​The Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation's Summer Accelerator is an immersive entrepreneurial experience that has prepared startups to launch, generate revenue, raise funding, and be accepted to participate in next-step opportunities such as internationally recognized incubators and accelerator programs.

​Join us to celebrate the conclusion of the 2026 cohort and hear their final pitches.

​Thank you to this summer's program partners: Big Bang, Canva, Carta, CashmanKatz, Fiondella Milone & LaSaracina LLP, Webster Bank, and wiggin(x).

​Event Schedule

​5:00pm | Event Opens

​5:30pm | Welcome + Acknowledgements

​5:35pm | 2026 Cohort Showcase

​6:25pm | Awards + Closing

​6:30pm | Networking

​8:00pm | Event Closes

​2026 Cohort

​5MatterLab
A lightweight, compact tubular hydrogen fuel cell that delivers long-endurance, zero-emission power for drones and other space-constrained applications by maximizing power density while minimizing system size and weight.
Jasna Jankovic Ph.D., Co-founder + Scientific Advisor
Sara Pedram Ph.D., Co-founder + CEO
Yinyu Wang, Engineering Lead

​AccessFlora
A sustainable aquaculture company with a proprietary aquafeed for raising oysters in purified water.
Keegan Jalbert, CEO
Dr. Mingyu Qiao, CTO
Vitoria Lunardi de Castro, CMO

​AeroGraphiX
Developing graphene-enhanced HEPA air filters for health-critical facilities.
Deep Shikha Srivastava, CEO
Brenden Ferland, CTO
Robert Minh Lu William, Chief Scientific Advisor
Dr. Douglas Adamson, Advisor

​Babsy
A customizable kids’ toothbrush, Build-A-Brush, that lets children personalize their brushing experience — turning a daily routine into something fun, creative, and exciting.
Dante Paolino D.M.D., Co-founder + CEO/CFO
Zachary Gelber D.D.S., Co-founder + CEO/COO
Marissa Gelber, Co-founder + CMO
Maria Pereira, Dental Research + Social Media

​ChromaShield
A smart, wearable patch designed to detect and monitor early signs of skin inflammation and complications during radiation therapy to bridge the gap between at-home monitoring and clinical care to improve patient outcomes.
Suma Dendi, Co-founder + CPO
Neha Shanavas, Co-founder + CEO
Charli Hughes, CTO

​Colibri Delivers
Colibri is frontier food delivery — food, groceries, and essentials dropped right where you're standing, no address required.
Cody Foust, Founder + CEO
Matthew Barros, Head of Operations
Nico Sullivan, Media Lead
Jess Hanson, CMO

​Elyton
An automated, non-contact metal-finishing platform for complex geometries and difficult-to-machine alloys.
Colin Sheardwright, Co-founder + COO
Krish Bhuva, Co-founder + CEO

​EVA
A smart menstrual sensing pad that turns menstrual fluid into real-time reproductive health insights, helping women understand changes in their bodies and identify potential health risks earlier.
Xingyu Wang, Co-founder + CEO
Yu Lei Ph.D., Co-founder
Baikun Li Ph.D., Co-founder

​Nereis
Building soft inspection robots that move themselves into steam turbines and see inside — reaching and imaging the highly constrained turbine blade rows that no current tool can access.
Mihai Duduta Ph.D., Founder + CEO
Edward Pomianek, Engineering Lead
Ricardo Bazzarella

​SEAWELL
A premium, non-alcoholic sparkling beverage optimized for the coastal boating lifestyle. We deliver functional hydration with electrolytes from real coconut water and 20%+ real juice at 35 calories with no added sugar.
William "Bill" Smith, Co-founder + COO
Lindsay Smith, Co-founder + CEO