MIT.nano has announced that 16 startups became active participants in its START.nano program in 2025, more than doubling the number of new companies from the previous year. Aimed at speeding the transition of hard-tech innovation to market, START.nano supports new ventures through the discounted use of MIT.nano shared facilities and a guided access to the MIT innovation ecosystem. The newly engaged startups are developing solutions for some of the world’s greatest challenges in health, climate, energy, semiconductors, novel materials, and quantum computing.
“The unique resources of MIT.nano enable not just the foundational research of academia, but the translation of that research into commercial innovations through startups,” says START.nano Program Manager Joyce Wu SM ’00, PhD ’07. “The START.nano accelerator supports early-stage companies from MIT and beyond with the tools and network they need for success.”
Launched in 2021, START.nano aims to increase the survival rate of hard-tech startups by easing their journey from the lab to the real world. In addition to receiving access to MIT.nano’s laboratories, program participants are invited to present at startup exhibits at MIT conferences, and in exclusive events including the newly launched PITCH.nano competition.
“For an early-stage startup working at the frontier of superconductor discovery, the combination of infrastructure and community has been irreplaceable,” says Jason Gibson, CEO and co-founder of Quantum Formatics. “START.nano isn’t just a resource,” adds Cynthia Liao MBA ’24, CEO and co-founder of Vertical Semiconductor. “It’s a strategic advantage that accelerates our roadmap, allowing us to iterate quickly to meet customer needs and strengthen our competitive edge.”
Although an MIT affiliation is not required, five of the 16 companies in the new cohort are led by MIT alumni, and an additional three have MIT affiliation. In total, 49 percent of the startups in START.nano are founded by MIT graduates.
Here are the intended impacts of the 16 new START.nano companies:
Acorn Genetics is developing a “smartphone of sequencing,” launching the power of genetic analysis out of slow, centralized labs and into the hands of consumers for fast, portable, and affordable sequencing.
Addis Energy leverages oil, gas, and geothermal drilling technologies to unlock the chemical potential of iron-rich rocks. By injecting engineered fluids, they harness the earth’s natural energy to produce ammonia that is both abundant and cost-effective.
Augmend Health uses virtual reality and AI to deliver clinical data intelligence services for specialty care that turns incomplete documentation into revenue, compliance, and better treatment decisions.
Brightlight Photonics is building high-performance laser infrastructure at chip scale, integrating Titanium:Sapphire gain to deliver broadband, high-power, low-noise optical sources for advanced photonic systems.
Cahira Technologies is creating the new paradigm of brain-computer symbiosis for treating intractable diseases and human augmentation through autonomous, nonsurgical neural implants.
Copernic Catalysts is leveraging computational modeling to develop and commercialize transformational catalysts for low-cost and sustainable production of bulk chemicals and e-fuels.
Daqus Energy is unlocking high-energy lithium-ion batteries using critical metal-free organic cathodes.
Electrified Thermal Solutions is reinventing the firebrick to electrify industrial heat.
Guardion is making analytical instruments, chemical detectors, and radiation detectors more sensitive, portable, and easier to scale with nanomaterial-based ion detectors.
Mantel Capture is designing carbon capture materials to operate at the high temperatures found inside boilers, kilns, and furnaces — enabling highly efficient carbon capture that has not been possible until now.
nOhm Devices is developing highly-efficient cryogenic electronics for quantum computers and sensors.
Quantum Formatics is speeding discovery of the world’s next superconductors using proprietary AI.
Qunett is building the foundational hardware stack for deployable quantum networks to power the next era of global connectivity.
Rheyo is developing new ways to make dental care more effective, efficient, and easy through advanced materials and technology.
Vertical Semiconductor is commercializing high-voltage, high-density, high-efficiency vertical GaN (gallium nitride) to power the next era of compute.
VioNano Innovations is developing specialty material solutions that reduce variability and improve precision in semiconductor manufacturing, allowing chipmakers to build even smaller, faster, and more cost-effective chips.
START.nano now comprises over 32 companies and 11 graduates — ventures that have moved beyond the prototyping stages, and some into commercialization. See the full list here.
