Fairfield-based FarmX enables farmers to sell directly to grocery chains and restaurants via its e-commerce platform.

Tech company Yolo Robotics aims to melt and reshape space debris into useful products while remaining in orbit. 

Davis-based tech company Expert IEP developed an app to help parents of neurodivergent students optimize their academic, behavioral, occupational and speech goals. 

As the pandemic shifts the landscape of investing in the Capital Region, so too are the dynamics between tech startups and investors.

INN>CHRG is developing an app that allows any private property (residential, business, etc.) with electricity to potentially become a charging location.

Every body has a type. But clothing stores typically focus on sizes, which does a disservice to both retailers and customers, says Amy Wister, cofounder and CEO of RevShopp.

From its beginnings in a church basement in Auburn to its current status as the Capital Region’s leading employer of people with disabilities and other hurdles to employment, PRIDE Industries has always promoted an inclusive workforce.

“Why can you read reviews on what restaurant to eat at or hotel to stay at or what vacuum to buy, but when it comes to the largest financial purchase of your life, there’s nowhere to go?” says Tim Hyer, cofounder and CEO of Trusty.

After the disruption of 2020, the push for more collaborative affiliations has become even more urgent. At the core of this evolving model is technology.

How much would you pay to never have to step foot in the Department of Motor Vehicles again?

Milk may do the body good, as the 1980s campaign stated, but Fengru Lin, cofounder and CEO of TurtleTree, believes milk production without cows could do the planet even better.

BCD Bioscience wants to help adults benefit from essential carbohydrates that naturally occur in breast milk.

Summer heat in Sacramento can be stressful — especially for air conditioning units in office buildings.

Here are four entrepreneurs who are transforming ideas of manufacturing for the well-being of the world.

The Folsom-based startup Foodom launched in March 2020 to bring experienced cooks into the homes of busy families.

The recent spate of mergers and acquisitions in the Capital Region tells a story beyond the pandemic, speaking to growing interest in the area and a red-hot financial craze that catapults private companies into public markets.

As COVID-19 vaccines roll out worldwide, InVixa is working on a new delivery method for a cholesterol-lowering drug to treat respiratory inflammation caused by the coronavirus. 

In a world of portability and to-go orders, Grass Valley-based startup BoxPower delivers energy in a box.

The 2020 presidential election may be over, but the team at Warchest still has work to do.

You might not associate remote work with construction, but Mare Island-based Factory OS is redesigning the business model by building multifamily homes off-site, then shipping them to the designated location.

The challenge for treatment programs can be broken down into four parts: lack of workforce, limited capacity, timing conflicts and insurance issues.

The future of vertical farming begins on the genetic level. That’s the philosophy of Unfold, a Sacramento-based startup focused on innovating fruit and vegetable seeds to better serve indoor growing facilities.

Comstock’s spoke with Cherry about the groundbreaking work that led UC Davis to name him and co-inventor Ramsey Badawi among the recipients of the 2020 Chancellor’s Innovation Awards.

With the help of artificial intelligence, this Sacramento-based startup wants to make the hiring process run smoother for companies flooded with applications.

There’s nothing worse than pouring wine down the drain, says Brett Bayda, so he created Drinjk Wines for consumers who want more portion control.

How do you measure the thirst of a plant? Michael Santiago, founder and CEO of FloraPulse, says give it a chip.

Not only have Black Americans suffered more from COVID-19 infections and deaths, but Black-owned businesses were hit the hardest due to the shutdown.

“We make it easier for our most vulnerable community members to get the care they need to stay independent and stay home,” says Kwamane Liddell, DispatchCare’s founder and CEO.

This spring, COVID-19 forced schools to go online. But, for the most part, the teaching models remained the same. Sama Learning, a Nevada City-based startup, wants to transform those models.

With teleconferencing, email, e-commerce and social media, the internet makes it possible for many people to work virtually. However, being “always online” comes at a cost.

As the U.S. grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, factors such as socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and employment play a pivotal role in the fight against systemic racism and social injustice. 

As a hospital assistant at UC Davis Medical Center, Tony Braham helps nurses lift and move patients. In other words, “We’re the muscle of the hospital,” Braham says, and his startup aims to help “the muscle” be more mobile.

After screening millions of cells that secrete antibodies, scientists at a Rancho Cordova-based automated cell processing company and its collaboration partners believe they found a potential path to treat COVID-19.

In the face of climate change, environmental stress and population growth, advanced technology can lead to enhanced weather forecasting, which could make a huge impact in preventing floods and keeping reservoirs full.

Based in Sacramento, OpenGrants is a free platform that uses machine learning to sift through, list and match users with grant writers and opportunities. The platform reduces the opportunity cost inherent in the grant funding process by 30-40 percent.

Nytch, a Woodland-based mobile app, connects independent, offline businesses to local shoppers looking for specific items.

Since 2015, Comstock’s has spotlighted more than 60 regional startups in our Startup of the Month column. Here are five standouts from the column that are going stronger than ever.

With gift cards continuing to soar in popularity, a Woodland-based startup aims to bring their convenience to small businesses while cutting down on plastic.

With industries moving at the speed of the internet, many companies have trouble keeping pace. Zennify, a Sacramento-based cloud solutions and consulting firm, wants to help legacy businesses catch up.

Humaxa uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to help employers boost productivity and satisfaction among their workforce.

In California, where 90 percent of American strawberries are grown, the time is ripe for a faster, better way to pick them. That’s the idea behind Advanced Farm Technologies, a Davis-based startup that uses customized tools to lend farmers a helping robotic hand.

Medical carts are mobile storage units for health care equipment, supplies and medication, and may include workstations for access to electronic data.

If your manager tosses you a $200 gift card for reaching a milestone, it’s nothing personal — and according to Anna Straus, that’s a problem when it comes to employee retention and workplace productivity.

PairAnything, run by an eight-person team, won the $10,000 Food + Agriculture Sector Award at the 2019 Big Bang Business Competition at UC Davis.

Before 2012, Nick Barbato was a software developer working in a cubicle, and he was miserable. He wanted more control over his life, so he left that job to start a company called Pangia Games. Not long after he and his cofounder, Lee Hobbs, released their first game, he received an email in 2013 from someone who played it.

Prior to 2019, the California Retail Food Code had strict limits on which facilities could store, package and serve food at the retail level. These restrictions were put in place for health and sanitation purposes.

As a leadership educator and coach working from home, Leslie Bosserman had a tough time being fully present with both her first child and her clients. Eight months into her second pregnancy, she came up with the idea for The Makers Place, a Sacramento-based coworking space customized for families.

Sacramento boasted of being one of the first four test cities for Verizon’s 5G network, with officials calling it a major step toward the future. But nearly a year after launch, none of the city’s eight council districts have full 5G coverage — and it isn’t clear when any of them will.