7 Startups, 6 Months, Zero Charge, and Up to $350,000 in Benefits

BROOKLYN, New York, Friday, May 18, 2018 – NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s Future Labs selected seven startup companies to join its first Catalyst NYC cohort. The selective, six-month program makes the portfolio of benefits previously available only to Future Labs companies accessible to earlier-stage startups.

Equity-free and free of charge, Catalyst NYC gives startups an opportunity to make it through the difficult pre-seed stage. The program provides access to University talent, faculty, and resources valued at up to $350,000, including pro bono legal support from Orrick, financial planning, prototyping facilities, and free desk space for those companies that choose to relocate. The Catalyst NYC program encompasses two of NYU Tandon’s four Future Labs: the Data Future Lab, in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, and the Digital Future Lab, in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn.

 “We received overwhelming interest, and the entire team worked diligently to identify seven companies that will benefit from our program,” said Steven Kuyan, NYU Tandon managing director at the Future Labs. “With the help of our resources, we will work toward ensuring the companies gain market traction and become contributing members of the New York City startup ecosystem.”

The inaugural Catalyst NYC cohort includes:

Cherrypick.ai: enables brands to drive sales directly from social media comments

LandWright: creating a commercial real estate securities marketplace that brings a new form of equity financing to real estate owners and access to individuals priced out of the market

Omnirisk: assesses the risk of commercial vehicles and their components in an era of rapidly evolving autonomous driving technologies

Scite.ai: uses machine learning and a network of researchers to identify the veracity of scientific work and scientists

Skopos Labs: its AI software platform will turn unstructured data into accurate predictions of risk and opportunity for companies and financial markets

Trash TV: will enable predictive video editing in real time, with a next-generation stock video library and content platform

Ursa: brings context, efficiency, and actionability to meeting notes by recording notes and conversations side by side, syncing captured content, and letting users search and share key moments from meetings

Launched in 2009, the Future Labs have supported some of the leading technology companies in New York including CB Insights, BounceX, Clarifai, and Honest Buildings. The Future Labs have graduated more than 95 companies and recently reported an estimated economic impact on New York City’s economy of $4.06 billion. This Future Labs program is supported by Orrick LLP and Empire State Development Corporation.

Note: Images available at http://dam.engineering.nyu.edu/?c=2090&k=1cc0648e62

About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, one of the country’s foremost private research universities, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program.