Student startups from around the country are descending on University of St. Thomas to participate in an annual startup competition beginning April 28.
The annual e-Fest, hosted by St. Thomas' Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, is bringing in 25 teams who will compete for $215,000 in cash and prizes. Winning teams will advance to a championship round where they will pitch to judges who include entrepreneurs and executives.
The judges are:
- Dick Schulze, Best Buy founder and chairman emeritus
- Damian Novak, serial entrepreneur
- Justin Kaufenberg, SportsEngine founder and Rally Ventures general partner
- Michele Henry, founder of Face Foundrié
- Lisa Shannon, Allina Health CEO and President
“The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well on our college campuses, and these talented students are creating fresh new ideas for solving problems that matter,” Laura Dunham, associate dean of the Schulze School said in a statement. “Competitions like e-Fest help these budding entrepreneurs hone the skills they learn in their courses and give them experiences they need to bring their ideas to fruition and be successful in the long run.”
Here are the 25 participating startups, with provided descriptions:
AI-Learners (Cornell University)
AI-Learners makes learning math accessible and engaging for students with cognitive, physical, and behavioral disabilities through personalized computer games and analytics.
Buzly (California State University of Sacramento)
Buzly makes it easy for students to connect with their peers, build communities and get tailored updates directly from universities.
Casgains Terminal (University of Chicago)
The Casgains Terminal will be the first online investment social network that emphasizes crowdsourced education and collaboration, where investors can compare and contrast their own investment research and opinions.
Chippit (Texas A&M University)
Chippit is a scannable pet tag containing a pet's important info. A profile can have multiple phone numbers, a return address, vaccine records and much more.
Conserve (Georgia State University)
Conserve is a mobile app that educates, tracks, and rewards users for recycling. Our goal is to change the recycling industry as we know it.
DryvnAI (University of St. Thomas)
DryvnAI intelligently builds personalized strategies for rideshare and delivery drivers with the help of our intuitive and localized demand forecasts, helping them to increase their earnings and reduce downtime while staying a step ahead of ever-changing conditions.
Fib (Portland State University)
Fib is a party card game that never gets old, is entirely unique, and is just as fun as the best games on the market.
Fit Oven (Florida Atlantic University)
Fit Oven utilizes a state-of-the-art custom intelligent vending machine that refrigerates, heats up, and dispenses hot and healthy meals to the consumer in 90 seconds or less and at a price point 27% lower than fast-food and fast-casual alternatives.
Free. Project (Walsh University)
Free. Project aims to provide free period products to all and create menstrual equity by positively connecting brands directly to consumers through a revolutionary marketing channel.
HydroPhos Solutions (University of New Hampshire)
HydroPhos Solutions is a circular economy social venture that simultaneously addresses eutrophication and phosphorus depletion as a function of its core business model. HydroPhos utilizes phosphorus filtration technology to extract phosphorus from wastewater, subsequently reselling this phosphorus into the fertilizer industry.
Let's Tap In LLC (Towson University)
Let's Tap In is a two-way communication channel between bar owners and their community. The app allows users to provide and receive real time data about their local bar scene and owners to upload unique drink specials/bar activities to the public all while collecting new data about their business.
Local4Local (University of St. Thomas)
Local4Local is a youth-run food drive initiative that sustains jobs to cyclo drivers and provides key necessities to Cambodians in need.
Manser Edbrooke Technology (FAMU - FSU College of Engineering)
We are building a machine to create high quality metal parts in any home or office.
Nutroo.AI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
AI-powered meal generator app that develops a meal plan tailored to users' physique goals, dietary preferences, and time constraints.
Pallyt (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
Through emerging e-commerce technologies, the Pallyt app will give contractors instant access to all local hardware stores and specialty suppliers, making it effortless to search for the best nearby products and order them immediately for in-store pickup or rapid delivery.
Pet HealthCare Innovations (Florida Atlantic University)
Pet HealthCare Innovations was founded to greatly improve the health and quality of life for pets and their owners, by providing the best products and services on the planet, that are the most effective, easy to use, and essential for the standard of care for pets.
Reboot Reforestation (University of Alabama)
Reboot Reforestation develops, manufactures, and operates drone technology to plant trees and monitor ecosystems at scale, faster, more affordable, and with less labor than our competitors.
RedBrick Entertainment (Wake Forest University)
We help Universities foster campus engagement through large scale scavenger hunts.
Renndvous (Towson University)
An innovative automotive buying and browsing experience utilizing NFC technology.
Resense (Grove City College)
Resense's product Memory Box is a toolkit designed to increase brain health, exercise the senses and elicit long-lasting memories.
Safe Sips (State University of New York at New Paltz)
Safe Sips is a biodegradable disposable cup manufacturer that produces a cup capable of letting consumers know when their hot beverage has reached a safe drinking temperature to protect consumers, businesses and the planet.
Sav's Syrups LLC (University of Northern Iowa)
Sav's Syrups is a sustainable, flavor-first coffee syrup company.
SmartSeat (Grand Valley State University)
SmartSeat Media L.L.C. is an online event ticketing service that utilizes Algorand's blockchain technology. In doing so, we completely abolish sketchy ticket transactions, exuberant fees, and best of all artists, venues, and organizers make additional money on secondary ticket sales, which has never been heard of before.
Sportwatch LLC (Western Michigan University)
Sportwatch LLC aims to bring powerful data-driven analytics to time-based sports via a mobile app. With practice-based data, coaches and athletes can view insights over the course of their season and customize their workouts.
Tandemly (Virginia Tech)
Tandemly leverages advances in AI for personalized learning.
