05/05/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/05/2025 14:46
This success is no coincidence.
A remarkable 32% of the startups featured in this year's Cincy Inno Fire Awards have direct ties to the University of Cincinnati - either founded by UC alumni or launched through the 1819 Innovation Hub's Venture Lab program.
The university has built a robust innovation ecosystem to accelerate startups by delivering top-tier entrepreneurial programming while cultivating deep market and industry insights. These nominees highlight the transformative potential of the UC Venture Lab and the Cincinnati Innovation District, which support early-stage startups on their paths from concept to commercialization.
The following UC-backed Fire Award finalists have made major strides over the past year across multiple categories, with bold ambitions of becoming the next unicorns. They're being recognized for their groundbreaking innovations and impactful contributions, driving economic growth in Cincinnati and beyond.
Robert Lee, Founder of Subterra. Photo/Subterra
Subterra AI
Founded in 2018 by Robert Lee, Subterra AI revolutionizes sewer and pipeline infrastructure. Using a robotic floating watercraft, Subterra AI's technology monitors sewer systems for blockages, structural issues and other anomalies. The startup scored a major milestone in July 2024 when it was acquired by IDEX Corp., a $3.3 billion company based in Northbrook, Illinois, in a $7.5 million deal - one of the year's most notable exits. A 2020 graduate of the UC 1819 Venture Lab program, Subterra has worked closely with the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati and will continue to grow under IDEX, with Lee and his team staying on to scale the technology.
80 Acres Farms
80 Acres Farmsis a Hamilton, Ohio-based vertical farming innovator that has grown into one of the region's most well-funded startups, now surpassing $400 million in total capital raised. Last year, it raised $115 million in new capital and acquired Israeli biotech firm Plantae Biosciences, gaining access to advanced plant-breeding technology. This was followed by another significant move: the acquisition of three indoor farms owned by Kalera Inc. in Colorado, Georgia and Texas. CEO Mike Zelkind and co-founder and UC alumna Tisha Livingston see enormous potential to transform those spaces into high-efficiency, high-yield farms.
Airtrek Robotics demonstrates AI and geographic location abilities. Photo/Diana Lara
Airtrek Robotics
Airtrek Robotics is quickly emerging as one of the region's most innovative startups, determined to revolutionize aviation safety with cutting-edge technology. The company has created an autonomous robot - a "Roomba for the runway." Built using resources from the UC Ground Floor Makerspace, Airtrek uses AI and advanced sensors to detect and clear foreign object debris (FOD) from airport tarmacs, reducing the risks of injury facing ground crews and damage to aircraft and ensuring smooth flight operations. Items like bolts, rocks and even zippers pose serious hazards, costing the aviation industry approximately $22.7 billion annually in damage and delays.
Over the past year, Airtrek successfully completed a pilot program at Michigan's Gerald R. Ford International Airport and earned a spot in the high-profile South by Southwest pitch competition. The company has also secured funding from Main Street Ventures, the 1819 Innovation Hub and Cintrifuse Capital.
Abby McInturf, co-founder of Band Connect. Photo/Greg Glevicky
This category acknowledges companies and concepts striving to advance health care while controlling expenses.
Band Connect
Band Connect is a digital health platform for remote physical therapy that helps improve patient sessions. Co-founded by UC alumna Abby McInturf, the technology recreates a clinic experience for patients in their own homes. Patients using the platform consistently achieve over 200% higher compliance compared with national benchmarks. Band Connect celebrated several key milestones last year. The company secured the first close of its $1.25 million seed round in November 2024 and officially launched the second version of its upper extremity solution. A lower extremity product is set to be launched by the end of 2025.
Sense Neuro Diagnostics
Founded by four University of Cincinnati physicians, Sense Neuro Diagnostics is developing a portable system to rapidly detect brain injuries, including strokes and trauma to the brain. The startup has received backing from UC's Bearcat Ventures in support of its lifesaving mission. To date, Sense Neuro has raised $18 million in funding. Its groundbreaking technology has also attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Defense, which is now partnering with the company to advance the platform's development.
Bearcat Ventures student team. Photo/Andrew Higley
This award recognizes the behind-the-scenes support of firms and organizations in sparking fresh ideas and innovation.
Bearcat Ventures
UC Bearcat Ventures is a student-driven initiative under the UC Center for Entrepreneurship that's transforming hands-on learning about venture capital. The program immerses students in early-stage investing, equipping them with real-world experience and the financial acumen needed to evaluate and support emerging startups.
With over $1 million raised, the fund made its first investments last year in three high-potential, UC-affiliated startups: Tembo, Band Connect and Sense Neuro Diagnostics. Its consulting arm, Venture Research Studio, has also guided 32 early-stage UC founders by providing critical market insights and fundraising support - helping them collectively secure more than $30 million in capital.
Fireroad
Founded in 2023 by serial entrepreneur Tim Metzner - known for ventures like Coterie and Differential - Fireroad has quickly made an impact on Cincinnati's startup ecosystem. Fireroad Ventures, its early-stage investment arm, marked a milestone by closing its inaugural $5 million fund last year. The Fireroad team has been making moves in the region for over a decade, playing a key role in launching more than 75 startups, creating over 500 jobs and driving $3 billion in enterprise value across the organizations they have founded.
The Cincy Inno Fire Awards, powered by UC's 1819 Innovation Hub, are the region's premier honors celebrating the trailblazers and visionaries fueling innovation and shaping the future of our community.
Register for the event where winners will be announced on June 11 at the 1819 Innovation Hub.
Featured image at top: One in three startups featured in this year's Cincy Inno Fire Awards have direct ties to the University of Cincinnati. Photo/Matt C
A leading model for urban-centered universities, the UC Venture Lab activates a high density of rapidly curated startup opportunities that attract outside entrepreneurial talent and investors. We connect university students, faculty, staff, and alumni to talent and funding to help launch new companies. Our team includes Office of Innovation staff as well as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs), coaches, curated service providers, and subject matter experts.
May 5, 2025
Seven of the 22 finalists for the Cincy Inno Fire Awards have connections to the University of Cincinnati. We'll run through each of these trailblazing startups.
April 11, 2025
Meteora3D, a Venture Lab-backed startup, helps surgeons better understand upcoming procedures by designing and developing quick-to-produce, 3D-printed anatomical models.
February 28, 2025
Chief nursing officers from across Greater Cincinnati gathered at UC's 1819 Innovation Hub to celebrate the profession's many contributions and to highlight the potential for cutting-edge healthcare advances.