Meet the Fall 2026 Skandalaris Venture Competition Semifinalists
Thirty-two WashU ventures have been selected as semifinalists in the Fall 2026 Skandalaris Venture Competition.
Representing Olin Business School, McKelvey School of Engineering, Arts & Sciences, the Brown School and WashU Medicine, this semester’s semifinalists are developing solutions across agriculture, education, artificial intelligence, health care, consumer products, food, transportation and other industries.
The ventures are competing for up to $25,000 in non-dilutive funding. During the semifinal round, teams will continue conducting customer discovery and prepare two-minute pitches for a panel of judges.
Semifinalist pitches will take place Wednesday, October 21. The competition will announce finalists on Friday, October 23, and they will advance to the competition finals on Wednesday, November 18. Winners will be announced that evening during the WashU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards.
Meet the Fall 2026 Semifinalists
Ainstein
A browser-based game that teaches artificial intelligence skills through interactive exercises and produces an employer-readable assessment of each learner’s abilities.
Kartik Palsetty (McKelvey ’26)
Apara
A platform designed to make Windows programs and games easier to run on Mac computers through a simple, guided experience.
Yogvid Wankhede (McKelvey ’26)
Cloud Cowboy
An operations platform that helps agricultural service businesses manage quoting, scheduling and fieldwork while keeping farmers informed.
Chris Long (McKelvey ’26)
Cuddle Clip
An adjustable infant burping aid designed to support safe, upright positioning while reducing physical strain for caregivers.
Jetta Vaughn (Olin ’27)
EKSELANS Learning Center
A learning model that combines academic support, social-emotional development and real-world problem-solving experiences for students.
Khalil Moore (Olin ’28)
FRCtees
Software that helps local print shops manage quoting, sales, approvals, orders and invoicing while competing more effectively with national brands.
Beckett Miller (Olin ’28)
Ignite Performance
A mental-performance coaching platform that pairs high school athletes with coaches and digital tools for developing confidence, resilience and healthy habits.
Reagan Swatosh Walker (Olin ’26)
Isharrah
A remote-monitoring platform that uses wearable data to help gastroenterology practices identify patients at increased risk of an inflammatory bowel disease flare.
Faizaan Shaikh (Olin ’27)
Isolum
A wearable light-sensing system that provides users with a daily score and personalized guidance to help support healthier light exposure, steadier energy and better sleep.
Shuoyan Liu (McKelvey ’30)
Legal Linking
An AI-supported platform that connects commercial drivers and trucking companies with traffic attorneys in the appropriate jurisdiction.
Amuka Shrestha (McKelvey ’27)
LIDO
A science-backed topical pain patch designed to provide discreet, long-lasting relief from menstrual cramps.
Hansini Mahajan (Olin ’29)
Myorenova
A biotechnology venture developing an injectable hydrogel scaffold designed to support healing following acute muscle injuries.
Dominic Begora (McKelvey ’26)
Netty’s Juicery
A wellness brand offering handcrafted cold-pressed juices, loose-leaf teas and herbals through a convenient subscription model.
Ginette Rhodes (Olin ’26)
NIL University
An interactive simulation that helps high school and college athletes learn how to navigate NIL contracts, agents, taxes and eligibility decisions.
Avery Wu (Olin ’28)
One Onesie
A sensor-enabled infant garment designed to continuously track movement and support earlier identification of developmental concerns.
Isaac Wang (Arts & Sciences ’26)
Orgaden LLC (Epi-Friend)
A smart protective epinephrine auto-injector case that monitors location, temperature and expiration information and can alert emergency contacts during a reaction.
Lilly Ortiz (Arts & Sciences ’27)
ParamAI
A machine-learning platform that estimates difficult-to-measure drug properties, helping pharmaceutical developers model dosing decisions and advance promising medicines more efficiently.
Anish “Max” Bagga (Medicine ’29)
Pretaris
A pricing platform that helps restaurant chains evaluate demand and recommend store- and menu-specific price adjustments within established business guidelines.
Alexander Hammond (Olin ’30)
Proximity
An AI-enabled student-housing platform that helps students find suitable rentals using personalized matching and verified reviews.
Benjamin Flicker (Olin ’28)
Realize to Act
A technology platform that connects schools with nonprofit organizations and donors to help students access educational resources and essential support.
Tanya Keskar (Arts & Sciences ’27)
Rumi
A real-time campus map that helps students locate available study spaces based on preferences such as noise level, lighting, outlets and room size.
Will Hamburger (McKelvey ’30)
Sovora
An AI-powered meal-planning service that creates personalized menus, prepares grocery orders and helps households track ingredients and reduce food waste.
Yuwen Tan (Olin ’26)
Squad
A campus-focused social platform that helps students share rides, borrow or rent infrequently used items, split expenses and find community through shared activities.
Gabriela Hakeman (McKelvey ’27)
Steady State
A wearable chest patch and companion app that combine heart-rate, ECG, posture and movement data to help people with dysautonomia better manage exertion.
Emily Ortmann (McKelvey ’27)
Tickette
A portable tick-removal device with an integrated storage chamber designed to support safe removal, specimen preservation and potential citizen-science research.
Ingeborg Adomako (Brown ’27)
TuringTrust.ai
An AI-governance platform that gives organizations greater visibility, security and compliance control over employees’ use of generative AI tools.
Mithilesh Kumar (Olin ’28)
Uni-T
A student-only ride-matching platform that connects verified students traveling to the same destination so they can coordinate and split rideshare costs.
Diego Gonzalez (McKelvey ’27)
Unifurn
An AI-powered marketplace where verified college students can buy and sell used furniture and other goods within their campus community.
Dino Yu (McKelvey ’28)
Verbalta
An AI English-speaking coach delivered through WhatsApp that provides conversational practice, corrections and personalized instruction through voice messages.
Moises Jamri (Olin ’27)
Waggy Days
A pet-safety leash designed to release automatically if it becomes trapped in an elevator door or other moving urban infrastructure.
Alisa Rosenblat (Olin ’26)
Wooo! Bao
A grab-and-go food concept serving warm, portable steamed bao to students with limited time between classes and activities.
Bing He (Olin ’27)
Written
A dating platform that uses information about users’ interests and digital activity to create personalized introductions, identify shared experiences and make potential matches more meaningful.
David Mok (Medicine ’30)
What’s Next
Following the semifinal round, selected teams will advance to the Fall 2026 Skandalaris Venture Competition finals on November 18.
The Skandalaris Venture Competition supports WashU students and recent alumni as they develop their ideas, conduct customer discovery, receive feedback and build connections throughout the WashU innovation and entrepreneurship community.
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