Hillside Ventures recently sent 4 analysts to TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco to scout out breakthrough technologies, incredible founders, and more. This class had the highest number of applicants across the largest spread of countries and industries, so competition was as cutthroat as ever. From AI-powered baby strollers to precision health companies testing the skin microbiome, this year’s Startup Battlefield Top 200 were a strong class to participate in the grand prize of $100,000 in non-dilutive funding. While there were indeed countless incredible companies, including the overall winner of Startup Battlefield Biotics AI, an AI system that detects fetal abnormalities in prenatal ultrasound, there were many strong contenders that did not make it to the Top 20 Pitch Stage. Here are 3 of the most exciting companies we saw at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023.
Plantiga
Plantiga is a human analytics company that focuses on the lower extremity. They have sensors that can assess gait analytics, force production, and more for all populations but especially have an athletics focus. They can insert their novel AI-powered sensor pod into shoes, orthotics, and insoles to analyze movement patterns. They can, from there, use predictive analytics for preventative care and behavioral modification to improve overall performance. Plantiga boasts the ability to use their technology to adjust training plans, proactively integrate preventative measures, and monitor progress. Indeed, Plantiga can collect information including gait speed and asymmetries, swing time variability, flight time and ground contact time, peak acceleration, and vertical takeoff and landing accelerations among a suite of others.
What caught our eye at TechCrunch was that they already have astounding traction, with early adopters including Ohio State University and Stanford Athletics. They are also actively participating in clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases, implementing their technologies to monitor and assess physical functioning. After the Hillside team made Plantiga an introduction to UConn Exercise Science (recently named the #2 doctoral program for Kinesiology in the US), this promising startup is on track to secure further interest from some incredible sports teams and research groups.
We admit that one of our analysts has worked with the technology developed by their direct competitor, IMU Step, in academic settings. Plantiga seems to outshine other technologies on the market in nearly every way. Their software demo was easy to use and clear in the information they presented at Disrupt. The data they collect (alongside the accuracy of said data) is infinitely more user-friendly, and the potential for using AI for risk-detection and injury prevention is incredibly attractive. Competitors may also offer useful data, but the real-time capabilities of suggesting areas of improvement and risk, alongside the vastly superior amount and quality of data they record, help Plantiga land a step above. Another important point: their biggest competitor, IMU Step, will be halting software updates in around 1.5-2 years. In our opinion, Plantiga is well-poised to capture that market deficiency alongside use-cases in athletic and clinical populations with their novel technology.
Lillianah Technologies
Lillianah Technologies, charmingly named after the founder and CEO’s daughters, is a company dedicated to offering cost-effective carbon removal technology (500-1000x cheaper than Direct Air Capture). Lillianah differentiates itself by cultivating specific diatoms in their proprietary photobioreactors and releasing them into nearshore marine environments (such as the Louisiana Dead Zone). The sediment they generate in the process of capturing carbon and driving it into the ocean floor allows for carbon geological storage. Lillianah can transform the environment around a dead zone and entirely alter the economies of surrounding areas, help large companies reach carbon neutrality, and begin to mitigate growing climate threats related to rising greenhouse gas emissions.
Lillianah’s team is, in short, incredible. Built of world-renowned experts on carbon in aquatic systems and with years of industry experience in geological settings, Lillianah blends a sound understanding of science with realistic business plans. The team has already started to clear out the Louisiana dead zone with around 430 more near-shore environments that they are aiming to target over the coming years. They’ve begun to obtain regulatory approvals in the necessary environments and show no signs of slowing down.
Unlike many competitors, Lillianah can offer verified carbon credits. Not only that, but they are also one of the only companies that can verify via direct measurements. While competitors may use assumptions or use model-driven verification processes, Lillianah can directly measure exactly how much carbon they are removing through integration of a variety of methods. For a fast-growing market with many large deals coming out in recent months (see Amazon’s recent purchase of 250,000 metric tons of CDR credits from Oxy over the next 10 years), Lillianah seems to have a unique advantage over its competitors in ensuring that it delivers what its customers are looking for. We are excited to see how they continue to scale and build out their project pipeline.
AC3D
AC3D is a construction 3D-printing company based in the United States. They revolutionize the construction of houses with their ability to reduce labor costs by 60% and material costs by 50%. They can print houses in as little as one day and transport their printers in a highly mobile fashion. They use a patented printing nozzle to use 100% cementless geopolymer that sets faster than their competitors’ materials. Additionally, their geopolymer is stronger, more fire resistant, and more weather-resistant than traditional concrete, all while allowing the house to be built at net zero. AC3D aims to lease their printing technology to construction companies and developers across the world while participating in profit-sharing agreements. They have already started building houses with their printers in Dubai and have secured LOI’s for numerous locations in the United States.
The construction 3D printing market is hot right now, with the current state of housing worldwide. Globally, 1.8bn people do not have adequate housing, and construction prices continue to increase year-on-year. The secret to capturing the housing market will be to put up houses quickly and for lower cost than competitors. AC3D seems to be able to do just that while simultaneously reserving the ability to also construct luxury houses if need be as well, widening their customer base even further. The team in charge of AC3D has many years of experience in global distribution of technologies, 3D printing, and construction. With their industry expertise, AC3D’s team has a strong advantage over their competitors in leveraging their existing connections and understanding of market dynamics to scale the company.
AC3D has a highly differentiated product to its competitors, from being able to put the printer up faster, to being able to print on non-level surfaces with proprietary technology, to printing in even non-ideal conditions (like light-to-moderate rain). The pipeline of contracts is promising for this construction company, and we look forward to seeing them secure even more as they deliver on their LOIs starting Q4-2023 into Q2-2024.
Conclusion
TechCrunch is undoubtedly a prestigious competition, one that can transform a founder’s startup journey if they’re given the opportunity to present at Startup Battlefield. However, with the time constraints at Disrupt (across just 3 days!), it’s impossible to get all 200 companies to pitch on the main stage. Equally difficult would be writing about every single company that piqued our interest in just a single Substack. Here, we only picked 3 but there were countless more that were equally deserving of a spotlight. Hillside was honored to meet some of the companies that didn’t make it into the top 20 and make long-lasting connections with founders from all types of backgrounds and verticals. We look forward to seeing all the companies we met grow to their fullest potential, and we sincerely wish them all the best. We look forward to continuing our conversations with many companies we met at TechCrunch and are excited to attend Disrupt 2024 to get another chance to meet the top talent that inevitably makes its way to the Battlefield.
