CoMotion-supported companies enter the marketplace
CoMotion at the University of Washington supported the launch of multiple spinoffs in the first half of 2025. We describe several of them here, and look forward to introducing more in the coming months.
These ventures have all spun out of and licensed technology through UW on their path from the lab to the market. They are built on technologies that range from AI platforms for edtech and curbside parking optimization to a portable dialysis system and a new class of biologics built on custom-designed protein frameworks.
Some of these teams have taken advantage of CoMotion’s innovation development programs, including the I-Corps customer discovery workshop, the competitive CoMotion Innovation Gap Fund awards, and the Husky FAST Start licensing process, among others.
Archon Biosciences, a biotech spinoff of the Baker Lab at UW’s Institute for Protein Design, has developed a new class of biologics that combine antibody specificity with custom-designed protein frameworks. Antibody Cages (AbCs) offer customizable structures—size, shape, and orientation—that improve targeting, distribution, and engagement in disease pathways. This precision approach aims to enhance treatments in cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other challenging conditions.
Colleague.AI is an educational technology platform grounded in research-based teaching and learning knowledge. Its specialized AI assistants save teachers hours on lesson planning and grading, provide virtual teaching and tutoring for students, and generate data-driven insights for school leaders and parents. Spun out of UW’s College of Education, Colleague AI has received a CoMotion Innovation Gap Fund award, an SBIR Phase I award, and other federal grants for continuing R&D.
JC-Techs, spun out of the School of Engineering & Technology at UW Tacoma, has developed an AI platform to optimize curbside parking using street‑level video from standard dashcams. It automates curb inventory, sign reading, and parked‑car detection to deliver real‑time insights and predictive analytics. The product integrates with existing transportation systems to reduce congestion and emissions and enables new mobility models, all while adhering to rigorous privacy and cybersecurity standards.
Kuleana Technology is advancing technology developed in UW’s Center of Dialysis Innovation (CDI) to improve care for patients with chronic kidney failure and end-stage renal disease who rely on dialysis, which can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and uncomfortable. Its portable dialysis systems run untethered from walls—eliminating over 50 gallons of purified water per session—use closed‑loop dialysate, and feature needleless vascular access to reduce painful needle sticks and enhance quality of life.
LEAP Photonics (Laser Enhanced Automation Perception) is developing a next-generation LiDAR 3D imaging system using integrated acousto-optics on a photonic chip. By combining beam steering and detection on a single Photonic Integrated Circuit, LEAP’s solid-state technology dramatically reduces the size and cost of LiDAR. Spun out of UW’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, LEAP’s compact, affordable platform is poised to advance automation in robotics, drones, and autonomous vehicles.
Platea Biosciences is pioneering brain drug discovery powered by interpretable phenotypic intelligence. Its Brian AI platform replaces outdated preclinical assessments, delivering human-translatable efficacy and safety insights at scale for next-generation brain therapeutics. Platea’s approach builds on computer vision AI/ML and circuit-mapping innovations developed in the Golden Lab in UW’s Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics.