Student Teams Secure $18,000 in Funding at Seed Pitch Competition
The Seed Funding Pitch Competition allows students to pitch their ideas for a chance at funding in several categories: customer discovery, prototype development, market research, legal and design.
BENTONVILLE — A student team aimed at thwarting the isolation some international students experience when arriving in the United States secured $3,000 at the fall 2023 Seed Funding Pitch Competition.
Ryan Moh plans for Hello World to facilitate connections between high school and transfer students and student mentors who are currently enrolled at U.S. universities of their interest.
Moh said Hello World’s primary goal is to help these prospective students establish friendships and give them personalized information before they enroll.
“When I first came to the U.S. four years ago, I felt isolated and struggled due to the language and cultural barriers. I did not have any friends, and I didn’t want to worry my family,” Moh said.
“Over time, things improved, and I thought I did not want new students to feel the same way I did.”
Overseen by the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the competition allows students to pitch their ideas for a chance at funding in several categories: customer discovery, prototype development, market research, legal and design. Pitches are capped at 90 seconds, can’t include slides and are followed by a brief Q&A session with judges.
This year’s event was held Dec. 2 at the Collaborative, U of A’s education and research hub in Bentonville, and awarded $18,000 in seed funding.
The Hello World team, which includes Rodrigo Mendez and Sue Yoo, took home the top prize among 14 teams competing in this year’s event. Moh plans to use the winnings for market research and hiring designers and engineers to customize the app.
DevelopIQ, a platform to track construction costs and forecast future housing prices, secured $2,000 by winning the people’s choice award.
Designed as a software as a service, DevelopIQ lets real estate developers track costs using structured query language (SQL) relational databases. The housing forecast harnesses a proprietary algorithm for any zip code in the U.S., according to Alivia Brewer, one of the team’s presenters.
Brewer said she thought DevelopIQ resonated with the audience because they’re personally affected by changes in the housing market.
“Many of us are wanting to buy a house, which has become more challenging due to the current environment,” Brewer said.
“Our product indirectly helps to solve this issue by reducing costs and guiding decision making for developers which can in turn lead to attainable housing development.”
Brewer said the team plans to use its winnings to further develop the product by focusing on advancing the platform’s user interface.
DevelopIQ also plans to begin initial testing with Partners for Better Housing, a Fayetteville non-profit that’s working to build quality workforce housing and facilitate upward mobility for modest and moderate-income families in Northwest Arkansas, according to its website.
The number of students competing this year impressed Madison Stricklen, OEI’s program manager for competitions.
“It takes a lot of confidence to put yourself out there in the early stages of business development, but seeing their passion come to life in front of an audience really is a treat,” Stricklen said.
“These students have worked incredibly hard on their ideas, and it’s exciting to be a part of their growth.”
WINNING TEAMS
- $3,000: Hello World — Ryan Moh, senior, finance; Rodrigo Mendez, senior, international business; Sue Yoo, senior, studio art
- Hello World facilitates connections between high school and transfer students and student mentors who are currently enrolled at U.S. universities of their interest.
- $2,000: AnimalHealth Innovator — Camille Gilmore, doctorate, public policy; Saja Alshafeay, doctorate, cell & molecular biology; Jossie Santamaria, doctorate, poultry science; Katherine Miranda Munoz, doctorate, biomedical engineering
- AnimalHealth Innovator’s mission is to enhance animal well-being and revolutionize the animal health industry by offering biodegradable microneedle patches for veterinary NSAIDs delivery that are designed to alleviate challenges for veterinary practitioners, pet owners and farmers.
- $2,000: ProPika — Nhiem Cao, Master of Science in product innovation; Angel Treat, Master of Business Administration; Vanessa Gonzalez, Master of Business Administration.
- ProPika specializes in the development and commercialization of catalytic conversion membranes and methods that efficiently transform agricultural waste into platform chemicals utilized in sustainable aviation fuel production.
- $2,000: DevelopIQ — Alivia Brewer, senior, finance and accounting; Trey Dicks, sophomore, finance; Maricela Reyes, sophomore, pre-business; David Blinn, junior, pre-business; Sebas Reyes, sophomore, finance; Andres Balderrama, senior, finance and computer science; RyLeigh Werner, senior, supply chain and economics.
- DevelopIQ is a SaaS platform that allows real estate developers to track construction development costs using SQL relational databases while also using a proprietary algorithm to forecast future housing prices for any zip code in the U.S.
- $1,500: Nyarai Skincare — Warrenesha Arnold, master of education
- Nyarai Skincare offers skincare products that are plant-based, natural, organic and cruelty-free to treat skin inflammation, dark spots and discoloration.
- $1,500: Hidalga Technologies — Joshua Upshaw, doctorate, psychology; Lauren Russell Bhavya Patel, Master of Business Administration; Ian White
- Hidalga Technologies is revolutionizing oncology care by offering a software solution built on proprietary algorithms to streamline the prior authorization process. Their solution aims to reduce administrative time up to 50% and increase patient throughput by 30%, in turn minimizing treatment delays and enhancing patient outcomes.
- $1,000: Star Harness — Margo Leavitt, master’s in public health; Julia Hoskins, doctorate, mechanical engineering
- The Star Harness provides non-surgical correction of developmental dysplasia of the hip, a common neonatal condition which can be painful and have lifelong effects if left untreated. The Star Harness is comfortable for patients to wear and straightforward for physicians, caretakers and parents to use.
- $1,000: Infia Studios — Jackson Ritchey, senior, strategy, entrepreneurship and venture innovation
- Infia Studios has created the first virtual reality calm down space. Their mobile app, Serenity, is customizable for the unique needs of each student and offers a variety of virtual environments to change the lives of children, caretakers and educators alike.
- $1,000: Pannus Retractor — Grace Schmidt, senior, computer science
- This discrete pannus retractor is easy to apply by one person, would solve the major issues surrounding patient dignity, ease of application, and the number of staff members required to for retractions.
- $1,000: Children For Tomorrow — Iana Ruheta, senior, biochemistry
- Children For Tomorrow is bringing life-saving incubators to low-income communities with innovative incubators designed specifically for resource-limited settings, consuming minimal power and requiring minimal maintenance.
- $750: Forya — Landen Usher, senior, finance and strategy, entrepreneurship and venture innovation; Brennen Beck, junior, strategy, entrepreneurship and venture innovation
- Forya utilizes AI to help small business owners save time and money by generating and posting social media content. Distinct from other generative marketing software, Forya pulls from an image bank curated by customers and harnesses AI-based sentiment analysis to optimize content toward trends that perform best.
- $750: Ecomida — Jack Norris, senior, computer science; Amanda Thomsen, senior, economics
- Ecomida offers a hassle-free platform for businesses to sell excess food at a discount to college students instead of throwing it out.
- $500: Hang Ten — Ethan Carney, Master of Business Administration; Devin Dougherty, Master of Science in product innovation
- Hang Ten is redefining the surfing experience by bringing the beach vibe to the heart of Northwest Arkansas with a state-of-the-art facility boasting a cutting-edge indoor surfing machine that replicates the exhilarating feeling of riding ocean waves, allowing surf enthusiasts of all levels to catch the perfect wave, regardless of the season or proximity to the coast.
JUDGES
- Jeff Amerine, founder and managing director, Startup Junkie
- Chris Thompson, founder and CEO, Sober Sidekick
- Zoe Buonaiuto, associate director of business incubation, Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.