This story is part of an initiative led by the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to highlight entrepreneurship and innovation across Indiana’s universities. Learn more about the initiative here.
Spring 2025 sees the inaugural cohort of the Accelerator program come together for transformative growth through the power of the Purdue entrepreneurial ecosystem. These exceptional founders and teams were chosen from an incredible amount of Purdue-connected talent during the initial application cycle.
The program officially begins March 26 at the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in the Discovery Park District at Purdue.
“We are incredibly excited to kick off the very first iteration of the Purdue Innovates Accelerator,” Purdue Innovates Incubator Associate Director Doug Applegate said. “The innovation and talent on display is incredible. Our team can’t wait to help them take their next giant leap over the next three months with tailored strategic support and access to a powerful network of world-class mentors, corporate partners, investors and alumni.”
Welcome to the five Purdue-connected startups taking part:
Capturely
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Capturely offers a user-friendly app which connects you with an expert photographer for a swift, 10-minute remote session, capturing your best look. From initial capture to final product, Capturely’s automated editing and AI workflows enhance quality and speed, while human editors finesse the details.
The Purdue connection: CTO David Chiasson earned his bachelor’s degree from Purdue and is currently an adjunct advisor for the EPICS program at the university.
DroneSpotter
Location: Chicago, IL
DroneSpotter has developed an affordable, user-friendly drone detection system that utilizes advanced sensor technology to identify and track drones in real-time, providing comprehensive airspace security for various applications. DroneSpotter’s proprietary software enables high accuracy in drone detection and classification offering seamless integration with existing security infrastructures.
The Purdue connection: Co-founder and CEO Mike Munizzi received his bachelor’s and master’s from Purdue University.
Elisyan Wealth Ventures
Location: London, England, UK
Elisyan Wealth built the first private by design global finance app helping global citizens and the businesses that support them, stay on top of their finances by providing visibility and insights of their wealth cross-border while ensuring financial data remains private and confidential.
The Purdue connection: CEO Yasmina Marie Slimani earned an MBA from the Mitch Daniels School of Business.
Greenshoot Materials
Location: Denver, CO
Greenshoot Materials has created compostable, non-toxic cellulose-based coatings to replace plastic in food packaging. The coatings have exceptional water, grease, and oxygen resistance, matching the performance of traditional plastics while remaining fully compostable.
The Purdue connection: Greenshoot Materials is currently licensing two Purdue technologies from the College of Engineering for its compostable coatings.
REV Pharmaceuticals
Location: Jackson, WY
REV has created a proprietary over-the-counter (OTC) topical cream, REVFLEX, that contains two patented ingredients to relax and recover muscles equipped with an innovative hands-free applicator eliminating the need for hand washing.
The Purdue connection: CTO Beth Brown received a bachelor’s degree from Purdue. She also served as a board member for the Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research from 2008 – 2011 and received the Purdue University College of Pharmacy Eaton Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2023.
About Purdue Innovates Incubator
Purdue Innovates Incubator is the front door to the rich ecosystem of programs and services designed to help early-stage startups take their next step. Programs provide settings for cohort work and one-on-one consultations. Content includes clarifying problems from the customer’s perspective, developing a business model, conducting customer discovery interviews, team building, determining regulatory pathways and legal structures, and more. Purdue alumni and community members interested in becoming mentors are invited to contact the Incubator team.
Media contact: Polly Barks, phbarks@prf.org
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“Across Indiana, our universities are fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators who are shaping our state’s future. In collaboration with our university partners, CICP is excited to share and amplify those stories; which highlight students, faculty, and alumni who are turning ideas into action. By celebrating these efforts, we aim to strengthen the connections between higher education, industry, and community, and to shine a light on the innovation happening throughout our state. Click here to learn more about this initiative.
