We are pleased to announce the 14 teams selected to participate in the 1st annual J-Term Startup Sprint (a.k.a. J-Sprint)! Out of nearly 80 applicants, we’ve selected the teams that best demonstrated a combination of diverse founders rooted in STEM, an aim to address a meaningful problem, and had a strong drive to secure customer input and feedback. The selected teams — comprised of NYU undergrads, grad students, and postdocs — will participate in a two-week intensive program that provides funding, startup training, and expert coaching on their venture.
J-Sprint is designed to offer NYU entrepreneurs critical training during J-term, and serve as a stepping stone toward the more extensive and rigorous Summer Launchpad accelerator later in the year. The diverse applicants represented 16 schools across NYU, with the selected teams drawn from 11 schools including Tandon, Medicine, Tisch, Steinhardt, CAS, GSAS, Stern, SPS, Courant, Shanghai, and Wagner. The selected teams also represent an even gender split between female and male co-founders.
Rebecca Silver, the Assistant Director at the Institute, shares her excitement for J-Sprint’s inaugural launch this year. “We are thrilled to bring together such a promising array of teams who represent the diversity of schools, passions, industry sectors, and cultures at NYU. We hope J-Sprint will help catalyze new ventures and technologies, and build an entrepreneurial community to support the teams through their startup journeys.”
Get to know the teams!
bLOCK&Key: A blockchain enabled door lock and security system. Ryan Steffen (Stern ‘19), Jon Kastelan (NYU ‘18)
coNART: A web platform that allows new media artists to showcase their work and network with other artists and potential clientele. Yuli Cai (Tisch ‘17), Michelle Hessel (Tisch ‘17), Izaac Crayton (Tandon ‘18)
EnVision: A mobile app that reinvents the current college search process, where college exploration is both personal and social. Sophia Lyu (Steinhardt ‘18), Mimi Ton (CAS ‘19), Aniol Saurina Maso (Steinhardt ‘18)
Food Period: Energy bites (Moon Bites), whose ingredients are based on the holistic nutrition practice of seed cycling. The bites are designed to support the female endocrine system for more regular, happier periods. Britt Martin (GSAS ‘17), Jenn Kim
iVest: An idea distribution platform and marketplace where users can build, share, and stream ideas they want to promote and invest in. Arash Asady (Stern ‘18), Sahana Athreya (GSAS ‘18), Ryan Gary (Courant ‘18), Yalin Zhang (SPS ‘18)
MecerLab: Facilitates sharing of resources across life sciences laboratories. Anastasia Maria Zavitsanou (GCAS PhD '18), Efstathios Alex Voinas, Miltiadis Marios Katsakioris
mltrons: Helps mid-size apparel retailers reduce the risk of failure in new product development through automated machine learning algorithms. Raheel Ahmad Butt (NYU Shanghai ‘18), Muddassar Sharif (NYU Shanghai ‘17)
Modern Ambisonic Solutions: Ambisonic microphone tailored for cinematographers, journalists, and game designers who wish to break into the world of VR. Gabriel Zalles (Steinhardt ‘18), Ian Anderson (Steinhardt ‘18), Charlie Mydlarz (CUSP), Spencer Capiello (Tandon ‘19)
motiVote (mV): Empowers civically engaged millennials to recruit friends to vote and incentivize them to follow through. Jessica Riegel (Wagner ‘18), Rachel Konowitz (Wagner ‘18), Emily Graham (Wagner ‘18), Adam Steinberg (Wagner ‘18)
Prometheum: Blockchain-based development tools that reward all stakeholders to power the decentralized web. Hao Jun Tan (Stern ‘20), Carlos Santos (Stern ‘17)
safer together: A mobile app that connects women/femmes to travel public transit together, thereby lessening the vulnerability experienced when traveling alone. Brittany Kendrick (Tandon ‘17), Aida Mehovic (Tandon ‘19), Emily Muggleton (Tandon ‘18), Camila Morocho (Tandon '19)
Streamline: Simplifies medical bill management by providing patients with a central online location to pay bills. Jasmyn Abrams (GCAS PhD '18), Rahayma Sheikh (CAS ‘19), Jayda Abrams, Elizabeth Fauth
Sunthetics: An emission-free precursor for nylon, creating a platform for green reactions within the chemical industry. Myriam Sbeiti (Tandon ‘18), Daniela Blanco (Tandon PhD ‘18)
WildMind: Guided outdoor adventures that disconnect you from the stresses of life while giving you insight into who you are. Daniel Wolkowitz (Courant ‘19), Jordan Golani
