2012 Competitors
Teams competing in the Global Venture Labs Investment Competition are listed in the division and order they will be presenting in during the Opening Round.
Division I
Kentucky Chia
University of Louisville
Kentucky Chia will become the exclusive distributor of American-grown chia seeds in the $40B US equine industry. Chia seeds are an ancient super-food rich in fiber, antioxidants, and Omega-3s. Our unique line of patent pending seeds enables domestic production in the US for the first time.
Zack Pennington, Joanna Cruz, Keith Starling, Scott Serdoz
Faculty Adviser: Van Clouse
Havtek
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Havtek will provide technological solutions of high quality to the fish farming industry. The first product, El-Net, is an automatic and continuous surveillance of the net so that holes can be detected when they occur and the fish farmers can act immediately and prevent fish from escaping.
Sven Jørund Kolstø, Håvard Haraldsen, Ole Andreas Lo
Faculty Adviser: Øystein Widding
Solvert
University of Manitoba, Canada
Solvert is a green building product company commercializing cement replacement products using geopolymer technology. Solvert’s first product is GeoTop – the greenest countertop on the market with 95% recycled materials including 100% post-consumer recycled glass. The countertop market is worth $19.3 billion and growing 4.8% annually.
Gary Gervais, Raif Richardson, Brady Fisher, Jeremy Muzyka, Elena Roussak
Faculty Adviser: Jerrod Falk
Innophene
Thammasat University, Thailand
Innophene, a patent pending oxide free Graphene conductive ink technology is 90% cheaper than the current solution, widely applicable and with transparency benefit. We initially serve the RFID and OLED market segments with cost reduction and transparency propositions. This RFID and OLED opportunity is worth $2.3Bn, growing at 130%.
Tirawin Yenprateep, Suthida Paisarnfuengfong, Preaw Kraturerk, Thanyathon Pluemmanus
Faculty Adviser: Pete Puk Nuchanatanon
Sensorius
Sasin Graduate Institute, Thailand
Sensorius’ vision is to improve quality of life through innovative technology that detects dangerous chemical contamination in air, along with continuous research to extend its ability to detect other contaminants that could be harmful to life. Sensorius introduces SentryPost™, the first and only gel-based toxic gas detection platform that adopts innovative SentryGel™ and spectrophotometry to detect and measure toxic air contamination levels.
Santi Prichavongwaikul, Donsiri Aromsook, Sarawud Kongkiattiwong, Supanee Boonchoo, Arada Phumisingharaj
Faculty Adviser: Nick Pisalyaput
Division II
CarbonZero
Universidad del Valle, Colombia
CarbonZero brings solutions to individual mitigation needs in climate change through sowing efficient in carbon capture plants, with novel commercialization system at the source of emissions as gas station or energy bills with information about carbon emitted and its mitigation and a proprietary massive in-vitro reproduction system.
Francisco Alvarez, Gustavo Vasquez, Alvaro Herrera
Faculty Adviser: Javier Medina
Paramaxx
Thammasat University, Thailand
Paramaxx has a proprietary technology, GS1, with the ability to extract valuable natural minerals such as magnesium, nitrogen and phosphorus at 99% purity and 70% lower cost vs. mining. It does this by extracting minerals from industrial waste, a common residual waste from processing agricultural and aquaculture commodities such as rubber, palm oil, seafood and rice and supplying to the commodities market, an opportunity worth $2Bn.
Samon Suthidachanai, Chomphunuth Nateecharuchit, Pimchayaa Chatchaidamrong
Faculty Adviser: Sarawut Dussadeewuttikul
Corrosion Solutions
University of Oregon
Corrosion Solutions provides a surface treatment improving corrosion resistance for stainless steel in high-temperature environments. Applications of this technology include next-generation power plant components such as heat exchangers and turbines and consumer products such as BBQ grills. Companies can use our solution to lower raw material costs or increase durability.
Jake Heckathorn, Brian Oehler, Jeff Matthews
Faculty Adviser: Don Upson
Bio-Fiend
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais/Fundacao Getulio Vargas, Brazil
We have developed a process which allows waste glycerin from biodiesel production to be turned into a variety of products. We chose Fragdust, a new dust suppressor, as our first product. It aims to reduce iron ore loss during transportation, a relevant problem of the mining sector.
Aluir Purceno, Pedro Vidigal, Carla Leite, Fernanda Vidal, Jamerson Gomes
Faculty Advisers: Rochel Lago and Rene Rodrigues Fernandes
NuMat Technologies
Northwestern University
NuMat Technologies’ mission is to enable world-changing clean energy technologies that critically depend on novel materials precisely engineered on the atomic scale.
Tabrez Ebrahim, Chris Wilmer
Faculty Adviser: Randall Snurr
Division III
Flue-tubes
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Flue-tubes is an innovative process which combines the growing demand for carbon-nanotubes and the urgent need for reduction of carbon emissions. The roots of our business plan lie in the invention of a revolutionary process of producing high quality carbon nanotubes using industrial flue gas at drastically cheap prices.
Kabeer Chaudhary, Akhil Mehta, Siddharth Sachdev, Vivek Nair
Faculty Adviser: Vijay Sethi
Aloha Composite Solutions
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Aloha Composite Solutions markets performance based contracts coupled with ultra-light cargo containers that enable airlines to realize a guaranteed fuel cost reduction each year with zero upfront capital expenditure. Revenue is earned when airlines pay the company a portion of the related fuel cost savings while realizing a net reduction of their largest unpredictable expense—fuel.
Greg Judd, Aaron Cates, Karol Zemier, Andrew Strother
Faculty Adviser: John Butler
ZIG CONTROLS
Centro Global de Innovación y Emprendimiento, A.C., Mexico
This technology is a power management product that uses the cheaper rates from the power company. It also lets you control all your equipment and see the consumption from each device.
Alan Quiroga, Jorge Morales, Jorge Romero, Marissa Lopez, Claudia Rios
Faculty Adviser: Carlos Ross
Sustainable Agriculture Solutions
Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia
SAS will produce an enhanced-efficiency fertilizer that incorporates a patented nanotechnology called CDS®. This technology protects the crop nutrients until they are delivered to the right place, at the right time and in the required quantity. The product will generate savings in fertilizer cost, increase productivity and safeguard the environment.
Hector Acuna, Juan Rivera, Pedro Rivera, German Moreno, Luisa Moreno
Faculty Adviser: Jorge Hernandez
Division IV
PartiePoche
Loyola Marymount University
PartiePoche is a novel women's fashion accessory that holds a woman’s three essentials, designed specially to resolve the drawbacks of carrying a handbag. Much like a garter, PartiePoche is worn under or beneath a dress or skirt with its most salient characteristics being fashion and function.
Connor Pastoor, Jillian Jaccard
Faculty Adviser: Fred Kiesner
Shake Smart
San Diego State University
Shake Smart is a company that provides freshly blended protein shakes for today’s on-the-go consumer. Each product has 30+ grams of protein and is low in sugar, calories and carbohydrates. We locate conveniently for consumers, in front of college recreation centers and gyms in shopping malls.
Ryan Ross, Kevin Gelfand, Martin Reiman
Faculty Adviser: Bernhard Schroeder
Fashion Forward Maternity
University of Michigan
Fashion Forward Maternity is a woman-owned start-up company, a boutique-style e-commerce rental business of maternity-related clothing and accessories. We meet a fundamental but unmet need - the need for a pregnant or nursing woman to have a specialized wardrobe that grows and changes with her evolving shape and size or with her preference.
Tim Faley
Faculty Adviser: Erin Lewis
Foodtrucks
Universidad Austral, Argentina
Our company will adapt an already successful business model in the US to developing markets, which consists in the sale of fresh, fast-to-prepare, high quality food that reaches the consumer through mobile trucks located in strategic points in metropolitan areas, leveraged on social media marketing.
Franco Ferraro, Matías Carrera, Tomás Rodrigué, Francisco Tellechea, Juan Pablo Aguerreberry
Faculty Adviser: Juan Martín Rodríguez
Per'Fit
EMLYON Business School, France
Shopping can be a very frustrating experience, especially when it’s difficult to find clothes and apparel that actually fit. Retailers are desperately seeking new ways to increase sales, reduce returns and increase their customer loyalty. Per’Fit revolutionizes the way consumers shop by matching them with garments and apparel that suit and fit them without any hassle. Per’Fit also helps retailers better cater to their customers’ needs, while offering them a new and personalized experience.
Nadine Callcutt, Stephane Courcombette, Jean Pierre Marques Gomes
Faculty Adviser: Rickie Moore
Division V
SpatiaLink Solutions
University of Arkansas
Retail shelf out-of-stock is costing product manufacturers an estimated $98 billion annually in lost sales. SpatiaLink is reinventing the shelf planning process by integrating with the supply chain to improve on-shelf availability. Our trade-secret algorithms optimize product assortment to maximize retail sales and market share for product manufacturers.
Aaron Huffaker, Bethany Haefner, Steve Fortner, John Miller, Nate Allen
Faculty Adviser: Carol Reeves
iSpies
Kennesaw State University
iSpies™ is a free, location-based game that leverages GPS connectivity in modern smart phones to create marketing opportunities by directing players to locations where retailers can solicit sales. Players compete to decrypt a secret password by completing real-world missions. The first team to successfully decrypt the password wins the round.
Jason George, Kevin George, Jay Brown, Joyce Bone
Faculty Adviser: Charles Hofer
LeiCMOS
Wissenschaftliche Hochschule fur Untemehmensfuhrung, Germany
The venture aims to introduce a disruptive technology developed by the team members for the mobile devices market. It enables mobile devices to send and receive higher data volumes at higher speed and significant cost reductions in production.
Stefan Mader
Faculty Adviser: Karl Dieterich
eyeQ
University of Texas at Austin
eyeQ provides retailers the ability to monitor consumer purchasing behavior, generate retail business intelligence and influence consumer purchasing at the shelf; increasing sales for the brick-and-mortar retailer. Essentially, eyeQ takes what the consumer and retailer like about their Amazon.com shopping experience and brings that into the brick-and-mortar retailer.
Michael Garel
Faculty Adviser: Rob Adams
Qualaris Healthcare Solutions
Carnegie Mellon University
Qualaris Healthcare Solutions, Inc. offers a multi-million dollar opportunity to hospitals through our patient safety software platform. Our system monitors and improves clinical practices through intelligent information delivery to save patient lives.
James Wolfe, Daniel Bishop, Scott Fisk, Craig Teegarden
Faculty Adviser: Art Boni
Division VI
FlexLeg
Brigham Young University
FlexLeg is a revolutionary crutch alternative that seeks to replace crutches and knee scooters as the mobility device of choice for those with lower leg injuries. The company has drawn upon prosthetic technology to provide a stable, hands-free mobility solution for temporarily injured patients.
Seth Gonzalez
Faculty Adviser: Tom Peterson
LEMM Technologies
Purdue University
LEMM Technologies, LLC is a start-up medical device company. The company’s mission is to develop non-invasive devices for sensitive blood glucose analysis. LEMM Technologies’ exclusive invention SubtleSense uses the near infrared light to measure the concentration of glucose in the body non-invasively.
Marcus Kramer, Rush Bartlett
Faculty Adviser: Alyssa Panitch
Boston Mountain Biotech
University of Arkansas
Our mission at Boston Mountain Biotech is to simplify protein pharmaceutical production so that these drugs can be moved from bench-top to patient. To do this, we provide custom E. coli cell lines that make clean proteins faster, with fewer losses, and more cost effectively.
Ellen Brune, Ricky Draehn, Stuart Brune
Faculty Adviser: Carol Reeves
Salveo Vascular
Johns Hopkins University
Salveo Vascular’s mission is to prevent the unnecessary death and suffering of healthcare’s most vulnerable patients. We have invented the Sonicade, an accessory that attaches to any central venous catheter and uses high-frequency vibrations to reduce the risk of infections and blockages.
Nathaniel Moller, Adam Clark, Shuja Dawood
Faculty Adviser: Lawrence Aronhime
Division VII
Innovostics
Johns Hopkins University
Innovostics is a for-profit social venture providing point-of-care diagnostic technologies to save patient lives around the globe. Using a unique microfluidics platform and design, our tests will provide accurate, inexpensive and rapid results. Currently, we are developing the FeverPoint™, a rapid diagnostic test for acute fever to differentiate between bacterial, viral and parasitic infection.
Martin Omid Akhavan, James Barger
Faculty Adviser: Lawrence Aronhime
Timamu Food Solutions
Colorado State University
Timamu Food Solutions dedicates itself to increasing access to affordable, nutritious foods tailored to meet local needs that improve chronic child malnutrition throughout East Africa. Timamu delivers highly nutritious and competitively priced porridge flour for children aged 6 to 59 months whose nutrition needs are not being met in the market.
Laura Arendacs, Meghan Coleman, Liz Gicharu
Faculty Adviser: Carl Hammerdorfer
ReceBuy
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
ReceBuy is an online business model which combines two well-proven concepts, auctioning and factoring, and thus creates a new type of business catered to an untargeted market segment in Hong Kong. SMEs are provided with an online platform, which allows them to auction off their receivables to mostly private individuals and thereby enhance cash-flow, guarantee liquidity and mitigate risk for a small premium. In turn, consumers can earn a decent return on their auctioned receivables as compared to the abysmal interest rates in Hong Kong.
Matthias Brock, Oliver Padmaperuma, Christian Seurig
Faculty Adviser: David Ahlstrom
Robertson International Academy
Bond University, Australia
Robertson International Academy will be a pre-university college, offering courses designed to promote and enhance educational outcomes for international students from ages 14-18. The Academy will be an elite academic provider that delivers tailored courses using the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, English Language Development (ELICOS) and a Diploma of Business.
Shilo Mahoney
Faculty Adviser: Baden U'Ren
Learning DifferentiatED
University of Arkansas
Learning DifferentiatED has developed a software program, manaGED Prep, that is based on our President’s adult education expertise. The manaGED Prep program will streamline the current GED preparation process, reducing student preparation times by 25 percent while increasing student retention rates thereby increasing profits for our customers – adult education schools.
Barry James, Brandon Hill, Senthil Raman, Brandon Wright
Faculty Adviser: Carol Reeves
Division VIII
Ischiban- Neural Engineering Systems
University of Cincinnati
Ischiban is a medical device startup company. Our Mantra is "Saving time, money and lives through neural connections”. Our mission is to develop comprehensive diagnostic and monitoring systems for emergency, mobile and long-term applications to aid in the assessment of neurological status for conditions like stroke.
Pooja Kadambi, Ronald Meyers, Joseph Lovelace, Aaron Kurosu
Faculty Adviser: Charles Matthews
Athena Laboratories
University of Texas at Austin
Athena Laboratories is a medical device company providing a patented laser technology to physicians. The laser will be sold under the name FemtoSmooth™ and will be used to treat cellulite in a minimally invasive manner. The treatment differentiates from competing products based on efficacy, shorter duration of treatment and pain.
Ravine Woods, Albert Alvarez, Wendy Wu, Wendell Johnson, Wayne Whitmire
Faculty Adviser: Gary Cadenhead
NovoView Diagnostics
University of Illinois at Chicago
NovoView Diagnostics is a medical device company created to assess the risk for stroke through conjunctival blood flow measurement. By building on the known correlation between blood flow in the eye and the brain, NovoView’s EyeFlow™ device will provide a quick, non-invasive and effective measurement of stroke risk.
Dominic Blank, Michelle Shah, Joseph Sheahan
Faculty Adviser: Rod Shrader
EpiQi Sciences
Brigham Young University
EpiQi Sciences is a drug repositioning firm formed to reposition an already FDA approved drug from its existing disease to treat anemia of chronic Inflammation (ACI). After a projected three-year window to complete repositioning, EpiQi Sciences will license its patent rights to pharmaceutical companies and collected royalties over an extended patent life.
Dean Graham, Rob Hilton
Faculty Adviser: Tom Peterson
Participating Universities
Argentina
Universidad Austral
IAE Business School
Australia
Bond University
School of Business
Brazil Fundacao Getulio Vargas
Escola de Administracao de Empresas de Sao Paulo
Canada
University of Manitoba
Asper School of Business
China
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Center for Entrepreneurship
Colombia
Universidad de los Andes
School of Management
Universidad del Valle
School of Business Administration
France
EMLYON Business School
The Entrepreneurship Centre
Germany
Wissenschaftliche Hochschule fur Untemehmensfuhrung
Otto Beisheim School of Management
Mexico
Centro Global de Innovación y Emprendimiento, A.C.
Advanced Materials Research Center
Norway Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Dept. of Industrial Economics & Technology Mgmt.
Singapore Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Business School
Thailand
Sasin
Graduate Institute
Thammasat University
The Graduate School
United States of America
Brigham Young University
Marriott School of Management
Carnegie Mellon University
Tepper School of Business
Colorado State University
College of Business
Johns Hopkins University
Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design
Kennesaw State University
Coles College of Business
Loyola Marymount University
College of Business
Northwestern University
Schools of Management, Law, Engineering and Arts and Sciences
Purdue University
Biomedical Engineering
San Diego State University
College of Business
University of Arkansas
Sam M. Walton College of Business
University of Cincinnati
Lindner College of Business
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Shidler College of Business
University of Illinois at Chicago
Liautaud Graduate School of Business
University of Louisville
College of Business
University of Michigan
Ross School of Business
University of Oregon
Lundquist College of Business
University of Texas at Austin
McCombs School of Business