TIME magazine has released its Best Inventions of 2025, featuring several innovations from faculty and alumni of the University of California (UC) system. These inventions address a range of issues, including medical treatments, environmental sustainability, and technological advancements.
Among the highlighted inventions is BrainSense adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS), co-developed by UC San Francisco neurologist Simon Little. This device helps control tremors in people with Parkinson’s disease by analyzing neural activity and adjusting brain signals. Since joining UC San Francisco in 2019, Little has continued to develop algorithms to treat additional symptoms such as stiffness and insomnia.
UC Davis alum Kausi Raman co-founded Chompshop and created ChompSaw, a kid-safe power tool that allows children to cut cardboard safely. Raman’s background in economics and design at UC Davis contributed to the product’s development.
UC Santa Barbara assistant professor Nina Miolane leads HerBrain, a project that creates a digital twin of the maternal brain. The team uses data from the Ann S. Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative, which includes seven UC campuses, to study how pregnancy affects brain structures.
The Majorana 1 quantum chip was developed under the leadership of UC Santa Barbara professor Chetan Nayak in collaboration with Microsoft. This chip uses topological quantum mechanics to improve stability and reduce errors in quantum computing.
UC Irvine professor Michael Leon invented Memory Air, a device that emits scents during sleep to boost memory and cognition in older adults. With support from UC Irvine, Leon and collaborator Alan Bernstein brought this product to market.
UC Santa Cruz professor Beth Shapiro helped develop non-invasive blood cloning at Colossal Biosciences, enabling animal cloning using cells from blood samples instead of surgery. Shapiro oversees this work as Colossal’s Chief Science Officer.
At UCLA, professors William Lowry, Heather Christofk, and Michael Jung founded Pelage Pharmaceuticals and identified PP405, a molecule that stimulates hair regrowth by awakening dormant follicles. The company has reported positive results from clinical trials.
Wildtype, co-founded by UC Berkeley alum Justin Kolbeck, introduced Salmon Saku—the first lab-grown seafood approved by the FDA. The company aims to enhance food security and reduce environmental impacts from fishing.
Scout Gen 5 is AI vineyard management software created by UC Davis assistant professor Mason Earles and alum Kia Behnia. It uses artificial intelligence to forecast vineyard yields and analyze plant health through photos and geolocation data.
Dr. Peter Hwang, a UC San Francisco alum, co-founded SoundHealth Sonu—a headband that treats sinus congestion without drugs using targeted vibrations. This device became the first FDA-approved non-drug treatment for nasal congestion and allergies.
Sway launched TPSea Flex, a compostable retail bag made from seaweed, invented by UC Santa Barbara alum Julia Marsh and UC Berkeley alum Matt Mayes. The bag is designed as an alternative to plastic and has been adopted by major retailers after successful funding rounds.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile relies on contributions from UC Santa Cruz astronomers for its development and operation. The observatory captures thousands of images nightly to study cosmic phenomena over the next decade.
WattTime Automated Emissions Reduction technology was founded by UC Berkeley alum Gavin McCormick. This system allows devices like electric vehicles to use electricity when renewable energy is available, reducing pollution caused by fossil fuels. In September 2025, WattTime surpassed one billion users across 210 countries (https://www.watttime.org/).
The recognition comes soon after Pitchbook ranked six UC campuses among the world’s top 100 universities for undergraduate alumni who started venture-backed businesses (https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/university-rankings-2024-top-100). UC’s innovation ecosystem supports faculty and students in moving their ideas to market through business clubs, incubators, accelerators, and commercialization experts.
“You can change what time you use energy, and you can change where,” said Gavin McCormick, CEO of WattTime.
The TIME list features over a dozen inventions involving UC faculty or alumni across fields such as aerospace, health care, agriculture, and computing.
