The George Washington University’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) announced the finalists for all five tracks of the prestigious New Venture Competition, a nationally recognized event for student entrepreneurship.
In its 16th year since its inaugural competition in 2009, the three-round NVC gives GW students, faculty and alumni a real-world experiential learning opportunity in entrepreneurship. The NVC has served more than 3,000 student entrepreneurs and awarded $2 million in cash prizes. Finalists in 2024 can win up to $330,00 total in cash and prizes.
After pitching to judges on April 10, finalists will have the opportunity to present their ideas via elevator pitch at an awards ceremony open to the public and free of charge from 6-8:30 p.m. on April 11 in Jack Morton Auditorium. The winners will be announced that night.
The finalists emerged from a field of 192 teams in round one and the 116 who made it on to the semifinals. All 10 GW schools were represented, and participation was up 20% from the 2023 competition.
There were three finalists each in four of the “Vertical 4” tracks: the Consumer Goods and Services Track; Business and Goods Track; Healthcare and Life Sciences Track; and Social Innovation Track. In addition, there were 10 teams who made the final round in the Explorer Track, which appeals to students who may have less experience with innovation and entrepreneurship concepts but are curious to learn.
Here is a breakdown of each of the 12 finalists in the Vertical 4 tracks, with descriptions of their ventures as provided by OIE:
Consumer Goods and Services Track, encompassing everyday items that can be used by the typical consumer such as food, beverage, apparel, toys or jewelry.
- Gyroline, a ski safety device that detects a fall and releases the ski bindings from the boot in real time to prevent torsional strain on the knee and severe trauma, in addition to alerting ski patrol and emergency contacts in cases of severe falls for rapid response. From GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Kevin Jaatinen.
- EveryActive, Adjust-A-Bra. The first product of the EveryActive brand aiming to redesign current sportswear to minimize its adverse impact, Adjust-A-Bra aims to minimize the financial and societal costs of women’s size fluctuations through three aspects of adjustability. From GW Business juniors Camryn Baum, Laura Sofia and Joanna Destil, CCAS’ Sofia Bertini and Milken Institute School of Public Health’s Brooke Moses.
- Thonk Lab, a company bridging high-end computer-based accessories and sustainable materials. Products revolve around algae-based bioplastic, leading the way in sustainability practice for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. From CCAS’s Diego de Sola and alumnus Corey Howell, B.S. ’23.
Business Goods and Services Track, dedicated to selling products or services directly to other businesses such as large enterprises, the government or other startup companies:
- SiyehTech, dedicated to becoming a top-tier worldwide supplier of landmine detection equipment by utilizing the latest advancements in autonomous vehicle technology, robotics and software. From GW Business alumnus John Harrison and Loren Kairis.
- In-Locator, a solution to individualizing an in-store journey by integrating with retailers' database infrastructures and offering in-store guidance and upsell opportunities. From GW Business’ Karol Mlynarczyk, Elliott School’s Dylan Koo and alumnus Youssef Ragab.
- Immersiview, a company that helps event organizers offer their users the opportunity to experience live events from their own space through a VR headset to tackle ticket scalping and opening doors for those unable to attend events for various reasons. From GW Business’ Kunal Bagre.
Social Innovation Track, including solutions focused on improving and sustaining the welfare and well-being of individuals or communities that can be for-profit, nonprofit or hybrid:
- Fluffy Honey Farm, LLC, a clinical therapy focusing on friendly temperament alpacas to offer reassurance and ease anxiety during therapeutic sessions. From GW Business’ Michael Bingham and Ashley Thomas.
- Engineering Horizons, an initiative allowing GW engineering students to volunteer within the local community to foster a safe, exploratory space for underserved eighth grade students by providing them high-impact STEM tutoring. From School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Ammar Kamaruszaman, Rigel Brown, Taylor White, Nicolo Kreuger and Treesta James.
- Goalplus, a platform built to host inclusive events and address the need for organized recreational activities by connecting youth, families and corporations. Goalplus hopes to challenge the recreational sports landscape. From Graduate School of Education and Human Development’s Saleh Sani.
Healthcare and Life Sciences Track, dedicated to solutions that improve an individual’s care and outcomes, while also reducing healthcare costs and spending:
- A. Eye is a medical platform for ophthalmologists that provides advanced diagnostic assistance and streamlines image interpretation workflows by leveraging predictive and generative AI algorithms. From SMHS’ Abhisri Ramesh and Philip Parel, as well as Avanthika Ramesh.
- Oncovana is a digital platform ensuring that all patients receive education, care, psycho-social support, financial assistance, and connection to timely fertility services regardless of location. From Milken Institute SPH’s John Russell, Bhakthi Sahgal, Bridget Kelly, Alvaro Rivera and Ornsiree Junchaya.
- Brave Scientific, a Virginia-based health and life sciences company, addresses the challenges of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in veterinary healthcare. From SEAS’ Vikas Soni, Anmol Taploo and alumnus Shashank Kaul, B.S. ’11.
Tickets for the awards ceremony, held from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 in Jack Morton Auditorium, are now available free of charge.
