Techstars Columbus and Ohio State announce new spring cohort
10 new startups join program for research and entrepreneurial support
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The Ohio State University |
New wearable technology that prevents disorientation for pilots and astronauts, AI-powered productivity software and wastewater treatment monitoring are some of the ideas behind the new spring 2025 cohort of startups supported by Techstars Columbus Powered by The Ohio State University.
Techstars Columbus is entering its second year with 10 new founders. The program combines the university’s research and entrepreneurial expertise with Techstars’ accelerator model, which has supported the growth of thousands of companies worldwide.
“We are excited to continue to build on the momentum of the past year as we bring this next cohort of ventures to campus to focus on addressing high impact opportunities,” said Executive Director of Ohio State’s Center of Software Innovation Shereen Agrawal.
The new startups will join 24 Techstars Columbus alumni companies using AI and other novel software innovations to improve people’s lives, enhance business operations and make it easier to access technologies.
“The next class has landed in Columbus and we’re so excited to share them. Once again, these companies represent a wide spectrum of founders, products and geographies, united in their missions to address key issues in the world around us,” said Tim Grace, managing director of Techstars Columbus. “Ohio is well-represented in this cohort as this ecosystem continues to produce a high density of innovations in critical sectors like health care and fintech.”
Techstars Columbus helps support founders with access to hundreds of mentors and community members who counsel and open doors for them.
The partnership with Ohio State’s Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge and the Center for Software Innovation plays a critical role in these companies’ growth, with several of them finding early customers and partners with Ohio State units, including the Wexner Medical Center, Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME), and university athletics.
The spring 2025 cohort is developing novel products ranging from technologies that combat vertigo and assist the visually impaired to AI applications in voice authentication and fashion.
The Spring 2025 Techstars Columbus class includes:
Avionova (Columbus) – Developing wearable technology that prevents spatial disorientation for pilots, astronauts and people with balance disorders.
Fovionics (Miami, Florida) – Offering the world’s first hands-free and affordable technology for the visually impaired.
Generation Environment (Gen E) (New York) – Supporting moving money from people to planet through micro-philanthropy.
Nyad (Birmingham, Alabama) – Developing a microbiology co-pilot for wastewater operators.
OfSpectrum (Los Angeles) – Creating an AI platform for protecting voices from deepfake manipulation.
Okkanti (Madison, Wisconsin) – A whole-health pregnancy-care platform expanding opportunities for caregivers and expectant families to thrive.
Pull To Refresh (San Francisco) – Accelerating carbon sequestration by sinking seaweed at scale.
RYN (Cincinnati) – Developing an AI fashion engine that reduces the stress of getting dressed.
smallTalk (Cleveland) – A first medical device that improves brain development in preterm infants.
Sonnet (Columbus) – AI-native productivity software for professionals in regulated industries.
