The Skandalaris Center celebrated the participants of the Fall 2025 Skandalaris Venture Competition (SVC) at the WashU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards on November 19, 2025. II Luscri, Managing Director of the Skandalaris Center and Assistant Vice Provost for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, kicked off the event by applauding the entrepreneurial spirit of the university and the way WashU students don’t just study innovation; they live it.
“Thank you to the students who trust the Skandalaris team to help them advance their ideas,” said Luscri. “We had a record-breaking 131 teams enter the Skandalaris Venture Competition this semester, and it was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to the 16 finalists who presented today. You are all taking action to bring your ideas to life, and it is an honor to play even a small part in each of your journeys. We take great pride in having a front-row seat to the impact you are each making on the world.”
Luscri shared the history of the SVC trophy, highlighting past winners and the long legacy of innovation it represents, before announcing that the funding pool for this cycle of the Skandalaris Venture Competition was increased thanks to a generous donation from Bob Skandalaris. The competition’s funding structure allows the Skandalaris Center to support as many teams as possible, and we are extremely proud to award funding to WashU students and alumni ventures at various stages of development. From teams in the early phases of exploring their ideas to those poised for growth, this additional funding helps more student startups advance.
The celebration continued as Venture Development Manager Cyril Loum recognized the finalist teams and congratulated them on their work to reach this stage of the competition.
“We are so proud of our finalists,” said Loum. “It takes courage to put your idea out there, but that courage was followed up by hard work and dedication. The passion and drive of this group of founders is unmatched.”
The 16 finalist teams spent the semester advancing their concepts, connecting with mentors, attending workshops, and refining their pitches, all while honoring academic and personal commitments. Each finalist delivered their final pitch to a panel of expert judges earlier in the day, and was assessed based on their identified problem and solution, value proposition, financial models, traction, and other key factors.
Loum then announced the winners of each funding level:
Innovator Funding (up to $2,000): This fund supports startups that the Skandalaris Center believes are showing promise and potential, providing initial funding to explore their concepts further. Two teams were awarded funding at this level: UteroStim: Adara Ezekwe (SI ‘25), Meryl McKenna (EN ‘25) and Aurora: Nicholas Speller (MD ‘27), Michael Qiu (MD ‘27), Mackenzie Simper (MD ‘27), Justin Chang (MD ‘27).
Disruptor Funding (up to $5,000): This fund supports startups that are refining their product and enabling them to advance towards market readiness. Two teams received this funding: Pretus: Cosmo Guion (BU ‘27), Lucas Vogel (EN ‘27), and Locus Suit: Gaurish Agrawal (EN ‘28), Sonia Palamand (EN ‘27), Jacqueline Chuang (EN ‘27).
Catalyst Funding (up to $10,000): This fund supports the launch of startups poised for growth and provides resources for the critical next steps in their development. Two teams received Catalyst-level funding: NeuroFore: Hamasa Ebadi (PhD ‘28), Joe Hess (BU/EN ‘27), Evan Tan (GB ‘25), and Assertion AI: Yao Xie (PhD ‘14, MBA ‘26), Yifan Zhao (MS ‘26), Mei Zhu (PhD ‘14).
“This program would not be successful without the mentors, judges, and volunteers who dedicate their time and expertise to helping our students grow and develop their ideas,” said Luscri. Thank you for sharing our belief that great ideas deserve to be tested, challenged, and launched into the world. Our students are better entrepreneurs because of each of you.”
Learn about the finalist teams in our event program.
Applications for the next cycle of the Skandalaris Venture Competition will open in early January 2026. All current WashU students and WashU alumni within one year of graduation with an early-stage venture or idea are encouraged to apply.