Introducing ISU Startup Factory Cohort 18

The Iowa State University Startup Factory celebrates nearly a decade of impact in fostering high-tech innovation and entrepreneurship. Since its inception in 2016, the program has supported 156 companies across 17 cohorts, raising over $107 million in outside funding and achieving five successful exits. As it continues to shape the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Iowa State University and throughout Iowa, the ISU Startup Factory is proud to announce its latest group of innovators.

This new cohort features a diverse lineup of ventures, all bringing groundbreaking ideas and technologies to the table. Introducing the founders and companies that make Cohort 18:

• Joseph Muelhaupt and Xander Parkhill with GasNowInc.: GasNowInc. provides on-demand fuel delivery services for individuals and businesses, ensuring fast, reliable, and contactless refueling wherever it’s needed. Fueling the future.

• Aspen Howard with ANT: ANT offers smart products for households that discard excess and expired food, helping reduce waste and save money.

• Ben Van Dusen with LASSO: For high school and college students who are struggling in math and science, LASSO provides personalized learning so that STEM can be a foundation, not a filter.

• Mohammed Soliman with iBuddy: For the presenters and speakers facing presentation anxiety, our real-time assistant aims to back you up so you can nail your presentation efficiently.

• Trace Gau with George and Lucky Co: We build and design modular pet care devices that interlock, allowing you to create an amusement park for your pet.

• Shawn Ding with AI-CQD: AI-CQD provides a smart, Bluetooth-enabled coach that tracks vaping behavior in real time and delivers personalized AI guidance to help users quit without cold turkey.

• Karthik Hanumanthaiah, Rakesh Shah, and Sharath Hanumanthaiah with Code Valid: Code Valid is an AI agent to find and fix bugs so developer can focus on building feature, not debugging.

Welcome Cohort 18!