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UCLA Draper Innovation Showcase 2026

Thursday, October 22, 2026
4:00 PM 9:00 PM

UCLA Anderson School of Management, Los Angeles, CA (map)

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Thursday, October 22, 2026; 4:00 PM - to - 9:00 PM PT

UCLA Anderson School of Management, Los Angeles, CA

UCLA Draper Innovation Showcase 2026

The UCLA Draper Innovation Showcase is UCLA’s premier pitch event, bringing together top founders, investors, and leaders from across the UCLA entrepreneurial network.

The Biggest Pitch Event

What to Expect:

Live pitches and demos from 10 standout startups across the UCLA entrepreneurial ecosystem
Over $250,000 in live investments from the Draper family and awards from UCLA
High-impact networking with investors, operators, and tech professionals

The Showcase highlights innovation from across the UCLA ecosystem, featuring startups from UCLA Anderson School of Management, the Samueli School of Engineering, UCLA Health, Magnify at CNSI, and other leading centers of entrepreneurship, research, and innovation.

10 Presenting Ventures

Cleantech/Sustainability

NEXT-TFX, Inc. designs and builds reverse-osmosis membranes that produce more water at higher salinity, heat and pressure, using less energy to advance global water equity. Founder: Patrick O’Brien (FTMBA ’26). Venture Accelerator at UCLA Anderson, 2025 Accelerate Cohort; CNSI Magnify; NSF I-Corps
ThermoShade's patented radiative cooling panels provide effective, energy-efficient cooling to protect people and animals from heat stress. Emily Dinino (FTMBA ’22), UCLA Anderson BCO
Yeast Bay Bio brews an RNA insecticide that kills the pest and not the rest, matching chemical insecticides on speed and price while staying safe for people, pets, and the planet. Nazzy Pakpour, Lisa Jann, EMBA ’24

Consumer Packaged Goods

My Block Skin develops sustainable, patent-pending, translucent mineral SPF technology to combat white cast from traditional mineral sunscreens. Its consumer sun care line ships in national retail across the UK and Ireland and DTC in the United States. Founder: Jason Williams, Ph.D. candidate, UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. CNSI Magnify; NSF I-Corps

Healthcare

BioMetal Health develops metal implants that heal faster—then dissolve when the job is done. Founder: Jerry Yen (B.S. ’88)
CombixBio Inc. combines AI and automated lab testing to find powerful drug combinations for diseases that single drugs cannot treat. Founders: Alexandra Bermudez, Ph.D. ’24, B.S. ’18; Neil Lin, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering Associate Professor; Cho-Jui Hsieh, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering Associate Professor
LIQD is the first disposable, pre-medicated, biodegradable dental tray engineered to deliver clinical-grade gum-disease treatment at home between dental visits. Founder: Julieun Kawasaki (EMBA ’26). Lowell Milken Institute
Paralos Bioscience Inc. addresses the toxicity of powerful drugs that affect healthy cells along with diseased ones. The company uses engineered bacteriophages to deliver those drugs only where needed, making them safer and more effective. Founder: Steven Yang (Ph.D. ’25). CNSI Magnify; NSF I-Corps; UCLA Technology Development Group; Startup UCLA Summer Accelerator, 2026 Cohort
RaiCare, Inc. is building SparkHeal, a self-powered bioelectronic patch that delivers therapeutic electrical stimulation to chronic wounds without batteries, wires or external hardware. Founder: Kanishk Rai (M.S. ’26, Ph.D. candidate). NSF I-Corps; UCLA Biodesign Fellowship; Venture Accelerator at UCLA Anderson, 2026 Cohort; UCLA Technology Development Group

Tech (B2B)

Junto Platforms is the operating layer for IT help desks. Its software absorbs routine tasks, reserving technicians for judgment and edge cases. Founder: Reed Watne (EMBA ’26), reed@juntoai.com. Venture Accelerator at UCLA Anderson, 2026 Cohort

Hosted in partnership with the Draper Foundation, featuring:

Tim Draper (Draper Associates)

Jesse Draper (B.A. ’06, Halogen VC)

Billy Draper (B.A. ’11, Path Ventures)

Adam Draper (B.A. ’09, Boost VC)

Eleanor Draper Vaughan

Please note: This is an in-person only event. Registration is required to attend.

Thanks to UCLA Anderson School of Management for sharing the graphics and details with our LA Startup Events members and #startupfriends across Southern California.