.
Gradescope
Smart grading tool that lets professors grade everything online
The Pitch
Gradescope is a web-based smart grading tool developed by computer science doctoral students, former teaching assistants, and a professor from UC Berkeley. The startup aims to streamline the more tedious aspects of the grading process, allowing instructors to grade everything online (including paper-based assignments, which can be scanned) and enable data-driven education. Gradescope’s reusable scoring criteria are designed to improve consistency, promote transparency, and reduce time spent grading by half. The team also plans to roll out additional premium features, which would allow certain assignments to be graded in 10 percent of the time it currently requires.
Traction
The prerevenue startup completed UC Berkeley’s accelerator program SkyDeck, and has attracted more than $1 million in investment funding from angel investors and venture capital funds including K9 Ventures. The Gradescope software has been used to grade over five million questions in over 100 high schools, colleges, and universities. This semester, half of all Berkeley undergraduates are taking courses that use the online tool.
Local Roots
Maker of indoor farms that efficiently grow produce year-round
The Pitch
Local Roots designs, manufactures, and operates indoor farms that seek to grow organic produce year-round in an efficient manner. The student founders, who are focused on ecofriendly growing practices, have turned 40-foot shipping containers into scalable indoor farming systems. Using robotics, microbiology, and big data analytics, Local Roots says its containers have achieved higher production densities--up to 300 times higher per square foot--than conventional farms. The startup’s produce is grown without pesticides or herbicides and the containers use less water than traditional methods. A second version of the company’s farms, capable of growing the equivalent of five acres of outdoor produce, will launch this month. Local Roots is dedicated to providing affordable and sustainable produce while inspiring healthy lifestyles.
Traction
Local Roots has attracted over $1 million in seed funding from investors in the food service, commercial real estate, and traditional farming sectors. It currently sells its indoor-farm produce to TenderGreens, a fast-casual restaurant chain in Southern California, and also direct to consumers. It has set up pilot programs with other restaurants, retailers, and wholesalers, and eventually plans to work with national distributors.
Maidbot
Creators of Rosie the Robot for commercial cleaning
The Pitch
Maidbot plans to disrupt the hospitality industry with Rosie the Robot, a device that can be used for commercial cleaning. The robotics company, which is still in stealth mode, is run by business and engineering students and alumni from Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and Georgia Tech universities. The team created Rosie to help reduce costs, inefficiencies, and injury rates in commercial--and eventually residential--cleaning. The robot also gathers useful data to improve management productivity in scheduling and logistics. In the future, additional features like laundry-folding and bed-making will be added. Maidbot is receiving preorders for the robot, which is scheduled to be released in September.
Traction
Maidbot is establishing pilot programs in the hotel industry with companies including Marriott, Hilton, and Wyndham. The robotics startup has raised $500,000 in funding from angel investors and is currently trying to secure a $4 million round. It is part of the Ithaca-based REV Accelerator Program, and last summer completed the Life Changing Lab incubator program for Cornell students and alumni. Maidbot expects to have revenue by the third quarter of 2016.