A local biotech startup called MicroLev was awarded the $25,000 grand prize after winning Trinity University's annual Louis H. Stumberg Venture Competition on Oct. 19. The competition has been held yearly since 2016.
MicroLev is working on patent-pending optical research instruments and equipment that focus on aerosols and the aerosol industry and how they affect climate change, the company's co-founder Bene Snyder said during the competition. MicrLev is also studying medication development and viral pathogens.
The company is working on developing a product called a "dual-balance electrodynamic trap" that is intended to detect specific properties in aerosol particles, which company officials say have applications in atmospheric science and microengineering. The product costs approximately $162,500.
Snyder last year cofounded Microlev alongside fellow Trinity business student Josefina Hajek-Herrera and Trinity chemistry professor Ryan Davis.
The company will use its $25,000 to pay for a utility patent, legal counsel, research and development and marketing.
Microlev was one of four finalists in the competition. All four previously received $5,000 each as seed funding toward building their products to present during the final of the competition.
The other finalists included Commuv, a software app aimed to make traffic stops contactless; New Works SA, a nonprofit aimed toward making theater more accessible in underserved areas; and WakeScoot, a manufacturing company of a lightweight water scooter.
WakeScoot also won the fan favorite award that was voted on by the audience.
Trinity's entrepreneurship program has recently received national recognition, having won the 2021 Nasdaq Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence award for schools with less than 5,000 students from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers.
