By Aubrey Haase
East Lansing, Mich. — Four Spartan startups showcased their ideas at DePaul University on Tuesday, July 16, during the seventh annual University Pitch Madness. Hosted by DePaul University's Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, the University Pitch Madness provides a platform for students to develop skills by showcasing and pitching their ideas, bringing the best student startups to Chicago, IL.
Nine universities from the Midwest showcased their best student entrepreneurs to compete for a share of $15,000, including the four startups who represented Michigan State University and the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation:
BRCĒ (Madhav Aggarwal, College of Engineering, and Tanvi Gadasmetti, College of Engineering) is revolutionizing the sneaker scene and athletic gear with cutting-edge innovation in performance wear, lace technology, and sustainable fashion.
Dilemaa (Ben Kim, Eli Broad College of Business) is a vibrant social media platform that revolutionizes decision-making by leveraging the collective wisdom of a global community, focusing on light-hearted dilemmas for an entertaining and interactive experience.
Odin Classroom (Aman Dhruva Thamminana, College of Engineering) is an online coding platform that aims to reduce friction in computer science courses by providing a better user experience and reducing downtime.
TropicalPillow (Lia Moore, Eli Broad College of Business and Linda Komis, College of Engineering) is an eco-friendly, customizable beach pillow that provides comfort and security for your valuables.
During the event, attendees networked with this year's competing teams and voted on their favorite startup from each university. The top teams from each school made their way to the stage, where they had three minutes to pitch their idea to a live audience and this year's judging panel.
BRCĒ, an athletic performance brand, took first place, securing $4,000 and investment interest to further their idea. This win is MSU's fifth year with a top-three team.
“The event provided us with significant exposure and invaluable connections in the industry, specifically in the Chicago area. It not only validated our approach and ideas but also gave us the confidence and momentum to push forward with our ambitious goals,” said Gadasmetti.
Aggarwal and Gadasmetti embraced the lace for the first time in April 2023 at 2DAY VENTURE. One year later, they launched BRCĒ at SneakCon, the globe's premier sneaker event, during the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, MI, selling out in less than four hours. "Our journey to this point has been shaped by the incredible support and guidance we've received from the entire team, including our advisors and friends,” said Gadasmetti. “Our core team, with its diverse skills and unwavering dedication, has been the backbone of BRCĒ, driving innovation and ensuring we remain true to our mission.
As the BRCĒ team looks ahead, Aggarwal says, “They plan to use the prize money towards R&D of future product lines we’re developing in collaboration with kinesiology experts from Michigan State, and the marketing campaigns involving our partner ‘BRCĒ athletes’ from Spartan Athletics this coming month.”
The 2024 University Pitch Madness is a collaboration between DePaul University, the University of Chicago, Michigan State University, the University of Illinois System, the University of Iowa, Northern Illinois University, the University of Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Washington University in St. Louis.