SAN LUIS OBISPO — As California universities take their classes, incubator programs and even graduation ceremonies virtual, Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is also taking its signature 12-week summer HotHouse Accelerator program virtually with eight new startups.

“Every summer, the CIE brings together a talented and motivated cohort of Cal Poly student entrepreneurs to help them launch their startup companies,” said CIE Executive Director John Townsend. “This summer is no exception. We are entrepreneurially minded and are built to thrive in uncertain times. We have prepared a great virtual program that will propel these young entrepreneurs’ businesses forward.”
The program provides selected teams with $10,000 in capital, and throughout the 12-weeks, the startups will work with their advisors, learn from expert speakers, engage with their cohort, and participate in skill-building workshops, office hours and much more.

The CIE Accelerator program will begin June 22. At its conclusion, participants will have the opportunity to debut their startups to the community during Demo Day, to be held Sept. 11.
The startups represent a variety of concepts, including tactical robotics for emergency responders, leveraging technology to connect health professionals, increasing productivity in co-working spaces, and providing access to healthy snacks on the go.

“We have an outstanding group of high-growth startups participating in this year’s accelerator,” said Jose Huitron, director of student innovation programs, who oversees the program. “We are excited to match these companies with mentors in their industries and make them part of the San Luis Obispo entrepreneurial ecosystem so they can grow and make a lasting impact locally and throughout the world.”

This year’s ventures include:
– Blueline Robotics provides emergency response teams with cost-effective tactical robotic solutions. It was developed by Geoffrey Smith, aerospace engineering, and Ryan Pfarr, a Cuesta College student.

– Bridge is a web-based collaborative networking service connecting licensed mental health professionals and providing them with an online directory, a referral management tool and a secure messaging platform. The platform was created by Nathan Brickman, agricultural communications; Ryan Murtaugh, biological sciences; Sam Rogers, art and design; and Fletcher Easton, Maxwell Taylor and Tim Newman, software engineering majors.

–  C[A]DU provides online service for homeowners, realtors and developers to add an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to their properties and transform their underutilized garages and backyards into income. This service was conceived by Amirsalar Pardakhti and Nooshin Shafiee, both pursuing a master’s in architecture degree.

– Fruji is a lifestyle brand that seeks to reinvent the gelatin snack category by making it easier for people to choose nutritious, delicious organic snacks made with real ingredients that have functional benefits. It was created by Vince DeSantis, business administration, and Morgan McKean, graphic communication.

– Imperium strives to maximize the usability and productivity in coworking spaces by providing their customers with limitless access to power for their devices through a streamlined charging system. The team includes Jamie Jenkins, and Sierra Swanson, mechanical engineering; Dan Seplovich, industrial technology and packaging; Braden Coates and Patrick Schneider, aerospace engineering; Danielle Petrocelli, business administration; and Bradley Odell, electrical engineering.

– Perch is an intelligent sensing platform that leverages existing power grid infrastructures to accurately and efficiently measure local environmental conditions, supporting an abundance of potential applications, including early wildfire detection, smart governance and urban resilience. The platform is the brainchild of Emil Erickson and Michael Tuttle, electrical engineering; Reed Slobodin, computer engineering; and Virginia Yan, electrical engineering.

– Remit is a blockchain payment system that allows users to transfer money regardless of currency type through text messaging. The system was conceived by Kenny Lau and Eddie Aung, computer science, and Dandy Vo, computer engineering.
– Snack with Soph is a healthy snack subscription box delivered straight to your door. This service was crafted by Sophia Shapiro, business administration, and Matthew Allen, mechanical engineering.

About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunity to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo. For more information, go to https://calpolycie.wpengine.com/.
About the SLO HotHouse
The HotHouse is a community space for Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) off-campus programs. It was created through the efforts of Cal Poly, the city and county of San Luis Obispo, the business community and the CIE. The goal of the HotHouse is to support students and community members as they work to create new innovations and start business ventures. For more information, visit https://calpolycie.wpengine.com/hothouse.
Contact: Candice Conti
805-756-5106; clconti@calpoly.edu
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