There are some major portable power station deals over at Amazon right now. I’ve selected 7 that are worth exploring, although there’s one truly stand-out deal right now.
The one that really caught my eye is the Bluetti Elite 300 that’s now $1099 (was $1499). That’s a major discount on a heavy-duty unit with a 3014Wh battery capacity. After testing out the Elite 300, we found it “powerful, flexible and impressively rugged.”
Now, we did find it pretty heavy to carry – it’s stretching the definition of ‘portability’ to the limit. But it really impressed us. At the time, we called it “a mobile power solution. Compared to smaller power stations, it opens up entirely new possibilities: cooking proper meals, running tools, and living comfortably off-grid.”
In modern game development and animation, performance and smooth transitions are everything. How smoothly a game works says a lot about its performance. No one wants to play a game that lags. Therefore, an AI sprite sheet generator was introduced to solve this problem. Loading multiple small files for a single animated character sounds simple, but it requires lots of attention. Want to explore some of the best AI sprite sheet generator tools?
Start reading to find the best tool for an AI sprite sheet generator that fulfills your needs and requirements.
What is a Sprite Sheet?
A combination of several smaller images (sprites) to create a single image is called a sprite sheet. It is arranged in a grid-packed layout. It helps in speeding up the loading and closing times. It is mainly used to create game characters and UI icons.
Instead of loading numerous individual image files, developers use a sprite sheet to make the game or application fast and more responsive. Sprite sheet works using separate data files like JSON, XML, or CSS, and maps the name of each sprite to its original coordinates, i.e., X, Y, or Width, Height.
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Each of these small graphics represents a character frame, an icon, or an item. Instead of loading several images, the program simply loads this sprite sheet and picks out the part that is needed while displaying or animating a program or game.
Benefits of Sprite Sheet
Sprite sheets are useful in many ways. It increases the performance by managing HTTPS requests and providing faster response times. It also provides storage with better compression and lower VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) usage. Let’s understand the benefits based on performance, memory, animation, and workflow development.
Performance
One file is downloaded instead of several smaller files, which leads to fewer HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) requests and consequently speeds up the loading time.
With a single sprite sheet, you will only need to bind one texture instead of switching between several sprites.
Storage and Memory
A PNG file with a single header, color palette, and compression is more useful than multiple separate files.
GPU works more efficiently with fewer sprites and more textures, leading to lower usage of VRAM.
With similar pixels across sprites, compression becomes easier.
Animation
Reduces the loading delays as all frames are pre-loaded to eliminate any frame drop delays.
Minimizes the risk of individual frame loading at different leads, giving the same texture to different UV regions.
It works well with shaders and animation systems, reducing the risk of different frames loading at different speeds and times.
Workflow and Development
Increase the workflow by automating frame generation using an AI sprite sheet generator.
Save time on alignment and spacing using a faster process for animation pipelines.
Top 3 Best AI Sprite Sheet Generators
With the growing popularity of AI over the years, many free and paid best AI sprite sheet generators have entered the market. Explore the top 3 AI tools for generating a sprite sheet.
Ludo AI
It is a paid sprite sheet generator that comes with several features, including a sprite generator, where you can create characters, objects, and VFX. Apart from that, it also has features for designing games, audio generation, playables, images, videos, and 3D assets. According to its official site, Ludo AI helps in increasing your productivity by 10x using a single platform. These are some of the key features:
Sprite Generator
3D Assets Generator
Game Ideator
Video Generator
Market Scorer
It provides three pricing plans:
Aspect
Indie
Pro
Studio
Pricing
$15/monthly, paid annually
$35/monthly, paid annually
$300/monthly, paid annually
Yearly credits
3,000 credits
12,000 credits
120,000
Projects
5 active projects
Unlimited active projects
Realtime collaboration
For more pricing details, visit the Logo AI official pricing site.
Layer AI
It provides a suite of tools for animation designers. Many popular gaming brands are its clients. Gaming platforms like LBC, Games United, Cosmic Lounge, Ace Games, and more are some of the most recognizable brands of Layer AI. Some of its top features include:
Sprite Sheet Generator
Placing Characters Into a Scene
Animate a Character
Outfit Change
Style transfer to Scene and Items
Image To Sprite
Sketch to Art Style
It is basically an AI animation tool that helps in editing and generating animated characters. It provides 3 flexible subscription plans based on team size
Aspect
Small Studio
Mid-Sized Studio
Enterprise
Price
$60/month
$300.00/month
$10,920.00/month
Team Size
1-10
10-25
More than 25
Images
200 Images
3,450 images
50,000 images
Videos
100 Seconds
220 seconds
10,400 seconds
3D Models
10 Models
25 models
830 models
Audio
300 hours
1325 hours
249,450 hours
Each plan comes with customizable features; you can choose the best fit based on your business needs and requirements. For more details related to its price, visit the official pricing page.
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Easy Peasy AI
The tool provides several features needed for creating a sprite sheet. It is an all-in-one tool that helps in creating images, videos, and audio. Some of the key features of Easy Peasy AI are:
Text to Character Generator
Art Prompt Generator
Logo Maker
Sprite Sheet Builder
AI Music Generator
You can try it before purchasing, as it comes with free trials with no credit card required. It has 4 pricing options, including one for a free plan.
Aspect
Free
Starter
Unlimited 50
Unlimited
Price
$0/month
$8/month
$12/month
$16.5/month
Bots
1
2
3
4
Text-to-Speech
1,000 characters
25,000 characters
50,000 characters
75,000 characters
Credits
1 image credit
200 image/video credits
300 image/video credits
400 image/video credits
It provides several features, including 35+ languages available. For more details related to the price, visit the official pricing page of Easy Peasy AI.
Before purchasing an expensive plan, you can try some of the free AI Sprite Sheet Generators tools available. Explore the best free AI sprite generator tools below.
OpenArt
With the help of this tool, you can create characters and visuals, and can also lip sync those characters. You get a one-time 40 credits, which you should use within 7 days from the start date. You need to pay for more credits. Let’s take a look at the pricing overview of OpenArt.
Pricing Plans
Free
Essential
Advanced
Infinite
Credit
40 for 7 days
4000 credits/month
12,000 credits/month
24,000 credits/month
Parallel generations
4
8
16
32
Images
None
4000
12,000
24,000
Videos
None
50
150
300
For more feature-related details, check out its official page.
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Rosebud AI
With this tool, you can create free sprite sheets for games. It has provided a solution to 2D, which is a time-consuming process of game development. You can create an all-new game using this free AI sprite sheet generator tool. It doesn’t have many features, but it is one of the best free AI sprite sheet generator tools.
It is completely free and doesn’t require any money transactions.
Use Case of Sprite Sheet
Sprite sheets are mainly used by web developers, game developers, graphic designers, UI/UX designers, and pixel art designers.
For game animation: It is useful for making a game character walk, run, and jump within a single sheet. Game developers, pixel artists, and Unity programmers mostly use it for animation.
2D game and tiles: different titles, i.e., ground, wall, and trees, are packed in a single sheet to build maps quickly. Game designers, level designers, and environment artists use sprite sheets to generate 2D games and tiles.
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Website buttons and icons: Icons like home, search, settings, and social media icons are shown using a single image with CSS positioning. UI/UX, engineers, and web developers use it for updating and creating websites and apps for a simpler and clearer interface.
Web animation: Web developers, motion designers, and frontend engineers use a sprite sheet to add animated logos or loading spinners. It is done by moving the sprite sheet using CSS for the final result.
How to Create a Sprite Sheet?
Creating a Sprite Sheet is not difficult, especially when using an AI sprite sheet generator. Let’s understand how sprite sheets work, so that you can create your own characters.
Step 1: Prepare images for your desired animation character. Add the type, animation, frame count, and direction. Use frames, e.g., 4,8,12, or 16 for more image placements. At last, mention the side view, isometric view, or top down.
Step 2: Use individual frames: Add multiple images representing the animated steps of the characters. For this process, you can use tools like Aseprite, Adobe Photoshop, or Piskel. (Maintain a uniform style and remember to keep the same canvas size, i.e., 64×64 pixels).
Step 3: Align the frames: Remember! All the frames must have the same height and width. Align all the characters from the same baseline and remove the background to avoid misalignment.
Step 4: Arrange frames into a grid: Place all the frames into one single sprite sheet. Some of the common layouts are horizontal, vertical, and diagonal strips.
Step 5: Use an AI sprite sheet generator to avoid misalignment and save time. Use AI tools like Layer AI or Ludo AI for automatic alignment.
Step 6: Check the final file for exportation: Use a PNG image for better transparency. Grid and packed are the best layouts for gaming characters.
Step 7: Optimize the sprite sheet for performance: Look for empty spaces and remove them. Compress the texture if it is a large file, and convert sprites into one sheet.
Tips to Make an Effective Sprite Sheet
Use similar-sized frames for each animated image.
Add padding and borders to avoid texture bleeding (color leaking from one image to another).
Keep one animation per sheet, for example, walk, run, or still.
Select the right format of image for transparency. (Use PNG)
Add frames tightly to save space and memory in the sprite sheet.
Check every aspect after arranging the images in a named folder.
After months of buildup, end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging has finally made it to iOS, allowing Android and iPhone users to enjoy enhanced security between platforms when texting.
Apple continues to make progress on its end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) RCS messaging, following a few months of testing on iOS 26.4 developer betas. Now, it appears that the feature is ready for larger public testing.
On Monday, Apple announced that E2EE RCS messaging will roll out for iPhone users running iOS 26.5 with a supported carrier, and Android users on the latest version of Google Messages. This means that, provided the aforementioned criteria are met, RCS messages can’t be read while being sent between devices.
Users will see a new lock icon in RCS chats when a message is encrypted. Apple has included a list of participating carriers on a support page.
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Apple notes that this is still technically a beta test of the feature, and will likely roll out in phases. Encrypted will be automatically enabled over time for both new and existing RCS conversations.
Apple began testing E2EE RCS messaging in the first iOS 26.4 developer beta in mid-February. Testing was very limited, as it was exclusively for iPhone users with iMessage disabled.
Fortunately, about one week later Apple rolled out the second iOS 26.4 developer beta, allowing Android and iPhones to trade fully encrypted RCS messages for the first time.
Apple initially announced that it would be offering end-to-end encryption to RCS messaging on iOS in March 2025.
An interactive “Sunscore” visualization on Redfin shows the path of sunlight on GeekWire’s offices in Seattle. (Image via Redfin)
What’s it take to be a neighbor with a sunny disposition? Perhaps more sunlight, for starters.
Seattle-based real estate brokerage Redfin launched “Sunscore” on Monday, a new interactive feature that lets home searchers see how much natural light a property receives throughout the day.
The 3D map offers a property-level sun-path visualization, tracking sunlight and the shadows cast by surrounding terrain, buildings and trees. Different times of day and times of the year are analyzed to provide a full picture of potential shadows. Properties are scored 0-100 — the more sunlight, the higher the score.
“We know from customer feedback that sunlight is a priority for house hunters,” said Ariel Dos Santos, Redfin’s chief product and design officer, in a news release. “When you tour a home, you want to see brightly lit spaces with natural light pouring through windows. Sunscore gives home searchers that information upfront in a simple-to-understand way.”
A recent Redfin survey found that nearly 70% of people say the amount of sunlight in their home affects their satisfaction with their living situation, and 11% say it’s non-negotiable when searching for a home.
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And the amount of light a home receives isn’t just a mood-booster or an aesthetic factor; the score on property-level sunlight can be also help homeowners measure the potential for solar energy and long-term cost savings.
Sunscore is developed by Austria-based Shadowmap, and the partnership with Redfin-owned Rocket is a U.S. exclusive. The feature is now available on all for-sale homes listed on Redfin.com and will be available on Redfin’s iPhone and Android apps later this year.
Who else is feeling physically sick every time they tune into Half Man? That’s testament to Richard Gadd’s incredible character creation, but my word is Ruben absolutely vile.
As we’re finding out, the show follows brothers Niall (Jamie Bell) and Ruben (Gadd) through 30 years of their lives, exploring the highs and lows of their turbulent relationship. Frankly, “lows” is putting things politely.
Things will probably get worse than what we’ve already seen. But when will Half Manepisode 4 be released on HBO Max and BBC iPlayer?
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What time can I watch Half Man episode 4 on HBO Max and BBC iPlayer?
Five-year-old European military drone startup Helsing is reportedly close to raising a new $1.2 billion round at about an $18 billion valuation. The round is expected to be led by Dragoneer and co-led by existing Helsing investor Lightspeed, the Financial Times reported.
Helsing last raised just under a year ago, in June 2025, in a deal that was led by billionaire Spotify founder Daniel Ek. That was a €600 million investment at an estimated €12 billion valuation ($14 billion USD). So this new round is a step-up.
While Helsing isn’t the only European unicorn defense tech, it is by far the one that investors deem the most valuable. For instance, German drone maker Quantum Systems raised €180 million in November, which valued it at more than €3 billion. And a year ago, Lisbon-headquartered Tekever raised £400 million at a valuation above £1 billion. Amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the proving ground for new technologies, autonomous defense startups have become a hot area for VCs.
Helsing, Dragoneer, and Lightspeed could not be immediately reached for comment.
Starbucks headquarters in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)
A new filing with Washington state shows that Starbucks’ recent job cuts will impact 61 tech jobs at its Seattle headquarters. The Seattle Times first reported on this round of layoffs in April, citing an internal message that did not include the number of roles, their location or specific job titles.
The layoffs are the result of “a reorganization of the technology department at the Starbucks Support Center,” the letter states. The cuts take effect between June 20 and Aug. 28.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letter states that the affected roles include cybersecurity analyst, technical product manager, systems analyst, systems administrator, scrum master and architect. Employees at the director and manager levels are among those being let go.
The tech department shake-up also follows the hiring of Anand Varadarajan as chief technology officer in January. He joined the coffee company after 19 years at Amazon, where he most recently led technology and supply chain for its global grocery business.
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In a September filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Starbucks warned that it needed to keep improving its marketing, data analytics and AI tools or risk losing consumer interest and market share.
The tech sector has seen a wave of layoffs in recent months, including cuts in the Pacific Northwest impacting Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Expedia Group, T-Mobile, Oracle, Zillow and others. Companies generally frame the cuts as a mix of post-pandemic restructuring, tighter cost discipline, and a shift of resources toward AI and other strategic priorities.
Apple’s macOS 26.5 has been released, delivering a quiet update focused on stability, subscription changes, and system-level improvements rather than new user-facing features.
The release arrives without major additions across the interface or built-in apps. macOS Tahoe 26.4, which shipped on March 24, 2026, introduced visible updates across apps and system features, while version 26.5 shifts attention to compatibility and platform work.
Mac users shouldn’t expect a major shift after installing it. Apple uses the release to support new App Store billing options and refine system behavior without changing how macOS works day to day.
macOS 26.5 is build number 25F71.
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Maps ads expand to macOS in a broader services push
Apple has expanded ads in Maps to macOS as part of the same rollout across its platforms. Ads now appear at the top of some search results and sit alongside standard listings, which changes how locations are surfaced without altering navigation tools.
Suggested Places also appears in Maps and highlights nearby locations based on trends, recent searches, and local activity. Results no longer rely only on relevance and proximity, as paid placements can influence what appears first.
Apple uses the change to extend its advertising model into local search on the Mac. Ads are clearly labeled and rely on signals like search terms and location instead of user profiles.
App Store subscription changes carry over to macOS
Apple’s new subscription model reaches macOS with the 26.5 release. Developers can offer monthly payments tied to a 12-month commitment in most regions, excluding the United States and Singapore.
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Users get pricing that usually matches discounted annual plans without paying for a full year upfront. The model still commits subscribers to 12 monthly payments once a subscription starts, even though the price appears as a monthly plan.
Subscribers can cancel at any time, but service continues until all committed payments are completed. Account settings show completed payments, remaining payments, and renewal timing, which makes the commitment clear over time.
Developers gain a more predictable revenue stream while presenting pricing as a lower monthly cost. Monthly billing doesn’t provide monthly flexibility under this model.
macOS 26.5 focuses on under-the-hood improvements rather than visible changes across the interface or built-in apps. Apple directs the release toward stability, compatibility, and updates that support how apps run and interact with the system.
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Safari and core system components receive updates that improve reliability and behavior in everyday use. These changes help reduce bugs and inconsistencies without introducing new features that users can see directly.
macOS 26.5 follows macOS 26.4 as a quieter release with a narrower purpose. Most users will see an incremental update that keeps the Mac current rather than changing how it looks or behaves day to day.
Speaking at Sequoia Capital’s AI Ascent event last May, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said young people were using ChatGPT like an operating system for life — not just for productivity, but for major personal decisions.
“I mean, that stuff, I think, is all cool and impressive,” Altman said. “And there’s this other thing where, like, they don’t really make life decisions without asking ChatGPT what they should do.”
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At the time, the comment sounded provocative. A year later, though, ChatGPT has become something closer to a therapist, life coach, confidant, and companion for many of its users. Now OpenAI is building an actual emotional-support infrastructure around the chatbot with a feature called Trusted Contact.
The feature is still rolling out, so Trusted Contact is not available to everybody yet, but to find it, you click or tap on your profile name in ChatGPT, then look in Settings. You can nominate a trusted adult contact, who must accept the role before the feature becomes active.
If ChatGPT’s automated systems detect conversations that may indicate a serious risk of self-harm, the user is warned that their Trusted Contact could be notified and encouraged to reach out themselves first.
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A specially trained human review team then assesses the situation before any alert is sent. If reviewers believe there is a genuine safety concern, the Trusted Contact receives a notification by email, text, or in-app alert encouraging them to check in.
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OpenAI says the alerts do not include chat transcripts or detailed conversation history in order to protect user privacy, and you can remove or change your Trusted Contact at any time.
Being contacted by the Trusted Contact feature in ChatGPT on an iPhone. (Image credit: OpenAI)
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Reassuring or unsettling?
OpenAI says Trusted Contact was developed with input from mental-health experts, suicide-prevention specialists, and a global network of more than 260 doctors across 60 countries. Taken together with all the parental controls that OpenAI has already introduced and the safety guardrails already in place, Trusted Contact is another sign that the company is acknowledging that ChatGPT is something that can affect users emotionally, not just technologically.
The recent product announcements from OpenAI have really played down the use of ChatGPT as a confident, and emphasised ChatGPT’s productivity focus more, particularly regarding the Codex tool for creating code. Yet at the same time, more and more safety features aimed at ChatGPT users’ emotional well-being are being added.
The idea that we are now being monitored by ChatGPT is also concerning to some. When my colleague Becca Caddy recently interviewed Amy Sutton from Freedom Counselling for an investigation into AI monitoring tools in the workplace, she noted that knowing you’re being monitored by your AI, especially in the workplace, could actually worsen the problem it’s trying to solve. Sutton commented, “With mental health stigmas still rife, AI observation would likely lead to greater efforts to hide evidence of struggles. This could create a dangerous spiral, where the greater our efforts to hide low mood or anxiety, the worse it becomes.”
Whether Trusted Contact feels reassuring or unsettling probably depends on how you already see AI and ChatGPT. But the feature is another example of how AI companies acknowledge that their products are not just tools for productivity and information, but as systems people may increasingly rely on emotionally during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
Full motion racing simulators deliver that stomach-dropping feeling of speed and cornering, yet most setups carry prices that put them out of reach for regular players. Researchers saw an opportunity in the growing number of humanoid robots already available in some homes and labs. Their solution carries the name HumanoidTurk and centers on a Unitree G1 robot that sits right behind whoever is playing.
Players simply sit on an ordinary chair, put on a VR headset, and launch Assetto Corsa on their computer. There are little balls on the chair that the robot uses to track its exact position with a depth camera installed on it. The game then feeds real-time force data, such as acceleration, braking, and turns, to the robot. Hands on the back of the chair, the robot then moves the seat forward, backward, or side to side to match those forces exactly.
Most Comfortable And Relaxing: Equipped with headrest and lumbar pillow. When your neck feels sore from gaming or working with head down for a long…
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Testing helped the team determine that applying a filter to smooth out the game signals was the best method to minimize jarring or jerky motions in the robot. In a bigger study 16 people took part, comparing 4 different setups. Some simply drove normally, receiving no further feedback. Others used just the game controller for some vibrations. One group had the robot moving the chair in sync with the controller input, while another had a person just shifting the chair for them.
People rated the overall quality higher in both practical and fun aspects. Nonetheless, the robot’s continual changes made some feel fatigued after prolonged sessions. A few people reported that the increased motion in the VR headgear made them feel more uncomfortable. This approach means people who already own a compatible humanoid robot gain access to advanced motion feedback without buying separate expensive hardware. Limitations exist, of course, especially around comfort during extended play. Even so, the project points to fresh ways humanoids can serve in entertainment beyond their usual tasks. [Source]
DubHacks Next Batch 5 founders at Demo Day on May 7 at the University of Washington. (DubHacks Photo)
Senior engineers are retiring faster than companies can replace them, creating a widening expertise gap in industries from aerospace to nuclear energy.
Hera, a project developed by University of Washington students, is aiming to address the issue with technology that automates the design of parts that meet safety and industry rules, a process that normally requires many years of knowledge and experience.
The product is timely, as 1.9 million manufacturing jobs are expected to go unfilled in the $2.3 trillion sector by 2033, according to Deloitte.
“Hera answers design questions 10-times faster than a senior engineer,” said Meera Patel, co-creator of Hera. “Once it knows the drawing can be manufactured, it pulls data from all your machines and gives you an exact production plan.”
That’s one of several problems University of Washington students tackled through DubHacks Next, a 16-week startup incubator. On Thursday, May 7, student founders pitched 20 startups hoping to turn their ideas into viable companies.
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Since 2022, DubHacks Next has spurred 68 startups and at least 25 active companies. Participants get access to free workshops, mentorship sessions, customer discovery meetings and networking with potential investors.
This year’s batch of 20 startups includes AI salon receptionists, a student subleasing platform and an emotional recovery app.
“I’ve never had the experience of building such a large-scale idea and bringing it to life,” said William Pantel, co-developer of Catalvst, an AI audio plugin builder.
The incubator’s past projects have raised more than $5 million collectively, with alumni going on to join accelerators such as Y Combinator and Techstars or land jobs at major tech companies.
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Starting this year, students could apply to join the Pack Ventures portfolio, including $50,000 up front and $150,000 when another firm buys in.
Hera co-creators Meera Patel and Noelle So pitch their manufacturing automation tool at DubHacks Next Demo Day. (DubHacks Photo)
Patel and Hera co-creator Noelle So are among the students working with Pack. The demo is now live in three production plants, Patel said.
Here are more standouts from this year’s batch:
Chameleon: For the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities worldwide, nearly 96% of the internet’s top homepages are considered inaccessible. Enter Chameleon, an AI-powered web accessibility tool suite.
The suite includes a Chrome extension with tools like focus rulers, voice commands and head-tracking controls for accessible web navigation on any site, say co-founders Aditya Shirodkar and Ajit Mallavarapu.
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“Especially with vibe coding, people are quick to develop software and don’t think about accessibility needs,” Shirodkar told GeekWire. “It’s a silent barrier that isn’t really addressed.”
Chameleon is entering a market with growing need – and financial opportunity. The global digital accessibility market is estimated at $1.8 billion, and is projected to reach $3.2 billion by 2034, according to Straits Research.
“It’s not just about making something cool,” Mallavarapu said. “It’s about making something people will actually use every day.”
Iris: Sthiti Patnaik and Saachi Dhamija focused on another technological headache: spreadsheets.
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Universities often rely on sprawling spreadsheets to track alumni for fundraising, networking and event planning, but records quickly become outdated and difficult to search. With Iris, alumni associations and other groups can more easily maintain member databases.
“We ingest their spreadsheet, then present it in a more visual format with bubbles and graphs,” Dhamija told GeekWire.
Along with data enrichment and interactive visual mapping for organizers, Iris helps members discover one another through shared experiences and interests. Patnaik, a recent graduate and managing director for DubHacks Next, hopes the solution will help her stay connected to other founders.
“All of our alumni go on to do really fantastic things, such as raise money, start their own startups, or work at really great companies,” she said.
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After presenting Iris, Patnaik and Dhamija landed a design partnership with Pack Ventures.
Catalvst: For Aaron Li and William Pantel, the incubator became a launching pad for Catalvst, what may be the first-ever AI audio plugin builder.
High-end audio plugins – software tools that shape and manipulate sound – can cost music producers hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Li, who began producing EDM three years ago, said software costs have delayed his progress.
“I remember working all summer just to save up,” he said. “It’s a domino effect. You get one piece of software, and realize there’s another one you need that’s super expensive.”
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With Catalvst, users can describe the sound they want in plain language and generate downloadable, working audio software in under a minute.
“If you’re like, ‘I want my songs to sound like I sing them in a cathedral,’ it’ll create software that makes your song sound like that,” Pantel said.
The founders distinguish their product from AI-generated music platforms, emphasizing that their goal is to empower human creators rather than replace them. They’re currently beta testing with music producers to refine the product and grow its user base.
“We’re using AI to build tools human producers can use,” Pantel said.
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Applications for the incubator’s sixth batch open this fall.
Other Batch 5 startups:
BeamBell: AI salon receptionist | Arvin Hakakian, Anant Dhokia, Aur Shalev Merin
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