Center for Innovative Technology

Fringe is a lifestyle benefits marketplace founded in 2018 and based in Richmond, Virginia. The company offers a platform that allows employees to personalize their benefits, selecting options that best fit their individual needs. By providing a proprietary marketplace of services, Fringe empowers employees to enhance their daily lives, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being. The platform addresses the diverse requirements of the modern workforce, promoting increased loyalty and satisfaction among employees. Additionally, it enables users to save money and spend according to their preferences, fostering a more engaged and happy workforce.

Babylon Micro-Farms Inc., founded in 2017 and based in Charlottesville, Virginia, specializes in providing indoor farming solutions that empower individuals and communities to grow their own produce. The company offers a smart, scalable indoor farming platform designed for a variety of crops, including leafy greens, herbs, microgreens, and edible flowers. By leveraging remote management technology, Babylon Micro-Farms aims to create a decentralized network of micro-farms across North America, making sustainable hydroponic farming more accessible. Their innovative systems automate the growing process, significantly reducing water usage, food waste, and pollutants while allowing year-round cultivation. Additionally, Babylon Micro-Farms has developed low-cost micro-farms to support food-insecure populations, particularly refugees in the Middle East, highlighting their commitment to addressing food security through sustainable agriculture.

Micronic Technologies, Inc. specializes in the development and commercialization of advanced water desalination and purification systems. Founded in 2008 and based in Bristol, Virginia, the company offers innovative solutions such as the MicroDesalTM system, which effectively removes contaminants from various water sources without the use of chemicals, filters, or membranes. This system employs a unique evaporation process that creates micro-droplets for rapid evaporation, achieving high efficiency while significantly reducing waste volume for disposal. Micronic Technologies serves a range of applications including drinking water solutions for public, military, and humanitarian use, as well as wastewater treatment for industrial, agricultural, and oil and gas sectors. The company's technologies aim to provide clean water while delivering substantial savings in capital expenditures and operational costs compared to traditional methods.

AgroSpheres develops novel technologies that aim to set a new standard for bio-based delivery of active ingredients. It uses a unique platform technology for crop protection solutions and other industrial applications. The company is an encapsulation and delivery technology that dramatically enhances the performance of a broad range of crop protection products including fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides. AgroSpheres was founded in 2016 and is based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Agrology is an agricultural technology company recognized for its contributions to sustainable farming practices and a recipient of a National Science Foundation award. Operating from offices in Alexandria, Virginia, and Salinas, California, Agrology provides real-time data that enables growers to assess the ecological and agronomic impacts of regenerative farming. The company focuses on monitoring soil health, microbial activity, carbon cycles, nitrous oxide emissions, net ecosystem exchange, and microclimatic conditions. This data helps farmers connect regenerative practices to measurable reductions in greenhouse gases and other ecological benefits. Additionally, Agrology's predictive agriculture system offers insights that assist farmers in adapting to climate change while improving soil sequestration and generating carbon credits. The company is trusted by prominent growers, researchers, and global consumer packaged goods brands.

Curbside Kitchen, LLC operates a platform that connects owners of commercial office and multi-family residential buildings with food truck vendors. Founded in 2016 and based in McLean, Virginia, the company provides tools that enable building owners to offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner services to their tenants. The platform facilitates scheduling food trucks, sharing menus, processing orders, and marketing customized food programs to individual users. Additionally, it incorporates feedback mechanisms to assess the performance of food trucks at various properties. By enhancing dining options, Curbside Kitchen aims to improve tenant satisfaction in commercial and residential environments.

Curbside Kitchen, LLC operates a platform that connects owners of commercial office and multi-family residential buildings with food truck vendors. Founded in 2016 and based in McLean, Virginia, the company provides tools that enable building owners to offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner services to their tenants. The platform facilitates scheduling food trucks, sharing menus, processing orders, and marketing customized food programs to individual users. Additionally, it incorporates feedback mechanisms to assess the performance of food trucks at various properties. By enhancing dining options, Curbside Kitchen aims to improve tenant satisfaction in commercial and residential environments.

ChurnZero, Inc. is a software company that specializes in providing a SaaS platform tailored for subscription businesses, focusing on customer retention and reducing churn. Established in 2015 and based in Arlington, Virginia, ChurnZero's platform offers real-time insights into customer engagement through a dashboard that alerts businesses to significant activities. It enables companies to analyze how customers interact with their products, assess customer health, and predict renewal likelihood. Additionally, the platform facilitates personalized customer experiences by automating communications and tasks based on engagement metrics. Through features such as health scores, segmentation, and reporting tools, ChurnZero empowers businesses to create relevant touchpoints that enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Ario LLC is an information technology company that specializes in developing augmented reality application solutions for web and mobile platforms. Founded in 2016 and based in Norfolk, Virginia, Ario focuses on empowering frontline workers by providing tools that facilitate knowledge capture and distribution across various organizational levels. Its solutions aim to enhance employee training, improve workplace performance, and drive cost savings for clients, which include Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. military. By leveraging augmented reality, Ario enables organizations to reduce human error and increase workforce confidence, ultimately leading to improved operational efficiency.

Contraline, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, focused on developing male birth control solutions. The company is creating an innovative, long-lasting, non-hormonal, and reversible contraceptive known as Echo-V. This product consists of an ultrasound-visible polymer solution that is injected into the vas deferens, forming a polymer hydrogel device. This device acts as a semi-permeable membrane, effectively blocking sperm while allowing bodily fluids to pass through. Contraline also offers Vasintomy, a non-surgical procedure for the insertion of Echo-V, providing a cost-effective and user-friendly approach to male contraception. Founded in 2015, Contraline aims to transform male reproductive health through its groundbreaking technology.

RunSafe Security, Inc. specializes in cyber-hardening solutions designed to protect vulnerable embedded systems and devices from cyber attacks. Founded in 2015 and based in McLean, Virginia, the company offers patented technology called Alkemist, which immunizes software against a range of cyber threats by preventing infections at their source. RunSafe's tools enhance the security of files and programs by addressing memory corruption errors and buffer overflow exploits. The company serves a diverse array of industries, including automotive, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and national security, providing solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing development and deployment workflows. Additionally, RunSafe employs real-time monitoring techniques to differentiate between malicious and legitimate communications, effectively blocking unapproved protocols and reducing overall vulnerabilities within critical infrastructure and connected devices.

ChurnZero, Inc. is a software company that specializes in providing a SaaS platform tailored for subscription businesses, focusing on customer retention and reducing churn. Established in 2015 and based in Arlington, Virginia, ChurnZero's platform offers real-time insights into customer engagement through a dashboard that alerts businesses to significant activities. It enables companies to analyze how customers interact with their products, assess customer health, and predict renewal likelihood. Additionally, the platform facilitates personalized customer experiences by automating communications and tasks based on engagement metrics. Through features such as health scores, segmentation, and reporting tools, ChurnZero empowers businesses to create relevant touchpoints that enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Qrvey Inc. is a technology company specializing in a self-service platform for data collection, visual analytics, and workflow automation, primarily designed for SaaS providers. Established in 2015 and headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, with additional facilities in Menlo Park, California, and Barranquilla, Colombia, Qrvey offers a comprehensive embedded analytics solution. The platform integrates user-facing data visualization components with a multi-tenant data lake tailored for SaaS applications. It enables businesses to efficiently collect, transform, visualize, and automate data processes, thereby modernizing their analytics capabilities for a cloud-centric environment. By leveraging cloud technology, Qrvey provides the flexibility and scalability that SaaS companies require, positioning itself as a cost-effective alternative to traditional analytics providers.

LiteSheet is a company based in Forest, Virginia, founded in 2012, specializing in the development and commercialization of AC direct LED lighting products. The company focuses on addressing the common issues associated with traditional lighting by utilizing advanced LED technology that eliminates failures linked to Direct Current (DC) power supply. LiteSheet's products are designed to be efficient, sustainable, and adaptable to various applications and lighting configurations. By offering high-quality and reliable lighting solutions, LiteSheet aims to provide its customers with the best value in the commercial lighting market, ensuring a low total cost of ownership.

MobilePhire Corporation is a provider of a cloud-based software solution designed to manage real-time mobile data usage for enterprises. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with additional offices in San Francisco and London, the company offers analytics and controls that allow organizations to restrict data plan access based on content type, customize access policies by time or day, and set data usage caps with automatic enforcement. MobilePhire's platform integrates directly with cellular networks, providing businesses with enhanced visibility and control over their mobile data usage. This capability is particularly valuable as U.S. companies currently overspend significantly on mobile data due to unmonitored employee usage. The company's solutions also encompass network management, enabling organizations to gain insights into employee data usage behavior in real-time. MobilePhire operates as a subsidiary of MobilSense Technologies, Inc.

ThreatQuotient, Inc. is a cybersecurity company that specializes in developing a threat intelligence platform designed to help organizations effectively manage and respond to cyber threats. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, the company offers its flagship product, ThreatQ, which integrates and correlates various external threat sources with internal security solutions to provide contextualized intelligence. This platform streamlines security operations by reducing noise, prioritizing threats, and facilitating collaboration among teams. It features capabilities such as Indicator Nurturing, which tailors indicators of compromise to specific infrastructures, as well as integrations with existing security tools and processes. ThreatQuotient's solutions support a range of use cases, including incident response and threat hunting, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of security operations. The company has received multiple awards for its product excellence and industry leadership, reflecting its commitment to advancing cybersecurity practices. Additionally, ThreatQuotient operates internationally, with a presence in Germany and Australia.

TearSolutions, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, focused on developing innovative therapies for dry eye conditions. Founded in 2013, the company is advancing Lacripep, a synthetic peptide derived from the natural tear protein lacritin, aimed at treating dry eyes, particularly in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Lacripep is designed to preserve the biological activity of natural tear components while promoting healing of the corneal surface and alleviating symptoms without irritation. Currently, the company is conducting phase II human clinical trials to further validate its approach. TearSolutions employs an outsourcing model for its operations, emphasizing efficiency and scalability in the development and production of its therapies.

Fitnet Corporation develops a mobile fitness application that enhances personal workout experiences by integrating biometric sensors and fitness coaching. The application offers a variety of video workouts, including yoga, strength training, and cardio, while utilizing the device's camera to analyze user performance in real-time. This technology provides users with a performance score based on their synchronicity with trainers, offering immediate feedback during exercise sessions. Since its launch, the Fitnet application has been adopted in over 190 countries, with users collectively burning more than 10 million calories. The company, originally known as KinectHealth Corporation, was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Xdynia is a startup pharmaceutical company based in Charlottesville, Virginia. The firm's compounds are based on the work of Tim Macdonald former Chairman of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Virginia. The company has assembled the world's experts in Cav3.2 and neuropathic pain. Founded in early 2012, Xdynia's seed investors include Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT).

Synoptos specializes in delivering tailored business intelligence through advanced media monitoring and analysis services. The company employs proprietary technologies and algorithms, partially funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology, to provide comprehensive insights into news and social media. By blending advanced data visualization tools with rigorous human analysis, Synoptos helps clients, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and non-profits, understand the media landscape, track information flow, and identify key influencers. Its services support intelligence gathering, business operations, performance measurement, and enhanced decision-making, enabling organizations to effectively leverage digital media for their strategic goals.