May. 12, 2026
Developed through Georgia Tech research and supported by the Institute’s commercialization ecosystem, Kinemo is helping people with limited mobility regain independence through wearable assistive technology. The startup, founded by researchers from the Inan Research Lab, collaborated with Shepherd Center clinicians and patients to refine the technology and expand accessibility for users navigating life with spinal cord injuries and mobility limitations.
May. 21, 2026
The Office of Technology Licensing has announced the latest recipients of the Tech Ready Grants, an initiative that helps Georgia Tech faculty advance their innovations toward market readiness. Providing early momentum for promising technologies, the grants help move research toward real-world impact.
“Tech Ready Grants are designed to help researchers take critical steps toward commercialization by supporting early validation and development,” said Mary Albertson, director of Technology Licensing. “These projects represent strong potential for real-world impact across a range of industries.”
This year’s selected projects span areas including advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, medical devices, sustainability, and software systems.
Awardees
Christos Athanasiou
Assistant Professor, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering
Project: A Scalable In-Situ Durability Platform for Rapid Polymer Qualification
Athanasiou is developing a platform to assess material durability under real-world conditions, helping accelerate validation timelines for high-performance applications.
“What began as a lab-based fracture testing instrument became a way to observe failure under real conditions,” Athanasiou said. “Now, we are working to share that capability beyond a single lab.”
Steve Diggle
Professor, School of Biological Sciences
Project: TAILSTRIKE Platform: Modular Chimeric Tailocin Engineering for Programmable Precision Antibacterials
Diggle is developing a programmable antibacterial platform using engineered protein nanomachines to precisely target harmful bacteria. The approach aims to address antibiotic resistance while enabling more targeted therapeutic applications.
“This grant will support the development of the TAILSTRIKE platform, a modular engineering system that repurposes protein nanomachines which bacteria use in warfare against each other, to create next-generation programmable, precision antibacterials,” Diggle said.
Ellen Yi Chen Mazumdar
Assistant Professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Project: High-Efficiency, Fully 3D-Printed Electric Motors
Mazumdar is developing fully 3D-printed electric motors designed for high efficiency and flexible manufacturing across a range of applications.
“The Tech Ready Grant is an exciting opportunity for us to advance our research toward something that can be commercialized as a real product,” Mazumdar said.
Nathan Meraz
Research Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Project: SCHORTY Technical Document and Market Analysis
Meraz is advancing Scheimpflug Optical Ranging Technology (SCHORTY), a platform that delivers LiDAR-class 3D sensing in a camera-native form factor. The project focuses on identifying high-value commercial applications and validating market opportunities.
“Our platform delivers performance that scales with advances in imaging technology,” Meraz said. “The Tech Ready Grant will support the transition from technical validation to market discovery.”
Carson Meredith
Professor and James Preston Harris Faculty Fellow, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Executive Director, Renewable Bioproducts Institute
Project: Commercialization of Renewable Oxygen and Water Barrier Biodegradable Packaging
Meredith is advancing biodegradable packaging materials that provide strong oxygen and moisture barriers, addressing a key challenge in sustainable packaging.
“My lab carries out research in future packaging materials that can replace problematic single-use plastics,” Meredith said. “This funding will help us translate Georgia Tech developments into practice through prototyping and applied testing.”
William Singhose
Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Project: Cable Angle Sensing and Control for Improved Crane Safety
Singhose’s team is advancing sensing and control technologies to improve crane safety by monitoring and stabilizing cable angles in real time. The work aims to reduce load swing and enhance operational safety across construction and industrial environments.
“The cable-angle sensing technology we have developed allows crane control systems to detect the early onset of dangerous lifting conditions,” Singhose said. “By identifying when a hoisting cable begins to deviate from vertical, we can take corrective action before uncontrolled swing leads to serious injury or damage.”
Xiaojuan “Judy” Song
Senior Research Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Project: Smart Dressing for Wound Monitoring
Song is advancing a wearable smart dressing that enables continuous, on-patient monitoring of wound healing progress without disturbing the site. The technology is designed for use in chronic wound care, including diabetic foot ulcers and battlefield applications.
“Tech Ready funding will help advance the technology toward real-world application and define a commercialization pathway,” Song said.
Shuichi Takayama
Professor, GRA Eminent Scholar, and Price Gilbert Jr. Chair in Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
Project: Organoid Alternative to Interstitial Lung Disease Toxicity Testing
Takayama’s team is using lab-grown human lung tissue models to evaluate drug toxicity, offering a more accurate and scalable alternative to traditional primate models.
“This system fills a critical gap where species differences limit the use of traditional models,” Takayama said.
Jun Xu
Professor, School of Computer Science
Project: Research Into Applications and API for METTLE
Xu is advancing METTLE, a novel streaming erasure code designed for high-speed networking systems, with a focus on improving data reliability and efficiency.
“This funding will support the commercialization readiness of METTLE,” Xu said.
About Tech Ready Grants
Tech Ready Grants is an Office of Technology Licensing program that provides early-stage funding to faculty to support prototype development, validation, and market assessment. The program helps position technologies for licensing, startup formation, and industry partnerships.
By supporting these critical early steps, Tech Ready Grants strengthens the pathway from research to real-world impact across Georgia Tech’s innovation ecosystem.
News Contact
Lacey Cameron
lcameron30@gatech.edu
May. 11, 2026
The idea behind VETTEX began with a problem Mike Pullen remembered from his own days playing football: Arm sleeves protected players from turf burns, but they could also make the ball harder to secure. As a high school receiver, Pullen saw firsthand how athletes were often forced to choose between protection and performance.
Years later, while studying biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech, that problem resurfaced in an unexpected place: a classroom.
Pullen was enrolled in Materials Science and Engineering of Sports, a course taught by materials researcher Jud Ready, that explored how engineering principles and materials influence athletic performance. For the course Capstone project, students were challenged to design a novel, rules-compliant piece of sports equipment.
Pullen immediately returned to the problem he had experienced on the field.
Working with his co-founder, Mat Quon, another Georgia Tech biomedical engineering student, he began developing a grip-enhancing arm sleeve designed to help football players maintain ball security while still protecting their arms from turf abrasion.
At the time, starting a company wasn’t on his radar.
“I had absolutely no desire to ever be an entrepreneur,” said Pullen, founder of VETTEX and a 2020 Georgia Tech graduate. “I kind of just fell backwards into it.”
Encouraged by Ready to continue developing the concept beyond the classroom, Pullen and Quon began exploring whether the idea could extend beyond a class project. That encouragement led them to CREATE-X, a Georgia Tech program that helps students launch startups through its accelerator, Startup Launch.
Building the Company Through CREATE-X
For Pullen, CREATE-X became the entry point to build a company and learn how to operate as a founder. “CREATE-X opened the door to just being an entrepreneur in general,” he said. “It gave us the foundation and support to actually figure out how to build something real.”
Through the program, Pullen and Quon received hands-on support in business strategy, customer discovery, fundraising, and pitch development. CREATE-X also connected them with mentors, coaches, and investors who helped them begin transforming their class project into a viable business.
“It’s not like they give you a couple of PowerPoint presentations and send you on your way,” Pullen said. “It’s true hands-on coaching and assistance, which is immensely valuable.”
In the years after CREATE-X, the team focused on refining the product, securing manufacturing partners, and getting the equipment into athletes’ hands for feedback. In 2021, the company raised its first round of funding, supported largely through connections within the Georgia Tech ecosystem, including an investment from GTF Ventures and various alumni funding.
Scaling Through ATDC
As the company entered this next phase of growth, Pullen was introduced to the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Georgia Tech’s statewide startup accelerator.
Pullen said ATDC became a natural continuation of the support system he first experienced through CREATE-X. “ATDC has been a really valuable support system for us as we’ve continued to grow. They’ve helped us refine our approach, strengthen how we present the business, and connect with the right partners.”
Through ATDC, VETTEX has received support to refine investor materials, review company financials, and build connections with industry partners and potential investors.
Expanding the Vision
Originally launched as LZRD Tech, the company began with a football-specific product. Over time, however, Pullen and his team saw an opportunity to expand beyond a single sport.
The company recently rebranded as VETTEX, reflecting a broader pivot into sports and technology applications, including a partnership with Markwort Sporting Goods, a company with Georgia Tech alumni ties. Today, VETTEX is expanding into baseball and basketball while continuing to explore how advanced materials and product design can improve performance, protection, and recovery for athletes.
Looking Ahead
One of the most valuable aspects of Georgia Tech’s commercialization ecosystem for Pullen has been the long-term support it provides founders. Years after first entering CREATE-X, he still sees both CREATE-X and ATDC as active parts of the company’s journey.
“CREATE-X doesn’t just spit you out into the world,” Pullen said. “They’re always there to help you. Same thing with ATDC.”
Through Georgia Tech’s broader entrepreneurship ecosystem, startups like VETTEX demonstrate how ideas that begin in the classroom can grow through mentorship, funding, and community support as they move toward commercialization.
The experience has reshaped how Pullen thinks about taking risks and building something of his own. “I’d always wonder what would have happened if I didn’t try,” he said.
Years later, that decision continues to shape the company’s growth.
News Contact
Lacey Cameron
lcameron30@gatech.edu
May. 01, 2026
A global media outlet is spotlighting the success of two software companies founded by faculty and alumni of Georgia Tech's College of Computing (GT Computing).
This week, Time Magazine named CrowdStrike and Pindrop Security among the 10 Most Influential Software Companies of 2026.
CrowdStrike and Pindrop appear on TIME’s new list alongside some of the world’s best-known computing companies, including Adobe, Microsoft, and Palantir. Released on April 27 as part of the outlet’s TIME100 Companies: Industry Leaders series, this recognition underscores their rising influence.
“It’s exciting to see that two out of the ten companies on this list were founded by alumni and faculty from the College of Computing. We are bursting with pride,” said Vivek Sarkar, John P. Imlay Jr. Dean of Computing. “This recognition reflects the strength of our academic and research programs, as well as the impact of our commitment to fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.
"It also highlights how we are empowering our students and faculty to translate bold, innovative ideas into successful ventures. Looking ahead, we will further integrate entrepreneurial thinking with the computational and AI foundations embedded throughout our curriculum.”
Their inclusion on TIME’s list this year is especially notable because both CrowdStrike and Pindrop address the growing cybersecurity threat landscape, including deepfakes.
[RELATED: USNWR Ranks GT Computing No. 2 for Undergraduate Cybersecurity]
GT Computing alumnus Vijay Balasubramaniyan (PhD CS 2011) co-founded Pindrop in 2011 with his doctoral advisor, Mustaque Ahamad, and Georgia Tech alumnus Paul Judge (PhD CS 2002). It commercialized his doctoral research to help call centers determine whether callers are legitimate.
The company has also developed a deepfake protection product and recently raised $100 million in capital funding to expand its deepfake video detection business. During this expansion, the company developed Pindrop Pulse, which TIME named one of the Best Inventions of 2025.
“Identity, consent, and accountability are society’s contracts. Deepfakes erode all three,” Balasubramaniyan told TIME.
Pindrop technology can confirm participants' identities in audio/video conference calls within a few seconds.
“Vijay’s Ph.D. research was of the highest quality, and the Pindrop paper was published in one of the top-tier security conferences,” said Ahamad, Regents' Entrepreneur and interim chair of the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy.
“However, because of his work experience before coming to Georgia Tech, he also focused on the real-world relevance of his research, which led to the launch of Pindrop Security. He is a great example of impactful research that students conduct in our laboratories.”
Like Pindrop, CrowdStrike was founded to counter emerging digital threats and has evolved to combat growing AI-powered security challenges. Dmitri Alperovitch (CS 2001, MS InfoSec 2003) co-founded the company and served as chief technology officer at its 2012 launch.
Alperovitch, recently inducted into the College of Computing Hall of Fame, played a pivotal role in securing more than $150 million in capital investments for the company, helping pave the way for CrowdStrike to become one of the world’s leading cybersecurity companies. In fact, its client list includes nearly 60% of Fortune 500 companies.
“What appealed to me in cybersecurity is that you are never really done,” Alperovitch said during a recent campus fireside chat with students.
“As long as there are human beings out there that want to do you harm, there are always security problems to solve.”
Asked about the founding of CrowdStrike, Alperovitch described investigating a 2010 breach at Google by a nation-state actor as a pivotal moment for him.
“The industry refused to acknowledge this was a widespread problem, and that realization led me to start CrowdStrike,” he said. “You no longer just have to be better than your competitors. You must stay proactive and vigilant.”
Alperovitch is the co-founder and chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator and the bestselling author of World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century.
News Contact
Ben Snedeker
Sr. Communications Manager
Georgia Tech College of Computing
albert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu
Apr. 30, 2026
You don’t need an idea to begin. You don’t need a co‑founder, a pitch deck, or a perfect plan. What you need is curiosity, a willingness to talk to real people, and a place where it’s safe to learn by doing. That’s exactly what CREATE‑X Startup Lab delivers.
Omar Garcia Urdiales, CREATE‑X’s associate director of Learn, brings a global entrepreneurial experience to Georgia Tech: founder and CEO of a startup operating in the AWS Accelerator Loft, longtime startup coach in Europe’s major innovation hubs, lecturer across multiple universities, and an external doctoral researcher in entrepreneurship and digitalization. He brings this background to his teaching of Startup Lab’s latest iteration – a significant redesign developed by VentureLab’s Director Keith McGreggor. McGreggor created the course and has evolved it over many years, building on its initial success.
“This new iteration of Startup Lab allows us to meet students exactly where they are,” said McGreggor. “By doing this, we give them the strongest foundation possible, providing them with the tools to grapple with uncertainty and build their confidence.”
Startup Lab has long anchored the Institute’s entrepreneurial pathway with clearer structure, a unified language, and a deeper focus on reflective growth, so more Georgia Tech students can discover (and trust) their own entrepreneurial judgment.
Startup Lab is expanding responsibly, with six sections in Atlanta and additional global sections in France and Asia-Pacific taught by faculty trained in the curriculum. Students here benefit from a program that’s learning across borders and bringing that learning back to campus.
“Startup Lab is not about becoming an entrepreneur, but about engaging in the unknown and adopting entrepreneurial behavior, which can be applied to all career paths,” Urdiales said. “Students become better equipped to identify problem spaces and solve them through evidence-based building.”
Start Where You Are
Urdiales emphasized that Startup Lab is built for students who are still exploring, uncertain, or are simply curious.
“Many students tell us they’re curious about entrepreneurship but feel not ready,” he said. “They worry they’re too introverted for customer interviews or assume Startup Lab is only for people with fully formed ideas. In fact, those are the most common misconceptions.”
The course’s first few weeks focus on training students to see struggles and patterns in the world. Then, they apply those skills on a team, exploring, designing, and testing a concept with real people. The nonnegotiable outcome isn’t the best idea; it’s a more confident, evidence-driven version of you.
“Startup Lab is strengthening that self-awareness. All of us who are entrepreneurs, we don’t grow linearly. We have various iterations of how we see things,” Urdiales said. “This ability to see patterns or to see problems with customer discovery, it’s a learning process and a growth process.”
Building Muscle Memory
Urdiales said that students won’t have a passive experience in the lab.
“To become an entrepreneur, you need to do it. You need to engage with customers. You need to get out of the building,” he said. “It gives you the ability to incorporate theoretical frameworks into practical solutions and then understand these more practical outcomes.”
Aligning with CREATE-X’s culture of continuous iteration, Startup Lab is tightening the hands-on core of the course around four simple, repeatable tools so that entrepreneurial thinking becomes muscle memory, not a one-off assignment. The new iteration of the curriculum, developed by McGreggor, helps students learn to:
- Elicit grounded problem stories from real people (and separate observations from interpretations).
- Make explicit strategic decisions — who you serve, what you offer, how you deliver, how you get paid — and back them with discovery evidence.
- Externalize your logic with clear Business Model Canvas snapshots (hypotheses ≠ decisions ≠ open questions).
- Design minimum viable experiments (MVEs) that can falsify assumptions, not just confirm them.
“What we have is a frontier model in entrepreneurial education,” said McGreggor. “The result is a course that teaches sound decision making and builds entrepreneurial confidence that rewards authentic discovery and iteration over performative polish. It creates a more solid foundation for entrepreneurial thinking and sets students up to engage more deeply with everything that follows in their CREATE-X pathway.”
Reflection as a Feature
As a part of Startup Lab, instructors integrate reflection throughout the semester, which helps students notice patterns of work, make small experiments, and adjust based on what’s learned. Students often worry they’re not the founder type or that their introversion will hold them back; Startup Lab reframes those worries as raw material for growth, including communication skill building and one-on-one interactions you won’t always get in higher-level courses.
Startup Lab integrates HaradaLite — McGreggor's adaptation of the Japanese Harada Method — as a weekly reflection practice in which students keep a reflection log, helping them notice patterns of work, run small experiments, and adjust based on what's learned. With this approach, educators are able to measure the growth of entrepreneurial confidence by self-report, leading to a more quantitative approach to teaching.
A Common Language Across CREATE‑X
There’s no mandated order for CREATE-X courses. Startup Lab simply makes the next steps clearer by providing a shared language and milestone structure across sections and instructors, so whatever comes next (I2P, Capstone, Launch, or an internship), you can carry forward a coherent, evidence- aware story of your work.
“All CREATE‑X Learn sections will work with the same milestone objectives,” Urdiales said. “Students trained in Startup Lab are already trained in the muscles of entrepreneurship. They’re more equipped to go into Make and Launch or be a leader within their industry.”
Built To Be Inclusive Across Disciplines and Needs
Startup Lab is about becoming the kind of person who can see opportunities, reason from evidence, and make better decisions when the path isn’t obvious.
- You do not need an idea or a pre‑built team — curiosity is enough.
- You do not need special permits to enroll. Startup Lab is open to anyone ready to explore.
- You can benefit from the course before or after I2P or Capstone, since there’s no fixed order to the CREATE‑X pathway.
- Introverts are welcome. The course intentionally builds communication skills through structured, low-pressure interviews and guided interaction.
“Startup Lab helps students see the world’s problems and fill the gaps with fresh ideas, teaching them to see and understand the important difference between evidence and inference,” said McGreggor. “This lays the foundation that leads to good founders, and builds the entrepreneurial confidence needed to succeed.”
What You’ll Actually Do
Students in Startup Lab can expect a workshop-heavy, conversation-rich semester with weekly artifacts, scenario-based decision prompts, startup reports, and quizzes that keep you honest about what you’re learning. You’ll assemble a Continuity Pack near the end: a compact bundle of your best discovery evidence, decisions, MVEs, economics, and final story slides so your future self (or your I2P/Launch application) can pick up right where you left off.
The course also sets norms for modern tool use. AI is welcomed as a coach and organizer, after your own baseline thinking and research, and as an enhancement of the real conversations you have. That matters because Startup Lab’s promise is that you build solid judgment under the test of uncertainty, critical to the world of today and the future that is being built.
Jump Into Startup Lab
You don’t have to have it all figured out. If you’re a first-year student still exploring, a junior craving real-world projects, or a senior looking to stand out in interviews, Startup Lab is for you.
Seats fill quickly across all sections — and for good reason.
This course gives you the clearest, most supportive on‑ramp into CREATE‑X, with a global methodology, a unified curriculum, and instructors who believe deeply in your potential to grow. Learn how to think entrepreneurially. See the world differently. Build the confidence that will follow you long after the semester ends.
News Contact
Breanna Durham
Marketing Strategist
Apr. 24, 2026
Earlier this year, Georgia Tech researchers showed that specially designed lenses could harvest energy from ambient wireless signals, pointing toward a future of battery-free sensors embedded throughout smart cities and digital infrastructure.
But powering devices is only part of the challenge. Enabling those same systems to communicate at modern data rates is a much harder. That’s the leap the team is now making. The same lens-based approach is being used to unlock high-speed communication once considered out of reach for ultra-low-power systems.
In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers in Professor Manos (Emmanouil) Tentzeris’ Agile Technologies for High-performance Electromagnetic Novel Applications (ATHENA) lab demonstrated a first-of-its-kind lens-enabled backscatter system capable of multi-gigabit data rates, reaching up to 4 gigabits per second (Gbps). At the same time, it operates using only a fraction of the power required by conventional wireless devices — bringing high-speed connectivity to systems that were never meant to support it.
For years, backscatter has been treated as a tradeoff: extremely low power, but extremely limited performance. Rather than generating its own radio signal, a backscatter device modulates and reflects existing wireless transmissions to communicate, allowing it to operate with minimal energy.
As a result, backscatter has typically been used only to send small amounts of data, most often in simple identification and sensing systems.
“What we’ve shown is that backscatter doesn’t have to be slow,” said Marvin Joshi, the research lead and Ph.D. candidate in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “With the right architecture, it can operate at gigabit‑per‑second speeds while remaining ultra‑low power.”
The Lens That Makes It Possible
The Georgia Tech team’s dielectric lens — similar in spirit to an optical lens — focuses incoming millimeter-wave energy onto an array of tiny antenna elements, enabling both wireless energy capture and high‑speed backscatter communication within the same system.
The system reshapes and reflects existing wireless signals, with each element modulating the reflected signal to enable high-speed data transmission without requiring a traditional transmitter.
At millimeter-wave frequencies, used by 5G and future 6G systems, there is plenty of available bandwidth, but signals at these frequencies are highly directional and sensitive to alignment.
In practice, that means even small misalignment can break the link. This has been a major limitation for real-world deployment. The lens overcomes that constraint by enabling high gain and wide angular coverage simultaneously, without the need for active beam steering.
“Think of it like a camera lens for wireless signals,” Tentzeris said, who is a Ed and Pat Joy Chair Professor in ECE. “It captures energy coming from many different directions and focuses it efficiently onto the device.”
The result is a system that can communicate over a ±55-degree field of view, maintaining strong performance even when the device and the reader are not perfectly aligned.
Fiber-Level Speeds, Nearly Zero Power
In controlled experiments, the researchers achieved data rates of up to four Gbps, with sustained gigabit communication at distances of up to 20 meters, using high-order modulation schemes like those used in modern cellular networks.
For a system that doesn’t generate its own signal, those numbers are unexpectedly efficient. The system operates at just 0.08 picojoules per bit — approaching million-fold improvements compared to conventional wireless radios.
“To put that in perspective,” Tentzeris said, “a typical wireless transmitter burns milliwatts of power. This system operates at essentially near-zero power while pushing the data rates 1,000 times higher than what traditional backscatter could do.”
Taken together, the results point to a fundamentally different class of wireless system, according to Tentzeris, one that combines high data rates with ultra-low power in a way that hasn’t been demonstrated before.
Based on standard wireless modeling, the team estimates the technology could support Gbps communication over distances of kilometers when paired with existing 5G millimeter-wave infrastructure, extending high-speed, ultra-low-power links far beyond what has been achievable with backscatter systems.
“That combination is exactly what future wireless networks are moving toward. This capability aligns naturally with next‑generation 6G systems,” said Tentzeris, pointing to the growing importance of Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) and Joint Communication and Sensing (JCAS) frameworks that require simultaneous communication, sensing, and localization.
From Smart Cities to Disaster Response
But speed and efficiency are only part of the story. Because the devices are low-cost, lightweight, and printable, they could be deployed at massive scale on buildings, roads, vehicles, drones, or wearable systems.
In a smart city, thousands of these tags could continuously exchange information about traffic, air quality, or structural health without ever needing batteries. That means dense, always-on sensing and communication without worrying about power or upkeep.
In disaster zones, temporary high-speed networks could be set up almost instantly, without cables or power infrastructure.
“Imagine an ambulance transmitting high-resolution medical images in real time, or first responders building a live digital map of a disaster area,” Joshi said. “You get fiber-like performance, but completely wireless and energy-efficient.”
What’s Next
The architecture also lends itself to intelligent optimization, where AI-based control can be enabled to dynamically enhance signal capture and system efficiency, further expanding performance in large-scale deployments.
“This is really about adding intelligence to anything, anywhere,” Tentzeris said. “When communication becomes this fast, efficient, and scalable, entirely new applications become possible.”
With the core architecture now demonstrated, the ATHENA Lab team is shifting focus from proof‑of‑concept to deployment. That means moving out of the lab and into real-world environments. The next phase includes testing the system outdoors, integrating it onto drones and mobile platforms, and exploring flatter, more compact lens designs that could be easier to mount on real-world infrastructure.
“We’re thinking about how this fits into the broader wireless ecosystem,” Joshi said. “We’ve shown what’s possible. Now the question is how far we can push it in the real world."
News Contact
Dan Watson
Apr. 10, 2026
Daily routines such as brushing teeth, preparing meals, and getting ready for work can be challenging for individuals who need cognitive support. For many people with developmental disabilities, autism, or other cognitive challenges, completing everyday tasks typically requires additional guidance and structure.
MapHabit is a digital platform that visually maps routines, breaking complex tasks into manageable steps that build users’ confidence and independence.
Founded in 2018 by entrepreneur Matt Golden and co-founder Stuart Zola, a former Emory University neuroscientist, the company has developed technology that enables users, caregivers, and therapists to easily create visual task guides using photos, short videos, and prompts. Those guides are then used to help individuals through each step of a routine. The platform draws on established cognitive and behavioral research, showing that task analysis, visual cues, and structured routines can help individuals learn and retain daily living skills.
From Family Challenge to Startup
The idea for MapHabit grew from a challenge Golden saw within his own family. His cousin with Down syndrome often needed help completing everyday routines, and family members created visual guides using photos and written instructions to help her move through tasks independently. After trying different methods for months, the visual approach proved remarkably effective.
“When we tried the visual method, she was able to learn the routine within a couple of days,” Golden said. Additionally, it was “more accessible and affordable than in-person support. That’s when we realized this approach could help many more families.”
Golden also had an uncle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease whose caregiver faced similar challenges navigating daily routines. Those two experiences reinforced a broader insight: Many families were already creating visual support on their own, but no scalable digital solution existed to make that approach accessible to everyone.
How It Works
A typical routine on the platform might include getting ready for the day, preparing for school, or heading to work. The app allows users to break an activity into simple steps, such as choosing clothing, packing a bag, or completing morning hygiene tasks. Users check off each step as they complete it, reinforcing habits and reducing reliance on constant reminders from caregivers. This form of task analysis taps our procedural memory, also known as the “muscle memory” of the brain, and allows people to build routines faster and more organically.
The platform is designed so that individuals, caregivers, and therapists can create and customize it to fit individual needs.
From Prototype to Market
Over the span of seven years, the platform has evolved through multiple iterations informed by user feedback and research. Early versions of MapHabit focused primarily on individuals with dementia. However, the team discovered that caregivers and individuals with disabilities achieve faster outcomes and adopt mobile technology more frequently in daily life. That shift in adoption patterns prompted the team to refocus its strategy.
Today, MapHabit’s primary users include individuals with developmental disabilities and autism, as well as therapists, educators, and caregivers who support them. Community-based organizations, healthcare providers, managed care organizations, schools, and individual families use the platform.
Building a Startup With Support From ATDC
As the company grew, in 2019, MapHabit joined the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Georgia Tech’s statewide startup accelerator, now part of the Office of Commercialization’s broader venture support ecosystem.
Golden said the ATDC community has played an important role in helping the company move from an early prototype to a growing business.
“ATDC gives founders access to experts, mentors, and other entrepreneurs who have faced similar challenges,” he said. “When you run into a roadblock, there’s usually someone who has experienced it before and can help you move forward faster.”
Through ATDC, MapHabit gained access to coaching, office space, networking opportunities, and industry connections that helped the company refine its strategy, accelerate commercialization, and strengthen its approach to grants. Through ATDC’s Small Business Innovation Research program, MapHabit received guidance on preparing competitive funding applications and identifying new non-dilutive funding opportunities.
“ATDC helped us become more aware of resources and how to position our applications, so they have a stronger chance of getting funded,” Golden said.
Funding and Growth
Since launching commercially in 2020, MapHabit has secured research funding from the National Institutes of Health and raised several million dollars from investors and strategic partners. The company generates revenue across healthcare, education, and community-based organizations, while continuing to expand its reach.
Looking Ahead
Today, MapHabit continues to refine its platform and is leveraging AI in more aspects of the user experience. For Golden, the impact of the technology remains closely tied to the insight that inspired the company’s creation. Through ATDC and Georgia Tech’s broader commercialization ecosystem, founders like Golden can transform early insights into technologies that improve everyday life.
“We’re trying to give individuals the tools to do things on their own,” he said. “That sense of independence is incredibly important.”
News Contact
Lacey Cameron
Mar. 18, 2026
When Mason Chilmonczyk, M.S. ME 2017, Ph.D. ME 2020, arrived at Georgia Tech to pursue graduate degrees in mechanical engineering, his goal was to become a professor. Instead, an unexpected turn in his research led him to entrepreneurship.
Today, he is the chief executive officer of Andson Biotech, a growing biotools startup he co-founded with Andrei Fedorov, associate chair for graduate studies and the Rae S. and Frank H. Neely Chair at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. The company is commercializing a breakthrough technology Chilmonczyk developed during his doctoral research that simplifies the development and production of cell and gene therapies.
Read the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website.
News Contact
Ashley Ritchie
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Apr. 09, 2026
When Olufisayo “Fisayo” Omojokun joined Georgia Tech, his teaching followed a familiar cadence. His courses were highly structured and consistent. Lectures, exams, office hours, and semester breaks were always known months in advance. The goals were clear, the outcomes known, and the educational journey largely mapped. Then, he heard about CREATE-X.
A Spark of Curiosity
In 2017, faculty conversations began circulating about a new kind of capstone experience, one driven by student discovery and entrepreneurial thinking rather than predetermined client requirements. The idea intrigued Omojokun.
“I remember thinking, this is really different from anything I’ve ever taught,” he said.
In his previous courses, Omojokun took pride in providing the structured, rigorous framework students needed to master complex concepts. While those interactions were dynamic, the curriculum required a specific, focused trajectory. CREATE-X offered a different kind of challenge: the "X" of the program, representing undefined, endless potential.
“CREATE-X is full of unknowns. You don’t know what industry the students are diving into, what roadblocks they’ll run into and navigate out of, or what small- to large-scale successes they’ll achieve throughout the semester. It really had my blood pumping,” he said. As someone who loves the challenge of academia, it was an invigorating way to help the next generation apply what they’ve learned in a new context.
Omojokun co-taught the first CREATE-X Capstone section with College of Computing students in fall 2018 alongside Craig Forest, associate director of the Invention Studio. While the initial computer science cohort was small, the experience was immediately powerful.
“It was humble beginnings but deeply eye-opening,” he said.
In this new environment, students weren't just solving problems; they were seeking them and sometimes pivoting. Traditional client-driven capstones offer students invaluable experiences in delivering high-quality products, responding to clients’ often evolving needs, and adhering to professional standards. CREATE-X added a layer of venture-validation, requiring students to identify a gap in the market and build something with commercial viability.
As the semesters continued, CREATE-X grew from a program with an interesting capstone course Omojokun enthusiastically co-taught to a professional inflection point for him. He found himself talking about it frequently, with colleagues, with students, even with prospective undergraduates who may not see a capstone for years.
He began encouraging prospective and incoming students to take CREATE-X pathways.
“I would tell students, down to first-year students, when you get that opportunity to engage with CREATE-X, take it. You don’t even have to wait until capstone, as there are multiple pathways; in fact, Startup Lab has no prerequisites. Whatever path you take, you’ll remember it for years to come. Whether you officially take a problem solution to market or not, the entrepreneurial confidence gained is priceless.”
Spreading CREATE-X Into the College of Computing
By 2020, when the first Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship cohort opened, applying felt natural. He had already become an unofficial ambassador for CREATE-X, helping students navigate options, promoting programs in classes, and rallying colleagues to engage.
“It was an opportunity to become more connected to this thing that I felt was changing the game on campus,” he said. “It cemented my affiliation with CREATE-X.”
The fellowship gave name and weight to the work he was already doing, while also expanding what was possible.
The Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship provides faculty with $15,000 in discretionary funding, which can support a one-semester break from teaching, along with structured training in evidence‑based entrepreneurship, dedicated mentorship, and the opportunity to work closely with students launching startups.
The fellowship also equips faculty to become entrepreneurial instructors and mentors through the CREATE‑X ecosystem, giving them tools to integrate entrepreneurship into their coursework and curricula. Each cohort of fellows is trained to embed entrepreneurial methods, develop new innovation‑focused assignments, and serve as advisors within programs like Startup Lab, Idea‑to‑Prototype, and Startup Launch.
For faculty across Georgia Tech, the fellowship offers something rare: institutional backing, resources, and formal recognition for bringing entrepreneurship into their teaching and shaping how students learn to become problem‑solvers.
Omojokun said he sees CREATE-X as the apex of applying technical fundamentals.
As part of the fellowship, Omojokun brought the program’s ethos into his courses, even a foundational course like CS 1331: Introduction to Object Oriented Programming, where he created a CREATE-X–branded final project. Students built a “problem database” application as their final homework assignment, cataloging real issues they encountered in daily life, assessing their skills to solve them, evaluating markets and metrics, and then deciding potential pathways forward.
“It’s an innovation diary,” he said. “A tool that can get them closer to thinking like a founder.”
The response from students, including many non-computing majors who take his section each semester, has been overwhelmingly positive. While the project is challenging, the open-ended nature and real-world relevance motivate deeper engagement.
“When students believe their work will solve a meaningful problem for a meaningful population, they bring passion to it,” he said. “They start observing the world differently.”
The more Omojokun saw, the deeper his enthusiasm grew.
Shaping the College of Computing
Even as he stepped into the role of inaugural chair of the School of Computing Instruction in 2022, CREATE-X remained at the forefront of Omojokun’s conversations. Interest in the program continued to grow significantly. Students stopped him in the hallways to talk about their ideas. Faculty reached out to ask about mentorship opportunities. And he continued championing the program in the many settings he entered.
“It turns out that the most engaged group of students in CREATE-X is computing undergraduates,” Omojokun said. “I wanted to make sure that high involvement continued, no matter what size we are,” he said.
Over time, Omojokun strengthened the partnership between the College of Computing and CREATE-X, weaving entrepreneurship deeper into the College's curricular fabric.
Last January, Omojokun was appointed as the associate dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Computing. One of his priorities was highlighting CREATE-X’s curricular impact. In coordination with key stakeholders — including Kelly Ann Fitzpatrick (computing), Craig Forest (mechanical engineering), and Raul Saxena (CREATE-X) — he nominated the program for the ABET Innovation Award. The award honors programs that challenge the status quo in technical education and demonstrate a measurable impact on student learning in ABET-accredited disciplines, such as natural sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. CREATE-X won.
The CREATE-X Advantage With Faculty
When faculty are considering something like the Jim Pope Fellowship, Omojokun said the biggest barrier he hears about from them is time. With courses that can enroll 300 students per section and extensive responsibilities beyond the classroom, time is a scarce resource.
He could relate.
“There are always lots of things on my physical and virtual desktop. I always warn people before they enter my office,” he said.
However, Omojokun argued that participating in the fellowship program was time well spent because it helps them rediscover the most exciting parts of teaching.
“It’s worth the time. One of the goals of teaching is to see students passionate about what they’re learning, and CREATE-X makes that happen consistently,” he said.
The Future With Technology
As AI reshapes industries, Omojokun believes that CREATE-X equips students to navigate the unknown and forge new paths as existing ones shift, providing a versatile skill set that transfers to employment, potentially self-employment, and beyond.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty with AI in the workspace, but CREATE-X gives students the confidence and skills to succeed at whatever comes,” he said. “We are putting students through this process of finding a problem that’s meaningful and matters to the world; mastering that allows them to lead in any environment.”
Applications Now Open: Become a Jim Pope Faculty Fellow
The 2026 Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship is now accepting applications. For faculty who want to explore integrating entrepreneurship into their teaching, mentoring student founders, and helping shape a culture of innovation across campus, this fellowship offers resources and a supported pathway to begin. Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to apply to the Jim Pope Fellowship. Priority deadline: July 1; final deadline: Aug. 11.
News Contact
Breanna Durham
Marketing Strategist
Georgia Tech
Apr. 09, 2026
When Victor Espinosa was an undergraduate student in Bogotá, he kept running into the same problem every time he tried to order books or basic items online: He didn’t have a credit card. Instead, he had to give cash to someone who had a credit card and ask them to purchase for him. This wasn’t strange in Colombia.
“It was frustrating, but it showed me how many people were being left out of the digital world,” Espinosa said. “In Colombia, only about two out of 10 people have a credit card. Cash is the main form of payment, but everything online requires digital access.”
That gap sparked the idea that would evolve into Loto Punto, a fintech startup building self-service kiosks to bridge the physical and digital worlds for unbanked communities.
From a Single Problem to a Scalable Platform
Espinosa began his startup as an online platform for buying lottery tickets. He saw that customers didn’t trust the idea of a digital receipt because they were used to a printout, so he pivoted to a kiosk similar to the ones in U.S. grocery stores. Customers could walk up, insert cash, and print a lottery ticket instantly.
“It worked, but it had a ceiling,” Espinosa said. “It only served people buying lottery tickets. We knew it wouldn’t scale.”
To address this, he expanded the kiosks to handle mobile phone top-ups, bill payments, and basic banking services. Then, in 2024, the company incorporated advanced technologies such as biometric recognition and blockchain. Stellar Blockchain, first a partner, later became an investor of the startup, which helped Loto Punto to enable low-cost, real-time digital transactions and remittances.
Now, users can convert physical cash into digital value or withdraw cash from digital wallets through a single machine.
A Global Solo Founder
Espinosa is the sole founder of Loto Punto, supported now by a 10‑person team of highly specialized engineers, designers, and manufacturing experts. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in computer science at Georgia Tech while leading the company through its next chapter as part of the CREATE-X Startup Launch Spring 2026 cohort.
Finding CREATE-X and Finding a Community
Espinosa learned about CREATE-X during his first semester at Georgia Tech. In 2024, CREATE-X widened its Startup Launch program to include a spring cohort to give founders, particularly graduating seniors, another chance to go all-in on developing their startup.
Espinosa admits he didn’t expect much when he first learned about the program.
“I didn’t know universities had programs like this. In Colombia, we don’t have accelerators embedded inside universities with venture support and dedicated staff,” he said. “So, I assumed CREATE X would be small, maybe one office helping a few students.”
What Espinosa found was different.
“They’re leveraging every resource that Georgia Tech offers. They can help with any challenge by tapping the doors of the network they already have established,“ he said. “It’s an ecosystem.”
As a part of the Startup Launch program, CREATE-X brings in founders from its ecosystem to speak to participants and give them actionable insights — founders who have raised funds, been acquired, and have had other successes as entrepreneurs.
“That’s different,” Espinosa said. “They’ve brought successful founders who have walked the talk. It’s different to interact with somebody who was already successful in doing what you’re doing.”
Testing, Measuring, and Learning Through Startup Launch
Even as a remote participant, Espinosa has connected well with his mentor, who meets with him weekly, and his mini-batch. During the program, startup teams are grouped together. They share their strategies, successes, and struggles as they develop throughout the program. Teams have weekly sprints where they focus on one or two activities and then measure those activities, which Espinosa said is helpful for maintaining focus and actually executing on ideas.
“If you, as an entrepreneur, start thinking of the whole world of activities that you must do to get somewhere with your startup, you won’t start,” he said. “By creating attainable goals, step by step, that’s how it compounds to reach bigger goals. But, you have to begin with something.”
Teams are also encouraged to take calculated risks.
“CREATE-X gives us a safe environment to test ideas,” Espinosa said. “As an entrepreneur, it’s a lonely road, but having someone who has been in your shoes before, it makes you brave to try things.”
One of the first major tests he shared with the cohort was an ad campaign timed around the Super Bowl. In Startup Launch, Espinosa learned how to structure the experiment: defining KPIs, iterating audiences, and evaluating performance compared to industry benchmarks.
“We got around 45,000 views and above-average click-through rates,” he said. “But the biggest lesson was that brand awareness alone can’t be our only marketing strategy.”
Espinosa said his mentor helped open doors for him and kept him accountable, and the program itself kept him from being overwhelmed by all that a founder has to do.
“In Startup Launch, you see how different approaches fit different phases,” he said. “They’re creating a path to grow and execute on your goals as a founder.”
Why Now Is the Easiest Time to Build
Espinosa also emphasized that the tools to build and test ideas have never been more accessible.
“When I started, we didn’t have AI. You had to do everything by hand. It was harder, and it took more resources,” he said. “Right now, it’s a matter of prompting. In one hour, you can file for a grant. Before, it took at least a week to get your documents together.”
He said the ability to test quickly and learn has also become inexpensive.
“You don’t need millions of dollars to do this,” Espinosa said. “It's very cheap to fail, right? If that doesn't work, you can just try again in the morning.”
Above all, Espinosa encouraged budding founders to take advantage of the opportunities around them.
“As a founder, you must tap every door that you have available to you. You have to explore different paths,” he said. “Some of those are networking, some are physical space, some are interest. Get your hands on every single resource that comes your way.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Payments
As he thinks about where the finance world is going, Espinosa said the payments industry is rapidly converging toward blockchain, stablecoins, and faster, frictionless user experiences.
“We’re seeing a lot of movement around stablecoins. We’re seeing resource flow from one country to another. We believe things are converging to leverage blockchain and driving down the cost of moving money,“ he said. “That’s how we see the future of our industry.”
Meet Loto Punto and the Spring Cohort at Startup Launch Showcase
Espinosa will travel to Atlanta for the first time in May to present Loto Punto at the CREATE-X Spring Startup Launch Showcase, where the public can meet founders and see their ventures firsthand. The event will be held in The Biltmore Ballrooms on Thursday, May 21, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The showcase will feature dozens of startups built by Georgia Tech students and alumni. Tickets are free but limited. Register for the showcase today to grab your spot.
News Contact
Breanna Durham
Marketing Strategist
Pagination
- Page 1
- Next page