Duke Capital Partners

🎉 A Duke Innovation Success Story 🎉 As Kelli Luginbuhl is stepping into her next adventure, we want to congratulate and share a bit about Kelli, co-founder of Isolere Bio, a Donaldson Life Sciences business, on her incredible journey and next chapter! Kelli began her work alongside Ashutosh Chilkoti during her PhD in Duke University Pratt School of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering). Together, they co-founded Isolere Bio with a mission to transform downstream bioprocessing. From day one, Kurt Schmidt (Managing Director of Duke Capital Partners, under Duke's Office for Translation & Commercialization) served as Kelli’s mentor and supported her in translating this breakthrough from the lab to the marketplace, preparing to raise capital, and scaling the vision. With early backing from Northpond Ventures, Isolere Bio grew into a leading player and was successfully acquired by Donaldson— a tremendous win for Duke innovation, faculty entrepreneurship, and the power of commercialization. This is a shining example of how the Duke Office for Translation & Commercialization, DCP, and the broader Duke University community rally behind founders — from early idea to successful exit. 👏 Congratulations, Kelli, on all you’ve accomplished and on the exciting steps ahead. We’re so proud of your journey ! 💙 #DukeInnovation #Entrepreneurship #LifeSciences #Commercialization #FromLabToMarket #DukeProud

Strong momentum from Hinge Health this quarter. The company just shared its Q2 2025 results, with 55% year-over-year growth and more than 2,000 enterprise customers now on the platform. As MSK care moves toward more personalized, hybrid solutions, Hinge continues to lead with clinical depth, product innovation, and disciplined execution. Congrats to Daniel Perez, Gabriel Mecklenburg, Shaun Rahimi and the entire team. We’re proud to be part of this journey and excited for what’s ahead. #HingeHealth #DigitalHealth #MSKCare #HealthTech #FounderLed #GrowthStory #DukeCapitalPartners

Liquid AI's global hackathon series is live. Hack 01 has $10k in prizes. If you're building next-gen AI—small, fast, and built for on-device deployment—this is for you. - Build with LFM2 models: low-latency, CPU-ready - Deploy with LEAP, an edge-native platform - Run real-world challenges (on-device, embedded, automotive) - Compete, learn, ship. SLMs are here. LFM2 is the best performing mobile edge model on the market and Leap has made it easier than ever to deploy these models directly into iOS and Android apps. We're proud to support the Liquid AI team as they continue to deliver AI breakthroughs. Start building today: https://lnkd.in/eZcxT8RX #LiquidAI #AIInfra #OpenSource #Hackathon #AIInnovation #FounderLed #DukeCapitalPartners

🚀 What an exciting month for Duke Capital Partners portfolio company Fluidstack — from London Tech Week, and 10 Downing Street, to NVIDIA GTC Paris, VivaTech, and a dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. At GTC, the team connected with customers, partners, and many future partners — and showcased how Fluidstack delivers massive AI compute capacity across Europe and worldwide. 🌍 The focus was clear: scale sovereign AI infrastructure across France, the UK, and Europe. 🇫🇷🇬🇧🇪🇺 With Arnaud Lépinois, they laid out a roadmap to deliver gigawatt-scale AI, including a 1.4 GW AI campus in France that's moving fast. The team was also grateful for conversations with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, among others. What a month! 👏 Congratulations to Gary Wu, César Maklary, Zach Alexander, and the entire team — we’re proud at DCP to back this company and also thankful to Duke University alum and DCP investor David Zezza! #AI #EuropeTech #AIInfrastructure #DCPPortfolio

RetailReady, co-founded by Elle Smyth (Duke University) and Sarah Hamer (Georgia Institute of Technology), continues to innovate building the operational infrastructure behind modern retail logistics. Last week, the team brought two new REI warehouse flows online in Pennsylvania and California. They also rolled out new AI-driven features that automate chargeback deadlines, streamline routing workflows and improve packing operations. Now, they’re growing and hiring. 2 Full-Stack Software Engineers (in-person in San Francisco, relocation welcome) 1 Technical Chief of Staff (in-person in San Francisco, relocation welcome) These are high-ownership positions for builders who want to work directly with customers, move fast, and shape a company scaling with focus. We’re proud to support Elle, Sarah, and the RetailReady team as they continue to lead with speed, clarity and care. 🔗 Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/g6tirSRU #DukeCapitalPartners #RetailReady #FounderLed #SupplyChain #AI #Hiring #DukeStartups #VentureCapital

🚀 Duke Capital Partners (DCP) is thrilled to announce that applications are open for our Fall 2025 Associate Program, until September 1st! 🔍 About Us: Duke Capital Partners is Duke University’s early-stage venture investment arm. We leverage the Duke community to support innovative startups and deliver superior returns for our investors. 🎓 Program Highlights: Every year, we select a highly competitive group of 15 Duke University students for an intensive 2-year program. This program involves hands-on learning in venture capital, requiring a minimum weekly commitment of 10 hours during academic semesters. Opportunities like this are incredibly scarce, especially within the context of major elite U.S. universities, making this experience truly unique in higher education. Associates are part of our student program for at least 2 years. Students may also receive credit for your program involvement. 💼 Why Apply? - Real-World Experience: Gain invaluable experience in venture capital by engaging in all aspects of the investment process, including deal sourcing, screening, due diligence, and operations. - Exclusive Networking: Build lasting relationships with industry leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and Duke’s extensive network. - Career Advancement: Alumni of the program have secured top roles in venture capital, finance, and entrepreneurship. As a DCP Associate, you’ll be part of the entire investment process and operational projects. The ideal candidate is proactive, highly responsive, and a self-starter who is genuinely interested in a career in venture capital or entrepreneurship. You'll also serve as a dedicated DCP ambassador, promoting our mission and successes across the Duke community and beyond. 📅 Application Details: Deadline: September 1st Eligibility: Open exclusively to current Duke students. Required Materials: CV, cover letter, and relevant documents. 🔗 Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/edr4RpfQ 🔗 Learn More: Join our virtual info sessions on August 20 and 27th, to learn more about the Associate Program: https://lnkd.in/enyt3Zct Join us to make a real impact in venture capital while still in school. This rare opportunity offers firsthand experience and insights few students at top universities ever get. Don’t miss it. #VentureCapital #DukeUniversity #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #JoinUs #DukeCapitalPartners #VC #Startups For more information, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eJku4ueE

👀 ⁉️ You know what it takes for tech-native founders to build in healthcare? For Sprinter Health co-founders and Duke University alumni 💙 Max Cohen (Duke University Pratt School of Engineering) and Cameron Behar (Duke Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), it’s about using tech to scale without breaking clinical trust. Sprinter is reconnecting patients to care through in-home blood draws, eye exams, and virtual NP visits—powered by W2 clinicians and a custom logistics engine. Their advice to healthcare builders: 👉 Fit into existing systems. Tech only is not enough 👉 Learn the regulations and design around it 👉 You can't solve all healthcare challenges. Focus and be clear on which problems you solve 🎧 🎙️ Tune into their podcast with Julie Yoo and a16z Bio + Health : https://lnk.to/zFk0tz We’re proud to support this incredible team and mission.

🚀 Big month for DCP Portfolio Company Octane. The leader in redefining crypto security... 1️⃣ Was named an official security partner for the $4M Sophon Canvas incubator, giving every team a full Octane AI review before launch. 2️⃣ Teamed up with ScorePlay, an on-chain sports prediction platform, to help secure its smart contracts. They caught a critical vulnerability and two best practice issues after a manual audit had cleared the code — a major save with real money on the line. 3️⃣ Launched a deep integration with Avalanche ⏣🔺, embedding proactive security checks directly into CI/CD workflows. In early results, they scanned over 210K lines of code, flagged 217 findings, and are helping protect $261M+ in TVL. Proud to back Octane at DCP, and congratulations to Giovanni Vignone and his team. Read more about the partnerships and case studies on the Octane page and website: https://lnkd.in/edZtrhPW

🎉 Congratulations to Elizabeth Ruzzo, PhD, founder and CEO of DCP portfolio company adyn, on being selected as a 2025 WBL (Women Business Leaders of the US Health Care Industry Foundation) Fellow! The WBL Fellows Program recognizes exceptional women leaders in healthcare and life sciences — and Elizabeth is leading the charge with adyn, which is helping people find birth control without side effects through personalized genetic and hormone insights. We’re proud to support Elizabeth as she joins this prestigious cohort and continues to drive innovation in reproductive health. #WBLFellows #WomenInLeadership #HealthTech #ReproductiveHealth #DCPPortfolio #PrecisionMedicine

💙 😈 Strategic focus, growth ambitions, team-building, and… the ultimate “Exit Strategy” 🚪✨ Last week, our entire Duke Capital Partners team gathered in Durham for a truly energizing strategic off-site. We took a moment to reflect on a year of growth and set our sights on the upcoming year. 💥 Highlights included 💥: 🔵 Sharpening our goals for the year and aligning on growth priorities & team efficiency 🔵 Showcasing tools and projects our associates have been creating (Thank you Damon Burrow, Sanjeev Chauhan, and Xi (Shawn) Yang, CPA) 🔵 Carving out time for professional development, tapping into the incredible resources of the Duke Learning Innovation & Lifetime Education and learning to be more productive using AI (Thank you, Ashley S.) 🔵 And, of course, no off-site would be complete without a challenge & team-building activity—this time, an escape room aptly named Exit Strategy… fitting for our investment team oriented to “exits”! 😈 Grateful for the chance to be all together in Durham.  It was productive, constructive, and fun. Here’s to another year of deeper collaboration and impact across our entire Duke Capital Partners community of DCP members, founders, Associates, alumni, and Duke University 🚀 GO DUKE, GO TEAM. Kurt Schmidt, Dave Neal, V. Cary Ritter, Daniel (Jie) Luo, Stéphanie Seghers, Jana Stollings, and Damon Burrow, Xi (Shawn) Yang, CPA, Nicholas Becker