2026 New Venture Competition Winners

Bio Shield transforms winery agro-waste into an innovative, edible bio-protective coating for fresh produce. Our natural, antioxidant-rich spray extends shelf life by up to 300%, replacing single-use plastics and chemical preservatives. We are building a scalable circular economy solution that turns local waste into global food security.

Shalva Iashvili

Business and Technology University Georgia

$15,000
Food Innovation 1st Place Winner ($10,000)
Global Impact Prize ($5,000)

The Rotating Tank Harvester (RTH) is a scalable, chemical-free microalgae harvesting system that induces cell self-aggregation through gentle rotation, enabling low-energy, low-cost biomass recovery. RTH preserves cell integrity and supports food- and pharmaceutical-grade processing, enabling broader and more affordable access to essential nutrients such as omega-3s from algal source.

Zishuoguo Li CCAS '29 | Anisa Anjum SEAS '29 | David Fierli SEAS | Roberto Capanna SEAS

$5,000
Food Innovation 3rd Place Winner ($5,000)

LNTCRW is expanding from a pilot project to a sustainable redistribution platform for surplus medical supplies from clinical research sites to for-profit hospitals and clinics operating on a sliding scale in underserved communities in Washington D.C. LNTCRW reduces waste, cuts clinic operating expenses, and promotes healthcare access.

Riley Lima GWSPH '26 | Aditya Loganathan GWSB '27 | Andrew Meltzer SMHS | Daniel Shpigel SMHS | Deeksha Ravi GWSPH '28

$15,000
Social Innovation 1st Place Winner ($10,000)
NextEra Innovation in Sustainability Prize ($5,000)

Nova is building a consumer-facing travel platform that connects conscious travelers directly with verified eco-lodges and community-run properties, reinvesting a portion of proceeds into an impact fund. By replacing traditional booking platforms with transparent impact verification and direct booking, Nova redirects tourism revenue to local communities and supports ethical, community-led economic development.

Chelsea Acheampong GWSB '27

$5,000
Social Innovation 3rd Place Winner ($5,000)

Kaizen replaces disconnected training logs, spreadsheets, and notebooks with an integrated performance analytics platform for track and field coaches. By consolidating workout planning, performance tracking, and results analysis, Kaizen enables coaches to spot improvement opportunities, adjust training dynamically, and consistently produce faster, stronger athletes.

Ozioma Scott GWSB '27 | Olujimi Scott

$10,000
Business Goods & Services 1st Place Winner ($10,000)

AssetReady is building an agentic AI decision-support platform that helps small- and mid-size commercial and industrial property owners reduce flood and wind hazards. Our solution identifies risks and mitigation actions and coordinates contractors, products, incentives, and insurers, replacing a fragmented process with a streamlined service.

Jay Dharmendra Parmar SEAS '28 | Nicholas Elger GWSB '23

$10,000
Business Goods & Services 3rd Place Winner ($5,000)
Best Financial Understanding Prize ($5,000)

Brāv Buddies is building an AI-powered communication intelligence platform for emergency response organizations. We transform fragmented text-based coordination into actionable deployment insights, enabling commanders to rapidly mobilize qualified personnel during crises. Starting with the Army National Guard, we're creating the 'Enhanced Signal for Emergency Response.'

Josephine Tientcheu SEAS '27 | Jonathan Maschio GWSB '27

$5,000
Best Customer Discovery Prize ($5,000)

Dear Curls is an AI-powered haircare app for people with curly and textured hair that delivers personalized, science-backed routines based on individual hair characteristics, product ingredients, and local climate. Acting as an on-demand hair coach, Dear Curls helps users achieve consistent results without relying on influencer-driven or paid advice.

Judy Marouf SEAS '26 | Riya Bundele GWSB '27 | Rand Attallah GWSB '26 | Fatimata Diagana GWSB '26

$10,000
Consumer Goods & Services 1st Place Winner ($10,000)

Shoe Shields are soccer cleat covers designed so that cold-intolerant athletes don’t miss a step. Our product provides heel-to-toe protection that keeps feet warm and dry in all weather conditions. Shoe shields work with any type of soccer cleat, allowing athletes to compete year-round without sacrificing performance.

Samuel LaRussa CCAS '28 | Erin Reeve

$5,000
Consumer Goods & Services 3rd Place Winner ($5,000)

Simply Joined designs and crafts natural wood furniture using traditional joinery techniques. Our pieces assemble and disassemble without nails or adhesives, providing both durability and easy transport. By tackling common challenges—durability, assembly, shipping, and quality—we offer furniture that is timeless, practical, and sustainable.

LiSha Powell GWSB '26

$5,500
Best Storytelling Prize ($5,000)
Viewer's Choice Award ($500)

VAMP is a mobile-first blood donation platform designed for college students. We make donating simple, social, and rewarding by helping students find nearby drives, book quickly, track the lives they impact, and earn rewards from partners. Our goal is to boost donations now and encourage lifelong giving.

Tim Kardi CCAS '28 | Ahlay Hussain | Lizzy McGillen CCAS '28 | Stefanie Podolny CCAS '28 | Faysal Alameddine

$10,000
Healthcare & Life Sciences 1st Place Winner ($10,000)

Planck Technologies is developing a portable, noninvasive brain monitoring platform for detecting cerebral blood flow changes following blast exposure. Designed for military and austere environments, the system enables earlier identification and triage of brain injury, with secondary applications in civilian emergency care and stroke assessment.

Kevin Horrigan SEAS '28

$5,000
Healthcare & Life Sciences 3rd Place Winner ($5,000)

Victory Lane, a digital marketplace for physical therapy, eliminates long waits for an appointment, patient use of insurance, and travel to a clinic by allowing injured clients to book PT care that can be provided at their chosen location.

Brooke Moses GWSPH '26 | Margaret Pittman GWSB '25 | Faisal Hussein | Ciel Vidale GWSPH '26 | Zo Amani

$5,000
Best Market Assessment Prize ($5,000)

We provide contract-based staffing for clinical trial sites conducting industry-sponsored studies. By deploying pre-trained research assistants on flexible contracts, we enable Principal Investigators to convert fixed staffing costs into variable expenses tied to enrollment periods, alleviating the financial burden of maintaining full-time staff during study gaps while ensuring immediate capacity during active trials.

Aditya Loganathan GWSB '27 | Daniel Shpigel SMHS | Andrew Meltzer SMHS | Randall Lee | Nicholas Melucci SMHS

$1,500
Explorer 1st Place Winner ($1,500)

Amid America’s growing caregiving crisis, CareCompass Health helps hospitals reduce avoidable readmissions and caregiver burnout by embedding dementia-specific navigation into Epic. By combining clinical coordination with hands-on navigator support, our platform streamlines transitions, improves outcomes, strengthens equity, and provides families with consistent guidance—turning systemic caregiving challenges into measurable hospital performance.

Riya Bagi GWSPH '26 | Sydney Hillman GWSPH '26

$500
Explorer 3rd Place Winner ($500)