Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 05.02.2025 
By Shintaro Matsumoto, President & CEO, NEC X
Startups are built on ambition, but ambition alone isn’t enough to guarantee success. The gap between an idea and a market-ready solution is vast – and filled with challenges that can derail even the most promising ventures.
At NEC X, we’re bridging that gap. Through our Elev X! Ignite and Elev X! Boost venture studio programs in Silicon Valley, we are helping turn bold ideas into real-world technologies. Working closely together, our startups gain invaluable access to resources – R&D, capital, NEC’s global ecosystem and much more – to jumpstart their innovations and entrepreneurial journeys.
The impact speaks for itself. Since 2018, Elev X! has launched and scaled over 130 innovative tech startups, and applications for Ignite have more than doubled year-over-year since 2023. But what are our biggest wins? The entrepreneurs in our community are tackling real-world challenges and driving meaningful progress.
And now, for the second year in a row, NEC X has been recognized as a finalist at the Global Business Tech Awards, a reflection of our ongoing commitment to empowering the next generation of game-changing companies.
But the real story isn’t about us – it’s about the startups that are redefining industries.
Metabob: Reimagining Software Development
The speed of software development is often slowed by one critical bottleneck—debugging. Metabob, our first-ever graduate, is tackling this challenge head-on with AI-assisted code analysis, reducing debugging time by up to 83%.
“A challenge with startups is finding the right team. With NEC X, you’ll work with a group of talented experts with unique skills, turning technology concepts into a product. The unique structure of NEC X allows me to learn the workflow and execution of a big corporation, through fast-paced innovation like a high growth startup.” – Massi Genta, Founder & CEO, Metabob
Since joining Elev X! in 2018, Metabob has refined its AI-powered debugging tool with over 100 developers, secured $1.2 million in seed funding and was named a Top 20 finalist in the 2024 Slush 100 Pitch Competition. It also joined Alchemist Accelerator, one of the world’s most prestigious startup programs.
Metapyxl: Reinventing Digital Rights Management
In a digital-first world, content creators need better tools to protect their work. Metapyxl is revolutionizing digital rights management (DRM) with AI-powered content protection, offering an unmatched 99.9% watermark survivability rate and scanning up to 100 million images daily for unauthorized use.
“NEC X went beyond typical advisory roles, actively engaging in hands-on sessions that guided us through complex integrations and scaling our technology… This comprehensive support has not only refined our product but has also significantly advanced our team’s capabilities and strategic outlook.” – Tiffany Walling McGarity, CEO, Metapyxl
Since joining Elev X!, Metapyxl has developed cutting-edge computer vision for DRM, secured high-profile partnerships in film and TV licensing and gained endorsements from industry leaders like Lindsey Lugrin, co-founder of FYPM.
Flyhound: AI-Powered Search and Rescue
Search-and-rescue teams are often in a race against time, and Flyhound is giving them a critical edge to save lives. Using NEC’s advanced AI and sensor technologies, Flyhound locates missing persons 100 times faster than traditional search methods.
“If you have an idea that’s venture scalable and you could benefit from NEC’s expansive technology portfolio, expertise, and network, I highly encourage you to apply for Elev X!” – Manny Cergnilia, Co-Founder & CEO, Flyhound
Since joining Elev X!, Flyhound has won $500,000 as a finalist in the GENIUS NY 2024 Pitch Competition and joined leading accelerator programs like Alchemist and ERA.
Shaping the Future: More Game-Changing Startups
And these are just a few examples of the world-changing ideas Elev X! is turning into reality. Other high-impact startups include:
- Multitude Insights – AI-powered Bulletin (BLTN) for real-time law enforcement data sharing
- Chekable – generative AI to speed up patent applications, cutting filing time by over 70%
- Qualitative Intelligence – AI-driven consumer sentiment analysis using NEC’s Semantic Model Technology
- Verdi – AI-powered sustainable farming platform integrated with NEC’s CropScope, conserving 30M+ liters of water in 2023
- General Prognostics Inc. (GPx) – Introduced CardioID, the first non-invasive remote blood monitoring solution for heart failure patients
From AI-driven efficiency to life-saving technology, Elev X! startups are solving real-world problems with cutting-edge innovation.
Let’s Build the Future Together
Startups don’t succeed in isolation. They need the right resources, partners and support to bridge the gap between concept and commercialization.
That’s why Elev X! exists. Whether you’re an early-stage founder or scaling your next big idea, we’re here to help accelerate your journey.
Explore Elev X! and apply today. Follow us on LinkedIn here.
