On June 5, 2025, a packed house at USC’s Trojan Grand Ballroom witnessed the culmination of the first-ever USC and Techstars Digital Economy Accelerator, as nine dynamic startup teams pitched their ventures during an electrifying Demo Day. The event marked the official close of the 13-week accelerator, a groundbreaking collaboration between USC’s Office of Research and Innovation and Techstars, one of the world’s leading startup accelerators. The Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) played a critical role in facilitating the first Demo Day and the USC and Techstars partnership. OORI’s Early Career Innovators were active participants at Demo Day, helping ensure the day ran smoothly, and opening remarks were given by Dr. Ishwar Puri, Senior Vice President, Research and Innovation, and Dr. Steven Moldin, Associate Vice President, Research Strategy and Innovation. Demo Day and its success was a culmination of OORI’s first series of innovation support services.
A Crossroads of Innovation and Opportunity
Launched in early 2025, the USC and Techstars Digital Economy Program was designed to support early-stage companies developing technologies at the intersection of digital transformation, AI, health, finance, and science commercialization. The Spring 2025 cohort included ventures founded by a mix of Trojan alumni, faculty, and global entrepreneurs—selected from hundreds of applicants across the world. Over the course of the program, the teams received intensive mentorship, hands-on startup training, and strategic support from both USC and Techstars’ global network of investors, operators, and domain experts.
Meet the Inaugural Cohort
The Demo Day lineup featured startups tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges with creativity and technological precision:
• Native – Revolutionizing conversational English through accessible language learning
• EasyShake® – Pod-based protein shakes for convenient, healthy nutrition
• Prismia – AI-powered workflow automation for commercial real estate
• Praxi – Technical accounting software created by and for technical accountants
• Alsteni Medical, Inc. – A non-surgical, non-drug innovation for weight loss
• Preface Health – Reimagining the “front door” to healthcare access and triage
• VideoDraft – A GenAI-native platform for seamless, smart video creation
• Silver Spur Therapeutics – A new platform for targeted drug delivery
• Henna – A commercialization engine for deep science and research translation
Each team had just a few minutes on stage to present their vision, traction, and future growth strategies to a room filled with potential investors, partners, and supporters.
A Platform for the Future
The successful completion of Demo Day signals more than the end of a program—it marks the beginning of long-term support for Trojan-affiliated startups. Many of the founders plan to continue building their companies in Los Angeles, contributing to USC’s broader mission of fueling the local innovation economy. Recordings of the Demo Day pitches will be made available online in the coming weeks for those who were unable to attend.
For more on the USC and Techstars Accelerator or to learn how to get involved in future cohorts, visit innovation.usc.edu & https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/usc-and-techstars-digital-economy-program.