VentureCat 2017: The Finals

VentureCat is Northwestern’s annual student startup competition, offering the best and brightest Northwestern student entrepreneurs a shot at a piece of a $100,000 dollar non-dilutive capital pie. Didn’t get a chance to see the finals? Here’s how it all went down.A total of 23 teams competed in semi-finals rounds in six different tracks. Interested in learning more about the semifinalists? Click here. Prizes of $5,000 were awarded to the winners of each track, and $3,000 to each track’s runner up.Business Products + Services (B to B)Track Winner: QuickpulseRunner Up: ZcruitConsumer Products + Services (B to C)Track Winner: WelltendedRunner Up: RE-BuchaEnergy + SustainabilityTrack Winner: Aerospec TechnologiesRunner Up: PedalCellLife Sciences + Medical InnovationsTrack Winner: Actualize TherapyRunner Up: ActiWitSocial Impact + NonprofitTrack Winner: TiltasRunner Up: SidekickTransportation + MobilityTrack Winner: IFMRunner Up: SHURPAThen, each of the finalists took the VentureCat stage. Finals were MC’ed by Northwestern alum, Samir Mayekar (a former student founder himself).

The Finalists From Left to Right: Tiffany Smith (Tiltas, Kellogg '17), Carolyn Snider (Welltended, Kellogg '17), Selin Halman (Actualize Therapy, WCAS '18), Smit Naik (Actualize Therapy, Kellogg '17), Jessica Tsai (Quickpulse, Kellogg '17), Lance Li (Aerospec Technologies, Kellogg '18), Marc Gyongyosi (IFM, McCormick '17) and Alexis Baudron (IFM, McCormick '20)

IFM (Intelligent Flying Machines) took home first place and a check for $30,000. Founded by Marc Gyongyosi, IFM is a data analytics startup using robotics, computer vision and machine learning to automate indoor data capture and is currently focused on warehouse inventory tracking. Marc has become a pitching veteran, competing in multiple venture challenges just this year. Marc is currently a senior, graduating from Northwestern this year and has been incubating his startup at The Garage.

We don’t mean to brag, but second place and $15,000 went to another Resident Team of The Garage, Tiltas. Founder Tiffany Smith pitched her technology platform that connects formerly incarcerated individuals with resources and mentorship as they transition. Tiltas has been one of Tiffany’s primary projects during her time as a student at the Kellogg School of Management, and she’ll be pursuing Tiltas full time after her graduation in a few weeks.

Third place and a (literally) big check for $10,000 went to Quickpulse, a WeChat-integrated tool that allows Chinese millennials to give feedback to employers to improve workplace retention. Founder, Jessica Tsai is a former Resident of The Garage where she worked on Quickpulse and is also graduating from the Kellogg School of Management.

The VentureCat audience also heard pitches from the remaining three finalists, Welltended, Aerospec Technologies, and Actualize Therapy.