When Tony Kim likes a stock, he goes all in. Literally.
The 34-year-old manager at a Seoul-based textile company never holds more than one stock in his 140 million won ($98,500) portfolio.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-10-20/korea-s-great-yield-chase-ratchets-up-risk-of-a-leveraged-bubble
ESPN’s College Gameday Heads to Vanderbilt University Amid Controversy
This Saturday, ESPN’s College Gameday is making its way to Vanderbilt University for the Commodores’ matchup against Missouri—a decision that has sparked considerable frustration among college football fans.
Vanderbilt’s Rise in College Football
Vanderbilt has been one of the most remarkable stories this season. Currently sitting at 6-1, the Commodores have built on a tremendous rise that began last season, highlighted by a breakthrough win over Alabama. This year, they’ve continued their momentum with key victories over South Carolina and LSU. Logically, choosing Vanderbilt as a College Gameday destination makes perfect sense. It’s an unlikely success story in the SEC, providing a compelling narrative for viewers.
The Frustration: Accusations of SEC Bias
However, the decision to spotlight Vanderbilt has triggered a wave of frustration across the college football landscape. The core complaint is familiar: College Gameday appears to prioritize the SEC, showcasing the same conference repeatedly while largely overlooking equally compelling stories from other programs and divisions.
Many fans are particularly upset that Gameday isn’t broadcasting from the North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State game, as it did in September 2019. This rivalry features two perennial powerhouses who have dominated the FCS National Championship landscape for years. Both teams are ranked at the top of the FCS standings, making this a pivotal matchup that will significantly influence playoff seeding later this fall.
Many argue that given the gravity of this game—pitting the top two FCS programs against each other—College Gameday should be there to tell that story and highlight an under-covered but highly significant part of college football. The frustration stems from the perception that Gameday is overlooking a matchup with clear national championship implications in favor of an SEC game.
Understanding the Reality of College Gameday Coverage
Personally, I find this particular outrage somewhat ironic. Those upset that Gameday isn’t showcasing North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State may not fully appreciate how incredibly difficult it is for the show to meaningfully acknowledge non-Power 4 institutions.
To understand the gap between expectation and reality regarding Gameday coverage, look no further than HBCU football. Despite a wealth of historic programs and compelling narratives over the years—many HBCU schools compete in the FCS—College Gameday has only broadcasted live from HBCU events four times since its inception:
– **Bayou Classic (2005):** Broadcast following Hurricane Katrina from Houston, Texas; the first time Gameday broadcasted from an HBCU event.
– **Hampton vs. Florida A&M (2008):** The first time Gameday broadcasted from an HBCU campus.
– **MEAC-SWAC Challenge (2021):** Broadcast from Atlanta during a Week 0 game coordinated with ESPN Events.
– **Jackson State (2022):** Broadcast from Jackson, Mississippi, during Deion Sanders’ final season with the Tigers.
*Note:* Gameday also broadcasted from the site of the Delaware State vs. North Dakota State game; however, Delaware State was the visitor.
The 2022 Stop at Jackson State: A Case Study
The 2022 visit to Jackson State offers a clear case study for why frustration over this weekend’s choice may be misguided. Despite setting up the entire broadcast on the JSU campus—largely due to the Deion Sanders phenomenon—the actual game against rival Southern University was relegated behind the ESPN+ paywall and was not flexed to ESPNU for television exposure.
In essence, JSU functioned more as a studio backdrop than as the main event. Outside of a well-produced feature on the legendary 1974 JSU team (featuring Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Jackie Slater, and Robert Brazile), the coverage largely focused on celebrity guests and Deion Sanders’ presence, rather than providing substantive insight into the SWAC or the team’s prospects.
It’s therefore somewhat hypocritical for fans to complain about missing North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State when Gameday struggled to deliver meaningful coverage even for a story as massive as Deion Sanders at Jackson State.
The Bigger Picture: Corporate Realities and Sports Coverage
This isn’t a new phenomenon in the FCS. The frustration arises mainly because this situation is now affecting schools that fans personally root for, where the matchup’s appeal is obvious but fails to align with ESPN’s strategic priorities.
At the heart of the matter is a corporate reality: ESPN recently signed a massive deal with the SEC, greatly expanding the conference’s presence across ABC and ESPN platforms. It’s only natural that they would use College Gameday—their premier promotional tool—to spotlight the product they invested billions of dollars in.
While there are numerous key games across the FCS that could warrant Gameday’s attention or even a broadcast, the show consistently chases what it perceives as the biggest headlines or most valuable properties. This focus often comes at the expense of highlighting significant programs without an established national fanbase—a sharp departure from the show’s earlier days, when spreading the spotlight was a core principle.
Conclusion: Managing Expectations
It’s understandable why many fans want more program diversity and recognition of great football regardless of the division or conference. However, considering ESPN’s history and business incentives, we should have anticipated this outcome.
In short, whether it’s Vanderbilt or North Dakota State, College Gameday’s choices reflect broader corporate strategies rather than a balanced celebration of college football’s full landscape.
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By recognizing these realities, we can better appreciate the complexities behind College Gameday’s decisions and adjust our expectations accordingly.
https://clutchpoints.com/hbcu/why-are-people-mad-over-college-gameday-going-to-vanderbilt
Urgent care physician Franz Ritucci remembers what it was like going to a medical conference 20 years ago and how other doctors responded when he told them where he worked.
“I saw everyone’s eyes kind of go down. It was like, ‘ugh, an urgent care.’ That was the time when those facilities were called ‘doc in a box,’” he said.
The “doc in the box” label hasn’t fully come off. If your family doctor is a locally-run restaurant, then urgent care is McDonald’s.
Urgent care centers have been around since the 1970s, but more recently the expansion in this sector has been explosive.
“It has grown … like fire,” said Ritucci.
Over the last decade or so, the number of urgent care centers in the U.S. has doubled — from more than 7,000 to more than 14,000, according to the Urgent Care Association.
Part of that growth comes from private equity firms, which use money from wealthy investors or large institutions to buy other companies that are not on the stock market, aiming to make a quick profit. Private equity has invested billions of dollars into hundreds of urgent care clinics across the U.S.
As of 2024, more than 2,300 urgent care centers are backed by private equity investment, according to the Journal of Urgent Care Medicine.
The investment leads to more health care access and helps relieve busy hospitals, especially in rural parts of the country, according to the American Investment Council, an advocacy organization that represents private equity firms.
Ritucci, who is now the president of the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine, said urgent care clinics address a previously unmet need in health care — patients who have an ear infection or a sore throat and cannot easily get a last-minute appointment at their primary care doctor but whose ailments are not serious enough to warrant an emergency room visit.
“Urgent care centers have become the reliever airport for our broken system,” Ritucci said.
There is a lot of demand for the services that urgent care clinics provide, so much so that doctors opening their own clinics could not address it all on their own, said Peter Hotz, CEO of Vybe Urgent Care.
A few years ago, a private equity firm invested in his company and helped it grow. Today, Hotz runs 16 Vybe clinics in the Philadelphia region.
“They have never once told me or my team how to run the business, what kind of care to provide or anything like that. They’ve been really a source of capital, a source of judgment and an assistance to us as we’ve had to make challenging decisions as we grow the business,” he explained.
However, private equity investment is not always a good deal for urgent care doctors, Ritucci said. He has been in the business for so long that other urgent care doctors sometimes ask him for advice when private equity investors come calling with offers.
Ritucci tells doctors that if the business is thriving and could grow, then the investment could be good. But if the urgent care clinic is struggling and the doctor needs the investment to survive, he advises them to cut costs or close down.
He explained that if a clinic is already finding it hard to survive, then private equity investment will put more pressure on it to find more patients quickly.
“If you’re hurting, that you need the money to grow, then … equity is the way and you’ll sell your soul in order to survive and move,” Ritucci said.
Part of the pressure comes from the way private equity operates — firms are looking to turn a profit quickly, explained Jessa Loomis, an economic geographer at Newcastle University in the U.K.
She has studied private equity in health care markets, including urgent care centers.
Loomis added that even if an urgent care business goes under, a private equity investor can still make a profit by selling the business or the real estate where the clinics once stood.
“Part of that is the financial engineering, financial mechanisms at play that allow them to basically take their returns and run,” she said.
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*Misty Copeland broke barriers as the first Black female principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Now, through her nonprofit, she’s making dance more accessible for children of color.*
https://www.phillytrib.com/news/health/why-urgent-care-clinics-once-derided-as-doc-in-a-box-have-spread-like-wildfire/article_e3e740b8-c29f-4990-81a5-57b1ac74f6d9.html
A pro-Palestinian graduate student group has sued Northwestern University, claiming the school’s mandatory antisemitism training is discriminatory and violates the free speech rights of Arab students, new court papers reveal.
The university began enforcing the training modules, ironically named “Building a Community of Respect and Breaking Down Bias,” in February—months after heated campus anti-Israel demonstrations, according to the lawsuit.
The Northwestern Graduate Workers for Palestine alleges the training uses such a broad definition of antisemitism that it limits political discourse and free speech, labeling them as anti-Jewish. “Northwestern equates criticism of political practices and ideologies with discrimination against Jews themselves,” the complaint filed Wednesday in Illinois federal court states.
The lawsuit, filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on behalf of the student group, seeks to have the training ruled unlawful and eliminated altogether. Plaintiffs also want to remove the disciplinary policy punishing students who do not complete the required training. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
According to court documents, Evanston-based university policy is discriminatory against Palestinian and Arab students by barring them from discussing their national aspirations or protesting alleged mistreatment of their people. The suit charges that Northwestern won’t allow students to oppose a video “dehumanizing Arabs in the process.”
The video, produced by the Jewish United Fund, reportedly includes quotes from Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke interspersed with statements from anti-Israel protesters to suggest “you can’t tell the difference” between the comments, according to a report by the Washington Free Beacon.
The lawsuit alleges the university brands Arab and Palestinian students’ ethnic and religious identities, cultures, and advocacy for their national group’s rights as antisemitic and subject to discipline.
For example, students have been threatened with losing their enrollment or employment status if they do not watch the videos and acknowledge the policies by set deadlines—either by Monday or February 2, 2026, depending on their registration date. “Several members of Grad Workers for Palestine will lose their student status and employment if they do not complete the training,” the filing notes.
At least 300 students have reportedly been blocked from registering for classes because they refused to watch the training video, The Guardian reported last month.
One Ph.D. candidate, Laura Jaliff, told the Evanston Round Table earlier this month that she declined the training because she believed it to be discriminatory. “The number of students who are refusing to take the training on the grounds that it contains damaging political propaganda that has no place in our workplace will inevitably grow,” Jaliff warned.
Students and faculty have widely opposed the training course, arguing the video is “discriminatory and not scholarly,” but the university has not altered its stance, the lawsuit states.
The university’s policy was enacted following anti-Israel protests in April and May 2024, during which students set up encampments on campus. Counter-demonstrators allegedly stole and destroyed property, spat on students, screamed at them, and called Jewish participants “fake Jews,” the suit claims.
One person reportedly told a Jewish student, “You are lucky you are here; if you were in Israel, I’d just shoot you like an animal,” the complaint adds.
Instead of addressing the threats, campus police allegedly cracked down on the pro-Palestinian encampments “with excessive and unreasonable force,” also filing criminal complaints against demonstrators. The Cook County State Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the four people arrested, the suit notes.
Anti-Israel protesters allegedly vandalized a campus building housing the Holocaust center by scrawling “Death to Israel” and “Intifada Now” on its walls, according to the Washington Free Beacon. Protesters reportedly screamed insults like “dirty Jew” and “Zionist pig” at passing students, the Forward reported.
Former Northwestern president Michael Schill was criticized for his alleged negligence in handling antisemitism on campus and was questioned by a U.S. House committee over the unrest. He resigned last month.
In April, the Trump administration froze $790 million in federal grants and contracts to Northwestern, The Evanston Round Table reported.
Michael Teplitsky, president of the Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern, called the lawsuit “absurd” in a statement to the Free Beacon. “The idea that an antisemitism training could somehow threaten anyone’s civil rights is absurd,” Teplitsky said. “Northwestern worked with JUF [Jewish United Fund] to create a student program aimed at inclusion and understanding—exactly what universities are supposed to do.”
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers New York Representative Elise Stefanik and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton last week called on the Trump administration to investigate CAIR’s sources of funding, including “potential ties” to Hamas.
Northwestern University declined to comment on the pending litigation.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/20/us-news/students-sue-over-northwesterns-antisemitism-training/
**Nexperia China Prioritizes Local Management Amid Dutch Takeover Dispute**
Nexperia China has instructed its employees to follow directives from local management rather than the company’s Dutch headquarters, intensifying an ongoing corporate standoff. This internal directive, communicated through a letter over the weekend, signals clear resistance against the Dutch authorities’ attempt to assert control over the company.
### Background: Dutch Emergency Law and Limited Reach
The Netherlands recently invoked the Goods Availability Act—an emergency law enabling the state to temporarily assume control over companies deemed critical to national security. Using this law, Dutch authorities took control of Nexperia’s parent company and European operations, removing CEO Zhang Xuezheng and restricting significant corporate actions such as relocating units or terminating executives for up to one year.
However, this takeover only applies to the parent entity and its European subsidiaries. Nexperia’s subsidiaries incorporated in mainland China, including plants and offices in Dongguan, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Wuxi, remain outside the scope of Dutch jurisdiction. These Chinese operations are managed locally and employ staff directly compensated by the Chinese entity, reinforcing their operational independence from the Dutch headquarters.
### China’s Export Controls Escalate the Stand-Off
The situation is further complicated by China’s Ministry of Commerce, which has imposed export restrictions on certain finished components manufactured domestically. These controls effectively block Dutch authorities from influencing Chinese operations, given that approximately 70% of Nexperia’s products are assembled at the Dongguan facility.
As a consequence, despite the legal authority granted to the Dutch government over the European parent company, the export restrictions prevent them from redirecting production or accessing product flows originating in China. This development has transformed the dispute into a complex geopolitical and corporate balancing act, with ongoing government-to-government negotiations between the Netherlands and China.
### Competitors Eye Supply Chain Opportunities
The uncertainty surrounding Nexperia’s operations presents a strategic window for rival semiconductor companies. Industry players such as Infineon, ON Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, and Rohm are reportedly preparing to capture customers concerned about potential supply disruptions, especially in the automotive sector.
Nexperia’s Dongguan plant processes over 50 billion components annually, focusing on high-demand medium-power surface-mount device (SMD) packages, dual-flat no-lead (DFN) formats, and wafer-scale options. Competitors are expected to offer pin-compatible replacement parts for diodes, transistors, and other discrete component families most affected by the export constraints.
Meanwhile, electronics distributors are increasing inventory buffers to meet anticipated demand from automotive and industrial equipment manufacturers seeking alternative sources during this period of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
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The unfolding events at Nexperia highlight the intricate interplay between national security concerns, international trade restrictions, and corporate governance in today’s semiconductor industry. Stakeholders will be closely watching how the situation develops in the coming months.
https://coincentral.com/dutch-seizure-of-nexperia-sparks-corporate-stand-off-in-china/
On Monday, a major outage at Amazon Web Services disrupted a large number of websites and apps, including the end-to-end encrypted messenger Signal. In response, X Executive Chairman and Chief Technical Officer Elon Musk declared that he no longer trusts Signal. “I don’t trust Signal anymore,” Musk stated plainly.
Signal President Meredith Whittaker responded to Musk’s post on X, emphasizing the app’s reputation: “Signal is trusted by the security and hacker community, and hundreds of millions of others, BECAUSE they can examine it, and because on examination, it has shown to be robust, private, and secure—for over a decade.”
### Musk’s Promotion of X Chat
In recent months, Musk has been promoting the use of X Chat as a secure, encrypted communication method between users. However, security experts argue that any encrypted messaging app should be open source to be truly trusted with secure communications. After all, how can users be sure what the app is doing if they cannot review the code themselves?
X labels X Chat—intended to eventually replace the traditional direct messaging system—as beta software on their platform. While there were reports in 2018 that X (then known as Twitter) was testing end-to-end encryption, the feature did not receive an official support announcement until 2023. The company has also stated plans to make it easier for users to verify the safety and security of their chat features.
Jack Dorsey, co-founder of X (originally Twitter) and former CEO, was supportive of moving towards end-to-end encryption during his tenure. More recently, Dorsey developed a geographically-focused messaging app called Bitchat over a weekend. Bitchat gained attention during the recent overthrow of the Nepalese government because of its mesh networking features, which allow it to function locally without internet access. An app with similar capabilities, FireChat, was used during the Hong Kong protests as early as 2014.
### Signal Is Not Perfect Either
Of course, Signal itself is not without flaws and has faced criticism over the years. One common concern raised by security researchers was Signal’s reliance on phone numbers, which many viewed as a privacy risk. The app has recently addressed this issue by allowing users to sign up with just a username.
Notably, Whittaker’s comments about Signal’s openness and verifiability faced pushback from multiple developers in the Bitcoin community. Peter Todd, known for contributing to Bitcoin Core and for being suggested as the alleged Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto in a recent HBO documentary, pointed out that app stores on Android and iOS hinder users’ ability to confirm that the open-source code published by Signal matches the app installed on their devices.
Todd’s work with Bitcoin Core emphasizes reproducible builds, a process that allows end users to verify that the software they run is built from the exact open-source code released to the public. Similarly, Steve Lee, who leads Bitcoin open-source development grant provider Spiral, highlighted an open issue related to reproducible builds for Signal on Android.
Bitcoin purists also criticize Signal for relying on centralized infrastructure, which contributed to the AWS-related downtime experienced recently. This reliance is seen as a drawback compared to decentralized networks like Bitcoin.
### Striking a Balance
Whether discussing Bitcoin or private messaging, there are often trade-offs between achieving perfect privacy and security versus creating a user-friendly app that people will actually use. Signal remains the gold standard for encrypted messaging, but encouraging more competition in this space is beneficial—so long as such alternatives offer privacy that is truly verifiable and trustworthy.
https://gizmodo.com/signal-president-spars-with-elon-musk-over-trust-in-private-messengers-2000674571
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is considered week-to-week with a wrist injury, coach Bruce Cassidy said Monday. Stone was injured in the third period of the Golden Knights’ 6-1 win over Calgary on Saturday.
This season, Stone has accumulated 13 points (two goals, 11 assists), just two points behind teammate and NHL leader Jack Eichel, who leads with 15 points.
“I feel for him,” Cassidy said. “He’s always bounced back well, that’s the good news. When we do get him back, whether that’s short, medium, or long term, we don’t know yet.”
In Stone’s absence, Brandon Saad will move to the top line, joining Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, who will shift to right wing. On the power play, Stone had contributed eight points, helping Vegas rank second in the league.
Mitch Marner will take over Stone’s role at the goal line on the power play, while defenseman Shea Theodore will be promoted to the top unit.
The Knights, currently holding a 4-0-2 record, are preparing for their toughest test of the young season. They will face the undefeated Carolina Hurricanes (5-0-0) at home, despite being short-handed among their forward lines and blue line.
Stone joins forward Brett Howden and defenseman Noah Hanifin on the injured list. Howden, sidelined with a lower-body injury, has resumed skating but will not be available against the Hurricanes. Hanifin remains out with an undisclosed injury and has not resumed skating since Vegas’ 6-5 shootout loss to Los Angeles in the season opener.
http://lasvegassun.com//news/2025/oct/20/golden-knights-captain-mark-stone-considered-week/
Indiana Pacers rookie Kam Jones was arrested on Monday by Indiana State Police following a chase in Indianapolis.
According to reports, Jones was asked to stop on southbound I-65 around 10 a.m. However, the situation escalated, leading to a police pursuit.
Further details regarding the incident and any charges are yet to be released. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-why-kam-jones-arrested-pacers-rookie-s-shocking-involvement-police-chase-explored
Somehow, Mike McDaniel is still the Miami Dolphins head coach, and he’s sticking with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. Additionally, he’s continuing to say unusual things, recently dropping another surprising take about the team’s effort against the Cleveland Browns, as reported by Marcel Louis-Jacques on X.
“I don’t have an opinion on the two teams in the game, because we didn’t participate in the game, in my opinion,” McDaniel said. While he acknowledged that Miami’s “want to” was there, he criticized their desire to execute the actual assignment or game plan as lacking.
Regardless of these comments, the Dolphins are now trying to regroup and climb out of the mess left behind by a 31-6 thrashing at the hands of the Browns.
### Mike McDaniel Sticking with Tua Tagovailoa
It seems strange that McDaniel hasn’t pulled the plug on Tagovailoa as the starter. At this point, it doesn’t look like the six-year veteran will be able to lead the team to a victory anytime soon. And a win soon may be the only thing that secures McDaniel’s future with the organization.
When asked about Tagovailoa’s status, McDaniel emphasized that his decisions won’t be based on emotion. “It will be tape-driven,” he said. “I will have to take a look at the tape. But before watching the tape, I don’t want to over-conclude anything.”
He added, “I think, when you turn the ball over, you know, it is the number one indicator of wins and losses. And it negatively affects the team. I think there’s multiple factors in those turnovers. I know at least one or two of them were extremely preventable from Tua, and he knows that just wasn’t good enough. We’ll watch the tape and change our style of play if we [have] to.”
### Tagovailoa’s Struggles
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Tagovailoa currently leads the NFL in a category no quarterback wants to: interceptions. He has thrown 10 interceptions as Miami has stumbled to a disappointing 1-6 record.
Tagovailoa’s poor play is certainly an issue, but McDaniel’s team also didn’t seem prepared to face the Browns, who notched just their second win of the season. When teams show up not ready to play, the responsibility almost always falls on the head coach.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on McDaniel and Tagovailoa — whether changes are coming and if Miami can turn things around before it’s too late.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-news-mike-mcdaniel-crazy-take-effort-browns
The inaugural PITCH.nano competition, hosted by MIT.nano’s hard technology accelerator START.nano, provided a platform for early-stage startups to present their innovations to MIT and Boston’s hard-tech startup ecosystem.
The grand prize winner was Active Surfaces, a startup generating renewable energy exactly where it is needed through lightweight, flexible solar cells. Active Surfaces aims to reimagine how photovoltaics are deployed in the built environment with its ultralight, peel-and-stick panels. Shiv Bhakta MBA ’24, SM ’24, CEO and co-founder, delivered the winning presentation to an audience of entrepreneurs, investors, startup incubators, and industry partners at PITCH.nano on September 30.
Active Surfaces received the grand prize of 25,000 nanoBucks—equivalent to $25,000—that can be spent at MIT.nano facilities.
“Why has MIT.nano chosen to embrace startup activity as much as we do?” asked Vladimir Bulović, MIT.nano faculty director, at the start of PITCH.nano. “We need to make sure that entrepreneurs can be born out of MIT and can take the next technical ideas developed in the lab out into the market, so they can make the next millions of jobs that the world needs.”
Bulović explained that the journey of a hard-tech entrepreneur takes at least 10 years and $100 million. By linking open tool facilities to startup needs, MIT.nano can make those first few years a little easier, helping more startups reach the scale-up stage.
“Getting VCs [venture capitalists] to invest in hard tech is challenging,” explained Joyce Wu SM ’00, PhD ’07, START.nano program manager. “Through START.nano, we provide discounted access to MIT.nano’s cleanrooms, characterization tools, and laboratories for startups to build their prototypes and attract investment earlier and with reduced spend. Our goal is to support the translation of fundamental research to real-world solutions in hard tech.”
In addition to discounted access to tools, START.nano helps early-stage companies become part of the MIT and Cambridge innovation network.
Inspired by the MIT 100K Competition, PITCH.nano was launched this year as a new opportunity to introduce hard-tech ventures to the investor and industry community. Twelve startups delivered presentations that were evaluated by a panel of four judges—venture capitalists and startup founders themselves.
“It is amazing to see the quality, diversity, and ingenuity of this inspiring group of startups,” said judge Brendan Smith PhD ’18, CEO of SiTration, a company that was part of the inaugural START.nano cohort. “Together, these founders are demonstrating the power of fundamental hard-tech innovation to solve the world’s greatest challenges in a way that is both scalable and profitable.”
The startups presenting at PITCH.nano spanned a wide range of focus areas:
– **Climate, Energy, and Materials:** Addis Energy, Copernic Catalysts, Daqus Energy, VioNano Innovations, Active Surfaces, and Metal Fuels
– **Life Sciences:** Acorn Genetics, Advanced Silicon Group, and BioSens8
– **Quantum and Photonics:** Qunett, nOhm Devices, and Brightlight Photonics
A common thread among these companies is their use of MIT.nano to advance their innovations.
“MIT.nano has been instrumental in compressing our time to market, especially as a company building a novel, physical product,” said Bhakta. “Access to world-class characterization tools normally out of reach for startups lets us validate scale-up much faster. The START.nano community accelerates problem-solving, and the nanoBucks award is directly supporting the development of our next prototypes headed to pilot.”
In addition to the grand prize, a 5,000 nanoBucks audience choice award went to Advanced Silicon Group, a startup developing a next-generation biosensor to improve testing in pharma and health tech.
Now in its fifth year, START.nano has supported 40 companies across diverse market areas including life sciences, clean tech, semiconductors, photonics, quantum, materials, and software. Fourteen START.nano companies have graduated from the program, proving its success in helping early-stage ventures progress from prototype to manufacturing.
“I believe MIT.nano has a fantastic opportunity here,” said judge Davide Marini, PhD ’03, co-founder and CEO of Inkbit, “to create the leading incubator for hard tech entrepreneurs worldwide.”
https://news.mit.edu/2025/active-surfaces-wins-inaugural-pitchnano-competition-1020
