Announcing the Technology Venture Competition Quarterfinalists!

The $100,000 NYU Technology Venture Competition, as part of the W.R. Berkley Innovation Lab’s $300k Entrepreneurs Challenge, serves as a catalyst for students, faculty & researchers in their efforts to commercialize their inventions/research and create new startup ventures. The winner of the 2017 Technology Venture Competition, Geopipe, founded by Thomas Dickerson and Professor Christopher Mitchell (Courant ‘15), uses algorithms and machine learning to create highly detailed virtual models of the real world. The founders of Geopipe leveraged the resources of NYU, including the Summer Launchpad, and recently went through the Techstars NYC accelerator. When asked about the Technology Venture Competition, Mitchell responded:

We had a positive experience with the challenge, both in terms of what we learned about our customer discovery process and startup plan, and in the pitch-completion components. Winning the challenge helped push us forward with Geopipe’s development and extended our runway to build a successful beta before raising our seed round.

For the 2017-2018  Technology Venture Competition, this year’s quarter-finalists have been selected and will pitch on December 15 in front of investors from many of the top NYC venture capital funds including Flybridge Capital, FirstMark Capital, General Catalyst, Comcast Ventures, Lux Capital, Digitalis Ventures, Techstars, Primary Venture Partners, Osage University Partners, Alexandria Launch Labs, RRE Ventures and others. The teams that have advanced to this next round are comprised of a diverse array of faculty, postdoctoral fellows, undergraduate and graduate students representing over seven NYU schools including Tandon, CUSP, GSAS, Courant, Wagner, Dentistry and Steinhardt. Congratulations to all the teams advancing to the next stage, including:

• Deepmagic: deepmagic is designing Artificial Intelligence and IoT technology for mobile commerce and retail.
• DeepSense: An AI-enabled sensor that listens to manufacturing machinery and automatically identifies malfunctions, providing early alert and optimized maintenance scheduling.
• Mighty Motors: Mighty Motors created an electric motor to strengthen the worlds transition to electrical energy.
• MR Technologies: Building a technology which materially improves the information provided to clinicians.  It offers superior results, and faster turnarounds at a lower cost.
• Multicorder Science Corporation: An affordable educational tool that aims to bring hands-on science labs to students who might not otherwise have access to them.
• Pairi: An app-based marketplace that matches freelance, student labor with local demand, thereby bringing a community together and making it possible to find assistance with everyday tasks.
• PAYENT: A medical bill payment solution platform that offers simplified payment solutions to the complex process of out-of-pocket billing.
• qMind: Hardware solution with the quantitative means for evaluation of the quality of meditation for individuals concerned about their mental well-being.
• Relevant Motion: Relevant Motion blends evidence-based rehabilitation activities with immersive and interactive technologies for in-home or in-clinic occupational therapy.
• Rezonn Biosystems: A fiber-optic biosensor for high-throughput screening of drug candidates and point-of-care diagnostics of diseases.
• Staff Of Gandalf: An electronic transport aid that adds sensors and pulsing alerts to the white cane for visually impaired individuals.
• Sunthetics: Building an eco-friendly nylon creation technique that removes damaging fumes and greenhouse gases from the clothes manufacturing process.
• Sympal, Inc.: Sympal aligners use accurate tooth movement software technology with 3D printed mint flavored aligners infused with antimicrobial and fluoride-release properties.
• TEZCAT Biologics: Developing biologics (antibodies and monobodies) that specifically enter cancer cells, and reduce tumor burden.
• YouthLEAP: A smart bracelet that combines the function of ID cards, health trackers, polling clickers and e-payments.

All teams, whether competing in the quarter-finals or not, are encouraged to continue attending the boot camps and coaching sessions throughout the year!