The “Sweet 16” compete for a sweet $25,000

Z Girls

Of the 91 student-led teams that submitted business plans to the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship‘s 2013  Business Plan Competition (BPC), only 16 remain.

After an initial screening round, 36 teams were chosen to pitch their start-up ideas to over 230 judges (entrepreneurs, investors, alumni and community supporters) at the BPC Investment Round. The teams that received the highest investments of “Buerk Center Dollars” earned a spot in the Sweet 16.

These 16 teams have spent the last few weeks editing their business plans, honing their pitches, and learning from some of Seattle’s top lawyers, investors, and entrepreneurs.

On May 23, each team will make a 15-minute investor pitch to a panel of 7 judges. The 4 teams with the best investor pitches will be selected to advance to the Final Round, where they will compete to win a grand prize of $25,000.

Good luck to the Sweet 16, and stay tuned for the results!

Biomethane (BGI)
Biomethane creates greenhouse-gas-negative vehicle fuel from dairy waste.

Cell Focus (UW)
Cell Focus will produce a revolutionary device that turns a cell phone camera into a microscope.

Elemental Hotels (UW)
Welcome to the next generation of Hotels, Elemental Hotels: Minimalistic micro hotel rooms with smart technology and superior design, at $65/Night.

iHome3D (UW)
iHome3D is a mobile app that allows realtors to create a virtual tour and floor plan of a property, in minutes.

InsuLenz (UW)
InsuLenz is developing a “smart” polymer contact lens to provide a bio-responsive and needle-free insulin delivery platform for diabetics.

MakeSpace (UW)
MakeSpace is the Kinkos of 3D printing.  The company is opening its pilot location in Seattle delivering rapid prototyping and services to architectures and industrial designers.

NIA Wheel (SPU)
NIA Wheel produces and sells a brain wave controlled power wheelchair.

nomON (UW)
nomON is a random delivery meal ordering app, like shuffle for dinner.

PolyDrop (UW)
PolyDrop offers conductive polymer additives for paints, primers and coatings with a significantly lower level of particle loading. Integration of PolyDrop into current production lines of existing formulations is simple and dramatically improves usage lifetime, adhesion and mechanical properties of your product.

Pure Blue Technologies (UW)
Pure Blue Technologies is developing a novel industrial water treatment solution that’s more efficient at a lower cost.

ShunTek (UW, Johns Hopkins University)
ShunTek has produced a medical device, ShunTube, that provides a minimally invasive and cost-effective way to minimize blood loss in inferior vena cava trauma by stanching blood flow and simultaneously maintaining venous return; ShunTube also has applications in treating IVC tumors and Liver Cancer.

Sound THC (Seattle U)
Sound THC will produce cannabis candies in the newly legal recreational marijuana market.

Torch Illumination Co. (UW)
Torch Illumination is a candle company with a mission: for every two candles sold, a solar light will be delivered to an individual living without electricity.

TriboTEX (WSU)
TriboTEX is commercializing PhD research to repair industrial machinery during normal operation using nanotechnology.

Vetna (UW)
Vetna brings portable and automated DNA-based diagnostic capabilities to veterinary clinics which could not previously afford the space, capital and training investments.

Z Girls (UW)
Z Girls measurably improves girls’ participation rates in sports by teaching young female athletes skills like positive self-talk, goal-setting, and body image through coaching and camps.

Follow the UW  Business Plan Competition on Twitter: #UWBPC2013