August 28, 2026
Northwestern University's N.XT Fund, the University's gap fund, has announced its newest portfolio companies: Amino Cosmetic Peptides Inc., AtomoAI Inc., and GoEco Inc. These ventures represent some of the most promising innovations emerging from Northwestern research and underscore the University's growing strength as a driver of entrepreneurship, company formation, and economic impact.
Notably, two of the three awardees are resident companies at the Querrey InQbation Lab (The Q), Northwestern's hub for research-driven entrepreneurship. Their selection comes as The Q reaches a milestone of its own, welcoming its 25th resident startup just three and a half years after opening its doors.
The N.XT Fund was established to help bridge one of the greatest challenges in innovation: the gap between promising academic discoveries and the proof points required to attract external investment. By supporting critical experiments, pilot projects, regulatory activities, and market validation efforts, the fund helps Northwestern technologies advance beyond the laboratory and toward commercialization.
This year's awardees span three distinct industries, including biotechnology, AI-enabled healthcare, and sustainable materials. Together, they demonstrate both the breadth of Northwestern's research enterprise and the University's commitment to translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world solutions.
Beyond Funding: Preparing Founders for Investment Readiness
This year, the N.XT Fund enhanced its founder development process to deliver value beyond the funding itself.
Applicants began by submitting pitch decks and proposed milestones outlining how funding would accelerate company development. Following an initial review, eight finalist teams were selected to participate in an expanded venture-readiness program.
As part of the process, each finalist received support from a professional pitch deck designer to strengthen investor-facing communications and participated in mentoring sessions with experienced industry leaders who provided feedback on business strategy, commercialization plans, and investor narratives.
The process culminated in a ten-minute investment pitch presentation. While only three companies ultimately received funding, every finalist emerged with a stronger investment story, greater exposure to investor expectations, and practical experience presenting to a venture audience.
"The goal is not simply to award capital," said the N.XT Fund team. "It's to help founders become more competitive as they pursue future investment and commercialization opportunities."
Meet the 2026 N.XT Fund Awardees
Amino Cosmetic Peptides Inc.
Amino Cosmetic Peptides is commercializing a regenerative peptide technology based on the pioneering research of Northwestern faculty member Samuel I. Stupp, PhD. The company is led by former Northwestern PhD student and Q Entrepreneurial Fellow Doruk Cezan, PhD, alongside recent Northwestern PhD graduate Anna Metlushko, PhD.
The company's technology is designed to stimulate collagen and elastin production through regenerative peptide systems that may outperform conventional topical peptide formulations. By combining advances in materials science and regenerative medicine, Amino aims to bring a new generation of scientifically validated skincare products to market.
Operating within the global anti-aging skincare market, estimated at more than $60 billion, the company has already conducted more than 150 stakeholder interviews with dermatology clinics and professional providers to validate demand and refine its commercialization strategy.
AtomoAI Inc.
Founded by Mohamed Abazeed, MD, PhD, Chair of Radiation Oncology at Northwestern Medicine, AtomoAI is developing artificial intelligence-powered clinical decision support tools for radiation oncology.
Its lead product, iSeg, automates tumor segmentation, one of the most time-intensive and variable steps in radiation therapy planning. Today, clinicians spend substantial time manually outlining tumors before treatment can begin. By leveraging AI trained on one of the largest radiation oncology datasets available, AtomoAI seeks to make treatment planning faster, more consistent, and more accurate.
The technology has demonstrated physician-level performance while identifying tumor regions that may be missed or underestimated by human readers, offering the potential to improve both efficiency and treatment quality across a radiation oncology market exceeding $7 billion.
GoEco Inc.
GoEco is commercializing a graphene oxide-based barrier coating for paper and molded-fiber packaging developed from the research of Northwestern faculty member Sonbinh T. Nguyen, PhD. The company is led by Tim Wei, PhD.
The technology is designed to replace PFAS-based and petroleum-derived coatings commonly used in food-contact packaging while maintaining the recyclability and compostability of the underlying materials. This combination has remained a significant challenge for many PFAS-free alternatives currently on the market.
As governments and corporations accelerate efforts to eliminate PFAS, often referred to as "forever chemicals," GoEco is well positioned to address a growing market demand for sustainable packaging solutions. The company has already initiated industry evaluations and is advancing commercialization activities with potential partners.
Building a Pipeline of Successful Ventures
The N.XT Fund has established a track record of helping Northwestern innovations achieve meaningful commercial milestones.
Past recipient Volexion, founded around Professor Mark Hersam's graphene coating technology for lithium-ion batteries, has raised more than $3 million in seed financing and secured support from organizations including the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, Clean Energy Ventures, and Energy Foundry. The company has also established multiple collaborations with battery and automotive manufacturers.
Similarly, Syenex, founded by Professor Joshua Leonard and focused on extracellular vesicle-based therapeutics, closed an $8.66 million seed financing round in early 2025.
More recently, NylaNova, a 2025 N.XT Fund recipient, is advancing a Northwestern-developed process for chemically recycling nylon-6 into its original building blocks, creating new opportunities for large-scale textile and plastics recycling.
These successes illustrate the growing momentum of Northwestern's innovation ecosystem and the value of investing at the earliest stages of venture formation.
Accelerating Northwestern Innovation
The newest N.XT Fund awardees join a growing community of founders transforming Northwestern discoveries into impactful companies. Supported by INVO, the Querrey InQbation Lab, and a network of mentors, investors, and industry partners, these ventures are taking critical steps toward commercialization and future investment.
As Amino Cosmetic Peptides, AtomoAI, and GoEco continue to advance their technologies, they represent more than promising startups. They demonstrate how Northwestern's innovation ecosystem is helping researchers become founders, translating breakthrough science into products, companies, and solutions that can improve lives while generating economic impact far beyond the University.