InVenture Prize Finalists Announced for 2020 Live Show
Team Handld presents their idea to the judges during the 2019 InVenture Prize Finals. Aired live on Georgia Public Broadcasting, the finals are the culmination of months of preparation, prototyping and pitching. (Photo: Dalton Touchberry)
After months of preparation, practice, and pitching, the field of teams competing for the 2020 InVenture Prize at Georgia Tech is down to the final six.
Those teams will compete head-to-head on live television March 11 for $35,000 in total prize money, help filing a patent for their invention, and a place in CREATE-X’s Startup Launch program.
In its 12th year, the InVenture Prize innovation competition features teams of students from disciplines across campus. Throughout the fall and early spring, the inventors get help from coaches and mentors on building their prototypes and their business models, developing their pitch to investors, and understanding patents and copyrights. The field of competitors progressively narrows through a preliminary and semifinal round.
The top prize is $20,000, with the second-place team winning $10,000; both teams receive a patent filing. Additionally, audience members will vote via text message and online for a fan-favorite People’s Choice award, which comes with $5,000. One of the finalists will represent Georgia Tech in the subsequent Georgia InVenture Prize competition among the state’s universities and the ACC InVenture Prize for all Atlantic Coast Conference schools.
The InVenture Prize Finals will air live from the Ferst Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. March 11 on Georgia Public Broadcasting.
The 2020 finalists are:
Aerodyme, a rear-mounted aerodynamic attachment for tractor-trailers that requires no interaction from the driver.
- Tyler Boone, Mechanical Engineering, Marietta, Georgia
- Joy Bullington, Industrial Engineering, Johns Creek, Georgia
- Jayce Delker, Mechanical Engineering, Monroe, Georgia
Canary, a platform for students to share reviews of their internship and co-op experiences with their peers and employers.
- Sims Pettway, Mechanical Engineering, Lookout Mountain, Georgia
- Stephen Ralph Jr., Computer Engineering, Sandy Springs, Georgia
- Noah Waldron, Computer Science, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Nasolution, a device that allows doctors to remotely monitor and regulate patients’ self-administration of potentially addictive nasal prescription medications.
- Jacob Banov, Biomedical Engineering, Atlanta, Georgia
- Brandon Kleber, Mechanical Engineering, Atlanta, Georgia
- Dan Liubovich, Biomedical Engineering, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
- Adam Verga, Materials Science and Engineering, Newton, Massachusetts
Queues, a software and hardware platform that provides live wait times for restaurant patrons in an effort to help diners save time and help business owners save money.
- Sohan Choudhury, Computer Science, Fairfield, Connecticut
- Akshay Patel, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Camilla, Georgia
- Samuel Porta, Computer Science, Marietta, Georgia
- Jarod Schneider, Computer Science, Covington, Georgia
- Michael Verges, Computer Science, Mandeville, Louisiana
W8R, a robotic overhead delivery system for restaurants.
- Curtis Lary, Mechanical Engineering, Miami, Florida
Watchdog, a portable security device for students and telecommuters to protect their personal belongings in public spaces when they need to step away.
- Hannah Blankenship, Electrical Engineering, Wheaton, Illinois
- Jason Diaz, Mechanical Engineering, Atascocita, Texas
- Ryan Fadell, Mechanical Engineering, Chicago, Illinois
- Cole Otto, Mechanical Engineering, Dunwoody, Georgia
- Mehnaz Ruksana, Computer Science, Suwanee, Georgia
- Nicolette Sam, Electrical Engineering, Weston, Florida
Judges for the televised final include three Georgia Tech alumni: Shannon Evanchec, CEO of TruePani, a clean water startup that won the 2016 InVenture Prize People’s Choice Award; Garrett Langley, CEO of Flock Safety, a startup that builds cloud-connected license-plate readers for neighborhoods to fight crime; and Tripp Rackley, an internet banking and mobile payments pioneer and serial entrepreneur who is currently CEO of Kenzie Lane Innovation.
Tickets for the InVenture Prize Finals are now available and can be requested for free. Tickets may be picked up 5-7 p.m. on the night of the show in the lobby of the Ferst Center on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors close promptly at 7 p.m. for the live broadcast, and all audience members must be in their seats.
