1 of 11
360 Total Care
360 Total Care is a Dayton-based home health care agency that is recording significant growth in its first three years of operation. The health care agency, located at 168 W. Franklin St. in Dayton, has expanded in recent years from one office to four offices. The group will have over 100 employees next year and serves around 300 geriatric and intellectually disabled individuals.
The group is led by Carmen Joiner, chief financial officer and president, and Paul Joiner, director of operations.
The agency’s services are inclusive for those who are elderly and intellectually disabled. Its services include non-medical transportation services, community activities and volunteering.
Joiner said the company now fully owns its own building.
“Achieving the milestone of owning their building signifies a level of independence and autonomy that positions 360 Total Care as a self-sustaining entity with the ability to scale their operations further,” the company said.
360 Total Care is a Dayton-based home health care agency that is recording significant growth in its first three years of operation. The health care agency, located at 168 W. Franklin St. in Dayton, has expanded in recent years from one office to four offices. The group will have over 100 employees next year and serves around 300 geriatric and intellectually disabled individuals.
The group is led by Carmen Joiner, chief financial officer and president, and Paul Joiner, director of operations.
The agency’s services are inclusive for those who are elderly and intellectually disabled. Its services include non-medical transportation services, community activities and volunteering.
Joiner said the company now fully owns its own building.
“Achieving the milestone of owning their building signifies a level of independence and autonomy that positions 360 Total Care as a self-sustaining entity with the ability to scale their operations further,” the company said.
Carmen Joiner
Accelevation LLC
The vertically integrated group of manufacturing companies serving the data center, electric vehicle and robotic markets has witnessed massive growth since 2021. Over the last few years, Accelevation has grown its revenue from a couple million to just under $200 million in 2023. The boost follows an influx of demand for product solutions in data center construction across North America.
Michael Rubiera, president and CEO of Accelevation, said data demand was already incredibly robust from the amount of data companies are storing and utilizing to make decisions to the growth in autonomous vehicles. But AI acted as gas on the fire, exploding demand even further.
With no data center space available in North America and centers booked out years in advance, companies have entered the expensive data center construction sector to create their own facilities. Accelevation works with more than 50 companies including billion-dollar giants and hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, U.S. Department of Defense, Facebook and TikTok.
After flying under the radar for years, Accelevation is stepping into the limelight. Their recent growth is set to continue as the startup prepares to launch new product lines in 2024. One of their core focuses is electrical component solutions primarily sourced overseas that the startup will now manufacture locally.
The vertically integrated group of manufacturing companies serving the data center, electric vehicle and robotic markets has witnessed massive growth since 2021. Over the last few years, Accelevation has grown its revenue from a couple million to just under $200 million in 2023. The boost follows an influx of demand for product solutions in data center construction across North America.
Michael Rubiera, president and CEO of Accelevation, said data demand was already incredibly robust from the amount of data companies are storing and utilizing to make decisions to the growth in autonomous vehicles. But AI acted as gas on the fire, exploding demand even further.
With no data center space available in North America and centers booked out years in advance, companies have entered the expensive data center construction sector to create their own facilities. Accelevation works with more than 50 companies including billion-dollar giants and hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, U.S. Department of Defense, Facebook and TikTok.
After flying under the radar for years, Accelevation is stepping into the limelight. Their recent growth is set to continue as the startup prepares to launch new product lines in 2024. One of their core focuses is electrical component solutions primarily sourced overseas that the startup will now manufacture locally.
Accelevation LLC
Billie Gold Bubble Tea
Nicole Cornett first launched her Billie Gold Bubble Tea food truck in 2018. Fast forward to spring of 2023 and Cornett opened a brick-and-mortar lounge in Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood. The bubble tea concept introduced the drink to the Dayton region.
Rather than a traditional food truck, Cornett purchased a custom-made bus for her venture and proudly parked Billie Gold Bubble Tea at local festivals and events.
“The whole bubble tea thing is experiential, down to just putting your straw into the cup,” Cornett said previously. “It just feels fun.”
Cornett still operates her mobile unit today. She said her plans in 2024 include preparing to manufacture her bubble tea product into cans.
“I'm always looking for the next thing that I want to do,” Cornett said. “... Being an entrepreneur, having your own business is just a never-ending process of getting to be as creative as you want to be, and it's limitless.”
Nicole Cornett first launched her Billie Gold Bubble Tea food truck in 2018. Fast forward to spring of 2023 and Cornett opened a brick-and-mortar lounge in Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood. The bubble tea concept introduced the drink to the Dayton region.
Rather than a traditional food truck, Cornett purchased a custom-made bus for her venture and proudly parked Billie Gold Bubble Tea at local festivals and events.
“The whole bubble tea thing is experiential, down to just putting your straw into the cup,” Cornett said previously. “It just feels fun.”
Cornett still operates her mobile unit today. She said her plans in 2024 include preparing to manufacture her bubble tea product into cans.
“I'm always looking for the next thing that I want to do,” Cornett said. “... Being an entrepreneur, having your own business is just a never-ending process of getting to be as creative as you want to be, and it's limitless.”
Launch Dayton
Fluid Applied Roofing
Beavercreek-based Fluid Applied Roofing is a local manufacturer known for its unique roofing products.
CEO Sonny Arwood said the company has developed an industry-changing product used by the commercial and industrial roofing industry.
The company was founded in late 2019 and has 15 employees.
“We achieved remarkable growth through the Covid pandemic and major supply chain disruptions,” Arwood said.
The company has grown from zero dollars in revenue to around $6 million in 2023.
In late 2022, the company expanded its presence in the Dayton region with a dedicated warehouse facility. The move comes amid unprecedented growth as the company enters its next stage of operations.
The new warehousing operation is very close to the company headquarters. It makes it easier for Arwood and the management team to be on-site and have face-to-face interactions with the manufacturing sector of the company, and oversee new product development.
Arwood is hoping that in the next three to five years, the company headquarters and manufacturing facility will all be under the same roof.
Beavercreek-based Fluid Applied Roofing is a local manufacturer known for its unique roofing products.
CEO Sonny Arwood said the company has developed an industry-changing product used by the commercial and industrial roofing industry.
The company was founded in late 2019 and has 15 employees.
“We achieved remarkable growth through the Covid pandemic and major supply chain disruptions,” Arwood said.
The company has grown from zero dollars in revenue to around $6 million in 2023.
In late 2022, the company expanded its presence in the Dayton region with a dedicated warehouse facility. The move comes amid unprecedented growth as the company enters its next stage of operations.
The new warehousing operation is very close to the company headquarters. It makes it easier for Arwood and the management team to be on-site and have face-to-face interactions with the manufacturing sector of the company, and oversee new product development.
Arwood is hoping that in the next three to five years, the company headquarters and manufacturing facility will all be under the same roof.
Fluid Applied Roofing
The Greater Dayton School
A transformative model for education is taking shape on Dayton’s west side.
The Greater Dayton School is moving into a state-of-the-art, 12-acre campus at the confluence of the Mad River and Great Miami River. The school opened in the fall of 2022 as Ohio’s first private non-religious elementary school dedicated to under-resourced students.
The school won the DBJ’s 2023 Startup of the Year award.
Backed by Larry Connor, the school is run by founding principal A.J. Stich. Connor’s planning for the school began in 2018.
The school focuses on educating the whole child while providing top-notch instruction tailored to each student and wraparound clinic services.
The school includes an on-site wellness center run by Dayton Children’s for students and their families to access. Students also get a grade on their report card for completing a physical. Additionally, they are graded for consuming healthy food and financial literacy.
The Greater Dayton School serves 105 in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. Leaders are strategizing to increase by another 300 students, expanding enrollment through the eighth grade.
A transformative model for education is taking shape on Dayton’s west side.
The Greater Dayton School is moving into a state-of-the-art, 12-acre campus at the confluence of the Mad River and Great Miami River. The school opened in the fall of 2022 as Ohio’s first private non-religious elementary school dedicated to under-resourced students.
The school won the DBJ’s 2023 Startup of the Year award.
Backed by Larry Connor, the school is run by founding principal A.J. Stich. Connor’s planning for the school began in 2018.
The school focuses on educating the whole child while providing top-notch instruction tailored to each student and wraparound clinic services.
The school includes an on-site wellness center run by Dayton Children’s for students and their families to access. Students also get a grade on their report card for completing a physical. Additionally, they are graded for consuming healthy food and financial literacy.
The Greater Dayton School serves 105 in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. Leaders are strategizing to increase by another 300 students, expanding enrollment through the eighth grade.
Submitted Photo
Green Zero Energy
David Maurer Founder and CEO is leading innovative startup Green Zero Energy, which aims to bring next-level reliability to portable power generation by providing clean generators that run on any fuel. With 90% of generators running off diesel fuel, Green Zero Energy hopes to break its innovative product into the $900 million aviation market (capturing $3 million in revenue) and an expanded $10 billion market (capturing $48 million in revenue). Alongside aviation, Green Zero Energy is also eyeing applications in the construction, EV charging, events, amusement parks, natural disaster relief and grid support industries.
With five different fuel types to choose from, Green Zero Energy’s S-Fusion All-Fuel Generator can burn whatever fuel is most available and affordable at the time, including process or production waste materials. The goal: making it easy to both save clients money and save the planet.
The generator system is designed to be clean and quiet with minimal vibration to accommodate multiple applications. Generator systems are focused around maintenance estimating repair downtimes under 15 minutes. In testing to-date, the generator has achieved thermal efficiencies from 30% to 60%.
David Maurer Founder and CEO is leading innovative startup Green Zero Energy, which aims to bring next-level reliability to portable power generation by providing clean generators that run on any fuel. With 90% of generators running off diesel fuel, Green Zero Energy hopes to break its innovative product into the $900 million aviation market (capturing $3 million in revenue) and an expanded $10 billion market (capturing $48 million in revenue). Alongside aviation, Green Zero Energy is also eyeing applications in the construction, EV charging, events, amusement parks, natural disaster relief and grid support industries.
With five different fuel types to choose from, Green Zero Energy’s S-Fusion All-Fuel Generator can burn whatever fuel is most available and affordable at the time, including process or production waste materials. The goal: making it easy to both save clients money and save the planet.
The generator system is designed to be clean and quiet with minimal vibration to accommodate multiple applications. Generator systems are focused around maintenance estimating repair downtimes under 15 minutes. In testing to-date, the generator has achieved thermal efficiencies from 30% to 60%.
Provided
Hybridworks Chemical LLC
The startup, led by founder and COO Bud Honshell, leverages an innovative recycling process to transform industry waste into high quality reusable resources.
Through its innovative two-phase patent-pending process, Hybridworks uses custom machinery to recycle blended textile fabrics designated as end of life. Their technology provides an eco-friendly alternative to discarding textiles in landfills where they take more than100 years to decompose or incinerating textiles where they pollute the air. The process also offers additional environment benefits as its design saves labor, lowers energy costs and conserves water.
Earlier this fall, Hybridworks received a $3.2 million investment from a private Midwest-based investor. The funding follows hundreds of thousands raised in pre-seed funding last year.
Now Hybridworks is developing a pilot plant and signing partnerships with fiber companies, fabric manufacturers, waste management companies, industrial laundries and fashion houses who are all in dire need of textile recycling solutions.
The startup, led by founder and COO Bud Honshell, leverages an innovative recycling process to transform industry waste into high quality reusable resources.
Through its innovative two-phase patent-pending process, Hybridworks uses custom machinery to recycle blended textile fabrics designated as end of life. Their technology provides an eco-friendly alternative to discarding textiles in landfills where they take more than100 years to decompose or incinerating textiles where they pollute the air. The process also offers additional environment benefits as its design saves labor, lowers energy costs and conserves water.
Earlier this fall, Hybridworks received a $3.2 million investment from a private Midwest-based investor. The funding follows hundreds of thousands raised in pre-seed funding last year.
Now Hybridworks is developing a pilot plant and signing partnerships with fiber companies, fabric manufacturers, waste management companies, industrial laundries and fashion houses who are all in dire need of textile recycling solutions.
Getty Images (Liam Norris)
Kilele Health
Andrew Cothrel, co-founder, CEO and director of Kilele Health, is developing a wearable remote for continuous patient monitoring of cardiometabolic diseases, empowering doctors and patients with accurate real-time data. The data is gathered from a device worn on the arm which can then be sent to a doctor for remote telemedicine and consult. The technology aims to save money on readmissions and test monitoring costs for health care providers.
Kilele melds off-patent continuous glucose monitoring technology with aptamer sensors to create unique capabilities – to be used both in and out of the hospital. Detection proof studies have shown the aptamer sensors can measure various antibiotic drugs, cancer cell growth inhibitor drugs, cellular energy molecules and other inhibitor drugs.
Andrew Cothrel, co-founder, CEO and director of Kilele Health, is developing a wearable remote for continuous patient monitoring of cardiometabolic diseases, empowering doctors and patients with accurate real-time data. The data is gathered from a device worn on the arm which can then be sent to a doctor for remote telemedicine and consult. The technology aims to save money on readmissions and test monitoring costs for health care providers.
Kilele melds off-patent continuous glucose monitoring technology with aptamer sensors to create unique capabilities – to be used both in and out of the hospital. Detection proof studies have shown the aptamer sensors can measure various antibiotic drugs, cancer cell growth inhibitor drugs, cellular energy molecules and other inhibitor drugs.
Lectratek
Polaron Technologies Inc.
A Dayton-area defense contractor has been gaining new contract awards paving the way for growth in the last year.
Polaron Technologies Inc. on Springboro Pike in Miamisburg is led by CEO Rahul Bhowmik.
The firm is currently doing work on a Space Force STTR Phase II award; a Navy SBIR Phase I award; and NASA MSFC Dual Technology Development contract.
“All of the above awards are for further developing our in-house data analytics platform, MatVerse,” the company’s nomination reads. “With the help of these grants/contracts, we were able to make the MatVerse platform more user-friendly for users who have little or no knowledge of deep/machine learning methods.”
The company has gotten interest in their platform from giants like Lockheed Martin Corp. and Bluestone Investment Partners.
Revenue for Polaron Technologies has grown from $300,000 in 2020 to nearly $1 million in 2023. The company has five employees and was founded in 2017. The company anticipates continued growth in its revenue and personnel.
“This growth is mainly due to our increased investment in preparing and submitting proposals, as evidenced by the rise in proposal submissions from six in 2018 to nearly 40 in 2023,” the company said.
The company in 2024 will begin its Facilities Clearance, which is being sponsored by Peerless Technologies Corp.
A Dayton-area defense contractor has been gaining new contract awards paving the way for growth in the last year.
Polaron Technologies Inc. on Springboro Pike in Miamisburg is led by CEO Rahul Bhowmik.
The firm is currently doing work on a Space Force STTR Phase II award; a Navy SBIR Phase I award; and NASA MSFC Dual Technology Development contract.
“All of the above awards are for further developing our in-house data analytics platform, MatVerse,” the company’s nomination reads. “With the help of these grants/contracts, we were able to make the MatVerse platform more user-friendly for users who have little or no knowledge of deep/machine learning methods.”
The company has gotten interest in their platform from giants like Lockheed Martin Corp. and Bluestone Investment Partners.
Revenue for Polaron Technologies has grown from $300,000 in 2020 to nearly $1 million in 2023. The company has five employees and was founded in 2017. The company anticipates continued growth in its revenue and personnel.
“This growth is mainly due to our increased investment in preparing and submitting proposals, as evidenced by the rise in proposal submissions from six in 2018 to nearly 40 in 2023,” the company said.
The company in 2024 will begin its Facilities Clearance, which is being sponsored by Peerless Technologies Corp.
Lifetouch
Unlisted
UNLISTED is modernizing the residential real estate market by creating an opportunity to start conversations about property plans among neighbors. The platform allows homeowners, homebuyers and real estate agents to tap into the property market before a house is officially “for sale.” UNLISTED Founder Katie Hill created the startup based on her own experience, desiring a home that was not yet on the market.
Through UNLISTED, homebuyers and agents can search the address of a home or multiple homes they are interested in that are not on the market. UNLISTED will then do an outreach campaign to the homeowners, sending a proposal in the form of an eye-catching golden package.
Since its launch in 2022, the startup has raised over $600,000 in EC Angel funding. With a breakthrough in sales earlier this fall, representing a 400% increase in revenue, Hill is holding off on additional funding rounds. But when the time comes, she plans to aim for up to $2 million in funding – seeking investors this time outside the Dayton region.
UNLISTED is modernizing the residential real estate market by creating an opportunity to start conversations about property plans among neighbors. The platform allows homeowners, homebuyers and real estate agents to tap into the property market before a house is officially “for sale.” UNLISTED Founder Katie Hill created the startup based on her own experience, desiring a home that was not yet on the market.
Through UNLISTED, homebuyers and agents can search the address of a home or multiple homes they are interested in that are not on the market. UNLISTED will then do an outreach campaign to the homeowners, sending a proposal in the form of an eye-catching golden package.
Since its launch in 2022, the startup has raised over $600,000 in EC Angel funding. With a breakthrough in sales earlier this fall, representing a 400% increase in revenue, Hill is holding off on additional funding rounds. But when the time comes, she plans to aim for up to $2 million in funding – seeking investors this time outside the Dayton region.
Submitted
Dayton's startup scene is poised to grow stronger this year with more funding opportunities on the horizon.
In 2024, the market is likely to see another wave of new businesses and a surge in growth from some of the more established startups looking to take their company to the next level.
To assist, the Entrepreneurs’ Center in downtown Dayton this year has grown its EC Angel investors network – bringing in new people and additional opportunity for startups to garner funds.
The Dayton Business Journal has released its annual Startups to Watch list. Here we outline 10 local startups gaining traction and funding through national contract awards, product development and regional collaborations.
The Startups to Watch list highlights local startups that are poised to make big moves in the next year, whether that's raising sizable funding rounds, acquiring other companies, accomplishing fast growth or simply continuing work on challenging problems.
Note: Click through the gallery above for more about Dayton Inno's Startups to Watch in 2024
To help us shape this year’s Startups to Watch list, we accepted nominations from the community and reached out to local entrepreneur groups and tech leaders. We also used information from our reporting throughout the last year.
