Published: April 13, 2021

Update April 15, 2021:ÌýKailey Shara, ATLAS PhD student and a researcher in the Emergent Nanomaterials Lab, won theÌýNVC 14 Audience Choice Award detailed below, adding $1,000 to the $11,000 she has raised for her startup, Chembotix, over the last month.

Marquee of the Â鶹ӰԺ Theatre with the NVC 14 on it with photos of Kailey Shara and Darren Sholes and their projects surrounding itOn April 13, vote for yourÌýfavorite startup, including two teams headed by ATLAS PhD students, duringÌýthe culmination of the New Venture ChallengeÌý14 season at CU Â鶹ӰԺ'sÌýNVC Championships! The winner will takeÌýhome a $1,000Ìý"Audience Choice Award."

Kailey Shara,Ìý ATLAS PhD student and a member of theÌýEmergent Nanomaterials Lab, andÌýDarren Sholes, ATLAS PhD student and a member of theÌýACME Lab, will compete along with others for the Audience Choice Award. Both Shara and Sholes won highly competitive NVC14 awards recently, with Shara taking home $5,000 during theÌýNew Venture Challenge 14 Female Founder PrizeÌýafter presenting her research, Chembotix, a robotic automation platform to dramatically speed up chemistry research and development.Ìý Sholes won first place in NVC's newcomer competition, walking away with $5,000 for LoopSketch, a program that makes it possible for musicians to remotely collaborate.

During the online event, six other finalistsÌýwill also pitch their business ideas online to a panel of judges and an audience for the opportunity to win more thanÌý$100,000 in prizes.Ìý To make it to the NVC 14 Championships (NVC skipped 13 for superstition's sake), theÌýsix startup finalists competed inÌýtwo previous competition rounds against more than 110 ventures that took part in this year's program.

ATLAS students who have successfully competed in past NVCsÌýinclude theÌýEdBoard TechnologiesÌýteam co-led byÌýCody Candler, MS-CTD '20, andÌýRuhan Yang, MS-CTD student,Ìýwinning fourth place and taking home $12,500 in NVC 12.ÌýTed Thayer, MS-CTD student, and two team members won fourth place and $7,500 at the NVC 11.Ìý

For 13 years, the NVCÌýhas been CU Â鶹ӰԺ’s premier, cross-campus entrepreneurial program andÌýcompetition, giving aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to build a startup through outstanding support and mentorship. Participants represent majors and departments from across the university. From undergraduates to graduates, PhD candidates to postdocs, and faculty to staff, everyone is invited to pitch their idea or watch and support.

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Register Now to watch the NVC 14 Championships!

When:ÌýTuesday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m.
Where:Ìývia Zoom

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