Optimized Foods' Ruihong Zhang, a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and Minami Ogawa, a graduate student in the Department of Food Science, are creating nutritious, sustainable foods, starting with cultured caviar.

During the 2021-22 fiscal year, 13 startups executed agreements to access foundational intellectual property and commercialize new technologies developed at the University of California, Davis. “The bold pursuit of novel solutions through research at UC Davis often results in new technologies and services aligned with a commercial pathway for impact,” said Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor for research at UC Davis. The University of California system of campuses ranks first in the world for the number of U.S. utility patents according to a recent report from the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.

Venture Catalyst is Hiring!

The Program Analyst position is responsible for implementing specific projects and providing analytical, administrative and project oversight for efficient operations of the unit. Applications are open until October 6, 2022. 

ViVita Technologies Awarded $1.5M NIH Grant to Translate Biomaterials with Blueprints for Regeneration

ViVita Technologies, Inc., a life science startup developing bioactive biomaterials for tissue and organ regeneration, has been awarded a $1.5 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This funding enables CEO and Venture Catalyst START™ participant, Dr. Maelene Wong, to pursue the final characterization and evaluation of the BARE (Biocompatible and Regenerative Extracellular Matrix) Patch™ product towards FDA 510(k) clearance. Currently, biological heart valve replacements are animal-derived and are far from ideal due to their limited longevity. However, "a replacement valve engineered from BARE Patch™ will be able to function like a normal heart valve immediately upon implantation due to the robust animal tissue scaffold. Over time, it will be replaced with the patient's cells and patient's scaffold, integrating with the surrounding tissues and turning over into the patient's own tissue," explains Dr. Wong. 

Eco-Minded Aggie Entrepreneur Builds

a ‘Closet in the Cloud’

An economics major with a passion for fashion, Jae Allen conceived a plan to help people declutter their closets and to keep unwanted outfits out of landfills. Before graduating last June, Allen found his way to the UC Davis Student Startup Center, where as the center’s first entrepreneur-in-residence, he is preparing to launch his company, Ouros. The “closet in the cloud” will offer clothing pickup, storage and delivery for a monthly or yearly fee and allow subscribers to browse their wardrobe from their phone. “So you can go on the app, look at your virtual closet and say, ‘Hey, I don’t want these items anymore. I would like to donate them to this local nonprofit.’ And we handle the logistical challenges. The same thing would go for resale and recycling,” Allen said. “We hope to build a more circular apparel ecosystem.”

JAPA Wins Startup World Cup Sacramento

Over 50 startups applied to the Startup World Cup Sacramento Regional Competition and the 10 finalists pitched their ventures before judges on August 30, 2022. The voting was close but in the end, JAPA won in a field of innovative and promising startups and will represent the Sacramento region at the Startup World Cup Semifinals and Grand Finale in San Francisco, September 28-30.

JAPA (which stands for Just A Parking App) is a platform that transforms parking lots into SMART parking lots. The platform consists of a proprietary hardware and software and has already been deployed to several California campuses. Through the app, a user can browse and see available parking using real time data.  

ARIZ Precision Medicine Named One of the Top Five Nanotechnology Startups Impacting the Pharma Sector

ARIZ Precision Medicine has been named one of the top five startups and emerging companies developing impactful solutions in the pharma sector with nanotechnology. ARIZ's novel approach to targeting PRDM oncogenes combines biological technologies and nanotech to design small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNA) that target cancer cells but do not harm healthy cells. The solution binds polyethylene glycol (PEG) to nanoparticles to protect the drug and deliver it at precise locations in cancerous tissues. ARIZ was also recently announced as a finalist in the Sacramento Region Innovation Awards, which will take place on November 1, 2022. Each year the awards recognize unique and impactful companies and projects developed in the area. 

UC Davis Receives Accolades as Top 10 Public University

UC Davis continues to stand among the nation’s top 10 public universities and now claims the No. 1 spot in biological and agricultural engineering in rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The 2022-23 edition of “Best Colleges,” released earlier this month has UC Davis tied with the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Wisconsin-Madison for No. 10 among public universities and No. 38 overall among national universities.

Funding Opportunities

VentureWell E-Teams Grant Program

Students: Advance your invention with up to $25K! Application Deadline: October 5, 2022

CITRIS Core Seed Funding

$40-60K to pursue your research! Application Deadline: October 10, 2022

Spark Venture Competition 2022

Have an early-stage for-profit startup or social impact venture in the Greater Sacramento Region? $20K in prizes to be claimed! Application Deadline: October 21, 2022, 11:59 PM (PDT)

Breakthrough Energy Fellowship and Explorer Grants

Working to develop, scale, and commercialize technologies with the ability to drastically reduce carbon emissions? Apply now for grants and fellowships from $250K-$3M! 

IndieBio Accelerator

Multi-stage investment to support big ideas. #1 in early stage biotech! Currently accepting applications

Open SBIR/STTR Grant Topics

Federal Research/Research & Development with the potential for commercialization. Learn More

Educational Opportunities

Podcast: Stomping Out the Entrepreneur Mental Health Stigma with Brad Feld

The Techstars co-founder and managing partner of Foundry Group describes his experiences with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and their impact on him personally as well as professionally. Listen Here.

GSM WiLBA: Women in Entrepreneurship Panel

Join GSM's Women in Leadership Club Bay Area for a discussion about their journey and what advice they have for future entrepreneurs. Date: October 3, 2022, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (PDT) (Zoom)

Student Involvement Fair 2022

Come see 200+ student organizations and campus departments who are there to let the campus community know who they are and what they have to offer. Date: October 4, 2022

UC Davis Think. Do. Discover. Speaker Series

A conversation with democracy entrepreneur Yordanos Eyoel, founder and CEO of Keseb.

Date: October 4, 2022, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM (PDT) (Zoom) 

Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competition

Start your entrepreneurial journey today! This is an entry-level competition; no prior business experience needed to participate. Registration open from October 18 - November 7, 2022

Fall 2022 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Academy

Students across all majors and disciplines are welcome to apply for this full-day immersion into innovation and entrepreneurship! Application deadline: October 19, 2022, 5:00 PM (PDT)

Regional Educational Events

Startup Happy Hour - Fall Social

Mingle with other entrepreneurs and startup founders in a purely social atmosphere. Register here.

Date: September 29, 2022

CleanStart Perspectives: The Story and the Pitch

Join us as we chat with Josh "JDM" Miller, founder of The Right Box, about improving your startup investor pitch through storytelling. Date: October 4, 2022, 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM (PDT) (Zoom)

growTECH Fest 2022

The largest and only entrepreneurial tech conference you'll find in the Nor Cal region focused on start-ups, technology, innovation & more! Register here. Date: October 5-6, 2022

CSU Demo Day

If you are, or have been, a part of the CSU community in any way and have a startup business, then don't miss your chance to pitch directly to investors! Apply now. Date: October 7, 2022

1 Million Cups

Present your early stage company to your peers. Or just grab a coffee and listen.

Date: Every Wednesday

AgStart Office Hours

Expert mentors to help your business. Sign-up now. Date: Ongoing

Sacramento State Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Events and Workshops

Learn More. Date: Ongoing

Small Business Development Center Workshops

Learn More. Date: Ongoing 

Silicon Valley USPTO Workshops

Check out the US Patent and Trademark Office's West Coast region events. Date: Ongoing

California Life Sciences Institute FAST Advisory Program

Get the coaching you need to perfect your business model. Apply now. Date: Ongoing

Bay Area NSF Innovation Corps Immersive Short Course

Join the weeklong immersive course for university researchers and early stage startup founders. Apply now. Date: Ongoing

About Venture Catalyst 

UC Davis Venture Catalyst supports the development of new ventures fueled by university research and technology. Venture Catalyst offers several innovative programs that bridge the gap between early-stage research and commercialization and provide entrepreneurs the resources, support, and connections needed to successfully form and grow technology-based startups. With a focus on accelerating technology-led economic development in the Davis-Sacramento region, Venture Catalyst also works closely with partners in the regional innovation and economic development ecosystems. 

Contact Venture Catalyst 

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