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Trailblazing ideas and entrepreneurial spirit reap rewards at the 2025 NVC Finals

Karen Reid — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 03:15:09 +0000

Trailblazing ideas and entrepreneurial spirit reap rewards at the 2025 NVC Finals Karen Reid Thu, 04/24/2025 - 21:15

Heather Hansen

New Venture Challenge Deep Tech category winner Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan (alum, CU �鶹ӰԺ Physics) (left), and Joey Money, consultant, IndustriSpark (right), celebrate Precision Terra's first place win. Photo: Glenn Asakawa, CU �鶹ӰԺ.

Kickstart principal Matt Smith hands the VerEState team the $144,000 Open category first prize check . Left-right: Smith, Alec Hyde (Leeds School of Business), Nicholas Soza (Leeds School of Business) and Camden Dempsey (Leeds School of Business). Photo: Glenn Asakawa, CU �鶹ӰԺ.

The 2025 New Venture Challenge (NVC) culminated in a final showcase on April 23 with a live audience cheering on the �鶹ӰԺ’s next exciting innovations. At an event filled with big ideas and even bigger entrepreneurial spirit, six teams competed for a record $325,000.

CU �鶹ӰԺ Chancellor Justin Schwartz launched the packed event at the �鶹ӰԺ Theater to celebrate the 18th year of CU �鶹ӰԺ’s top-ranked entrepreneurial competition. He said that, while it was his first NVC as chancellor, “Even before I arrived on campus, I’d heard all about New Venture Challenge and its incredible success in developing our next generation of bold entrepreneurs.”

Schwartz told the cheering crowd that over 1,200 new ventures have competed to date and NVC has awarded just under $2 million in funding. “This has helped us launch some of the most promising startups to emerge from CU �鶹ӰԺ,” he said.

NVC is a “star in a constellation of events and programs that support entrepreneurs across our campus and our community,” said Schwartz, and is made possible by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, which works closely with many partners across the entire campus. “We are united by a singular goal to cultivate the next generation of creative, courageous, tenacious, entrepreneurial leaders,” he said.

Schwartz introduced Stan Hickory, director of NVC and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative. Hickory attributed NVC’s success to the connection between the university and �鶹ӰԺ’s robust startup community. “We have this ecosystem that is second to none in this nation, I guarantee it. Last year, 35 startups launched on CU IP through Venture Partners at CU �鶹ӰԺ,” he said. “We also have a huge number of people in our ecosystem that are part of what we do;, in terms of mentors, judges and volunteers, we literally could not make what happens here happen without all of you out there.”

A new generation of founders

The New Venture Challenge is a signature program of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative and is CU �鶹ӰԺ’s launchpad for those striving to make real-world impact through new endeavors. The program gives aspiring problem-solvers and creatives a chance to build impactful non-profit or for-profit ventures through entrepreneurial events and programming, community support, mentorship and—ultimately—the chance to compete for funding. The 2025 NVC finalists emerged from a field of 104 ventures with 264 participants shining a light on the success and ingenuity of students and faculty.

That growth in the number and quality of NVC teams led to this year’s record level of investment. “I think the shift really is the investment community recognizing that there are legitimate, investable businesses coming out of the NVC,” he said. “In the coming years, other investors will start saying, ‘Hey, I want to be a part of this too’.”

Bryn Rees, associate vice chancellor of innovation and partnerships, announced a new twist to this year’s competition. The six teams would pitch on two distinct tracks. The Deep Tech category featured ventures based on scientific or technological innovations developed using fundamental scientific disciplines. The Deep Tech category was offered in partnership with Venture Partners at CU �鶹ӰԺ. Ventures beyond Deep Tech criteria competed in the Open category. Both tracks were open to companies launched by students, faculty and staff. “You’re in for a real treat. We’ve got some awesome companies and some amazing pitches,” said Rees.

The quality of past NVC participants and the proven strength of startup creation at CU �鶹ӰԺ has attracted entities like Kickstart, a seed-stage venture capital firm, which sponsored this year’s “Open” category winner (for the second year in a row). And this year, for the first time, D4 investments, a firm looking for “ambitious startups in emerging tech” sponsored the “Deep Tech” winner.

Innovations aimed at improving the world

Co-emcees Dianne Myles, CEO of Human Focused Media and Albus Brooks (alum, ‘01) kept the energy up as they introduced the judges of the “Deep Tech” venture pitches, including Kelly Coyne, venture capitalist, D4 Investments; Joey Money, consultant, IndustriaSpark; Ameen Saafir, CEO and co-founder, Tynt Technologies; and Blair Simpson, principal, Denver Angels.

Judges in the “Open” category included Zaneta Kelsey, co-founder and CEO, Access Mode; David Mandell, managing director, Massive; Matt Smith, principal, Kickstart; and Jesus Soto, managing partner, 14 Founders.

The Deep Tech pitches included ventures focused on IP originating from CU �鶹ӰԺ, including tech related to disguising cellular communications (GhostCo), improving GPS quality (PrecisionTerra) and boosting scalability in quantum computing (Icarus Quantum).

In the Open category, three founders presented new solutions for simplifying drone operation for emergency operations (Odin Autonomy), modernizing real estate transactions (Ver Estate) and improving sales intelligence (Measures AI).

Throughout the night, teams showed a strong desire to offer solutions to make existing systems better. Take Odin Autonomy and its CEO and founder Hunter Ray (PhD, Aerospace Engineering). As a first responder in �鶹ӰԺ County, he used drones to fight fires and look for missing people, but noticed that it often takes several trained people to manage a single aircraft. The company was born from a desire to turn cutting-edge research into real-world impact. “We're developing technology that allows drones to work more independently so firefighters, search teams and law enforcement can focus on the mission, not the controls,” said Ray.

And PrecisionTerra, with founder and CEO Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan (alum, CU �鶹ӰԺ Physics) is focused on commercializing a cutting-edge software solution that enhances coverage in GPS-degraded environments where weak signals undermine performance for mapping, autonomous vehicles and military operations.

The perfect launchpad

For Hickory, one of the most interesting aspects of programs like NVC is that, “it’s not just about starting a company, it’s become this opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.” He said, “It doesn't matter if you're a business, law or art student, the question is how to identify and solve problems? Having that capacity, especially today, that's going to be key.”

Poolad Imany (postdoctoral associate, NIST, Quantum Nanophotonics Group), Icarus Quantum founder and CEO, agreed. “CU has emerged as a hotbed for starting a company. I encourage students to take advantage of these resources and participate in these classes, even if they’re only curious,” he said. “Entrepreneurship skills can have a huge impact on any aspect of your life.”

For VerEstate’s CEO, Camden Dempsey, “CU �鶹ӰԺ has been the perfect launchpad.” He said, “There’s a real ecosystem here that supports bold ideas and scrappy teams….There’s a lot of freedom to take risks here—and that’s what entrepreneurship is all about.”

2024 NVC Finals Prizes

The judges praised team presentations and queried each founder about their business concepts. After a deliberation period, the winners were announced, and confetti rained down on the stage. Each finalist walked away with a check—the two top teams in each category netted $144,000 a piece, and the additional four teams split $32,000 in prize money. The $5,000 audience choice award went to VerEstate.

New Venture Challenge Deep Tech category judges Blair Simpson, principal, Denver Angels (left), and Joey Money, consultant, IndustriSpark (right), celebrate as D4 investments partner Kelly Coyne (center, left) hands Precision Terra founder and CEO Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan (alum, CU �鶹ӰԺ Physics) her $144,000 first prize check. Photo: Glenn Asakawa, CU �鶹ӰԺ.

Deep Tech Category

$144,000 First Place Prize: PrecisionTerra

Team: Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan (alum, CU �鶹ӰԺ Physics), Dr. Dmitriy Zusin (LumenAstra)

Solo founder and CEO Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan is focused on improving GPS signals, for safety and efficiency. “Think collision avoidance for autonomous vehicles, autonomous planting and harvesting operations for large-scale farming, and military navigation in active war zones,” she said.

$10,000 Second Place Prize: Icarus Quantum

Team: Poolad Imany (postdoctoral associate, NIST), Fateme Mahdikhany (University of Arizona), Brad Werner (professor, Leeds School of Business)

This company’s groundbreaking optical interconnect technology establishes an essential foundation to reliably network quantum computers. “We started Icarus to build a machine that solves many of the pressing challenges of humankind,” said founder and CEO, Poolad Imany. “Our work leads to designing new drugs, materials and optimization algorithms, drastically changing the computing landscape with orders of magnitude more efficiency.”

$6,000 Third Place Prize: GhostCo

Team: Dr. Keith Gremban (Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research), Loren Buck (The Rubicon Group), Dr. Jody Neel (Cognitive Radio Technologies)

GhostCo works to ensure U.S. soldiers, businesses and non-governmental organizations can safely use 5G cellular networks. “Ghost is a software application that runs on your smartphone, and it hides your identity and obscures your activities,” said co-founder and CEO Keith Gremban.

Open Category

$144,000 First Place Prize: VerEstate

Team: Camden Dempsey (Leeds School of Business), Alec Hyde (Leeds School of Business) and Nicholas Soza (Leeds School of Business)

This venture with its all-in-one digital platform is reinventing title insurance to make home sales smarter, faster and more cost-effective, helping more people access home ownership. “Our tech brings transparency and speed to something that’s been a black box for too long. If we can help even one first-time homebuyer feel confident instead of overwhelmed, that’s a win,” said founder Camden Dempsey.

$10,000 Second Place Prize: Measures AI

Team: Beckett Hyde (College of Engineering and Applied Science), Gus Cedergrund (College of Engineering and Applied Science), Cameron Davis (College of Engineering and Applied Science), Caleb Kumar (College of Engineering and Applied Science), Will Dravenstott (College of Engineering and Applied Science)

This sales intelligence tool aims to “measure everything” to give insights crucial to any company’s strategy. “People buy from us because we enable their team and entire company to understand how sales affect them,” said Gus Cedergrund, founder and COO.

$6,000 Third Place Prize: Odin Autonomy

Team: Hunter Ray (College of Engineering and Applied Science), Zakariya Laouar (College of Engineering and Applied Science), Benjamin Kraske (College of Engineering and Applied Science)

Odin Autnomy is working to transform drones from “tools to teammates” for first responders. “By making this technology simpler and more powerful, we enable faster, more coordinated action in the field,” said co-founder and CEO, Hunter Ray. “That means safer responders and most importantly, more lives saved.”

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RSVP for the NVC Finals on April 23!

Karen Reid — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 17:00:33 +0000

RSVP for the NVC Finals on April 23! Karen Reid Mon, 03/17/2025 - 11:00

RSVP for the NVC Finals on April 23 to watch top entrepreneurs pitch their innovative business ventures live to a panel of judges and compete for a share of $325,000!

This year's program highlights include:

Opening remarks by CU �鶹ӰԺ Chancellor Justin Schwartz
Dynamic emcees Albus Brooks and Dianne Myles
New this year: the Deep Tech Category, in partnership with Venture Partners at CU �鶹ӰԺ
Special appearances by the winners of our Specialty NVC Competitions:
Vocal performance by the In the Buff A Capella Group
Winners of the 2025 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards
Live audience voting for the $5,000 Audience Choice Award

Mark your calendar to be part of the 18th annual New Venture Challenge!

Date: Wednesday, April 23
Time: 6-9 p.m.
Location: The �鶹ӰԺ Theater

RSVP Today!

�鶹ӰԺ the New Venture Challenge (NVC)

The New Venture Challenge (NVC)—a signature program of CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative—is a launchpad for aspiring problem-solvers and creatives. Participants have the opportunity to build impactful ventures through entrepreneurial events and programming, community support, mentorship and the chance to compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding!

In partnership with

RSVP for the NVC Finals on April 23 to watch top entrepreneurs pitch their innovative business ventures live to a panel of judges and compete for a share of $325,000!

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Important Competition Dates and Deadlines

Karen Reid — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:32 +0000

Important Competition Dates and Deadlines Karen Reid Thu, 02/20/2025 - 12:33

To help you stay on track, we're sharing some key dates and deadlines

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New Venture Challenge Women Founders Competition Finals on March 20

Karen Reid — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:04:12 +0000

New Venture Challenge Women Founders Competition Finals on March 20 Karen Reid Thu, 02/20/2025 - 11:04

Top student and faculty startups founded by women will pitch their business ideas to a panel of esteemed judges and you, a live audience. Come support the next big CU �鶹ӰԺ innovations as we give away $15,000 in funding!

The Women Founders Competition of the New Venture Challenge (NVC) is a multi-round entrepreneurial competition and signature program of CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, led in collaboration with the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship.

Event specifics:

Doors open at 5:15 p.m. for refreshments and networking.
Each attendee must register for their own ticket.
Attendees must register in advance.
Seating is limited, and at-the-door registration is not guaranteed.
If you are unable to join us after registering, please let us know as soon as possible.

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Discover Some of Our Buff-led Startups

Karen Reid — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 17:55:55 +0000

Discover Some of Our Buff-led Startups Karen Reid Thu, 02/20/2025 - 10:55

Many CU �鶹ӰԺ students, faculty, staff and alums have turned novel ideas into successful startups. Last year was a record-breaking year, and the list of innovative companies is ever-expanding. Here are some highlights from our Buff community.

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Why startups can be the best places to work

Karen Reid — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 17:58:57 +0000

Why startups can be the best places to work Karen Reid Tue, 02/11/2025 - 10:58

Startups are typically fast growing and young companies with innovative ideas for breaking into their markets. Startups can be fascinating companies to work at with a variety of perks! Learn about some standout traits of working at a startup.

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Missed Startups2Students? Here's What You Need to Know!

Karen Reid — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 19:40:45 +0000

Missed Startups2Students? Here's What You Need to Know! Karen Reid Sat, 02/08/2025 - 12:40

We had an amazing turnout for one of our best Startups2Students yet on January 29! Thank you to the 10 startups and nearly 300 students who were in attendance!

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Registration Opens for the Women Founders Competition on Feb. 8

Karen Reid — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 19:51:52 +0000

Registration Opens for the Women Founders Competition on Feb. 8 Karen Reid Fri, 02/07/2025 - 12:51

The Women Founders Competition of the New Venture Challenge (NVC) is a multi-round entrepreneurial competition. Teams with at least one core team member who is a woman can participate in this specialty competition and win a share of $15,000!

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Last Call: Registration Closes on Feb. 8 for the New Venture Challenge

Karen Reid — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 19:56:38 +0000

Last Call: Registration Closes on Feb. 8 for the New Venture Challenge Karen Reid Wed, 02/05/2025 - 12:56

�鶹ӰԺ the New Venture Challenge (NVC)
The New Venture Challenge (NVC) – a signature program of the �鶹ӰԺ's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative — is a launchpad for aspiring problem-solvers and creatives. During this multi-round, multi-event entrepreneurial competition, teams can win a share of $320,000 and pitch to a live audience at the �鶹ӰԺ Theater. Learn More

Who can participate?

Everyone at CU �鶹ӰԺ is invited to participate – current students, faculty, staff or recent graduates. NVC participants can earn a microcredential while gaining experience in creating a startup venture.

How Does it Work?

Participants can compete in one of two NVC categories:

Deep Tech Category – for ventures built around a scientific or technological innovation that has been developed using fundamental scientific disciplines
Open Category – for ventures not meeting the Deep Tech criteria

Specialty Competition Opportunities

Additionally, NVC offers two specialty competition opportunities:

Social Impact New Venture Challenge – for ventures that want to create a positive social impact
Women Founders Competition – for teams with at least one core team member who is a woman

✳️ Application deadline: Feb. 8, 2025. Register Now
🌟 Get promotional materials to share this opportunity

Registration closes at 3 p.m. on Feb. 8! Last call to pitch your innovative idea at an NVC Competition and have a chance to win a share of $320,000!

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Meet Your Mentor at the NVC Venture Mentor Matching Mixer on Feb. 20!

Karen Reid — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 17:50:58 +0000

Meet Your Mentor at the NVC Venture Mentor Matching Mixer on Feb. 20! Karen Reid Tue, 02/04/2025 - 10:50

NVC Competitors: Get ready for an NVC Venture Mentor Matching Mixer—the ultimate kickoff to the 2024 season!

Join past NVC trailblazers, mentors and fellow competitors for a night of pizza, camaraderie and mentor matching. It's not just an event; it's a community builder where ideas flourish. Connect, celebrate and set the stage for your NVC journey. Let the season begin with a bang. You will have 60 seconds to pitch your venture so that mentor matching is a snap.

NVC Mentors: This is your chance to meet some of the ventures competing in the NVC this year and see if you can lend a hand in guiding their journey. Listen to 60-second pitches and chat with ventures in your wheelhouse.

And food will be provided by T/aco!

👤—This event is for teams competing in the New Venture Challenge competitions.

💡—Team building, networking and mentorship.

🔔—Attendees must register in advance. Seating is limited.

Join past NVC trailblazers, mentors and fellow competitors for a night of pizza, camaraderie and mentor matching.

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