Six teams from across the country have been announced semifinalists for the 2016 Tulane Business Model Competition.
The Tulane Business Model Competition was originally launched to identify and validate new ventures created by eligible student teams in the southern region. The competition has since expanded and accepts applications nationwide.
Each team will be given $1,000 in seed money to continue working on their companies prior to the semifinal pitches on March 14 during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.
From there, three teams will move on to the final round, competing to win a $25,000 first prize, $10,000 second prize, and $2,500 third prize on Friday, April 15.
The competition showcases early-stage ventures that can demonstrate a market-tested ability to adapt to customers’ needs. Instead of intensive library research, student entrepreneurs will get out in the field and prove their assumptions.
The six semifinalists are:
Medvile – UCLA
Medville is an online second-opinion platform that connects patients to doctors and hospitals worldwide.
The Mercury Patch – Johns Hopkins University
The Mercury Patch is a low-cost physiological monitoring system for the detection and prevention of pressure ulcer development.
Sensifoam – Tulane University
Sensifoam is a smart, adhesive patch that utilizes a matrix of soft, force-sensitive foams to transmit pressure data.
Sensytec – University of Houston
Sensytec uses smart cement technology to retrieve and analyze critical data on cement and concrete at any point in a structure.
Tissue Engineered Nipple and Areola – Tulane University
This regenerative medicine approach, completely reconstructs the nipple and areola complex (NAC) for patients with incomplete or removed NACs due to disease, preventative surgery or birth defects.
Ziel Solutions – Rice University
Ziel Solutions is a wearable tech company focused on minimizing the risk of injury from physical activity.