KinetiCor and Jun Innovations were the first University of Hawaiʻi spinouts (inventions developed from university research) to be invited to present at the prestigious First Look LA showcase of university technologies held on June 24, 2015 at UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute.
KinetiCor was represented by CEO Jeffrey Yu and Jun Innovations was represented by Luke Tucker of XLR8UH (UH’s proof of concept center/accelerator program) and both made presentations to an invitation-only audience of 250 investors, entrepreneurs, and university faculty and staff. The UH spinouts were invited to participate in the showcase by Arizona Science and Technology Enterprises and the Los Angeles Venture Association.
KinetiCor’s magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) motion correction technology was developed by Thomas Ernst of UH Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine and his colleagues from other research institutions. KinetiCor has raised $3 million in investor funding and has generated revenues of about $2 million.
Jun Innovations was founded by Soojin Jun of UH Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to commercialize his supercooling technology, which keeps perishable materials, including food, below freezing temperatures without ice crystallization. Jun Innovations is a graduate of XLR8UH, a key component of the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative.
First Look LA is a full-day showcase of emerging technology investment opportunities from premier research institutions in Southern California and Arizona, including Caltech, University of Southern California, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Children’s Hospital LA, City of Hope, and Arizona State University.
