Applicants of
Crimson Founders Demo Session at Investopia
in the United Arab Emirates
Crimson Founders is proud to present the remarkable lineup of startups that have applied to participate in the upcoming Demo Session at the Future 100 Forum, held as part of Investopia 2025 on February 26-27 in Abu Dhabi.
The applicant pool of 52 incredibly innovative companies showcases a diverse range of industries, with notable concentrations in key areas. Artificial Intelligence (AI) leads the representation, accounting for 52% of the applications, followed closely by SaaS (Software as a Service) at 40%. Other prominent industries include Healthcare (19%) and Biotechnology (15%). Analytics and Sustainability each comprise 13% of the pool, while Environmental, Hardware, and Life Sciences industries are represented by 12% each. Education, Financial Services, Internet of Things (IoT), Logistics and Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Research and Development (R&D) contribute 10% each. Climate, Food and Beverage, Hard Tech, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals round out the pool at 8% each. This diverse industry distribution underscores the breadth of innovation among applicants, offering exciting opportunities for collaboration and investment.

Skarvo, Inc.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Technology, Community, Media
Skarvo is a groundbreaking smart social app designed to simplify and enrich communication among close friends and family. Combining on-device AI and an intuitive design, it enables users to send messages, share locations, manage expenses, coordinate schedules, create lists, and relive memories—all in one secure platform. Beyond communication, it offers innovative tools like personalized greeting cards, polls, and notes to foster meaningful connections. Available in 175 countries and 38 languages, Skarvo prioritizes privacy and safety while redefining how people connect, collaborate, and support their loved ones. Launching in February 2025, it is set to transform the way relationships are experienced.
Founders:
Suhail Ahmad, Dheeraj Goswami, Ammar Ahmed
Affiliation:
MIT
Country:
United States
Spectrohm, Inc.
Government, Logistics and Supply Chain, Defense, Security, Hard Tech, Virtual Reality (VR)
Spectrohm develops high-speed, high-throughput internal inspection systems for small bags, packages, and personal property. Current human-centric tools inspect only 3% of the 400 billion bags and packages moved annually, resulting in $100 billion in losses from fraud, errors, hazards, and threats. Its patented technology enables automated, 100% inspection by identifying hidden contents in bags and boxes. Backed by over $5 million in U.S. government support, it is advancing solutions for international eCommerce and air cargo inspection.
Founders:
Tim Cargol, Leo Ludwick
Affiliation:
MIT
Country:
United States
Stochastic
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Financial Services, Insurance, Cloud Computing, Health and Wellness, Information Technology (IT), SaaS (Software as a Service), Technology
Stochastic is developing the next generation of AI agents capable of conducting natural, real-time conversations through text and voice while maintaining advanced reasoning capabilities. Overcoming the traditional latency-intelligence tradeoff, their full-stack AI agent system transforms industry challenges into strategic advantages. By leveraging specialized models that ensure both speed and intelligence, they cater to highly regulated industries where performance and compliance are equally critical.
Founders:
Glenn Ko, Yuji Chai
Affiliation:
Harvard
Country:
United States
Sumac
e-Commerce, Environmental, Food and Beverage
Sumac is the UAE’s first gourmet ready-to-cook meal kit delivery service, specializing in authentic Middle Eastern recipes. It brings grandmother’s cherished dishes to your kitchen with fresh, pre-portioned ingredients that make dinner preparation simple, hassle-free, and full of flavor. Sumac ensures every meal is authentic, healthy, and a delightful culinary experience.
Founders:
Maan Sarast, Hania Maraqa
Affiliation:
MIT
Country:
United Arab Emirates, United States
Trofee
Entertainment, e-Commerce
Trofee is MENA’s first live video shopping platform, blending real-time livestreaming, e-commerce, and entertainment to redefine how communities buy and sell online. It creates a dynamic, trust-focused marketplace where buyers and sellers connect through interactive live streams, live auctions, and storytelling, bringing back the excitement, discovery, and connection to online shopping. While this innovative format is gaining traction in North America and Southeast Asia, Trofee is uniquely pioneering it in the MENA region, transforming the e-commerce experience for local communities.
Founders:
Amine Mamlouk, Ed Sabbagh, Nick Tran
Affiliation:
Harvard
Country:
United Arab Emirates
VarsityX
Education
At VarsityX, it is transforming education by bridging classroom learning with real-world skills to empower the next generation of innovators and leaders. Its hands-on programs provide students with practical experiences, industry mentorship, and professional development opportunities, equipping them for success in today’s job market. Through strong partnerships with top universities and leading corporations, VarsityX is building a dynamic platform that fosters seamless transitions from education to careers. Joining it means cultivating a vibrant community where students thrive, unlocking their potential and shaping a brighter future.
Founders:
Chetan Bhargava, Divya Chawla
Affiliation:
MIT
Country:
India
Vocadian
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Fitness, Health and Wellness, SaaS (Software as a Service)
Vocadian is revolutionizing safety and health management for frontline workers through its voice AI-powered B2B SaaS platform. By integrating seamlessly into existing compliance workflows, Vocadian enables predictive fatigue assessment and performance forecast through quick pre-shift speech tasks—without any additional hardware. With an initial focus on fatigue, Vocadian will expand its capabilities to include alcohol and substance detection and occupational disease screening.
Unlike reactive or subjective alternatives, Vocadian takes a predictive approach to address the root cause of workplace risks before they escalate. Targeting safety-critical industries such as transportation and logistics, mining, construction, manufacturing, aviation, and insurance, Vocadian serves LATAM and the US, with plans for global expansion. By mitigating risks, safeguarding workers, and fostering trust and well-being, Vocadian is setting a new standard for occupational safety and health.
Founders:
Yujie Wang, Amy Eginton, Adolphus Lau
Affiliation:
MIT, Harvard
Country:
United States
Xtraa
Financial Services, Lending / Loan Management, Crypto / Blockchain, Information Technology (IT), Internet of Things (IoT), Marketplace, SaaS (Software as a Service), Technology
XTRAA is revolutionizing cross-border trade infrastructure with a smart escrow platform designed to modernize the $1T+ Southeast Asia international trade market. By addressing key settlement and financing challenges, XTRAA automates trade settlements through smart escrow technology, reduces counterparty risk, connects deals with capital, and creates new liquidity channels for trade finance. Its platform tackles critical pain points, including long settlement cycles, high fees, limited trade financing, and opaque processes, offering a more efficient, transparent, and accessible solution. Starting with the Southeast Asia-to-China rice corridor, XTRAA provides a clear path to scale across trade routes and commodities, aiming to become the trusted infrastructure layer for the future of cross-border trade settlement and financing.
Founders:
Sangwon Park, Daniel Chia, Gerardo Lemus
Affiliation:
MIT
Country:
Hong Kong
