Nick Vasilescu posing with the giant check in the Champions Club of Koch Arena.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 competition!

First Place: $25,000
Testkey - TestKey introduces a rapid, accessible diagnostic test for Long COVID, filling a significant healthcare gap and paving the way for future advancements in disease detection.

Second Place: $7,000
MedX Innovations - CPR+U is an affordable, reliable, and readily accessible medical device that will increase CPR efficacy and improve patient survival rate by providing vocal, visual, and tactile feedback to the rescuer.

Third Place: $4,000
ColdPulse -
'Beat the Heat, Enhance Your Feet.' ColdPulse Orthotics actively cools your body during and after activity, enhancing performance.

People's Choice: $500
Fluency

It was an honor to be apart of the journey the teams of entrepreneurs took throughout the competition. We hope to be able to continue assisting them as they build their businesses!

 

 

2024 SNVC Winners


37 teams entered the Shocker New Venture Competition and the students on those teams came together from varied backgrounds of study to compete. The colleges they represented included:

College of Applied Studies

College of Engineering

College of Fine Arts

College of Health Professions

College of Innovation & Design

Fairmount College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Graduate School

W. Frank Barton School of Business

Throughout the three rounds of the competition, competitors received feedback from the industry professionals, experts, and entrepreneurs who acted as judges. With the help of 115 judges, the number of teams was narrowed to four winning teams. 

Without further ado, we are proud to present the winners of this year鈥檚 Shocker New Venture Competition!


1st Place, $25,000

Nick Vasilescu鈥檚 journey to create TestKey was aided by the empowerment he experienced researching under Dr. Persons, a genetics and cell molecular professor at Newman University. Dr. Persons provided Nick the freedom and flexibility to research and do projects that interested him鈥攈elping him take advantage of the inspiration behind TestKey.

Walter Issac described the future Jennifer Doudna, the founder/inventor of CRISPR gene editing, saw for 鈥溾isease treatment, where you could print off a drug infused tattoo at home and apply it to yourself from the comfort of your home.鈥 The idea fascinated Nick and inspired the idea behind TestKey, a startup with the goal to improve the diagnosis process and make it more convenient.

The exploration Nick undertook to develop a working prototype began with trying to diagnose Huntington disease in fruit flies. Through those experiments and many others, he created a diagnostic tool that identifies diseases via one鈥檚 DNA using a process as convenient as a rapid test, more formally known as a lateral flow test. This eliminates the need for specialized laboratory equipment and makes it possible for people to test themselves within their own home.

From competing in the competition, Nick learned valuable lessons surrounding pitching; namely, 鈥淜eep it simple and easy to understand. Also, something cliche but I believe it helped, I think showing your determination and ability to get back up when you fall is important.鈥

After he finishes developing the technology behind TestKey, Nick is planning 鈥渢o license out the technology/intellectual property to a larger test strip company (someone like Abbott) who can get the test in the hands of patients due to their large and vast distribution channels.鈥

鈥淭he biggest opportunity from SNVC is the connections I've made with the judges and the ability to move forward with my startup. At the end of the day, we are solving a real and significant problem, and it will help millions of people to be able to provide diagnostic tests for Long Covid, a disease that affects 1 in 9 people in the US today. By the end of the summer, we will have a test in hand thanks to the fiscal support from SNVC and other opportunities provided to us from the competition.鈥
- Nick Vasilescu


2nd Place, $7,000

During clinical observations, the team behind MedX Innovations learned experienced medical professionals struggle with correctly administering CPR. For one medical professional, it took 25 years to discover "she was not allowing enough time between chest compressions for the heart to refill with blood. This mistake was not discovered until she performed CPR on a mannequin that provided real-time feedback while performing CPR." Mistakes made during CPR reduces the survival rate associated with performing CPR on a cardiac arrest patient. Their clinical observations inspired Mea Ames, Jeramy Lamar, Coewen Rains, and Mayra Ramirez to create CPR+U, the first product of MedX Innovations.

The MedX Innovations team designed CPR+U to give those performing CPR on a person real-time feedback. The feedback includes vocal CPR instructions in addition to a compression depth and speed indicator.

The Shocker New Venture Competition challenged the team behind MedX Innovations to expand beyond their engineering skillset and delve into "all the factors that go into taking the device to market and how these factors affect the potential customers or company finances." In this way, the competition helped the team "experience a small portion of what it takes to start a business."

"Go into the competition with a winner鈥檚 mindset and regardless of the outcome be proud of your hard work and dedication."
- MedX Innovations Team


ColdPulse

3rd Place, $4,000

Working closely with their faculty advisors, Jarret Delancy, Wesley Horner, Adam Key, Shelby Partridge, and Aaron Sisco had their attention directed to 鈥溾 repeated problem of athletes not being able to cool themselves while training.鈥 The overheating athletes experience 鈥溾 leads to fatigue, destroying personal bests and hindering productivity.鈥

Recognizing this problem 鈥溾 ignited us to start researching and designing solutions.鈥 Their decision to focus on cooling orthotics was influenced by recently published research into cooling body temperature through the 鈥溾labrous skin and arteriovenous anastomoses found in the feet.鈥

By competing in the competition, the team behind ColdPulse was given feedback that helped them pinpoint new markets and uses for their product. This helped them 鈥溾ealize there is huge potential for our product.鈥

鈥淚 would advise anyone considering entering the competition鈥攅nter if you have any passion for entrepreneurship. After you enter the competition, ensure you have done great market research, and while you鈥檙e at the trade show have fun and be enthusiastic about your company.鈥
- Adam Key


People's Choice Award, $500

At a local cheeseburger joint, Cole McAuliffe, Andrew Gimino, Keenan Nguyen, and Stephan Buchanan grew to be familiar with a Spanish speaking chef. Their interactions with the chef inspired a desire to learn Spanish, and they began to explore different options on the market.

Finding no 鈥渓anguage learning app that enables people to learn entirely through an app,鈥 the team aspired to use AI to help them create the first: Fluency. They began working on creating an immersive app where 鈥溾sers engage in conversations with A.I.-simulated historical figures, navigate real-world scenarios, enjoy interactive games, and expand their vocabulary.鈥

The competition exposed the Fluency team to a range of expertise, and 鈥溾 the judges asked questions that have shifted our paradigms and put us on a path that we believe to have a higher chance of success.鈥

Expanding their team within a few weeks of the competition鈥檚 conclusion, the team behind Fluency is working to have a Beta program for their testers before the summer is over.

鈥湷扇送诽 is filled with entrepreneurs and SNVC does a phenomenal job of bringing together a variety of different perspectives to challenge your ideas.鈥
- Fluency Team

  • Hunter Lumry, one of the team members of Building Bedrock Education, shakes out a banner that is to be set up at the booth.
  • Team members of C Modular and MedX Innovations sets up their booths.
  • Volunteers make the final adjustments to the registration table before welcoming and directing judges.
  • Volunteers work to get judges their name badges and packets.
  • Booths line Koch Arena and judges mill about speaking to competitors.
  • Judges mill about speaking to competitors from five different booths. At one, people interact with a CPR dummy.
  • Two judges listen to Nick Vasilescu, from Testkey pitch.
  • Members of MedX Innovations pitch to judges.
  • Adam Key and Shelby Partridge pose with their team's booth.
  • The crowd gathers round as Nancy Kersenbrock announces which teams will move on to the Finals.
  • Nick Vasilescu, from Testkey, poses with the giant $25,000 check and the Finals judges.
  • The team members of MedX Innovations hold their certificates and pose with the Finals Judges.
  • The team members of ColdPulse hold their certificates and pose with the Finals Judges.
2023 SNVC Winners

2023 SNVC Winners


Students came together from varied backgrounds of study to compete in this year鈥檚 competition. The colleges they represented included:

 

College of Applied Studies

College of Engineering

College of Health Professions

College of Innovation & Design

W. Frank Barton School of Business
 

Over the course of the three-round competition, the number of teams was narrowed from forty-one to four winning teams. Throughout the competition, competitors received feedback from the industry professionals, experts, and entrepreneurs who acted as judges.

We are proud to present the winners of this year鈥檚 Shocker New Venture Competition!


1st Place, $10,000

Jacob O鈥機onnor and Jon Peterson took note of changes in the NCAA legislation that allowed college athletes to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and found their opportunity to make their passion into a startup. As Jon said, 鈥淛acob and I started Player Card because of our love of sports. Varsity sports and AAU leagues were a large part of our lives in high school. We didn鈥檛 choose to play in college; however, we knew we wanted to keep as involved as possible.鈥

Their startup, Player Card seeks to 鈥渞emove friction from the process of working with college athletes and create mutually beneficial interactions between the two parties.鈥 To do so, they handle many processes including 鈥渄eal generation, to athlete matching, schedule coordination, event facilitation, content creation, and athlete payment.鈥

Player Card is currently operating in 成人头条. It is here Jacob and Jon have been able to test and refine their product, and they are now looking to expand their operations to Manhattan to capitalize off the recent good season their teams have experienced.

"The advice I would offer to someone looking to start a business or compete in the competition is to just start. A lot of people get held up with 鈥淚 need this or that and then I鈥檒l start my business;鈥 it鈥檚 often an excuse we tell ourselves because we鈥檙e scared/timid to take the first steps. There are low-cost ways to start your venture, you may just need to get creative. When you start taking action towards your business, good things will happen, and the right people will come along."
- Jacob O鈥機onnor


2nd Place, $4,000

Rahmah Alsukayr, Rosa Chicas, Karen Duong, Jessica Gorton, and Angelica Perez 鈥渁ll personally related to one another as women, especially, as minorities who are still underrepresented in the Engineering community.鈥 It was through this connection they were inspired to create the team Female Engineering Matters and to tackle an issue within women鈥檚 health: reducing lower back pain during pregnancy.

To address the problem they identified, they developed a product: Triple B Support. It is a wearable support system that alleviates 鈥渁ches presented in the lower back, support the weight of the belly, and provide comfort for sore breasts.鈥

鈥淵ou can truly do anything if you set your mind to it. When our team first formed, we were all clueless and had zero idea what we wanted to do, how to solve any problems or strive for our goals. If it鈥檚 scary and nerve wrecking, then you are in the right place.鈥
- Karen Duong


Optimum Wellness

3rd Place, $2,000

Vision Vest

4th Place, $1,000
People鈥檚 Choice Award, $500

The curious nature of Grant Johnson, Jun Chang Teoh, and Keenan Nguyen left them "always needing to question 鈥榃hy?鈥 and 鈥楬ow can it be better?鈥欌 Their curious nature led them to investigate how blind individuals navigate and to question the available options.

Vision Vest was developed as the team researched and interviewed blind individuals. Their product offers a radically different means of navigation to the traditional walking stick. They used haptic sensors placed within a vest to 鈥渆mpower those that are blind to navigate, avoid objects, and identify those objects鈥 without directly touching them.

The team is still working to refine their prototype.

鈥淭he Shocker New Venture Competition allowed us to view our product through the lens of a business and be asked questions that we would have never thought of on our own. Ultimately the answers to these questions are what makes or breaks a successful business.鈥
- Grant Johnson

  • Female Engineering sets up their booth
  • Volunteers hand the judges what  they need and provide assistance at the trade show
  • PlayerCard team members present to judges at the Trade Show.
  • Volunteers hand the judges what  they need and provide assistance at the trade show
  • A member of Vision Vest presents their business idea at the trade show
  • Three judges write notes as a competitor presents at the trade show
  • Student judges stop by Test Key's booth.
  • A volunteer assembles the decoration in Devlin Hall's Lobby
  • A crowd gathers in the Devlin Hall Auditorium to watch the finals.
  • Female Engineering team members stand in front of their slides presenting.
  • A member of Player Card presents to the judges of the finals
  • Two members of Vision Vest work together to present their prototype.
  • A judge uses her notes to gesture as she asks a question
  • Two members of Optimum Wellness demonstrate their proototype.
  • A crowd gathers in the Devlin Hall Widget to find out who won
  • Nancy and Troy unveil the giant check to a crowd
  • Player Card team members pose with the giant check.
2022 SNVC Winners

The team members of eurdite hold the giant check as they pose with the finals judges.

Erudite Adaptations

1st Place, $10,000

Their new venture is an adjustable cranial band that is used to treat infant cranial deformities. Their device will be sold to treatment centers all across America.

Artificial Motion

2nd Place,  $4,000
People's Choice, $500

Novel system for a prosthetic socket that actively compensates for heat buildup and volume fluctuation within the residual limb.

Agri-Tour 360

3rd Place: $2,000

Building the bridge between consumers and producers.

Osteofast

4th Place, $1,000

3D Printed Casts with healing Technology