Student Finalists Selected for 2018 UW Business Plan Competition

College students will showcase disruptive ventures in everything from cryptocurrency and education to coffee and gaming at the 2018 UW Business Plan Competition. More than 175 judges selected the top 36 teams (detailed below) to advance past the Screening Round of the competition, hosted by the UW Foster School’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship. The finalists were chosen from a pool of 82 student teams representing more than a dozen colleges and universities across the country who submitted executive summaries outlining seven key startup measures.

The finalists will now pitch their ideas in front of hundreds of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, and competition alumni from the region at the Investment Round on Wednesday, April 25. Judges will receive $1,000 in Buerk Center Dollars to “invest” in those businesses they believe are credible and potentially scalable. The 16 highest-scoring teams will be announced at the reception following the event and advance to the Sweet 16 on Thursday, May 24. A final round later that same day is followed by an awards dinner celebration at Bell Harbor in Seattle.

More than $80,000 in prize money will be awarded to student teams—including the $25,000 grand prize sponsored by the Herbert B. Jones Foundation. “Big Picture Prizes” of $5,000 will also be awarded to teams for their exceptional work in several distinct categories including innovations that address the challenges faced by low-income seniors (sponsored by AARP Foundation), products or services that contribute to the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem (sponsored by Glympse), social impact (sponsored by Mod Pizza), and clean technology (sponsored by Wells Fargo).

Teams are also eligible to win $2,500 “Best Idea Prizes” like the Ebay “Best Marketplace Idea,” the Accenture “Best Consumer Product Idea,” the Perkins Coie “Best Innovation/Technology Idea”, the Cambia Grove “Best Health/Healthcare Idea”, the DLA Piper “Best Idea with Global Reach”, the Xinova “Best Idea for the Future”, and the Smukowski Family “Best Sustainable Advantage Idea” prize.

The Buerk Center is proud to celebrate the many sponsors who are helping make this year’s UW Business Plan Competition a reality. In the past 20 years, more than 4,947 participants on 1,533 teams have entered the BPC, and more than $1.3 million dollars in prize money has been awarded to 167 teams. That number grows to $ 2,360,740 if you include the awards for the Jones + Foster Accelerator program, which many successful BPC teams enter following the competition. Overall, the Buerk Center has awarded more than $3.1 million dollars to student ventures since 1998.

The 2018 field includes a diverse set of teams with students from the University of Washington, UW-Bothell, UW-Tacoma, Washington State University, Presidio Graduate School, Seattle University, Seattle Colleges, and the University of Oregon. Many of these teams have members from schools outside of the state, such as the University of Colorado, UC-Denver, Colorado School of Mines, the University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Maryland. Five prize winners and competitors from both the 2018 Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge and the 2018 Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge will also compete.

Best of luck to the finalists in the 2018 UW Business Plan Competition!

A-Alpha Bio
A-Alpha Bio aims to improve clinical trial success rates by helping pharmaceutical companies fully characterize their drug candidates in the pre-clinical stage.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Bioengineering)

Astrolabe Analytics
Astrolabe Analytics is accelerating battery innovation. We provide the scientists and engineers on the frontlines of battery R&D with a B2B SaaS platform for data management and analysis.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Material Science, Informatics, Public Administration)  

BeeToxx
BeeToxx is a carbon-based microparticle solution that protects Honey Bee colonies exposed to harmful pesticides.

• Washington State University (Bioengineering, Biology, Communications, Entrepreneurship)  

BioPots
BioPot’s mission is to build a viable and cost-competitive alternative to the agricultural plastic pots and containers used in gardening and farming, with pots made of plentiful brewer’s spent grain (BSG) and recycled wood fiber.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Bioresource Science and Engineering, MBA)  

Coinglomerate Mining
Coinglomerate Mining LLC is a firm that performs research and development on cryptocurrency mining. Our company develops profit-maximizing software, performs data analytics, and conducts process improvements for industrial mining operations.

• University of Washington-Seattle, Seattle Colleges (Business, Physics, Informatics, Computer Science)

Common Good Property Management
Common Good Property Management brings together two trends in property management, the shift towards community-centered design and the conversion to cooperative ownership to counter displacement and build rooted ownership in urban communities.

• Presidio Graduate School-Seattle (MBA)

Culture Bites
Creating and maintaining a great company culture is hard—Culture Bites makes it easier through a subscription box service featuring curated content for monthly team-building tune-up.  We help your company’s culture eat strategy for breakfast.

• Presidio Graduate School-Seattle (MBA)

Feros Freight Innovations
Feros is utilizing freight trailers to seamlessly integrate EV technologies into the trucking system, transforming the trailer into a value-creation asset that enables companies to move freight cheaper, faster, and cleaner.

• University of Oregon, Carnegie Mellon University (MBA, Robotics)  

FreedomFit
FreedomFit is a dynamic and shape-changing orthotic support device (“a pessary”) to treat Pelvic Organ Prolapse—a condition that affects up to 50% of women in their lifetime.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Applied Bioengineering)

GolfScope
A golf swing training aid that provides immediate feedback using visual cues to correct a golfer’s head placement, weight position, and spine angle to hit the ball farther and straighter while reducing the risk of golf-related injuries.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Business, Mechanical Engineering)

GreenFern
We are offering a solution that changes how family currently do their food management, grocery shopping and meal planning—it won’t be a weekly routine that frustrates one person in the family anymore, instead an opportunity for quality family time.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Technology Management MBA)

HandiMaps
HandiMaps creates maps of large indoor event spaces based solely on accessibility. These maps take into account the user’s specific accessibility issue, creating a custom path for them to move freely about the venue whenever and wherever they want.

• University of Washington-Tacoma, University of Washington-Seattle (Computer Science, Human Centered Design and Engineering, Computer Science and Systems)

Intentio
Intentio has created highly flexible sensors that are fraction of the cost when compared to current competitors. They can be utilized in educational environments and by independent developers and sold to electronics distributors.

• Washington State University (Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Political Science)

Knotted Titans Workshop
Knotted Titans Workshop designs and builds the highest quality handcrafted gaming tables and surprise and delight our customers with the beauty, customization, artistry, and engineering of our products.

• Seattle University (Leadership Executive MBA)

Laser RevEng
Laser RevEng embraces interactive elements, artificial intelligence, and emerging sensing technologies to drive customer entertainment. Our products help laser tag arena operators increase customer satisfaction to boost returning player visit rates.

• Washington State University (Communication, Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science)

LEAP Solutions
LEAP Solutions offers a smart wearable patch to reduce mortality rates from opioid overdose. Our solution aims to reduce the economic burden associated with litigation costs and emergency medical responses in hospitals.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Applied Bioengineering)

Lonely Produce
We set out to answer the question, what if there was a place where farmers can find willing buyers for their left over perishable goods?  Using our application, farmers can list, sell and distribute goods that previously would have gone to waste.

• University of Washington-Seattle (MS in Entrepreneurship, Human Centered Design and Engineering, Technology Management MBA)

Lykosa
Innovative, veteran-owned event planning and festival production company tailored toward overlooked market segments.

• Seattle University (JD Program)

MedsForAll
MedsForAll is developing an affordable universal autoinjector for emergency rescue medicines that can save lives (severe allergies, opioid overdose, etc) by increasing accessibility & lowering costs while leveraging an existing medical infrastructure

• University of Washington-Seattle (Pharmacy, MBA, Technology Management MBA)

MindElf
MindElf is an education technology solution that helps Calculus educators get the best possible learning outcomes for their students. Our vision is to give every student a learning experience that is as effective as personalized one-on-one tutoring.

• University of Washington-Seattle (MS in Entrepreneurship)

Nanodropper
The Nanodropper is an affordable, universal eyedropper adaptor that decreases the volume of oversized eyedrops to reduce cost, waste, and side effects, ultimately increasing access to expensive prescription eye medications.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Pharmacology, Bioengineering, MBA)  

No Fry Zone
No Fry Zone was founded as a creative, B2C, solution to the problem of finding yourself without sunscreen when you need it most. No Fry Zone provides on demand access to skin protection at the right place, at the right time and for the right price.

• Seattle University (Leadership Executive MBA)

Novita
Our company, Novita, is developing a software application to help patients and family caregivers plan and manage long-term dementia care, while also connecting users with the right senior care services and senior living solution when the time comes to make that transition.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy)

Odo
Odo is a blockchain based rewards management software that provides the best experience for the customer and for the business by integrating all reward management programs under one roof.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Technology Management MBA)

OLA Simple
OLA Simple strives to be a global leader in cost-effective, rapid, point-of-care platform technologies to detect single nucleotide mutations in DNA or RNA and revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of acquired and inherited diseases.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Bioengineering, Global Health, Electrical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Science, Pharmacy)  

Oliver’s Bike Bags
Oliver’s Bike Bags is revolutionizing hydration for long distance cyclists by providing effective water storage solutions.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Economics)

OTOGEAR
OTOGEAR is a patented earplug attachment that helps increase hearing protection device (HPD) usage, specifically reusable earplugs, by increasing emotional appeal for users.

• University of Washington-Seattle (MS in Entrepreneurship, MBA) 

Rainbow Artist
Rainbow Artist proposes to provide people personalized, fun and natural lipstick customizing experiences.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Education, MS Supply Chain Management)

SclObo
SclObo is creating a streetwear clothing line that is catered to gamers, but is fashionable enough to appeal to the entire streetwear community.

• University of Washington-Bothell (Cultural Literature & the Arts)

Seattle Strong Coffee
Seattle Strong creates smooth ready-to-drink craft cold brew coffee. With 3x more caffeine than traditionally brewed coffee, Seattle Strong still remains balanced enough to drink with no additives, creating a better kind of buzz.

• University of Washington-Seattle (MS in Entrepreneurship, Computer Science and Engineering, Business Administration)

Tech Buddies
Tech Buddies is a mobile app that provides on demand tech education from a network of tech-savvy freelancers, focusing on matching the tech knowledgeable with those that need help.

• University of Washington-Seattle (MBA, Computer Science)

Tensure
Tensure is developing a pair of smart surgical forceps that helps surgeons place consistently tensioned abdominal sutures. This device will help reduce the incidence rate of incisional hernias, a common complication of abdominal surgeries.

• University of Washington-Seattle (Applied Bioengineering)  

Vicinity
Vicinity eliminates barriers to access and simplifies the rental process for public spaces. It allows customers to easily identify, filter, and book public spaces and allows public institutions to better serve their communities.

• University of Washington-Seattle (MBA, Information Sciences)

Vita Inclinata Technologies
Vita is a small defense company which is developing critical technology for sling load & rescue helicopter operations. Leveraging Vita’s patent pending system, helicopter operations are 2500% more effective and safe.

• Seattle University, University of Colorado, University of Colorado-Denver, Colorado School of Mines, University of Maryland (Law/Joint Degree, International Business, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics)

WAT Upfitting
We will provide new public safety vehicles including police cars, fire engines and ambulances with interior electronic hardware builds called Upfitting in under-served rural areas of E. WA, E. OR and W. ID.

• Seattle University, University of British Columbia (Leadership Executive MBA, Vocal Performance/Opera)

Yumso
Yumso is an online marketplace and delivery service provider which connects independent chefs and hungry customers, and also an incubator that offers supports on marketing, branding, financial and legal services to help those chefs to achieve success.

• University of Washington-Seattle, University of Southern California (Communications, Electrical Engineering, Business Administration)