Twenty-six Washington University startups have been named as semifinalists in the spring 2023 Skandalaris Venture Competition (SVC), where they are competing for a chance to win up to $25,000 in funding. Each venture is founded by students or recent alumni, and we were thrilled to once again have all academic schools, plus Beyond Boundaries, represented. “As the interdisciplinary hub of entrepreneurship and innovation at WashU, we love to see entries from all across campus,” commented Chris Ramsay, Associate Director of the Skandalaris Center. “We are always here to help everyone with an idea, at any stage!”

For the second semester in a row we had a record-breaking number of entries in the competition! We saw 90 teams submit an idea during this cycle – up from 74 teams who entered in the fall. “We were thrilled to see so many amazing ideas this semester,” shared Cyril Loum, Assistant Director of Venture Development. “Narrowing down to 26 semifinalists was incredibly difficult. We hope all the teams will stay connected with the Skandalaris Center, and take advantage of the available resources, as they continue to develop their ideas.”

On March 2, 2023, the semifinalists will pitch to a panel of judges during a closed event. Following those presentations, all are welcome to attend the Skandalaris Venture Competition Semifinals where the semifinalists return to pitch their ideas to the audience. Attendees will get to vote for a People’s Choice winner to receive a $250 prize before the finalist teams are announced to move onto the next round. We encourage you to join us for an exciting evening of ideas, cheer on these amazing ventures and cast your vote for People’s Choice!

The Skandalaris Venture Competition is made possible through the generous support from Skandalaris National Council Member, Kishore Kanakamedala.

The spring 2023 Skandalaris Venture Competition (SVC) semifinalists are:

Booster helps musicians grow on TikTok by connecting them to content creators and allowing them to pay for promotions with royalties. Jordan Rivera (LA’23), Jacob Dodd (EN ’23), Alex Welch (EN ’23), Cadi Zhang (BU ’25)

Bounce is a social media platform for recommendations of all kinds. Taryn Gurbach (BU ’23)

ChiChi is a healthy and delicious chickpea based breakfast company. Chiara Munzi (LA ’23), Izzy Gorton  (BU ’25)

Contrast AI is rethinking the electronic health record charting experience so providers can focus on what matters most – patient care. Julian Lu (LA ’24), Michael Cafiero (EN ’24)

Dickerson’s Source is a website resource to help families process and maneuver the end of life journey of a family member. Stephanie Goss (GM ’22), Monica Vela (GM ’23)

GEMS Media creates personalized children’s storybooks that feel real. Don Soffer (GM ’23), Ethan Stancliffe (GR), Asmaa Alkanderi (GM ’23), Alex Dubinsky (LW ’24), Yi Ryoung Kim (EN ’23)

Ice Cream For Bears is ancient ice cream-sweetened only with raw honey. Timothy Berg (GM ’22)

Ikiris is a reusable dispenser with recyclable cans for soaps, detergents, and shampoo to cut prices and environmental impact of packaging. Finn Witt (EN & SI ’23)

Konekt is a business networking mobile application that is tailored toward the incoming generation of workers by adding modern and innovative social media functions and a more compelling stream of work-related content. Brad Raizner (LA ’26), Jayce Bordelon (EN ’25), Luke Stockbridge (EN ’26), Adam Shumway (BU ’26), Yoonho Cho (LA ’26), Zach Kuo (LA ’24)

LabLink is a centralized platform that increases accessibility to opportunities in STEM research for undergraduate students. Arnav Desai (LA ’25), Kiran Mammen (LA ’24), Isha Vasil (EN ’26), James Baba (EN ’25), Pranav Palakodety (EN ’26)

Leo’s Financial aims to create a SAAS phone application which utilizes behavioral science to guide users daily through their journey of debt reduction and financial planning. Michael Weaver (PM ’22)

Lumilin Therapeutics is developing a closed-loop autonomous stem cell therapy for management of insulin-dependent diabetes. Grayson Derossi (EN ’22)

Magnifi is a recruiting platform that uses AI to connect companies to non-traditional talent. Sydney Nagorsky (EN ’23), Jared Mantell (BU ’26), Isabel Silverman (EN ’23), Jayce Borderlon (EN ’25),  Ryan Lo (BU ’25)

MBA Notion is an online platform that provides personalised DIY admission consulting services using technology at an affordable price to make access to education more equitable. Satya Bhowmik (GM ’23), Gouthami Pandiri (GM ’24), Hui Li (GB ’24), Yuheng Ding (EN ’23), Ajmain Ashraf (BU ’25)

Mend is a platform that connects individuals with clothing repair and redesign needs to local creatives & seamstresses. Olivia Baba (FA ’23), Nisha Mani (LA ’23) Elisha Tibatemwa (GM ’23), Ryan Yang (GB ’24)

Netwrk is a professional networking platform that helps you grow your network by getting you connected to the right people, content, and events. Tony Sims (BU ’23), Colby Crowder (SW ’24), Titobi Oreolorun (GM ’24), Ben Goldman (LA ’23)

NoMeOH is an inexpensive and practical method of methanol detection in illicit alcohol. Sophie Ma (EN ’25), Neal Joshi (LA ’25), Youssef Saad (LA ’25), Jack McGuire (EN ’25), Dhruv Mathur (EN ’25)

OneCard is a proxy card that automatically routes transactions to the specific credit card in your wallet that provides the greatest reward for any given purchase. Christopher Kim (LW ’23)

Papertrail is a cross-platform application that help car enthusiasts keep, present, and transfer their car’s records and stories. Kuo Wang (EN ’24, TG ’25), Jimmy Lancaster (BU ’25), Drew Kassman (LA ’25), Christian Robinson (BU ’26), Josh Magare (EN ’25), Andrew Padousis (BU ’25)

PassBack is where soccer meets sustainability – a social enterprise that creates balance and opportunity through the redistribution of soccer cleats. Magdalen Pike (PM ’23)

Petner is an integrated social platform for pet owners.  Bill Qin (LA ’25), Jeffrey Gong (EN ‘25 )

QuitStik is an innovative e-cigarette cessation action plan. Rory Perkins (LA ’25)

The Baek’d Company is on a mission to provide cannabis users with delicious and fun alternatives to smoking. Aidan Stern (FA ’23), Izzy Williams (LA ’23)

Top Tutors For Us is designs educational programs and curriculums for predominately Black public schools. These curriculums work hand-in-hand with our supplementary private tutoring services. Angelica Harris   (BU ’21, EN ’21, SI ’22)

Trinity Systems is an application that automates unplugging of electronic appliances using smartwatch and actigraphy technology in order to eliminate Phantom Energy losses from households. Sourav Pal (GH ’23) David Mok (GH ’23)

Yitzy is a social wellness community to help young adults form healthier connections online through social journaling. Joseph Merkadeau (LA ’23), Jebron Perkins (EN ’24), Seth Kreysar (LA ’25), Molly Flicker (BU ’26)