Nisbet Venture Fund: 2026 Finalists
Seeking to help individuals with patellar tracking disorder, ALIGN Stabilization created the ALIGN knee sleeve, a patellar tracking knee sleeve different from any other sleeve currently on the market.
Founder: Eli Lacey ‘29
NVF Mentor: Amartey Amarteifio ’05
Aqualux is a floating autonomous pool robot that continuously monitors water chemistry and precisely dispenses chemicals in real time. By creating a closed-loop system that measures and corrects imbalances automatically, Aqualux transforms pool care from weekly manual intervention into intelligent, continuous optimization.
Founders: Dongjoo Ahn ’29
NVF Mentor: Joe Marko
CaryMadeThose is a shoe customization venture that specializes in transforming factory-produced shoes and cleats into identity-driven, design-centric products.
Founder: Jacary Lightsey ’27
NVF Mentor: Dwayne Sutton
Dunya is a travel-matching platform designed specifically for women and gender minorities who want to explore the world but don’t feel safe traveling alone.
Founders: Zainab Sawani ’28, Yurdanur Yolcu ’28
NVF Mentor: Gifton Gammon
Leap Water is a still canned lemon water company using the freshest lemons sourced from Italy paired with delicious spring water from Asheville, North Carolina.
Founders: Andrew Tashie ’26
NVF Mentor: Ana Henriques ’05
Youniform
Incubation Track
Youniform is a mobile application designed to eliminate the confusion and last-minute hassle of game-day attire for football teams. By providing a centralized, visual platform for coaches and players to select and preview their on-field apparel—including jerseys, sleeves, gloves, and other accessories—Youniform ensures every player is perfectly synchronized before they even step onto the field.
Founders: Isaiah Sepand ’27
NVF Mentors: Mbye Njie ’04
CaseMock is an AI-powered interview simulator that lets candidates practice realistic job interviews on demand.
Founders: Srijit Banerjee ’26, Anushri Modi ’26, Vagmin Viswanathan
NVF Mentor: Chris Tapia
Dermalytix is a rapid, low-cost diagnostic test strip designed for the early detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.
Founders: Leeya Chaudhuri ’29, Arya Mody ’29, Casey O’Keefe ’29, Jennet Ylyasova ’29, Cal Ross ’29, Maria Kemp
NVF Mentor: Keith Kleeman ’97
Mello designs mindful experiences for kids and the adults who guide them. We create meditations to fit windows of time teachers and families already have: morning meetings, transitions between classes, post-recess resets, drive to school, pre-test grounding, and bedtime wind-down.
Founders: Joe Skoff ’20, Cassie Gilmore
NVF Mentor: Evan Rozantes
Sarah Todd Style encapsulates the essence of easy dressing, confidence, and femininity. The business revolutionizes fashion by being a mainstream clothing brand designed for easy dressing with style in mind.
Founder: Sarah Todd Hammer ’24
NVF Mentor: Brandon Aldridge
