07-03-2025
Meet the Maker: Isaiah "Izzy" Branam
Meet Isaiah "Izzy" Branam, a Zionsville native who wants to fight substance abuse with virtual reality.
The inspo: Branam, an IU junior studying organizational and business psychology, is a tech entrepreneur who founded his first company at 17.
Called Fia, or Find Ideal Applicants, the startup was a talent acquisition platform that leveraged machine learning to streamline the hiring process.
The Fia Technologies team won a 2021 Elevate Ventures pitch competition, receiving $20,000 in funding and $1.5 million valuation. It made Branam one of the youngest venture-backed CEOs in the nation.
What he's making now: Branam's latest venture is Relate XR, which he co-founded with IU assistant professor Brandon Oberlin and digital arts graduate Andrew Nelson.
The company combines psychology with virtual reality technology to treat substance abuse disorders.
For example, it creates "digital doubles" that allow patients to interact with their life choices and visualize their impact.
The latest: The team has raised nearly $5 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, and Branam said Relate XR should be ready for launch following ongoing clinical trials.
"It looks like it's gonna be about two to three years for FDA clearance so we can get it in the hands of those who really need it," Branam said. "One in six Americans meet the diagnosis criteria for substance use disorder."
Zoom in: Branam is an alum of the STARTedUP Foundation's Innovate WithIN pitch competition and was among the students who helped launch Indiana's Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurship Caucus in January.
Check him out: On LinkedIn and the Relate XR website.
