startup

BioE startup Aluna, founded by alumna Charvi Shetty, has been named a 2023-24 Tech for Global Good Laureate, one of four venures recognized for using technology to significantly advance health equity and improve lives. Aluna makes hardware and software that helps people with breathing problems.

Bolt Threads, a company co-founded by BioE PhD alumnus David Breslauer, plans to go public in a SPAC deal that values the one-time unicorn at $250 million. Bolt Threads uses synthetic biology and other techniques to sustainably produce engineered biomaterials, including synthetic spider silk and mushroom-based faux leather.

PhD alumna Tammy Hsu is using synthetic biology to produce environmentally friendly dyes for industry through her company, Huue.

Lucira, a Berkeley spinout company founded by BioE alumni Debkishore Mitra and John Waldeisen, has created the first combination home test for flu and COVID to be cleared by the FDA. The agency granted emergency use authorization to the Lucira Covid-19 & Flu Test, which provides results in about 30 minutes from samples collected by a nasal swab.

Aluna, an award-winning lung health management platform created by BioE alumna Charvi Shetty, has completed a $15.3 million Series B round of financing to continue growing its solution among doctors and patients managing asthma, cystic fibrosis and COPD. Aluna spun out of our undergraduate capstone course, BioE 192!

Check out this Medgadget interview with BioE alumna Charvi Shetty, founder and CEO of Aluna, which makes an FDA-approved at-home spirometer for asthma management.

Synthetic biology startup Huue, founded by BioE PhD alumni Tammy Hsu, has raised $14.6 million in a Series A funding round for what it says is the world’s first clean and scalable indigo dye for denim.