NYC Innovation Hot Spot Advance Entrepreneurial Skills, Business Opportunities with 2025 TechConnect Discovery Bootcamp

Following a successful pilot bootcamp last year, the NY I-Corps Hub and NYC Innovation Hot Spot together hosted the second annual Discovery Bootcamp for I-Corps graduates in advance of the June 2025 TechConnect World Innovation conference in Austin, TX.

This year’s Discovery program began with a virtual kickoff session, then sponsored five New York State-based companies to attend TechConnect, after which they reconvened for a virtual final workshop. The bootcamp concluded with the companies making final presentations on their key learnings from the conference, impact on company development, and next steps.

NYC Innovation Hot Spot TechConnect Discovery Bootcamp 2025 Cohort

The participating startup companies previously completed a Regional I-Corps, attended a SBIR full-day workshop held by the NYC Innovation Hot Spot, and received funding of up to $3K to support prototype development. The five companies included Tastee Tape, which is developing a sustainable, food-safe flexible plastic wrap alternative for the food industry; Quantum Heart, which is developing a real-time AI platform that decodes over 100 ICU-grade channels from a seamless, embedded garment to provide a deep dive of dynamic physical data; Next Generation Quantum (NGQ), which offers a quantum-powered AI web platform that delivers rapid, accurate, and low-data diagnostic insights from uploaded medical images; Purafide, which is developing a tool for water treatment managers to sustainably destroy pollutants, especially PFAS, without disposal costs and long-term liabilities; and AI Sole, which is developing an AI-powered smart insole that facilitates portable gait analysis.

In the virtual bootcamp kickoff session, the teaching team, including NY I-Corps Hub and NYC Innovation Hot Spot leadership John Blaho, Ariella Trotsenko, Cira Cardaci, and Arber Ruci, explained the TechConnect conference format and how to best maximize time there given the huge schedule and number of events. They also taught participants to craft an executive summary to use in communications with federal agency SBIR/STTR program directors and other participants.

“This year’s bootcamp built on the successes of last year’s pilot, bringing concrete recommendations to the new cohort,” said Cira Cardaci, executive manager, CUNY Industrial & Applied Research (IAR). “All of last year’s participants had great outcomes following Tech Connect. Many of the 2024 cohort companies secured letters of support or contacts for letters of support that are required by SBIR/STTR submissions—a critical step towards a successful application. I’m excited to see what’s next for this year’s cohort.”

Participant teams prepared a kickoff assignment describing which TechConnect sessions they hoped to attend and how they planned to approach prospective customers, service providers, and potential partners, creating a target list of individuals from government agencies, contractors, and resource providers that would be attending. The bootcamp equipped participants for TechConnect by helping them to build upon their commercialization plan for SBIR/STTR submission for any federal agency and preparing them to meet key innovation players and stakeholders from their sectors. The bootcamp also prepared teams to conduct customer discovery while attending conferences. The teaching team was available for office hours before and after the TechConnect conference, with Ruci and Cardaci providing office hours on site.

"TechConnect offers a really special experience—if you've never won an SBIR or STTR,  this is the place to learn best practices on how to win, and if you have already won one, it's even better because everyone becomes a potential collaborator or partner for your next one," said Arber Ruci, CEO-in-Residence at the NSF NY I-Corps Hub, based at CUNY.

At TechConnect, participant teams connected with a network of leaders in advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, energy innovation, sustainability innovation, biotech and medical, electronics and microsystems, AI innovation, and innovation and business, along with representatives of every federal agency that awards SBIR/STTR grants.

Representatives at this year’s TechConnect included federal agency program directors who were eager to meet with companies to learn about what they are working. Notably, there were numerous opportunities to connect with representatives of the US Department of Defense, who were particularly open to working with entities still at the project stage. TechConnect also offered an opportunity to connect with representatives of defense “primes,” such as Boeing, Lockheed, and BAE Systems, as well as other founders from across the country, start-up support organizations, and universities.

"Our bootcamp offers two distinct benefits to participants,” said Hana Kassem, Operations Manager, Empire Corps. “First, the conference is packed with information, so being part of the bootcamp cohort and getting guidance from Hub experts like Cira and Arber offers a huge advantage. Second, being at the conference together enables cohort participants to bond and learn from each other, which is especially meaningful for those in the early start-up stage."

Bootcamp participants made the most of the conference, conducting a minimum of 20 customer discovery conversations, developing relationships, and building connections on site and in follow up outreach. In final presentations at the bootcamp’s conclusion on June 23, each company presented their business thesis, the key learnings and insights they gained from participating in TechConnect, and their roadmap forward.

Marie Eric of Tastee Tape shared, “I was pleasantly surprised by the willingness of the government agencies to offer support. They were very helpful and interested in helping smaller businesses. In the past, we have primarily focused on private funding sources, and it was great to hear such optimism from public resources.” 

AI Sole has already been working in this space and has relationships with program directors; their TechConnect experience enabled them to further build their network. “We expanded our targets to include the Air Force and NIH,” said AI Sole’s Qingya Zhao. “We also learned that the private sector values validated business models and strong execution more than we thought; from others we learned that we need to further streamline our prototype.”

Purafide’s Selman Mujovic reported unexpected insights from his TechConnect customer discovery. A major multinational corporation expressed strong interest in working together to develop a product they’ve been seeking to introduce. “We are continuing to talk with them—it would require a pivot, but it’s worth considering,” said Mujovic. “And we have at least four other prospects and partners we are following up with.” 

Next Gen Quantum described how the bootcamp had prepared them for the experience of Tech Connect. “We needed a strong executive summary, and that was something we learned from the bootcamp teaching team,” said NGQ’s Shaina Raklyar. She also emphasized learning that they should be in touch with contacts “early and often, well before the tech is ready.”

Quantum Heart’s Dr. Kamellia Dimitrova shared her excitement at seeing so many new technologies in the wearable tracking space. “It’s absolutely exploding,” she said. “We were able to speak to so many speakers from our sector, and we made some meaningful contacts with folks who are very interested in our idea and want to keep in touch.”  Dimitrova described Quantum Heart’s seamless, wearable textile as “invisible but insightful,” and said they hope to have a prototype by January.

In closing out the bootcamp, the teaching team shared some final advice with the cohort. John Blaho, Director of CUNY IAR, encouraged them to be confident. “Trust your gut,” he said. “It’s important to get advice but always trust your instincts—you know more than you realize. Our track record shows that you will all do well.”