10 Santa Cruz Startups to Watch in 2020

 

The Santa Cruz tech ecosystem is firing. We see unique people and ideas addressing the key concerns of the decade ahead: global warming, water conservation, social justice, housing, and more. Add fuel from a healthy economy PLUS rapid development systems with a spark of talent, and we have lift off.

There are more than 20 tech startups that have made significant progress over the past 6 months. Heading into 2020, the ten (10) that we are most enthusiastic about are:

  • Ambient Photonics: imagine being able to power IoT devices using ambient light within your offices, stores, and perhaps your house. The team formed at MIT. The founder - Bates Marshall - is a Santa Cruz native. Watch this company rise up over in 2H 2020. Interview with Bates Marshall.

  • Sellhound: in the US, clothing is only worn on average 6xs before being tossed. Sellhound has a simple yes almost sexy way to reuse / recycle / sell your used clothes. While this startup has been around for a few years, they are really starting to hit their stride. Change Your Buying Habits

  • Cruz Foam: the death knell for styrofoam popcorn and packaging can’t come soon enough. Cruz Foam is using chiton - shrimp shells - to replace the styrofoam and plastics that are invading our oceans. Cruz Foam will have a big announcement at Green Tech.

  • Prometheus Fuels: creating gasoline out of thin air? Yes, Prometheus is able to convert carbon from the air into fuel for your cars. This is a carbon neutral solution.

  • 2NDNATURE: worried about the next California drought? Think about how much rain water we lose in runoff because we have paved paradise and put up a parking lot. This company has a cloud solution for those rain clouds.

  • Santa Cruz Local: Fair and accurate local journalism about the issues that impact growth of businesses in Santa Cruz County delivered via podcast. Ok, maybe not a tech company per se, but our tech brains need this type of food.

  • #NotMe: Workforce harassment has no place in Santa Cruz or anywhere anyhow. Santa Cruz Works team star LeBaron Meyers has just the right solution. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is an Early Adopter.

  • Parallel Flight Technologies: we call this the Prius of air - a heavy lift drone that uses both gasoline and battery enabling flight times as long as 1.5 hours. Looking for Hardcore Engineers

  • Claret Bio: one of more than 12 new biotech companies in Santa Cruz, ClaretBio builds tools that empower a deeper understanding of degraded DNA molecules, with an emphasis on cell-free DNA (cfDNA).

  • OF/FOR/BY/ALL: an organization the fuels inclusive civic and cultural spaces. From Santa Cruz with love to the world. Nina Simon Selected for Prestigious Ashoka Fellows Social Innovators Award

Original Post:
By Doug Erickson
https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/10-santa-cruz-startups-to-watch-in-2020

 
Samantha Gee