Client Spotlight

Digital Seed Technology Inc.

Overview

Digital Seed Technology Inc., founded by Drs. Nicole P. Anderson and Jing Zhou, is advancing seed moisture measurement with the Grady Sensor—a portable device designed to quickly and accurately determine seed moisture content in grass seed crops. Traditional methods are labor-intensive and error-prone; the Grady Sensor eliminates the need for drying, weighing, or calculations, making harvest decisions faster and more reliable.

Development Journey

This project was developed in collaboration with OSU researchers, students, and a local Oregon manufacturer. The team received AID funding and completed the OSU Advantage Accelerator’s Accelerate program, where they connected with a mentor who has since become a business partner.

Key Milestones

• Filed provisional patent – July 2024
• Formed Digital Seed Technology Inc.
• Completed initial product development and field testing

Next Steps

• Refine prototype and scale manufacturing
• Conduct additional field tests
• Prepare for product launch for the 2025 grass seed harvest

Founders

• Nicole P. Anderson
• Jing Zhou

Contact Links

• Website: digiseedtech.com
• Nicole Anderson: OSU Profile
• Jing Zhou: OSU Profile, LinkedIn

UniFreelancers

Overview

UniFreelancers is a virtual marketplace that connects university students and alumni with clients who value the university ecosystem. Conceived by Alina Padilla-Miller in 2022, the platform addresses the difficulty of finding university-affiliated creatives on mainstream freelance sites.

Development Journey

With more than 15 years of media production experience, Alina joined the OSU Advantage Accelerator's Accelerate program in spring 2024, where she developed UniFreelancers into a minimum viable product and launched customer discovery. She received a $15,000 AID award in June 2024, which funded the creation of a brand identity and an initial prototype. The beta site launched November 1 and includes user profiles, job posting, project tracking, and messaging tools.

Next Steps

• Continue collecting user feedback during the beta phase
• Expand development features based on user needs
• Pursue fundraising to prepare for broader market launch

Market Potential

The freelance marketplace was valued at $6.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to exceed $13 billion by 2029. UniFreelancers stands out by emphasizing university-based community, affordability, and real-world learning for students and alumni. It offers institutions a way to track graduate success and support career development.

Founder

Alina Padilla-Miller

Contact Links

• Video Overview: YouTube
• LinkedIn: Alina Padilla-Miller

Zippin Bio

Overview

Zippin Bio, founded by Dr. Mahsa Khoshbakht, is a biotechnology company developing a platform to deliver gene therapies into the brain, targeting hard-to-treat neurological diseases. By overcoming the blood-brain barrier, their technology enables delivery of nucleic acid-based therapeutics to modulate gene expression and improve patient outcomes.

Background

Inspired by the statistic that 99% of therapies cannot cross the brain’s protective barriers, Khoshbakht launched this effort in 2023 to address the critical gaps in neurological disease treatment. Her goal is to make a meaningful impact for patients, families, and caregivers.

Programs & Support

In 2023, Khoshbakht joined the inaugural Moxie cohort and continued into the Accelerate program in Winter 2024. These programs provided expert mentorship, strategic planning, and key insights that helped Zippin Bio shape its business model and technical direction.

Key Milestones

• Positive results from preliminary studies
• Established partnerships with neuroscientists and molecular biologists
• Finalist at the AOBIO Biotech Summit – October 2024

Next Steps

• Advance preclinical testing of platform safety and efficacy
• Implement continuous flow system manufacturing
• Begin regulatory preparations and seek commercialization partners

Contact Links

• Website: www.zippinbio.com
• LinkedIn: Dr. Mahsa Khoshbakht

MicroPaleoWorks

Overview

Founded by OSU researcher Jennifer Fehrenbacher, MicroPaleoWorks produces archive-quality storage slides for microfossils such as foraminifera—tiny organisms that reveal critical climate records. As global supply chains faltered and handmade options proved costly, Fehrenbacher stepped in with a sustainable, U.S.-based solution to meet the needs of fellow scientists.

Innovation & Market Need

Storage slides have remained unchanged for over a century. When sourcing them became increasingly difficult, Fehrenbacher realized she wasn’t alone. MicroPaleoWorks emerged to provide high-quality, accessible, and locally sourced solutions tailored to the micropaleontology community and beyond.

Programs & Support

Fehrenbacher participated in the OSU Advantage Accelerator’s Iterate, Accelerate, and Moxie programs. These helped her explore customer discovery, refine her business model, and identify sustainable suppliers—including a local partner and a producer of forest-certified recycled materials.

Milestones

• Initial product sales and customer adoption
• Upgraded fabrication with new laser cutter
• Expanded inventory and added new slide designs

What’s Next

• Scaling production for additional slide types
• Expanding into the sci-art market
• Continuing to support researchers with durable, archival products

Founder

Jennifer Fehrenbacher

Contact Links

• Website: micropaleoworks.com
• LinkedIn: Jennifer Fehrenbacher

Innovative Vole Management Research

Overview

In the agricultural heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, OSU Extension Wildlife Specialist Dana Sanchez is pioneering a new approach to managing voles—small rodents that wreak havoc on crops during unpredictable population booms. Recognizing their ecological importance while addressing the substantial economic impact they have on farmers, Sanchez is leading efforts to strike a sustainable balance between conservation and crop protection.

Innovation & Research

Through transdisciplinary strategies, Sanchez is exploring early detection tools and alternatives to chemical intervention. Her long-term vision includes a non-invasive monitoring system, targeted chemical usage, and possibly even biological reproductive suppression methods. Even modest advances in early detection could help farmers better allocate labor and select more rodent-resistant crops.

Programs & Support

Sanchez participated in both the Accelerate and Moxie programs, where she gained critical knowledge on intellectual property, commercialization strategy, and persuasive pitching. These insights helped her secure diversified funding and shaped her approach to blending entrepreneurship with academic research.

Next Steps

• Analyze pilot data collected during winter research
• Refine detection tools and evaluate intervention effectiveness
• Pursue additional funding and applied research partnerships

Founder

Dana Sanchez

Contact Links

• LinkedIn: Dana Sanchez

Toastwear

Overview

The spark behind Toastwear ignited in 2012 when Gabe Garbarino was stranded on Mt. Hood’s Palmer ski lift for over 45 minutes, ultimately being rescued and treated for mild hypothermia. As a seasoned Intel Product Design Engineer, Gabe channeled that chilling experience into innovation. Together with co-founder Gerry Recktenwald and a team of engineers, they began developing a superior alternative to conventional heated jackets.

Innovation & Design

Toastwear’s solution is the first wearable convective heating system, delivering warmth through air circulation rather than conductive pads. The system can be integrated into nearly any jacket, offering users greater comfort, efficiency, and safety. Toastwear collaborated with a design firm to better communicate its advantages to consumers—especially in a crowded market of heated apparel.

Development Journey

• Prototypes built from salvaged components
• Development of a novel air circulation system
• Custom temperature control electronics designed

Programs & Support

The Toastwear team participated in the Accelerate program, where they refined their pitch and clarified their product-market fit. This support helped shape their investor messaging and business strategy.

Next Steps

• Build fully wearable investor-ready prototype
• Secure investment capital for manufacturing
• Target a 2025 market launch with initial production

Founders

• Gabe Garbarino
• Gerry Recktenwald

Contact Links

• LinkedIn: Gabe Garbarino
• LinkedIn: Gerry Recktenwald
• Company LinkedIn: Toastwear

Articulate Intelligence Company

Overview

Articulate Intelligence Company, formerly known as Project Mim, is focused on improving administrative decision-making in higher education. The founders, James Watson and John Woodill, recognized the inefficiencies in common university tasks like course selection and admissions management. Though this innovation diverged from their academic research, the opportunity to build something transformative for universities was clear.

Innovation & Approach

The company develops AI tools designed to assist students and staff in navigating complex administrative decisions. Their pilot projects include a chatbot for OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS), and they’ve collaborated with OSU’s Registrar’s Office to refine product-market fit. Their AI-powered co-pilots aim to increase efficiency, save time, and enhance the student and administrative experience.

Programs & Support

The team participated in Iterate, Accelerate, and Launch, and they were awarded AID funding in 2024. These experiences helped them move from research to entrepreneurship and focus on customer discovery and validation.

Next Steps

• Refine AI co-pilot services based on user feedback
• Secure first paying customers within higher ed institutions
• Scale AI offerings to other university departments

Founders

• James Watson
• John Woodill

Contact Links

• LinkedIn: James Watson
• LinkedIn: John Woodill
• LinkedIn: Rebecca Mathern

Fighting White Nose Syndrome in Bats

Overview

This collaborative OSU-led project aims to fight White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a deadly fungal disease caused by *Pseudogymnoascus destructans* (Pd) that has devastated bat populations. The team is developing a biofungicide that uses RNA interference (RNAi) to silence essential fungal genes and halt Pd growth—without harming bats or ecosystems.

Origins & Approach

The idea originated in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2019 White-nose Syndrome Challenge. Selected as the winning proposal out of 47 submissions, the team developed an aerosol spray designed to silence Pd genes. After delays from COVID-19 and immigration-related issues, lab work resumed in 2023.

Programs & Support

The team participated in OSU’s Accelerate program in early 2023, gaining insight into customer discovery, IP protection, and entrepreneurial thinking. They also received AID funding to support research progress and field trial preparation.

Key Milestones

• Identified gene targets using bioinformatics
• Demonstrated effectiveness in in vitro experiments
• Submitted IP disclosure to OSU and plan to file a provisional patent
• Initiated collaborations for large-scale manufacturing and EPA compliance

Next Steps

• Develop new gene targets to expand efficacy
• Launch field trials in high-impact WNS zones
• Advance regulatory strategy for commercial application

Founders

• Jenny Urbina
• Taal Levi
• Emily Dziedzic

Contact Links

• LinkedIn: Jenny Urbina
• LinkedIn: Taal Levi
• LinkedIn: Emily Dziedzic

OSU Membrane Group

Overview

The OSU Membrane Group, led by Dr. Xue Jin and Tran Quang, is pioneering a new solution to recycle agricultural and municipal waste into safe, reusable water and nutrient resources. Their hybrid membrane system is compact, cost-effective, and energy-efficient—allowing farms and municipalities to reduce environmental harm while boosting sustainability.

Research Origin

Launched in 2021, the project emerged from Dr. Jin’s desire to improve the water-food-energy nexus. By reducing fertilizer runoff and freshwater usage, the team’s technology supports cleaner, more circular food systems.

Programs & Support

Jin participated in the inaugural Moxie program, where she explored customer discovery, market fit, and entrepreneurial strategy. In Spring 2024, the project received AID funding to optimize system configurations and is now part of the Accelerate program to validate the commercial model and pursue partners.

Key Milestones

• Validated membrane performance and reduced energy use
• Received $15,000 AID award for optimization
• Initiated business development and market testing

Next Steps

• Secure partnerships with water-focused agricultural stakeholders
• Establish an LLC and formalize commercialization efforts
• Pursue additional funding and industry collaborations

Founders

• Xue Jin
• Tran Quang

Contact Links

• Website: OSU Membrane Group
• LinkedIn: Xue Jin