Northwestern University student entrepreneurs are gearing up to pitch their startups for a shot at some serious seed cash at VentureCat, a startup pitch competition on May 24 at Kellogg School of Management's new Global Hub.
The competition, rebranded from the Northwestern University Venture Challenge of years past, will award $100,000 in prize money to student startups.
Semifinalists undergo four weeks of pitch competition and business development training leading up to the competition, and unlike other student startup competitions in the city, VentureCat is split up into six different industry tracks (such as B2B, medical and social impact). The first place startup from each track then competes for the top prize.
Last year edtech startup The Graide Network and medical tech startup Surginet each won a $20,000 grand prize and Eat Pak'd finished third, winning $10,000.
Here's a look at the Northwestern student startups competing in this year's competition (descriptions sourced from The Garage):
Business Products and Services
Dotbound: This startup offers a website and marketing platform for golf instructors looking to book more lessons.
Tadpole: This platform connects pre-launch apps with user generated content and data. Tadpole is a current Resident Team of The Garage.
Quickpulse: This startup is aiming to reduce turnover in China's service industries as "millennial[s] crave meaningful work, recognition, and development [while] corporations in China lack the right systems to listen and respond to these needs."
Zcruit: This sports tech startup uses predictive analytics to help college athletic recruiters target the right players at the right time, and assess how likely a player is to commit to their school. Zcruit is a current Resident Team of The Garage and a participant in the Wildfire Pre-Accelerator Program.
Consumer Products and Services
eRetirements: eRetirements.com helps baby boomers find their ideal retirement destination based off their interests and preferences, as well as connect them to the resources for relocation. eRetirements is currently a Resident Team of The Garage.
JitsLab: JitsLab is a personal sports analytics platform that shows athletes stats about themselves for any sport or activity, starting with Jiu Jitsu.
RE-Bucha: This startup offers a kombucha and fresh pressed lemonade "elixir" created with imperfect produce that would otherwise go to waste. RE-Bucha is a current Resident Team of The Garage.
The Right Hook: This platform offers a comprehensive measurement system, along with personal stylists, to help customers find their perfect bra. The Right Hook is currently a Resident Team of The Garage.
Welltended: This startup offers a pre-potted houseplant selection and delivery service for city-dwellers that comes with easy-to-follow care instructions. Welltended is a current Resident Team of The Garage.
Energy and Sustainability
Aerospec Technologies: This startup's unmanned aerial system (UAS) can identify, analyze, and predict equipment failures to help maximize performance for the renewable energy industry.
Gibbs Lighting: Gibbs "provides energy efficient LED lights at no cost to commercial and industrial buildings in exchange for a portion of energy savings."
PedalCell: Designed for the bike share market, this technology can harness a wheel's rotational energy to be used for electricity, complemented by a phone mount on the handlebars.
Rezilncy: Rezilncy is a team of microgrid systems integrators, aiming to provide information and expertise on clean energy storage systems.
Life Sciences and Medical Innovations
ActiWit, LLC: ActiWit is a "wearable biofeedback device that delivers a personalized behavioral treatment plan for children."
Actualize Therapy: This is a treatment that aims to address the behavioral health of university students, specifically targeting depression and anxiety in a way that is convenient to those ages 18 to 26.
FluiSure: FluiSure is addressing the problem of fluid overload in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients.
LifeMotion Technologies, LLC: This startup's ergonomic "headphone" device is outfitted with a series of motors and sensors, which collect data on position, velocity, and force measurements for oral-cancer and stroke survivors. LifeMotion Technologies is currently a Resident Team at The Garage.
Social Impact and Nonprofit
Kheyti: This startup designs, adapts and implements low-cost farming solutions, such as a "greenhouse in a box" that help small farmers increase yield and predictability of produce.
Sidekick: Sidekick is a digital assistant that allows high school teachers to turn current company problems into in-class projects. Sidekick is currently a Resident Team of The Garage.
Spring Slam: This startup hosts basketball tournaments and coordinates outreach efforts with the mission of fighting cancer and building community through sports. Spring Slam is currently a Resident Team of The Garage.
Tiltas: Tiltas' web-based platform eases the re-entry process for returning citizens and reduces recidivism, through a social network and online resource for returning citizens, as well as employment opportunities. Tiltas is currently a Resident Team of The Garage.
Transportation and Mobility
EaseDrive: EaseDrive is "committed to empowering a new way to use the car by providing to the drivers the opportunity to enhance their health while driving."
Intelligent Flying Machines, Inc.: IFM is a data analytics company that uses machine learning, computer vision and robotics to automate indoor data capture. IFM is currently a Resident Team of The Garage.
SHURPA: SHURPA focuses on the last mile of parcel delivery by serving ecommerce partners from order to delivery.
TravDel LLC: This startup is a shipping company that uses travelers to deliver products.
