麻豆影院

With a high-tech safety gadget for walkers, undergrads hit the jackpot in CU's latest New Venture Challenge.

Timothy Visos-Ely had a lot to celebrate in May: Not only did he and high-school sweetheart Amy Eichman (IntPhys鈥�19) both earn CU 麻豆影院 degrees, but Visos-Ely鈥檚 souped-up, midnight-gray Nissan Xterra was about ready for summer off-roading.

Also, he鈥檇 just won $100,000.

On April 3, before a live audience of about 350, Visos-Ely (EngrPlus鈥�19) and four teammates, all fellow engineering undergraduates, placed first in the 11th annual New Venture Challenge, CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 top competition for aspiring entrepreneurs.

鈥淭his means we get to have a decent shot at launching this company,鈥� said the 22-year-old Kansas-bred CEO of , a budding medical device firm that emerged from the team鈥檚 senior design project.

In all, 230 students, faculty and affiliates participated in the latest NVC, which this year awarded a record $250,000-plus from a mix of donors, companies and investors.

The StrideTech team designed a digital accessory for walkers intended to improve user health and safety. The device, SmartStep, aims to minimize falls and correct lapses in posture by assessing gait patterns and relaying real-time information about force exerted on the walker.

鈥淰ery little weight should be applied to the walker,鈥� said Visos-Ely, whose grandmother鈥檚 reliance on a walker inspired the project.

The first-place finish catapults StrideTech鈥檚 co-founders into postcollegiate life as bona fide entrepreneurs. This summer, Visos-Ely, Max Watrous (贰苍驳谤笔濒耻蝉鈥�19), Humsini Acharya (EngrPlus鈥�19) and Andrew Plum (MechEngr鈥�19) will work fulltime on their product and company as participants in Catalyze CU, a threemonth business accelerator program. [NVC teammate Tom Saunders (MechEngr鈥�19) has other plans.]

If Visos-Ely gets a breather, he鈥檒l recharge outdoors 鈥� hiking, mountain biking, tubing or off-roading in the Xterra. It鈥檚 equipped with a suspension he rebuilt himself. 鈥淚鈥檝e always liked fixing things,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he reason why I work on my truck is to make it better. I find ways to improve it. That鈥檚 kind of what inventing is 鈥� looking at what鈥檚 out there and making it better.鈥�

Learn more about the NVC at .