Five UMass Startups Advance to Innovation Challenge: The Final

On March 2, 2022, the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship kicked off its premier pitch event with the Innovation Challenge: Preliminary Round. Nineteen venture founders from the UMass Amherst community presented polished pitch decks and startup plans to a panel of judges, competing for a chance to earn coveted spots in the Innovation Challenge: The Final, which will take place on April 13.  

Competitor submissions included everything from a business model canvas and executive summary to prototypes and more. Each team offered a five-minute presentation, which was followed by judges’ Q+A.

The Center is proud to announce the following winning teams:

• 
  MicrobeBlaster: “MicrobeBlaster eliminates IV catheter-borne bacterial infections before they begin and will save hospitals thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Our antifouling technology will prevent bacteria from adhering to the catheter and overall prevent the formation of biofilms.”
  • Team members are Simran Jeet (biology, 2022), Sarah Kaufner (microbiology, 2022), Phoebe Lasic-Ellis (BDIC, 2023), Hayley McIsaac (biochemistry and molecular biology, 2023).

• 
  FUD: “FUD’s goal for restaurant-goers is to remove unnecessary wait times from their dining experience, allowing them to focus on the best parts of dining: family, friends, and food. FUD’s goal for full-service restaurants is to increase their revenue by maximizing their table turnover.”
  • Team members are JB Goriou (marketing and legal studies, 2021), Chris Herndon (biology and history at College of Holy Cross, 2022), Adam Kaufman, (product design at Drexel University, 2022), Andrew Zesk (computer information systems at Bentley University, 2022).

• 
  Campus Atlas: “A campus accessibility, engagement, and navigation guide designed by students, for students and the greater community, to facilitate the spreading of equal opportunity, engagement, and success. Combining modern technology with a user-first approach, we bring campus to your phones.”
  • Team members are Larry Tseng (management and computer science, 2023), Nic Asnes (computer science, 2022), Ben Burns (math and computer science, 2024), Rohan Bapat (computer science, 2022), Conlan Cesar (computer science, 2023). 

• 
  MIGCIP Innovation Labs AI-Visa: “We drive by an accomplishing motto of introducing the process and importance of the research work. MIGCIP aims to give you a reinforcing platform to connect, explore, write, and publish your own research work with the help of BEST known professors making your work worthy and up-top!”
  • Team members are Krishna Chaitanya Rao Kathala (data analytics and computational social sciences, 2022), Abhi Keerthan Rao (operations and information management, 2024), Sathvik Thogaru (data analytics, 2022), Rahul Gundeti (data analytics, 2022). 

• 
  SequesChar (Ethan Gorman, Jack Sunko, Conor McGovern, Lincoln Wiggan, Joseph Manchester, Megan Anderson): “SequesChar is transforming brewers' spent grains, the predominant physical byproduct of brewing beer, into biochar for carbon capture and soil amendment, as well as a renewable source of heat to support brewing processes.”
  • Team members are Ethan Gorman, Jack Sunko, Conor McGovern, Lincoln Wiggan, Joseph Machester, Megan Anderson (mechanical engineering, 2022).

The judges who chose the winning startups were Kersta E. Gustafson (EY), Joe Suyemoto  (counsel, IBM), Michelle Wirth (owner, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield), and Katie Wolf (COO, Transhealth Northampton).

The five winning ventures will now advance to the Innovation Challenge Final Round, which will take place at the Old Chapel in front of a live audience on April 13.