Congratulations to our Finalists!

Congrats to the 6 finalists who were amongst 36 teams in the first university-wide idea competition. Thanks to the phenomenal teams that participated, our panels of judges, and all who volunteered. Without your support, this challenge would not have been a success!

The NUVC final round will take place on May 11th starting at 1:00PM at:
McCormick Tribune Center
1870 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208

Please click here for a detailed schedule of the Final Round

Please join us in congratulating the 6 finalist teams in this year’s NU Venture Challenge!

Biotic Laboratories

Team Members

  • Craig Lan - Kellogg
  • Makiko Yamashita - Kellogg
  • Andrew Chen - Kellogg
  • Dean Ho - Faculty
  • Eric Pierstorff - Faculty
  • Edward Chow - Faculty (UCLA)

Business Idea

Biotic Laboratories presents PromericOnco, an innovative implantable patch, to improve cancer survival following tumor removal surgery. Due to the high rate of tumor reoccurrence following cancer surgery, currently chemotherapy is delivered intravenously to minimize tumor re-growth. PromericOnco offers a new chemo-eluting platform to attack tumor residual in a more direct and efficient method.

 

Element Bars

Team Members

  • Jonathan Miller - Kellogg
  • Jonathan Kelley - McCormick
  • Kristen Laursen - Kellogg
  • Maria Sutanto - Graduate (UChicago)

Business Idea

From non-fat, no foam soy Ventis at Starbucks to computers built by Dell, Americans are increasingly demanding customized product. At the same time, the majority of Americans care about nutrition, but are looking for convenient solutions. Element Bars meets the intersection of these two trends by offering custom energy/protein bars. With a simple, yet fun web interface, users can select ingredients from soy protein, to dried fruits and nuts to include in their own custom energy bar that meets their individual tastes and nutritional needs.

 

Februus

Team Members

  • Michael Beltran - McCormick
  • Sam Pickerill - McCormick
  • Amy Helenbrook - Kellogg
  • Arjun Venkatesh - Feinberg
  • David Rosenthal - Feinberg
  • Xiaolei Zhang - Kellogg

Business Idea

Februus has prototyped the HandiBand Antisepsis Delivery System which will revolutionize hand sanitation in healthcare environments. Proper hand hygiene is proven to reduce infections and costs to hospitals, yet nationwide compliance is still ~50%. Our product is an inexpensive, disposable, user worn bracelet which distributes hand sanitizing gel, incorporating the activity directly into normal workflow for simplified hand sanitation.

 

Opthometrics

Team Members

  • Evan Meagher - Kellogg
  • William Thorpe

Business Idea

Opthometrics, Inc. ("OI" or the "Company") is a medical device development company based on proprietary technology that enables precise measurement and analysis of a subject's eye movements. This platform technology allows screening for a variety of medical conditions, starting with the detection of amblyopia ("lazy eye"). Management estimates the total addressable market for this platform technology to be between $2 and $4 billion. Management anticipates that the Company will reach breakeven performance and will not require further external funding after completion of a $3.5 million Series A financing.

Passaggio

Team Members

  • Louise Giam - McCormick
  • Blake Levine - McCormick
  • Varun Kshettry - Feinberg
  • Amy Ng - Kellogg
  • Brian Flyg - Kellogg

Business Idea

Tunneling is used to create a pathway under the skin for passing a wire, catheter, or shunt from one area of the body to another. It is a common procedure performed daily at hospitals everywhere. Our product, NeuroPass, is a disposable tunneling device that gives surgeons better maneuverability and reduces complications due to its novel tip and handle designs.

 

The Next Big Sound

Team Members

  • Alex White - Undergrad
  • David Hoffman - Undergrad
  • Jason Sosnovsky - Undergrad
  • Samir Rayani - Undergrad

Business Idea

The Next Big Sound shifts the current music industry model on its head by allowing ANYONE the chance to play the role of an record executive, predicting which bands they think will become superstars. Listeners go to The Next Big Sound to hear the best unsigned music in the country. When they find a band that they believe could become the next big sound they are able to register for the site (free) and "Sign" the band to one of their limited roster spots. Once a band reaches 500 signings a music store opens where they sell their digital music. Once a band reaches 10,000 signings a full store opens online where bands can sell customizable merchandise (i.e. t-shirts, posters etc.) to the fans that pushed them to popularity and the general public.