Cincinnati’s next big startups debut at UC’s 1819 Demo Day

During Demo Day, the following founders brought their ideas to life, refining their ventures and delivering compelling pitches to an audience of family, friends, industry experts and potential investors.

Nala is your pet’s instant vet. Founder Zach Moore and his dog Linux demonstrated the technology in real time to the delight of the audience.  Powered by AI, nala helps pet owners save time and avoid unnecessary veterinary visits by offering real-time support that syncs seamlessly with their primary pet healthcare provider. With more than 32 million U.S. households expected to forgo pet healthcare in 2025 due to rising costs, nala is making quality care more affordable and accessible.

EmpathEQ is a scalable, AI-powered simulation platform designed to help professionals build and refine their soft skills. Co-founder Alex von Rosenberg pointed to healthcare as a prime example. "When nursing students graduate, they often haven’t had enough real-world exposure to difficult interpersonal situations like a combative family member recording their every move, or a hostile colleague challenging their decisions," von Rosenberg explained. "Our simulation offers a safe, immersive environment to practice those encounters, powered by emotionally responsive AI actors that provide instant, constructive feedback." It is the first and only option to offer the quality of synchronous soft skill training with asynchronous execution. Headsets aren’t required, so students can practice on any device with a camera.

Urban Hikers started as a book club that walked. Founder and CEO, Vanny Mwamba, explained he was a newcomer to Cincinnati and wanted to explore the city. He began walking with Ming Zeng and Ethan Quin and what began as casual discussions about literature while strolling through Cincinnati's downtown area and parks slowly evolved into something deeper. Step by step, conversation by conversation, their group began to grow and they realized they weren't just walking to talk; they were walking to connect. To belong. With the Urban Hikers mobile app, you can select your walking route and join a group of up to 20 participants. Founder Mwamba intentionally limits group size to foster meaningful connections, blending fitness and social interaction as a remedy for social isolation.  

TonguePART uses gamification software as a breakthrough in speech therapy technology. It was developed at the University of Cincinnati and turns video games into a powerful language tool to correct tongue movements. Sarah Dugan, PhD, Postdoctoral researcher and speech language pathologist at UC, says, "By using their tongue as the controller, the ultrasound wand guides patients who receive real-time biofeedback on the movements of their tongue to improve pronunciation." Dugan shared that words containing the letter “R” can be especially challenging. Clinical trial research has shown that TonguePART can deliver effective results in as little as ten minutes—significantly faster than traditional speech therapy methods up to one hour. Designed to support children with speech difficulties, TonguePART combines play and precision to make therapy more engaging and effective. 

Eco Mercantile Corporation is developing a new scanning technology to revolutionize how scrap metals are identified, processed and valued. The environmental harm of E-waste and scrap metal piling up in landfills also wastes valuable resources. "The goal is to combine advanced metal detection with automation to accurately scan, analyze and identify the metal content of e-waste and other scrap materials. The result is more efficient tracking for compliance and recycling purposes," said co-founder Guillermo Gutierrez. Currently, experts must manually identify metal types and use handheld X-ray devices before sending samples to a lab for shredding, baking and impurity removal – a time-consuming, costly process. This solution will streamline workflow by developing a smart scanner capable of detecting and quantifying metals in real time.