
Aerwave is a Texas-based proptech company that designs, deploys and operates next-generation managed Wi-Fi for multifamily residential communities. It delivers property-wide, gigabit-speed internet that is secure and always on, paired with 24/7 domestic support, an owner analytics dashboard, and a capital program that lets property owners deploy infrastructure with no upfront cost. Aerwave works exclusively with real estate owners, developers and operators across the multifamily, build-to-rent, single-family rental and student-housing markets.
Lightyear is a New York-based enterprise software company building a 'Telecom Operating System' that digitizes how large organizations buy and manage network services. Founded in 2019 by Dennis Thankachan and Ryan Schrack, the platform automates telecom procurement, network inventory management, and bill consolidation across a marketplace of 1,000+ carriers, replacing a process that has traditionally relied on phone calls, spreadsheets, and weeks of waiting. It serves 300+ enterprises and 5,000+ users, including Palo Alto Networks, Five Guys, Alo Yoga, Pandora Jewelry, and Teladoc.
Nrby is a New Hampshire-based AI software company that turns raw network telemetry and location data into proactive action for broadband and telecom operators. Its platform - built around SmartPins, VisionAI, and the Link AI framework - shifts network operations from reactive repair to predictive prevention, guiding field technicians to the exact location of a fault and validating that work is done right the first time. Founded in 2015 by telecom veteran Kurt Dobbins, Nrby serves Tier One wireless, fiber, and broadband providers across North and South America.
Clad is project management and billing software purpose-built for infrastructure. It unifies project operations and finance so telecom operators and construction subcontractors can track production in the field, automate invoicing and payments, manage vendor compliance, and handle 811 utility locate requests - all in one place. Founded in 2022 by ex-Instagram product manager Jason Rudin and backed by Y Combinator (W23), Clad aims to help the companies rebuilding America's internet and power networks build faster and get paid faster.
Matt Barnard is the cofounder and CEO of one.bio, a Sacramento biotechnology company turning plant fiber into odorless, tasteless nutrients that can be dosed into everyday food to reshape the gut microbiome. A seventh-generation Wisconsin farmer turned technology operator, he first became known as the cofounder and CEO of Plenty, the SoftBank-backed indoor vertical farming unicorn. He now applies the same obsession - control what people eat, control their health - to fiber science spun out of UC Davis.
Zayo Group is a Denver-based communications infrastructure company that owns and operates one of North America and Europe's largest fiber-optic networks - over 150,000 route miles after its 2026 acquisition of Crown Castle's fiber business. It sells the physical layer of the internet: dark fiber, wavelengths, Ethernet, IP transit, dedicated internet access, colocation and managed edge services to wireless carriers, hyperscalers, enterprises, governments and ISPs. Founded in 2007 on a contrarian bet that bandwidth demand would only explode, Zayo has spent its life buying and building fiber, and is now positioning that network as the backbone for AI workloads moving data between data centers.
one.bio is a Sacramento biotechnology company that releases short-chain plant fibers and makes them flavorless, odorless, colorless and water-soluble so they can be added to food and drinks at high doses without changing taste or texture. Spun out of UC Davis, it pairs a fiber-mapping knowledgebase called the Glycopedia with a proprietary depolymerization process to turn long-chain plant carbohydrates - including agricultural byproducts - into bioactive fibers that feed the microbiome and support metabolic and immune health. The company raised a $27M Series A in December 2024 and in early 2026 launched its discovery platform, its first clinically validated ingredient (one.bio 01) and a consumer brand, GoodVice.

Keith Southard runs Allied Telesis, the San Jose-headquartered networking company building switches, routers and software-defined infrastructure used everywhere from US military bases overseas to smart-city deployments. He took over as CEO of Allied Telesis Capital Corporation in 2008 and has stayed at the controls ever since, quietly steering a 1,900-person company through the awkward transition from hardware vendor to network-automation outfit.
OLIPOP is a prebiotic soda company that turned the soft drink industry on its head by proving that soda can be both delicious and good for your gut. Founded in 2018 by Ben Goodwin and David Lester, the Oakland-based company combines nostalgic flavors with functional ingredients - each can delivers 6-9 grams of prebiotic fiber from plant-based sources like cassava root, chicory root, and nopal cactus. After reaching $400 million in revenue and profitability in 2024, OLIPOP closed a $50 million Series C at a $1.85 billion valuation in 2025, making it the fastest-growing non-alcoholic beverage brand in the United States.
Stealth Communications is a New York City fiber-optic internet provider that has been quietly digging up Manhattan streets since 1995 to lay its own dark fiber, build its own routers, and sell ultrafast, dedicated business internet to enterprises, schools, broadcasters and government agencies.

Wahaj us Siraj is the co-founder and CEO of Nayatel, Pakistan's leading fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) telecom company. A mechanical engineer by training who pivoted to entrepreneurship out of frustration with government bureaucracy, he sold a Suzuki car to fund his first venture and went on to build Pakistan's first FTTH network - a first for all of South and Southeast Asia. Under his leadership, Nayatel has grown to 170,000+ customers, 2,500+ employees, and operations in 17+ cities, while also launching Pakistan's first HD TV channels and partnering with Facebook to expand fiber across 8 cities.