Earth Heir
Spreading “Made in Malaysia” goods around the world is Earth Heir’s mission. The online marketplace, founded by Sasibai Kimis W00, sells handcrafted jewelry, bags, and other accessories crafted by locals and refugees in the Southeast Asian country. In 2022, Earth Heir was fair-trade certified by the B Corporation, which recognizes the company’s transparency and positive impact for the 120 artisans it employs. Kimis brings together craftspeople with skills dating back generations, including women from the Mah Meri tribe who weave colorful leaves into hats.
MakersHub
Charley Howe WG20 and Phong Ngo WG20
MakersHub was born out of Phong Ngo WG20’s frustration at a past job with the cumbersome process of trying to accurately and completely enter accounts-payable data. He often found that information he needed from bills and receipts was entered incorrectly and that data was missing. Alongside co-founder Charley Howe WG20, Ngo launched MakersHub for businesses with significant accounts-payable needs. With its proprietary tool, the company — a Venture Lab VIP-X alum — aims to eliminate manual entry by fully capturing data from bills and receipts in any format, saving hours of tedious input. MakersHub’s work recently earned $7 million from venture capital investors, boosting its total raised to $11.5 million.
LuxCreo
(Illustrations by Cristina Spanò)
3D printers can now produce quality medical devices, and LuxCreo is leading the charge. Co-founders Mike Yang WG04 and Michael Strohecker WG04 developed a platform that medical professionals can use to customize appliances and print them. In service of its vision to provide faster access to better health, LuxCreo even offers same-day delivery. The company produces mainly dental products, ranging from night guards to whitening trays, but recently began manufacturing a sleep apnea machine. LuxCreo was part of Venture Lab’s VIP-X San Francisco Fall 2019 cohort.
Barn Owl
Josh Phifer WG17 (Photo: Barn Owl Tech)
Inspired by the nocturnal creature’s keen sensing abilities, Barn Owl offers dependable surveillance for rural businesses and agencies. The camera technology, created by Josh Phifer WG17, is specifically designed to work in remote locations, picking up two to three more cellular bars than phones. Functions range from anti-theft devices to water-tank monitoring. The company, part of Venture Lab’s VIP-X Philadelphia Fall 2016 cohort, has grown from a one-man operation to 16 employees. Barn Owl prides itself on being veteran-owned — Phifer spent 20 years in the Air Force — and offers discounts for the military community.
Shelflife
“How much money are you losing to expired products?” That’s the question Shelflife founder Samhita Karnati WG25 poses to grocers who manually track their inventory’s expiration dates. Karnati’s startup, a member of Venture Lab’s Fall 2024 VIP-X cohort in Philadelphia, helps retailers identify what’s expiring, suggests when items should be marked down, generates discount labels, and more. The venture aims to help grocers keep food fresh, reduce waste, and improve sales margins without the need to manually take stock of shelves.
BrainFood
Afternoon pick-me-ups often involve caffeine or loads of sugar. Not BrainFood: This fizzy beverage, crafted by co-founder and CEO Megan Burton G24 WG24, is a smart choice in more ways than one. Developed through Burton’s background in biomedical engineering, each can is a fusion of flavor (strawberry thyme, ginger apple) and brain-boosting nutrition (zinc for memory, B12 for energy). The brand, part of Venture Lab’s VIP-X Philadelphia Fall 2023 cohort and a 2024 winner of the Jacobson Global Venture Awards, aims to be your “brain’s new BFF.” As a bonus, check the can for self-care tips and brain-body insights.
Standard Bots
Watch and learn: That’s the idea behind Standard Bots, a startup co-founded by David Golden WG08 that’s developing AI-powered robots with the ability to learn tasks from human demonstrations. Created initially to tackle common manufacturing tasks, the company’s six-axis robotic arms may also one day be used for other jobs, such as doing laundry, washing dishes, and assisting seniors. The company last year announced $63 million in funding, with its latest investment round attracting Amazon and Samsung as notable backers.
Stryke Club
Stacy Blackman W93
Frustrated by her son’s lack of interest in skin care, Stacy Blackman W93 wanted to create a product that would fit an active youth lifestyle. She teamed up with three other moms to launch Stryke Club, an acne brand specifically for teen boys. Among the founders is a board-certified pediatric dermatologist whose proprietary formula reduces bacteria without overdrying. The line includes a combined face-and-body acne wash, wipes, and zit patches and was featured in Target’s Accelerators program.
Canary Technologies
Harman Singh Narula WG15
A pocket concierge of sorts, Harman Singh Narula WG15’s Canary Technologies has spread its wings from Y Combinator in 2018 to become a leading hospitality software, trusted by major chains such as Marriott and Four Seasons. Via its platform, guests are supported throughout their stay with personalized AI communication, while hoteliers seize opportunities to boost revenue through simplified room upgrades and other upsells. Leaving a positive review upon checkout is easier, too, and Canary boasts that it increases five-star reviews by 350 percent.
Trade Eights
The name of Liane Bennett WG08’s canned cocktails — a riff on “trading” eight bars of music — encapsulates the relaxed, joyful vibe of their fruit juice and spirits blends, such as grapefruit and vodka. Bennett’s commitment to natural ingredients paid off: Each of the brand’s three flavors won a double gold medal in the 2022 SIP Awards, and they’re available at major retailers. Bennett also channels her love for pets into the company, with one percent of sales donated to animal welfare organizations, including the San Francisco SPCA.
Beamline
Kyle Altshuler WG22, Jordan Barrette WG22, and Prateek Maheshwari WG22
Located in the chip-manufacturing hub of Greater Phoenix, Beamline provides quality control and materials-science services to semiconductor companies. The firm — co-founded by Kyle Altshuler WG22, Prateek Maheshwari WG22, and Jordan Barrette WG22 — offers support for making the chips that power everything from our smartphones to electric vehicles. Six thousand square feet of lab space, specialized equipment, and advanced-degree professionals serve as key resources for the firm’s clients, which in addition to semiconductor manufacturers include device designers and researchers.
Carpl
Dr. Vidur Mahajan WG16
This startup’s stated mission is to “democratize access to high-quality health care” with its marketplace of radiology AI apps. Led by Dr. Vidur Mahajan WG16, the firm aggregates apps in a one-stop shop for health-care organizations and other customers. “We want to be the place where health-care providers go to connect with the technology developers who can help them achieve better outcomes for their patients,” Mahajan told Forbes last year, fresh off a $6 million funding round. The firm, which seeks to simplify the process of identifying cutting-edge radiology AI and integrating it into existing workflows, counts Massachusetts General Hospital and the Singapore government among its users.
CivilGrid
Self-described as “Google Maps for pre-construction,” CivilGrid is helping engineering and construction teams efficiently scope and plan their projects. The company’s platform consolidates thousands of datasets containing information about potential construction sites, including locations of underground utilities, environmental factors, land rights, and conflicting projects. Co-founded by Josh Mackanic WG18 and Brandon Cohen WG18, CivilGrid lets teams work together in an interactive map with the aim of facilitating safer and smarter construction. A former Venture Lab VIP-X startup, the firm also counts developers, utilities, cities, and agencies among its intended users.
Healthmap Solutions
Eric Reimer WG96
Named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2024, Healthmap Solutions CEO Eric Reimer WG96 is leading the company’s charge to improve care for kidney patients. After advising the firm in 2015 on a pivot from consulting to its current focus, Reimer took the helm in 2020. Today, the company seeks to deliver better care, outcomes, and experiences for people with kidney disease while also improving costs. Noting Reimer’s recognition, the EY judges said: “Eric’s transformative leadership has revolutionized kidney health care for over 150,000 patients through a mix of services, telehealth, and education, firmly establishing the company as a vanguard in the industry.”
Published as “Robot Helpers, Teen Skin Care, and Brain-Boosting Beverages” in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Wharton Magazine.
Read about other alumni-powered ventures in the full Watchlist.
