The Tulane Entrepreneurs Association (TEA) and the Freeman School’s Levy-Rosenblum Institute for Entrepreneurship announced the finalists in the 2012 Tulane Business Plan Competition and Domain Companies New Orleans Entrepreneur Challenge.
Over 50 companies from 18 universities and 3 countries applied. Below you’ll find a list and descriptions of the 3 Tulane Business Plan Competition contestants and 3 Domain Companies New Orleans Entrepreneur Challenge contestants selected to advance to the final round of competition.
The final round of competition will take place on Friday, April 13th at the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University and is open to the public. Click here for event details.
Tulane Conscious Capitalism Business Plan Competition – $50,000 Prize
Calcula, Stanford University
Calcula is developing novel urological medical devices for the removal of kidney stones without anesthesia. The opportunity is a disruption in the field of urology and has significant patient impact.
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 3 year window to complete repositioning, EpiQi Sciences will license its patent rights to pharmaceutical companies and collect royalties over an extended 20-year patent life.
SODI-CAN, Tulane University of Medicine
SODI-CAN is a dual-purpose water vessel that stores and disinfects water utilizing solar energy. The project was developed through the Tulane University School of Medicine’s Medical Science Innovation Competition in 2011, with the purpose of conceptualizing a novel method of providing clean water to people. The idea began in Tanzania, where people walk miles carrying water to-and-from water springs, only to suffer from microbial related illnesses with inadequate water disinfection. The introduction of water disinfection methods has been hindered by cost-effectiveness, design limitations, community scale-ups and cultural appropriateness.
SODI-CAN is a dual-purpose water vessel that utilizes a proven technology of solar disinfection of water, enhanced by a patented photocatalytic layer and optimized design.
Domain Companies New Orleans Entrepreneur Challenge – $20,000 Prize
Bideo, Loyola University New Orleans
Bideo.com (bid + video) is the world’s first auction exchange for real-time trading of news video and photos. Bideo allows user-creators and citizen photojournalists to protect and sell exclusive images to news publications in a competitive bidding environment. The C2B platform combines free market dynamics, digital rights management, consumer technology and transparency to provide owners of rare, high-demand footage with the framework and tools needed to monetize big media’s soaring demand for this emerging source.
Nanofex, University of New Orleans
NanoFex, a Tulane University spinout based in New Orleans, is a for-profit company that addresses the demand for groundwater treatment by providing a novel, affordable, effective method for remediating hazardous chemicals commonly found in soil and groundwater.
ReactWell, L.L.C., Tulane University
ReactWell develops, manufactures and operates energy efficient underground geothermal reactor systems to economically produce and sell crude oil, bioproducts and other high-value oils, while increasing biomass growth rates. ReactWell is pioneering algae-based advanced biofuel technology by combining proven geothermal technology, bulk open-pond algae raceways, and solar energy to naturally, safely, and cost-effectively cultivate algae to produce valuable crude oil. ReactWell’s proprietary technology converts total biomass and waste into crude oil and other co-products that are cost competitive compared to conventional oils derived from fossil fuels, plants, or animal fats.