Four Cornell Tech Studio Startups Secure NYCEDC Founder Fellowships

Four recent Cornell Tech Startup Studio companies have been selected for Founder Fellowships offered by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). Each of these startups were founded by Cornell Tech students while they were pursuing their master’s degrees on Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island campus.

The Founder Fellowship, a cornerstone of NYCEDC’s Venture Access NYC initiative, is specifically designed to ensure capital and networks are more accessible for underrepresented founders across various tech-enabled sectors. Selected teams benefit from individualized work plans, cohort convenings for collaborative problem-solving and crucial connections to potential investors and collaborators. This holistic approach aims to address the needs of each startup while cultivating a supportive community.

The four Cornell Tech startups that were selected to continue their entrepreneurial journeys as NYCEDC Founder Fellows over the last two years are:

• MyLÚA Health, a digital maternal care platform that predicts risk of pregnancy complications through a patient app and clinician dashboard
• Fig Medical, which facilitates the Prior Authorization process for healthcare providers through intelligent automation and predictive analytics
• Project B, which uses 3D body scans to create custom-fit bras that are tailored to each customer’s unique breasts and produces them on demand
• Kaveat, an AI-powered contract management platform for media and entertainment industries that simplifies and automates the contract lifecycle

“The success of these startups clearly reflects the collaborative and entrepreneurial spirit we cultivate at Cornell Tech,” said Josh Hartmann, Chief Practice Officer of Cornell Tech. “By aligning with NYCEDC’s Venture Access NYC initiative, we are supporting these brilliant founders and contributing to the broader mission of creating a more inclusive and dynamic tech ecosystem in the city.”

“The four startups progressing from the Cornell Tech Startup Studio to our Founder Fellowship program speaks to the talent pipeline NYCEDC is cultivating in the city’s evolving tech industry,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “Growing businesses in New York City begins with supporting entrepreneurs from all backgrounds and at all stages of development – we look forward to the next chapter for these innovative Founder Fellow alumni.”

Each of the four startups were past award winners at Cornell Tech. In 2022, MyLÚA Health was granted the inaugural Siegel Family Endowment PiTech Startup Award, a testament to the company’s positive societal impact. Fig Medical and Project B were honored as Cornell Tech startup award winners in 2023 and Kaveat was a startup award winner in 2022.

Cornell Tech surpassed a critical milestone in its central role supporting, boosting, and championing the City’s tech ecosystem by spinning out its 100th tech startup in 2023. With a combined total valuation of $695 million and 94% of the companies headquartered in New York City, Cornell Tech startups are enmeshed in the New York City economy and culture.

On October 16, NYCEDC announced the launch of applications for the 2025 Founder Fellowship program edition. Applications for the 2025 Founder Fellowship are now open through December 6, 2024, and the Fellowship will commence in March 2025. To learn more, click here.