The Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI) is pleased to announce the startups selected to participate in our Accelerate UConn Propelus program, UConn’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps site. 

Each four-week Propelus program provides hands-on training in the fundamental components of new venture creation and is delivered by experienced entrepreneurs and NSF-trained instructors. Participants are provided with personalized coaching and feedback which will help them construct an evidence-based business model and market entry strategy. Participating teams receive a $1,500 customer discovery grant.

The following participants include:

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PillGuard
Zakir Hossain (Graduate Student, UConn ENG), Monsura Begum (Graduate Student, UConn ENG)
A smart, user-friendly system designed to simplify medication management for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. It combines a connected pillbox and a mobile app that automatically syncs prescriptions from doctors, organizes medication schedules, and provides real-time reminders via app notifications and visual alerts on the pillbox. The system tracks each dose, storing data securely in the cloud, allowing both patients and doctors to monitor adherence and adjust treatments as needed.

HypoAI
Safaet Hossain Sujan (Graduate Student, UConn CAHNR), Zakir Hossain (Graduate Student, UConn ENG)
A machine-learning platform where users will be able to detect hypothyroidism based on his/her hair or scalp images. This platform aims to solve the dependency on blood-based thyroid tests, long waiting times, and huge associated costs.

Turmerik
Ayushi Sinha (Alumni, Princeton University), Astha Sinha (Undergraduate Student, Vanderbilt University), Ragul Seetharaman (Graduate Student, Virginia Tech)
Building the AI infrastructure for clinical trials, starting with ML for patient recruitment, site selection, and protocol generation.

Lavan Beauty
Greta Johnson (Alumni, UConn CLAS)
A skincare product derived from knowledge on pharmaceutical compounding, holistic medicine, and organic ingredients.

Behavioral Change Techniques (BCT)
Stefanie Toise (Alumna of Clark University, PhD; Alumna of Yale School of Public Health, MPH; Alumna of Columbia Teacher's College-Certificate Advanced Program in Org Dev. and Human Resource Management), Derrick Duplessy
Technology uniquely addressing the shortage of effective virtual health behavioral programs for cardiovascular and cognitive disease management. Combining evidence-based human behavior research with AI-driven adaptability, the solution offers personalized online virtual programs and accessible care that overcomes common barriers like transportation, stigma, and time constraints.

Ordered Metal Organic Framework Polymer Membranes
Yang Qin (Faculty, UConn), Sebastian DiMauro (Graduate Student, UConn ENG)
A novel type of hybrid membranes that can separate gas molecules by their size differences, and such molecular sieving mechanism greatly enhances membrane performances and reduce operation cost. Industrial gas separations, including air separation, natural gas sweetening, carbon capture, and olefin paraffin separation, are conventionally accomplished through cryogenic distillation or sorption processes that are energy intensive and costly. Membrane technology has been widely accepted as an efficient and cost-effective means for gas separation, but existing polymer membranes have not reached performance standards required by industry. 

ShadeSnap
Brian Peng (Alumni, UConn), Shivam Patel (Alumni, UConn), John Toribio (Graduate Student, UConn CLAS)
On-demand tint-changing glasses, allowing a single pair of glasses to work as functional day-to-days and prescription sunglasses.

Codex Genie
Rakesh Balamurugan (Graduate Student, UConn ENG)
A hybrid AI tool that can work with large code repositories by automating several key tasks. It analyzes code to generate interactive flowcharts, showing how functions interact across different files and suggesting updates for outdated libraries. Additionally, it automates the creation of documentation, helping developers understand code faster, and offering codebase-aware code completion, allowing for accurate and relevant code suggestions based on the specific project.

Swimming Machine
Aaron Smith (Alumni, UConn), Chris Carafeno (Undergraduate Student, UConn ENG)
A swimming machine used to determine air consumption underwater in fast moving currents, with a potential benefit for cardio health research.

Format matching source image generator for 2D-3D convertible display
Xin Shen (Faculty, University of Hartford)
An algorithm designed to facilitate the conversion of image sources between conventional 2D displays and advanced light field 3D optical display devices. Using an optical model and image processing techniques, this technology can generate multi-perspective images for lenslet based light field optical displays for provide real 3D image in free space without need of special viewing glasses. The conversion process is intended to be real-time, enabling not only 2D-to-3D conversion but also adapting to different 3D display device specifications.

Middleman
Emmanuel Adelani (Alumni, UConn), Keondre Lucas (CCSU)
A website/app that acts as a neutral third-party for managing casual wagers between friends. It ensures fairness by securely holding the wagered funds in escrow until both parties confirm the bet’s outcome. The platform provides optional insurance for long-term bets and features a streamlined dispute resolution process. If the participants cannot reach an agreement, the funds are refunded, with a small fee applied.

BioPathwayPro
Ihab Ismail
A platform to connect high school students with valuable academic research internships in biotechnology. The app provides students with tailored information on available opportunities, making it easier to find internships that align with their interests and aspirations. By helping students explore research experiences early on, it empowers innovators to take their first steps toward careers in STEM fields.

Klorah
Elvin Atwine (Undergraduate Student, UConn BUS), Joseph Garcia (Undergraduate Student, UConn CLAS)
A client invoicing and client agreement generation app (web, ios, android) for freelancers. It aims to be an approach at bringing traditional job perks like retirement and investing from fractions of each successful transaction. It handles transactions and client agreements written using AI.

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Our team of knowledgeable program instructors this cohort includes Claire Zick, Leland Holcomb, and Tony Frontera.

In 2024, UConn joined The NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps^TM) Northeast Hub. The hub is part of a nationwide NSF-funded network of universities formed to accelerate the economic impact of federally funded research – delivering benefits in health care, the environment, technology and other areas – while building skills and opportunities among researchers from all backgrounds, including those historically underrepresented in entrepreneurship.

Learn more about the hub at icorpsnortheasthub.org, or visit our program page at ccei.uconn.edu/accelerate-uconn.

For inquiries about Accelerate UConn, email alycia.chrosniak@uconn.edu.