For investors eager to see ideas with market potential, ChronoSpace AI offered an ambitious pitch: creating the world’s first geometry-native AI model to capture four-dimensional reality. The technology emerged from the work of Srinath Sridhar, an assistant professor of computer science at Brown who is researching how to transfer human physical intelligence to machines and robots. 

Sridhar realized that the algorithms and camera technology he invented in conducting his research could have broader applications. For example, users could view a sports moment from any angle while freezing the playback, or watch immersive training videos to learn how to operate complex machinery, he said. This led to the company's focus on breaking into markets that could benefit from 4D spatial intelligence, including manufacturing, defense, entertainment and robotics. 

"We believe that spatial AI is the next wave of artificial intelligence," Sridhar said. "The impact of AI has thus far been limited to language or visual content creation, but when spatial AI becomes common, it will enable the same kind of productivity boosts, but in the real physical world. We believe that ChronoSpace AI will be at the forefront of this upcoming spatial AI wave."

For Sridhar, events like the pitch competition and the Innovation@Brown Showcase offer valuable opportunities to make new connections. 

"We are always looking for partnerships and feedback," he said. "Rather than building our foundation model in a vacuum, we are forming an advisory council with representatives and future customers from our focus markets. With their feedback, we hope to build AI models that are practically useful in solving their problems."

Other startups in the pitch competition included Kyron Medical, an AI-powered medical billing platform; Fermi Energy, which develops high-performance cathode materials for next-generation batteries; and Ember Therapeutics Corporation, a company creating digital health tools that deliver personalized, real-time support for substance use treatment and prevention.

For Ember Therapeutics co-founder Lauren Micalizzi, an assistant professor of behavioral and social sciences at Brown, the showcase underscored the power of collaboration. 

“Events like this give us the chance to share our vision, identify potential partners and solicit feedback from people from different backgrounds,” Micalizzi said. “There is a great and growing collaborative ecosystem in Rhode Island — and a rising tide can lift all boats.”

Before announcing the pitch competition winner, the panel of venture capitalist judges offered some final advice for the aspiring entrepreneurs. They emphasized the importance of networking, finding a good mentor and casting a wide net when seeking investment. Following their guidance, they named Fermi Energy the winner of the competition.