Alumni Ventures

VenoStent, Inc. is a clinical-stage tissue engineering company based in Nashville, Tennessee, with an additional office in Houston, Texas. Founded in 2017, it specializes in the development of bioresorbable smart polymers designed to enhance vascular surgery outcomes. The company’s primary product, SelfWrap, is a perivascular wrap that functions as an external stent, providing mechanical support to veins and promoting outward growth. This innovative technology aims to reduce complications at the vein-artery junction in dialysis patients, particularly by minimizing vein collapse and improving the usability of arteriovenous fistulas (AVF). By utilizing a new class of shape-memory polymers that do not require sutures, VenoStent's approach reduces surgery time and lowers the risk of infection, ultimately enhancing the quality and length of life for patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.

Dextrous Robotics is a robotics company established in 2019 and based in Memphis, Tennessee. The firm specializes in developing AI-enabled robots designed for warehouse operations. These robots assist in various tasks, including loading and unloading pallets, trucks, and containers, as well as material picking, sorting, and storage. By providing advanced automation solutions, Dextrous Robotics aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of logistics processes for its clients.

At Artiphon we’re designing new products to empower the next billion musicians. Our goal is to enable a world where everyone can be musical, where music is a universal element of our collective creative vocabulary. INSTRUMENT 1 and Orba, our first two smart instruments, launched with record-setting success on Kickstarter thanks to thousands of people in over 70 countries. Both raised $1M+ in pre-orders, and the INSTRUMENT 1 was named a TIME Best Invention of the Year and a NAMM Best in Show. We are inspired by our incredible community of creators, relying on their insights and feedback as we evolve our products and create new ones. Dr. Mike Butera founded Artiphon in Nashville, Tennessee in 2011. He holds a Ph.D. in Sound Studies from Virginia Tech, has toured the country as a multi-instrumentalist, taught as a professor of sociology, and consulted globally on consumer electronics. Mike’s doctoral research in the phenomenology of listening laid the groundwork for Artiphon’s design philosophy and patents, and he frequently speaks on topics of music technology and augmented creativity. The Artiphon team is composed of designers, musicians, and engineers from groundbreaking companies including Space X, Blue Origin, Line 6, and Yamaha. Investors include Warner Music Group, Steve Case, TechNexus in partnership with Shure, and other industry leaders.

Alto Solutions, Inc. operates an online platform that facilitates the management of self-directed individual retirement accounts (IRAs). The company offers various IRA products, including Alto IRA, which allows users to invest in alternative assets such as private equity, venture capital, real estate, loans, and cryptocurrency. Its Checkbook+ IRA provides customers with check-writing control, enhancing the management of real estate investments. Additionally, Alto CryptoIRA connects users directly to Coinbase for cryptocurrency trading. The platform features a user-friendly dashboard for managing accounts and investments, and assists investors in determining their eligibility for different types of investments while identifying financial trust companies for asset custody. Serving a diverse clientele that includes wealth managers, registered investment advisors, real estate owners, and entrepreneurs, Alto Solutions aims to democratize access to alternative asset investing. Founded in 2015 and based in Nashville, Tennessee, the company was previously known as Saltvest, Inc.

At Artiphon we’re designing new products to empower the next billion musicians. Our goal is to enable a world where everyone can be musical, where music is a universal element of our collective creative vocabulary. INSTRUMENT 1 and Orba, our first two smart instruments, launched with record-setting success on Kickstarter thanks to thousands of people in over 70 countries. Both raised $1M+ in pre-orders, and the INSTRUMENT 1 was named a TIME Best Invention of the Year and a NAMM Best in Show. We are inspired by our incredible community of creators, relying on their insights and feedback as we evolve our products and create new ones. Dr. Mike Butera founded Artiphon in Nashville, Tennessee in 2011. He holds a Ph.D. in Sound Studies from Virginia Tech, has toured the country as a multi-instrumentalist, taught as a professor of sociology, and consulted globally on consumer electronics. Mike’s doctoral research in the phenomenology of listening laid the groundwork for Artiphon’s design philosophy and patents, and he frequently speaks on topics of music technology and augmented creativity. The Artiphon team is composed of designers, musicians, and engineers from groundbreaking companies including Space X, Blue Origin, Line 6, and Yamaha. Investors include Warner Music Group, Steve Case, TechNexus in partnership with Shure, and other industry leaders.

Alto Solutions, Inc. operates an online platform that facilitates the management of self-directed individual retirement accounts (IRAs). The company offers various IRA products, including Alto IRA, which allows users to invest in alternative assets such as private equity, venture capital, real estate, loans, and cryptocurrency. Its Checkbook+ IRA provides customers with check-writing control, enhancing the management of real estate investments. Additionally, Alto CryptoIRA connects users directly to Coinbase for cryptocurrency trading. The platform features a user-friendly dashboard for managing accounts and investments, and assists investors in determining their eligibility for different types of investments while identifying financial trust companies for asset custody. Serving a diverse clientele that includes wealth managers, registered investment advisors, real estate owners, and entrepreneurs, Alto Solutions aims to democratize access to alternative asset investing. Founded in 2015 and based in Nashville, Tennessee, the company was previously known as Saltvest, Inc.