The NJ AI Hub Accelerator, powered by Plug and Play, has officially announced the selection of 17 innovative startups for its second cohort. Chosen from a competitive pool of over 200 applicants, the companies were selected following a rigorous Selection Day vote held on Sept. 15.
Based out of the NJ AI Hub’s facility in West Windsor Township, the program connects early-stage startups and higher-education-affiliated entrepreneurs with mentors, investors, and major industry partners. Participants gain access to Plug and Play’s expansive global network, unlocking opportunities for high-value corporate pilots, strategic partnerships, and long-term funding.
“These founders could build anywhere, and they’re choosing to build in New Jersey,” Brian Chol Soo Standen, director of innovation and partnerships at the NJ AI Hub, said. “That’s a reflection of the talent, research, industry leadership, and entrepreneurial momentum that exist here today. Over the coming months, we’ll focus on helping companies connect with the right partners, secure meaningful pilots, and accelerate their growth here in the state.”
The second cohort spans a broad range of high-impact technological sectors, including healthcare, life sciences, materials science, energy, robotics, logistics, workforce solutions, and enterprise artificial intelligence.
The 17 selected startups participating in the upcoming accelerator program include:
- AIntropy: Builds the knowledge foundation for next-generation world models and physical AI.
- Backline AI: Builds agents that automate the deployment of trustworthy code and configurations at scale.
- CoReason: Uses AI to generate evidence for faster, regulator-ready life sciences analyses.
- GlucoSynqAI: Turns raw continuous glucose data into actionable insights for physicians.
- Hill Research: An AI-powered contract research organization that automates clinical trial data workflows from protocol to FDA submission.
- Kled AI: Runs a marketplace that licenses user-generated content to AI companies for model training.
- Materium Technologies: Develops an AI formulation engine for high-performance thin films and coatings.
- Nakato: Provides a private data layer that lets public AI models work safely through reversible semantic twins.
- Nesture AI: Offers an agentic AI learning platform that helps children develop motor skills for communication.
- OppyAI Inc: Offers neural-encrypted AI chat and an API that keep conversations private from large language model providers.
- PBX Energy Intelligence: Provides commercial energy procurement and data analytics for high-load power users.
- PONS: Builds an AI-based ultrasound platform for remote and out-of-hospital medical monitoring.
- Rightview: Runs an AI-native platform that automated clinical trial site operations to reduce operational bottlenecks.
- Robossis: Builds a surgical robotic system for orthopedic trauma and long-bone fracture repair.
- SkillsBridge.AI: Unifies work redesign and skill development to help companies integrate AI.
- SyzOnc: Uses AI and human-tissue models to discover oncology drugs that disrupt tumor cells.
- Vault Robotics: Builds autonomous delivery robots for last-mile logistics.
Over the coming months, the startups will work closely with the NJ AI Hub and Plug and Play networks to commercialize their offerings, forging connections with corporate partners, academic institutions, and regional venture capital firms.
The cohort will showcase their progress and demonstrate their technologies at an official expo scheduled for Dec. 15, with a venue location to be announced.
Launched in March 2026, the NJ AI Hub Accelerator was created in collaboration with Plug and Play to cement New Jersey’s status as a premier national center for AI innovation. The NJ AI Hub itself was established by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Princeton University, Microsoft, and CoreWeave to spearhead responsible artificial intelligence research, development, and workforce empowerment across the state.
