Fifteen student startups took the stage on April 9 for Michigan State University’s premier pitch competition, Burgess New Venture Challenge.
These Spartan entrepreneurs pitched their ventures before an audience of more than 400 students, alumni, investors and community leaders, competing for $50,000 in non-dilutive grant funding.
Hosted by the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, the challenge unites undergraduate and graduate founders to refine their ideas, test their business models and gain real-world experience on stage.
“The Burgess New Venture Challenge is more than a pitch competition, it’s a launchpad for Spartan entrepreneurs,” said Laurel Ofstein, senior director of the Burgess Institute. “Our students are building real ventures and solving real problems. Watching these founders take the stage and share their ideas with the community is one of the most exciting moments of the year.”
In the months leading up to the competition, semifinalist teams worked closely with a network of Spartan alumni and industry leaders serving as Venture Coaches who provided mentorship, feedback, and strategic guidance to help founders refine their ventures.
Held at the Marriott East Lansing at University Place, the evening celebrated the growing momentum of entrepreneurship at MSU and across the Lansing region. This year’s Burgess New Venture Challenge took place during 517 Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week, a community-wide celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship organized in partnership with LEAP, Lansing Regional SmartZone, MSU Research Foundation and the MSU Innovation Center.
The event featured private pitches with a panel of judges offering an external perspective to evaluate each venture recognizing innovation, execution and potential. A semifinalist showcase created space for students, founders, and supporters to connect, followed by live finalist pitches and awards. The competition brought together ventures spanning multiple industries and stages, representing six academic colleges at MSU.
Winners were selected for first through fifth place, along with Social Impact and People’s Choice awards made possible through the support of our sponsors.
1st place ($15,000) presented by MSUFCU
Nanners
Evan Hackstock, Eli Broad College of Business
Protein Banana Bread Bites
2nd place ($10,000) presented by Foster Swift
Memory Sketch
Angela Leach, Eli Broad College of Business, Jackson Simkins, Eli Broad College of Business, Griffin Reis (B.A. ‘25) Caraline Kitchen (B.A. ’25)
We are revolutionizing how we track the progression of Alzheimer's Disease through patient drawings.
3rd place ($7,500) presented by Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and Lansing Regional SmartZone
Ekos
Kyli Corder, College of Communication Arts & Sciences
Ekos is a smart mirror-powered salon operating system that turns every appointment into data, automates operations, and helps independent stylists and salons grow revenue through AI-driven insights.
4th place ($5,000) presented by MSUFCU
MindMosaic
Dan Sagher, College of Natural Science
MindMosaic is a visual workspace that helps users think, plan, and create by organizing multimodal projects around their core concepts.
5th place ($3,500) presented by Detroit Venture Partners, General Motors and MSU Women in Entrepreneurship
Sapt
Benjamin Meyer, College of Engineering, Uzair Mohammed, College of Engineering
Sapt builds custom AI-powered business operating systems that automate marketing, SEO, and content management for SMBs.
Social Impact Award ($2,500) presented by the Center for Ethical and Socially Responsible Leadership
DryX
Kaniz Fatema Promee, College of Engineering
DryX provides a compact, energy-efficient dish-drying system for small-to-mid-scale commercial kitchens, cutting drying time from hours to minutes while reducing labor, space, and energy waste.
People’s Choice Award ($2,000) presented by Fenner Melstrom & Dooling
Single Scoop Vending
David Lalaj, Eli Broad College of Business, David Heyn, Eli Broad College of Business
Single Scoop is a smart vending machine for gyms that delivers perfectly mixed, single-serve pre-workout and protein powder from trusted brands, giving members convenience, variety, and confidence in what they consume.
The Burgess New Venture Challenge continues to serve as a platform for student founders to share ideas, receive feedback and take early steps toward building scalable ventures. The event reflects the continued growth of entrepreneurship at Michigan State University and across the Lansing region.
More information about 517 Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week is available via LEAP and the Lansing Regional SmartZone.
More information about Burgess New Venture Challenge and the 2026 Semifinalist teams are available via the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
This story originally appeared on the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation website.
