2023 Semifinalists and Track Winners
Business Products and Services
1st Place in BtoB Track
Sorrek uncovers duplicates and bad data in CRM datasets through URL redirects and a source-of-truth database.
Graduate team led by Ariel Lavi, Pritzker '25.
2nd Place in BtoB Track
SoulStamps is a digital identity platform allowing people to effortlessly prove their identity, prevent fraud, and create trust using our blockchain-backed mobile app.
Undergraduate team led by James Carlin, Weinberg '25.
Cogno helps brand websites improve customer service and generate targeted market advertisement using a GPT model trained on customized knowledge.
Undergraduate team led by Terry Chen, Weinberg '26.
GeoOpt is growth-driving analytics SaaS that maximizes real estate developer ROI by optimizing unit size, recommending high-profit locations, and streamlining processes using proprietary data and AI.
Graduate team led by Ivan Giganov, Kellogg '23.
Inbound is a talent marketplace platform that allows employers to discover and engage with university student groups.
Undergraduate team comprised of Jenna Kim, McCormick '24; Han Lee, Weinberg '24; Jiayan Luo, Weinberg '24.
Projectr is a collaboration app to help organizations project and prepare for future scenarios, risks, and opportunities.
Graduate team led by Tom Nagle, Kellogg (EMBA) '24.
Consumer Products and Services
1st Place in BtoC Track
Cue the Curves is a social shopping app for plus-size fashion.
Undergraduate team comprised of Charlotte Oxnam, McCormick '23; Skylar Deeter, SoC '24; Reilly Hannula, McCormick '23.
2nd Place in BtoC Track
The Neuron is a media company that helps professionals get smarter about artificial intelligence.
Undergraduate team led by Noah Edelman, Weinberg '25.
Boardible is a digital board game marketplace that offers an immersive gameplay experience for players and a no-code game development engine for publishers.
Graduate team led by Gabriela Fusco Mendes, Kellogg '24.
Brokli LLC is bucking game industry norms of generic, broad appeal games by creating superior targeted theme card games with a fast-to-market model and attractive margins.
Undergraduate team led by Harrison Brooks, McCormick '25.
Habit Food Group is a ghost kitchen (no dine-in) company that builds and operates its own delivery-only food brands.
Graduate team led by Miguel Caruncho, Kellogg '23.
Overture Games is developing video games that help music students who struggle with practicing their instrument by making practice engaging and fun!
Undergraduate team comprised of Aspen Buckingham, Bienen & Weinberg '23; Steven Jiang, Weinberg '24; Mercedes Sandu, Weinberg '24; Jack Burkhardt, Weinberg '24; Lily Glaubinger, Weinberg '24.
Stride Soles is the first direct to consumer premium orthotic brand. No appointments, no Hassle, 1/3rd the cost.
Graduate team led by Greg Gerla, Kellogg '23.
Energy and Sustainability
1st Place in Energy and Sustainability Track
Borrough is a marketplace that enables building residents to rent household items in a simple, convenient, and secure way.
Graduate team comprised of Elliot Hall, Kellogg '23; Rahul Srivathsa, Kellogg '24; Hassan Nasri, Kellogg ’23.
2nd Place in Energy and Sustainability Track
Vaulterra is a carbon offset project developer dedicated to the removal of atmospheric CO2 through Enhanced Rock Weathering techniques in agriculture.
Graduate team comprised of Patrick Giavelli, McCormick '24; Elliott Woodward, McCormick '23; Aino Alkio, McCormick '24; Ensar Biscevic, Weinberg '24.
Sandbox Carbon offers scalable carbon removal for commercial properties by accelerating the natural geologic carbon cycle.
Graduate team led by Bjorn De Groote, Kellogg '23.
Standard Algae is an organization that produces low-cost biomass from algal blooms to facilitate manufacturing economic compostable plastics.
Undergraduate team led by Evan Costa, McCormick '23.
Life Sciences and Medical Innovation
1st Place in Life Sciences and Medical Innovation Track
BMImmune is a cancer therapeutics biotech company that has developed a novel anti-A-FABP humanized monoclonal antibody targeting lipid metabolism pathways to treat triple-negative breast cancer.
Graduate team led by Prashanth Somu, Kellogg '23.
2nd Place in Life Sciences and Medical Innovation Track
Nspire's cutting-edge medical device utilizes the unique newborn anatomy to enhance oxygen delivery and lower costs in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
Graduate team led by David Kohan-Ghadosh, Pritzker '23.
Opera Bioscience is a biomanufacturing company making difficult to produce recombinant proteins for therapeutics, biomaterials, and cultivated food producers.
PhD team led by Julie Ming Liang, McCormick '23.
SteadyScrib is the first manual writing tool specifically designed for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Undergraduate team led by Isabelle Mokotoff, Medill '24; Alexis Chan, McCormick '24.
Social Impact
1st Place in Social Impact Track
Zeestr is a fundraising and events platform for nonprofits with $2 - 10 million in annual donations, that drives actionable marketing insights for improved donor retention.
Graduate team comprised of Lauren Biegler, Kellogg '23, Tayo Dosunmu, Kellogg '23; Alexis Smith, Kellogg '23.
TegoTech is revolutionizing safety and accessibility with our cutting-edge magnetic wall outlet technology: protecting children from electrocution and enabling effortless use for those with physical limitations.2nd Place in Social Impact Track
Graduate team led by Chirag Goel, Feinberg '25.
Renota gives students automated feedback on their handwritten math work to improve student outcomes and save teachers time.
Graduate team led by Jake Erichson, Kellogg & McCormick '23
The Yappie is a first-of-its-kind publication dedicated to covering the rise of Asian American and Pacific Islander power, politics, and influence in the U.S.
Undergraduate team led by Dan Hu, Medill '23.