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2023 Most Fundable Companies

The Winners

Congratulations to the 2023 Pepperdine Graziadio Most Fundable Companies! In our sixth year, more than 3,000 early-stage US startups from across all 50 states vied for a space on the list. All 17 winners are worthy of serious investor consideration based on several company variables including financial projections, market opportunity, intellectual property, competitive advantage, and management-team expertise. Company highlights are included in the event stream replay and in the list winner profiles below.

 


Platinum


 

AGED (Active Genomes Expressed) Diagnostics Corp. logo

platinum trophy icon

AGED (Active Genomes Expressed) Diagnostics Corp.

Industry: Biotechnology
Location: Bethesda, MD
Founders: Rachel Zayas
Website: ageddiagnostics.com
About: AGED Diagnostics is developing the first accurate blood test for fatty liver disease to aid in early detection, intervention, and improved outcomes.


 

Valqari, LLC logo

platinum trophy icon

Valqari, LLC

Industry: Drone Software Technology
Location: Lombard, IL
Founders: Ryan Walsh
Website: valqari.com
About: Valqari leads the drone delivery revolution with our secure, fully automated, end-to-end solution. Powered by AI-enabled, agnostic software, offering customization and scaling for advanced capabilities.


 

ViCardia Therapeutics, Inc. logo

platinum trophy icon

ViCardia Therapeutics, Inc.

Industry: Biotechnology
Location: San Francisco, CA
Founders: Michael Kokesh, Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz, Dr. Thilo Bayrhoffer, John Callaghan
Website: vicardia.com
About: ViCardia's GP-531 is a first-in-class treatment for acute heart failure, the cardiovascular epidemic of the 21st century. GP-531 improves healthspan to achieve optimal lifespan.

 


Gold


 

AllSides Technologies, Inc. logo

gold star icon

AllSides Technologies, Inc.Fan Favorite

Industry: Software Technology
Location: San Francisco, CA
Founders: John Gable, Joan Blades, Scott McDonald
Website: allsides.com
About: AllSides combats a global crisis of credibility by addressing media bias, misinformation, and social divides, reviving news media, schools, workplaces, organizations, and democratic societies worldwide.


 

Franklin Junction, Inc. logo

gold star icon

Franklin Junction, Inc.

Industry: Software Technology
Location: Atlanta, GA
Founders: Rishi Nigam
Website: franklinjunction.com
About: Franklin Junction is a unified eCommerce technology platform for restaurants that allows them to unlock high-margin incremental revenue in less than 30 days.


 

Making Space (Zetta, Inc.) logo

gold star icon

Making Space (Making Space Work, Inc.)

Industry: Software Technology
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Founders: Keely Cat-Wells
Website: making-space.com
About: Making Space is a talent acquisition and learning experience platform that offers accessible education, prequalifies talent, and helps companies access underrepresented talent with data-driven profiles.


 

NuvOx Pharma, LLC logo

gold star icon

NuvOx Pharma, LLC

Industry: Biotechnology
Location: Tucson, AZ
Founders: Evan Unger, Jennifer Johnson
Website: nuvoxpharma.com
About: Hypoxia, lack of oxygen, causes death and morbidity. Following simple IV injection, NanO2TM safely restores oxygen levels. NuvOx Pharma has advanced clinical trials leveraging non-dilutive funding.


 

SeeMedX, Inc. logo

gold star icon

SeeMedX, Inc.

Industry: Medical Technology
Location: Sacramento, CA
Founders: Deborah Simpson, Dr. Kevin Ferguson, Dr. Marc O'Griofa
Website: seemedx.com
About: SeeMedX's technology can detect heart failure 72 hours in advance. We replace dangerous and expensive surgeries with a safe five-minute noninvasive scan.

 


Silver


 

Alyve Medical, Inc. logo

silver star icon

Alyve Medical, Inc.

Industry: Biotechnology
Location: Denver, CO
Founders: Yvonne Bokelman, Matteo Mantovani, John Winslow
Website: alyvemedical.com
About: Alyve Medical's pioneering technologies are transforming musculoskeletal care and rehabilitation using advanced sensors, proprietary algorithms, and biofeedback, revolutionizing treatment for optimal motion and outcomes.


 

Data Safeguard, Inc. logo

silver star icon

Data Safeguard, Inc.Fan Favorite

Industry: Software Technology
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Founders: Sudhir Sahu
Website: datasafeguard.ai
About: Data Safeguard helps enterprises meet data privacy compliance and prevent synthetic fraud financial losses.


 

iCover, LLC logo

silver star icon

iCover, LLC

Industry: Software Technology
Location: Chesterfield, MO
Founders: Hari Srinivasan, Nicole Mwesigwa
Website: icoverinsure.com
About: iCover has created the best life insurance buying experience by designing the fastest e-app in the market powered by AI and algorithmic underwriting.


 

Ready. Set. Food! (Prollergy Corp.) logo

silver star icon

Ready. Set. Food! (Prollergy Corp.)

Industry: Consumer Products
Location: Sherman Oaks, CA
Founders: Daniel Zakowski, Katie Marks-Cogan, Andrew Leitner
Website: readysetfood.com
About: Ready. Set. Food! has created a patented guided system to make it easy to follow food allergy prevention medical guidelines and give babies the best chance at a life free from food allergies.


 

RemotelyMe (Aretanium Executive Group, Inc.) logo

silver star icon

RemotelyMe (Aretanium Executive Group, Inc.)

Industry: Software Technology
Location: Chula Vista, CA
Founders: Bill Reed, Steve Doolittle, Tony Stewart
Website: remotelyme.com
About: RemotelyMe solves a $9T workforce problem with generative AI, visual neuroscience, and a ChatGPT LinkedIn app. RemotelyMe has a seasoned team, customers, revenue, and blue-chip CXO board advisors.

 


Bronze


 

Novuson Surgical, Inc. logo

bronze star icon

Novuson Surgical, Inc.

Industry: Biotechnology
Location: Bothell, WA
Founders: Stuart Mitchell
Website: novuson.com
About: Novuson is clearing the way for safer surgeries with the world's first Direct Therapeutic Ultrasound surgical instruments for minimally invasive, robotic, and other surgical specialties.


 

OneFul Health, Inc. logo

bronze star icon

OneFul Health, Inc.

Industry: Pharmaceuticals
Location: Durham, NC
Founders: Edison Hudson, Danny Barnes
Website: oneful.health
About: OneFul Health's patented robotics make personalized "polypills" combining from three to seven FDA-approved pharmaceuticals into a single capsule or packet matching a doctor’s prescriptions, optimized to your genomics.


 

Opus Medical Therapies, LLC logo

bronze star icon

Opus Medical Therapies, LLCFan Favorite

Industry: Biotechnology
Location: Smyrna, GA
Founders: Jaime Sarabia, Dr. Vivek Rajagopal, Yen Liao
Website: opus-medical.com
About: Opus Medical Therapies aims to develop a safe, simple, and novel transcatheter mitral and tricuspid valve replacement system.


 

WedFun, Inc. logo

bronze star icon

WedFun, Inc.

Industry: Media & E-commerce
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA
Founders: Marc Conneely, Patrick Whitfield, Simon Whitington
Website: wedfun.com
About: WedFun is a fashion- and beauty-led wedding planning platform and WedFun streaming channel uniquely combined in the same app by the team that built MTV.

 


 

Semi-Finalists

We also learned about some great companies that did not quite make our top 16, who we'd like to highlight as semi-finalists.

  • All Learners Network, Inc.
  • Cargo Chief, Inc.
  • Christmas House USA, Inc.
  • Concha Labs (Concha, Inc.)
  • DeepMedia (A I Anonymous, Inc.)
  • Delta Development Team, Inc.
  • Digital Fire Prevention, Inc.
  • DigitalWill & Trust (CircleIt, Inc.)
  • EMPEQ (Empower Equity, Inc.)
  • Enteligent, Inc.
  • Envio (Smart Skin Health, LLC)
  • Evolectric, Inc.
  • Fathomd, Inc.
  • GiftCrowd (Giftwith, Inc.)
  • Greener Process Systems, Inc.
  • IAMBIC, Inc.
  • Icarus RT, Inc.
  • InnovaRegi, LLC
  • LiVeritas Biosciences, Inc.
  • Merlin Search Technologies, Inc.
  • myBiometry (Biometry, Inc.)
  • National Adhesive (National Adhesive Distributors, Inc.)
  • NextStep Robotics, Inc.
  • Numurus, LLC
  • Open Sesame Media, Inc.
  • Ourco, Inc.
  • Popwhite, Inc.
  • Precient Technologies, LLC
  • PrivacyHawk, Inc.
  • Redline Fire Solutions, LLC
  • RentalEye, Inc.
  • Rif Care (Regenerative International Female, Inc.)
  • S-3 Research, LLC
  • Salus Scientific Corp.
  • SampleServe, Inc.
  • Skyrocket Tech, Inc.
  • Smart Cups, Inc.
  • SOAP Health (Soap, Inc.)
  • Sorting Robotics, Inc.
  • SunRay Scientific, Inc.
  • ValeVPN (Vale, Inc.)
  • Wearable Sensing, LLC
  • WellnessWits, Inc.

 


 


 

Sponsors

Our program relies on the support of many throughout the year. Thank you to the following organizations!

 


Title Sponsors


Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy Entrepreneurship logo


Contact: Ryan Groves, Head of Entrepreneurship

 


Legacy Sponsors



George and Reva Graziadio Foundation logo

 


Gold Sponsors



CFO Plans logo


Contact: Vivek Gutheti, Chief Growth Officer




Fidelity Investments logo


Contact: Jason Hammond, Vice President, Business Partner Manager




JPMorgan Securities logo


Contact: Ronald Munman, Managing Director, The Munman Group


Silver Sponsors



Astrella logo


Contact: Keith Newman, Head of Sales



Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship & the Law logo


Contact: David Feingold, Executive Director

Startup Mavericks logo

Contact: Garrett Gilbertson, Founding Partner


Resource Partners


 

Flying Point Industries logo


Contact: Gaurav Arora, Partner


Netcapital logo


Contact: Eric Cox, Head of West Coast Initiatives



Scherzer International logo


Contact: Jennifer Jackson, Managing Director



SoCal IP Law Group logo


Contact: Jonathan Pearce, Partner

Stubbs Alderton and Markiles logo

Contact: Len Lanzi, Managing Director, Preccelerator Program

 
 
 

In-Kind Premium


 

Business Rockstars logo


Contact: Steve Lehman, Chairman



CoFounders Lab logo

Keiretsu Forum SoCal logo

Contact: Connie Harrell, President


Pismo Ventures logo


Contact: JJ Richa, CEO

Stella logo



Contact: Silvia Mah, Chairwoman & Founder

Syndicate 708 logo

Contact: Margeaux Sullivan, Venture Partner

Tech Coast Angels logo


Contact: Lucas Pols, President

TiE  SoCal Angels logo


Contact: Ashish Saboo, President


In-Kind





Global Talent Builders logo




Connective logo




Crunchbase



Donna Griffit logo


Elevate My Brand logo



Evergreen Way Consulting logo

F6S logo

AWS Amazon Web Services logo


HubSpot logo



LAVA logo


Miller Law Partners logo



MOVE EYE MEDIA logo


Neutrino Donut logo



Onpoint Leadership logo


Pitch Genius logo



Scroobious logo


Spark xyz logo


StartupStarter logo

The Launch Box logo


V3nture Works logo

Wefunder logo


WeTransact.Live logo

 
 

 

Disclaimers: Pepperdine University, in its sole discretion, may choose not to publish a company for any reason it deems appropriate. The Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies List does not represent an offer to sell securities. It does not constitute investment advice, nor is it an endorsement of any particular product or service. Pepperdine University is not a broker-dealer and does not perform services provided by a broker-dealer, including but not limited to any financial or investment advising.