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.
- Featuring Most Fundable Companies by category
- See all 2023 Semi-Finalist startups
- Special thanks to our event sponsors
Platinum
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
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.
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.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.
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 (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
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.
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.
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.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
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.)
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.)
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.
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.
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, 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.
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
Contact: Ryan Groves, Head of Entrepreneurship
Legacy Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Contact: Vivek Gutheti, Chief Growth Officer
Contact: Jason Hammond, Vice President, Business Partner Manager
Contact: Ronald Munman, Managing Director, The Munman Group
Silver Sponsors
Contact: Keith Newman, Head of Sales
Contact: David Feingold, Executive Director
Contact: Garrett Gilbertson, Founding Partner
Resource Partners
Contact: Gaurav Arora, Partner
Contact: Eric Cox, Head of West Coast Initiatives
Contact: Jennifer Jackson, Managing Director
Contact: Jonathan Pearce, Partner
Contact: Len Lanzi, Managing Director, Preccelerator Program
In-Kind Premium
Contact: Steve Lehman, Chairman
Contact: Connie Harrell, President
Contact: JJ Richa, CEO
Contact: Silvia Mah, Chairwoman & Founder
Contact: Margeaux Sullivan, Venture Partner
Contact: Lucas Pols, President
Contact: Ashish Saboo, President
In-Kind
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.