The Innovate@BU Summer Accelerator program kicks off this summer with a lineup of student-led ventures poised to make a significant impact across various industries. The 10-week intensive program provides participating teams with $10,000 in funding, dedicated mentorship, and comprehensive resources to transform their ideas into viable businesses.
This year’s cohort represents the diversity of innovation happening across Boston University, with teams developing solutions in robotics, education, legal services, neurotechnology, and more. The program culminates in August with a showcase event where teams will present their ventures to the BU and surrounding community.
From neuromodulation, to legal defense, to comic translation and beyond, the ten teams in the program’s 2026 cohort tackle real-world challenges with innovative solutions.
Antioch Technologies is a medical device startup developing a dual-wearable system that uses machine learning and targeted mechanical compression to detect and suppress debilitating tremors in real time for people with neurological disorders. The MULExNeuroBrace system provides a non-invasive, affordable alternative to medications and surgery, helping patients regain independence in daily activities like eating, dressing, and writing. Antioch Technologies is led by Mark Lucas (ENG’26).
AttorneyAlert is a platform that connects criminal defense attorneys with defendants in need of legal representation, streamlining client acquisition for attorneys and providing defendants with quick, reliable access to qualified counsel. Founder Brian Namnoum (MET’26) and engineer Afaq Ahmad will be working on AttorneyAlert throughout the summer.
Bendi is a digital wellness app offering pregnancy-safe fitness, mindfulness, and support resources tailored for pregnant and postpartum women, aiming to make holistic maternal health more accessible and convenient. Graduate student Madison Dent (COM’26) is the sole founder of this venture.
GrantWare AI is an agentic platform that automates the entire grant funding workflow—from discovery and eligibility analysis to proposal drafting and submission—for K-12 school districts, nonprofits, universities, and government agencies. GrantWare AI is led by Ryan Rodriguez (CAS’26), Gabriel Levi Ramos (CAS’26), and Adrian Dybacki (CAS’26).
FumiTranslator is an AI-powered translation platform for manga, manhua, and manhwa comic books, using machine translation and OCR technologies to efficiently transform these works into English and other languages while preserving artwork and dialogue. FumiTranslator is led by Achuthan Menon (ENG’28).
Insighta is a purpose-built two-sided marketplace that connects small-scale researchers, such as undergraduate students, graduate students, and independent researchers, with qualified study participants, solving the chronic pain points of slow, biased, and resource-intensive recruitment. Founders Yuhan Wei (Rose), Selina Zhang (CAS’28), and Haowen Liu (Pardee’28) will dedicate the full 10-week program to the venture’s development.
Magnesis Robotics has developed a squid-inspired electromagnetic propulsion system that silently moves underwater vehicles and pumps water without propellers, using minimal power and requiring almost no maintenance. The bladeless design eliminates noise and mechanical wear while dramatically extending battery life and can be scaled for various applications from small pumps to large underwater vehicles. Magnesis Robotics is led by Pranav Sultania (ENG’27) and Isabella Santarpia (ENG’27).
Nervara addresses the current limitations of neuromodulation devices with their miniature wireless neuromodulation implant, which is small, simple, and injectable, making the procedure quick to implement and mitigating potential for malfunction. Nervara is led by Carolyn Marar (ENG’25).
SomniSystems is building AXIS, the first precision-adjustable pillow platform validated through interviews. Its dual-model architecture uses micro-air chambers to continuously optimize height and firmness, delivering support and helping eliminate neck pain. The team is led by doctoral student Dannar Zharkyn (ENG’29) and PhD student Ana Theadora Balaci (ENG).
TeddyBridge is a patient-to-patient support platform that matches individuals recovering from surgery with peers who share similar experiences, pairing them for one-on-one video calls so no one has to heal in isolation. TeddyBridge addresses the critical gap in healthcare where patients face months of physical and emotional uncertainty with only brief, episodic access to their surgeons. The venture is led by Langtian (Sky) Zhang (ENG’29) and Mani Eftekhari (Columbia University).
