Tulane Business Model Competition Showcases Six Semi-Finalists at NOEW

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.

Six startups pitched on Monday during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) in front of an esteemed panel of judges and a packed audience. Each of the companies from the qualifying round were competing for a chance to win thousands in cash prizes during the final round that will be held in the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University on Friday, April 15, 2016.

A representative from Disease Diagnostic Group (right) accepting his $25,000 prize alongside Tulane professor Sherif Ebrahim (left) after the 2014 final round.

A representative from Disease Diagnostic Group (right) accepting his $25,000 prize alongside Tulane professor Sherif Ebrahim (left) after the 2014 final round.

$25,000 will be awarded to the first prize winner, $10,000 second prize, and $2,500 third prize.

The competition supports the student teams in testing their business idea through various stages of the business development process and offers them the opportunity to launch their ventures in the real world.

Judges for the pitch included: Jeff Eckerling, President, LIFT TECH; Charles R. Lundelius; Managing Director, Berkeley Research Group; Steven F. Lux, CEO, Stonehenge Growth Equity Partners; David Rieveschl, shareholder and corporate securities attorney, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC; Dana R. Stumpf, CEO, Durr Heavy Construction; and Tarik Sultan, partner, Sultan Ventures.

After a substantial deliberation by the judges, it was announced that Sensifoam, Senytec, and BioAesthetics will advance to the final round.

Find out more about each of the six finalists below.

Medville – 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 designed by the Nisoltus Medical team made up of five Tulane engineers.

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.

This coverage is brought to you by Callais Capital Management and Susco.

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