From Idea to Impact: Announcing the New Spark Venture Teams
At Brandeis University, innovation does not wait for graduation. Each year, the Spark program brings together bold student founders ready to turn ideas into real-world solutions. After a highly competitive selection process, this year’s Spark teams have been chosen and are preparing to begin an intensive entrepreneurial journey.
A Rigorous Selection Process
Spark teams were selected through a structured evaluation led by a panel of industry experts, entrepreneurs, and innovation leaders. Each application was reviewed for:
- Depth of problem insight
- Strength and feasibility of the proposed solution
- Team capability and balance
- Scalability and market opportunity
- Novelty and defensibility
- Likelihood of achieving meaningful venture milestones
Only teams demonstrating both vision and execution potential earned a place in this cohort. Another critical factor for inclusion was the potential social or economic impact of each startup idea.
“The Spark program reflects Brandeis’ commitment to translating knowledge into meaningful solutions,” said Rajnish Kaushik, PhD, head of Brandeis Innovation. “We are proud to support student founders as they tackle complex challenges with creativity, rigor, and purpose. These teams exemplify how research, technology, and entrepreneurship can come together to create ventures with both societal and market impact.” Past Spark teams have gone on to launch successful ventures in the food, consumer goods, and nonprofit sectors.
Entrepreneurial Training at a Global Standard
The selected teams will now receive hands-on venture training grounded in two of the world’s most respected entrepreneurship frameworks:
- Business Model Canvas – for mapping value creation, customers, and revenue pathways
- Disciplined Entrepreneurship – a step-by-step method for customer discovery, validation, and market strategy
The program is led by Christina Inge, Spark lead instructor, Harvard lecturer, and former Heller MBA marketing instructor. Sessions will also feature Pito Salas, noted technologist, educator, and inventor of the pivot table, along with experts from Boston’s vibrant startup ecosystem. Together, they will guide teams from early hypothesis to validated business model. “Spark is where disciplined entrepreneurship meets student imagination,” said Christina Inge, Spark lead instructor. “Our goal is not just to help students launch companies, but to help them learn how to test ideas, listen to customers, and build solutions that genuinely deserve to exist in the world. This cohort represents thoughtful innovation across AI, healthcare, community, and consumer products, and I’m excited to see how far they take these ventures.”
Meet the 2026 Spark Teams
This year’s cohort spans AI infrastructure, healthcare, social connection, consumer products, sports technology, and more.
Protégé.AI
Building the quality-assurance infrastructure layer for LLMs, chatbots, and AI agents, Protégé.AI functions as a QA control plane for AI reliability. The platform captures real-time interactions, runs automated evaluations, detects failures such as hallucinations and policy violations, and triggers guardrails or escalation workflows.
GetTogether
A spontaneous activity-matching app connecting nearby users to walk, study, exercise, or share everyday activities in real time. GetTogether lowers the barrier to socializing on campus and beyond.
Strangers
A platform that connects students for face-to-face meals, transforming shared dining into meaningful relationships and building a stronger ecosystem of belonging.
MakeMySchedule
A smart course-planning platform for Brandeis students featuring AI chat support, drag-and-drop scheduling, smart filters, and one-click Google Calendar export.
Bookline
AI voice agents that book appointments, answer customer questions, and filter spam calls for small businesses, bringing voice-based automation within reach of local enterprises.
Remi AI
A Meta glasses assistant designed for people with dementia. Running fully on-device for privacy, Remi AI serves as a dignified memory companion, recognizing loved ones and offering compassionate, context-aware prompts without internet dependence.
Cartlytics
A receipt-powered budgeting platform built for neurodivergent users, automating expense tracking and delivering behavior-aware financial insights that help users better understand their spending habits.
NXPlay VR
An immersive training platform using VR simulation to improve athletes’ decision-making, reaction time, and tactical performance in game-like environments.
Field Vision
An AI-powered sports recruiting platform that helps athletes create highlight reels, boosting visibility and improving their chances of connecting with college recruiters.
Ganfan
Transforming traditional Chinese dishes into convenient, balanced frozen meals, Ganfan brings authentic Chinese flavors to the US market in an affordable and accessible format.
ArtSignal
Uses interpretable AI to convert auction catalogs into objective pricing signals, helping galleries and collectors quantify visual value in opaque mid-tier art markets.
RadiantAI
An AI-powered emergency room triage tool designed to detect six of the deadliest missed diagnoses. RadiantAI aims to become a diagnostic safety net across US emergency departments, with future expansion into ICUs and urgent care.
What Comes Next
Over the coming months, Spark teams will engage in customer discovery, prototype development, mentor sessions, and pitch preparation. By pairing structured methodology with expert guidance and a collaborative community, Spark will aim to help founders move from promising ideas to ventures with real momentum.
The Spark program continues to be a launchpad where Brandeis innovation meets disciplined entrepreneurship, turning student creativity into ventures that address meaningful challenges across industries.