Aggie PITCH

• Applications Open Online: Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024
• Applications Close: Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024
• Professional Pitch Coaching Session: Full Pitch Finalists (Mandatory): week of March 25-29, 2024
• Professional Pitch Coaching Session: Elevator Pitch Finalists (Mandatory): week of April 1-5, 2024
• Aggie PITCH (Competition Day): Monday, April 15, 2024

Applications for the 2024 Aggie PITCH will open Feb. 1, 2024.

Any student currently registered at a Texas A&M University System institution or a former student that has graduated from a Texas A&M University System institution is eligible to apply. A list of those universities can be found here. Students and graduates from all degree and professional programs at these institutions are eligible. 

Entries can be an individual or a team, but all entries must have at least ONE member that meets the current or former student criteria. Applications should only be submitted by a qualifying individual who meets the current or former student criteria. Additional team members can be specified in the confirmation following selection as a finalist and can be current or former students of a Texas A&M University System institution or individuals that do not have any affiliation with the Texas A&M University System (will be considered “non-participating team members”). Only current or former students of a Texas A&M University System institution will be allowed to participate in the pitch competition itself or receive prize money; however, non-participating team members may participate in the Q&A portion of the competition. 

If a team consists of both current and former students, only one application should be submitted. To determine whether to apply as a current or former student, identify the Startup Lead and submit based on their status at the time of application. The Startup Lead must have a major role in founding/operating the startup and not solely by serving as an advisor, mentor, employee or consultant. 

In addition to the criteria above, applicants may only apply with startup ventures that have not raised more than $1M in external funding OR generated more than $250,000 in total revenue.

Company formation is not a requirement to apply. Startups in the concept phase and from all industries are encouraged to apply. 

An online application is required in order to be considered for participation in Aggie PITCH. The application will include background and other information on the applicant’s startup or business venture, such as:

• Business summary
• Problem
• Solution
• Business Model
• Target Market/Size
• Customers – Current/Potential
• Competitors

In addition to the written components of the application, applicants must also submit a 60 second elevator pitch video.  Not all team members have to appear in the video and applicants may use their best judgement/creativity when determining the content of the video. However, it should serve as a compelling and informative verbal representation of the information presented in the written application. 

In developing both the written application and video, applicants should review the statement below regarding confidentiality as it is the full responsibility of the applicant to ensure there is no unwanted disclosure of proprietary information throughout the application and competition process. 

Following the application deadline, all complete applications will undergo screening by experienced entrepreneurs, business professionals, and other experts that are part of the McFerrin Center network. The scores determined during screening will be used to identify a select group of finalists that will be invited to participate in the competition. The criteria used to evaluate applications can be found on the JUDGES tab. More details on finalist requirements and the competition format can be found on the COMPETITION tab. 

Aggie PITCH features three competition tracks – Full Pitches for current students, Full Pitches for former students and Elevator Pitches. The McFerrin Center invites experienced business experts to review all complete applications and score the online entries to select a group of finalists for each of these tracks. If selected as a finalist, the Startup Lead and any other eligible team members that intend to participate in the competition must commit to attending a 1-hour mandatory pitch coaching session prior to the competition day, as well as to attending the competition in-person. 

Both current and former student Full Pitch finalists will present their business, product, or service to the audience and a select group of anonymous judges that are successful entrepreneurs and investors. Full Pitch finalists are allowed 5 minutes for their pitch, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A. Full pitch finalists will be allowed to use a presentation or other audio-visual equipment. Printed materials, samples, and/or prototypes are also permitted. The competitors with the top scores submitted by the judges are awarded cash prizes. 

Additional finalists are selected to compete in the Elevator Pitch round during the Aggie PITCH event. Elevator Pitch finalists will be allowed 1 minute to deliver their pitch, without any Q&A or the use of any presentation materials or audio-visual equipment. Printed materials, samples, and/or prototypes will be permitted. The Elevator Pitch round includes both current and former students and is scored by the audience at large, with the top pitches also being awarded cash prizes.

In developing their pitch and presentation materials, finalists should again keep in mind that it is their full responsibility to protect all proprietary and confidential information. 

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The McFerrin Center hand-selects individuals from our network of mentors, successful entrepreneurs and Texas A&M University faculty to review and score all complete applications, as well as to serve as judges for the competition day.  

The criteria below will be used to evaluate and score applications for the purposes of identifying competition finalists, as well as by judges to determine which finalists will be awarded cash prizes. Recognizing that early-stage startups can be in very different phases of planning or development, both applicants and finalists will be evaluated on a relational scale, taking into consideration these criteria in the context of their specific stage of development.

• Is the startup addressing a significant problem?
• Is there evidence that customers will be willing to pay for their solution?
• Is the problem big enough to build a company around? What is the size of the addressable market?
• Will the solution/technology work? Is there evidence that the solution/technology is feasible and will actually solve the problem (e.g., lab results, field trials)?
• What is the competitive landscape? How are these problems being dealt with today, and does this startup have a significant, sustainable competitive differentiation?
• Is there any intellectual property (IP) or other defensible advantage? What is the status of IP ownership? Does the startup have access to a license or option to commercialize the IP? Are there other startups pursuing this market with similar IP?
• Is this team coachable? Would this be a team I could invest in and work with?
• Does the startup understand key milestones that need to be reached in developing this business?

Prize Sponsorships for the 2024 Aggie PITCH are available below!

Congratulations to the 2023 finalists for Aggie PITCH and their Aggie team members!

Full Pitch Finalists | Current Student Division:

• AegisArmor | Kaushik Avadhanula ’25, Anish Easwaran ’25
  • Aegis Armor offers a novel leg armor solution to address the neglected public health issue of snakebites, which injure 5.4 million people annually and expose 50 million people in the USA and 250 million worldwide. The user-centric design is 92% cheaper and more lightweight than existing SPDs, making it practical and comfortable to wear. Aegis Armor utilizes recycled materials and a sustainable business model to target developed and developing nations through direct sales to companies/organizations and bulk sales to NGOs/public health agencies.
• AggieBus | Arvind Balaji ’24, Anish Karthik ’25, Kirthivel Ramesh ’24
  • AggieBus is an app for Texas A&M that makes seeing where the bus is a breeze. Too often, individuals rush to the bus stop in the morning, only to find that the bus hasn’t arrived. With AggieBus, however, people can quickly see the timetables and eventually a prediction of when the bus will come using traffic, weather and other pertinent data. With more than 6,000 downloads, AggieBus’ fast response times and intuitive interface have proven successful since its launch six months ago.
• Club Girl | Katie Calderon ’25
  • Club Girl aims to give women a club made just for them from the ground-up. Although there are 6.2 million female golfers in the United States as of 2021, their choices in equipment are extremely limited and based on designs for men. Currently in the golf world, no manufacturer makes putters specifically for women golfers. With Club Girl’s patent-pending adjustable weight and shaft system paired with the self-fitting app, women get a perfect-fitting putter every time while staying within USGA regulations.
• Cosnetix | Greyson Newton ’21, Diana Salha ’25, Cameron Walker ’22
  • Cosnetix seeks to solve consumers’ desire to find the best hygiene products for their needs without costly trial and error. It offers an evidence-based, cost-effective solution by conducting DNA analysis to recommend hygiene products that fit each individual’s unique genetic needs. The process involves collecting genotyping data and processing it with genome-wide association studies to identify SNPs associated with adverse ingredient reactions. Cosnetix then combines that with the user’s physical skin profile and uses a machine learning product recommendation algorithm to suggest specific products for their genotypic data.
• LockOn Trigger Guard | Hudson Bartlett ’25, Duke Elliot ’25
  • LockOn is a consumer-based company aimed at making firearms safer for gun owners by limiting the damages caused from children, thieves and accidental discharges. Their product is a Bluetooth-enabled gun lock that clamps around the trigger of a gun allowing the gun to be safe and secure. The app provides features such as temporary passcode sharing between friends, management of multiple guns on the same account, and unlock location tracking. These features bring new accessibility and functionality to an out-of-date market.
• Redeemr | David Greek ’24, Carl White ’24
  • Redeemr is a client-focused environmental organization that provides carbon credit services to individuals and businesses with two verticals: carbon credit development and carbon credit products. In carbon credit development, Redeemr works side-by-side with clients to help navigate the confusing carbon credit industry by developing and generating credits. On the carbon credit product side, they package and securitize carbon credits. These credits are offsets produced with clients and/or offsets developed by others but sold through Redeemr.

Full Pitch Finalists | Former Student Division:

• Aurinko | Adam Rad ’22
  • Targeted for homeowners with solar panels, Aurinko offers a multi-platform application to reduce homeowners’ carbon footprint by minimizing their power intake from the grid through insights to improve their consumption behavior. Although many homeowners have taken a big step toward sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint by installing solar panels, their solar production and power consumption often do not match. This application collects the home’s solar and meter data, analyzes production and consumption profiles, shows when production exceeds consumption, and suggests changes such as the best time to run household appliances.
• Brew-Tailor | Michael Deleon ’18, Tanner Hilton ’16
  • Brew-Tailor aims to improve how at-home coffee aficionados enjoy their favorite cup of joe in the morning. Brew-Tailor aims to achieve this through novel coffee grinding technology manufactured to improve at-home spinning blade grinders. Through an integrated controller, more consistent grinds can be achieved for varying preparation methods. This technology aims to be integrated and sold as a standalone unit as the Brew-Tailor brand is established. Brew-Tailors will be sold locally through coffee shops and boutiques with intent to move into distribution and key partner relationships.
• Empifany | Christopher Taylor ’07
  • Empifany is a preventative mental health app developed by therapists to help users learn, understand and navigate their emotions by providing an immersive therapeutic experience unlike any other, focused on emotions, not problems. Empifany guides users through therapeutic series and stories written by mental health professionals. Whether working with a professional, a group of friends, or even alone, the app offers real tools and solutions for unique struggles. Bite-sized sessions make it easy to listen and go at a solo pace, professional exercises make it easy to grow from the comfort of home, and the interactive journal helps track progress.
• Endpoint Security Inc | Page Heller ’78
  • Endpoint Security Inc is securing wireless communication by developing a technology that provides security for fixed wireless devices in industrial, commercial and home environments. It uses a device’s natural RF signal for identification, uniquely recognizing each device. Endpoint Security’s first product is a wireless intrusion detection system that uses polarization characteristics of a normal communications signal to identify each endpoint with a unique and stable fingerprint, allowing for secure wireless networking without modification to legacy devices.
• Xplosion Technology Corporation | Jaylen James ’22
  • Xplosion Technology has created a unique AI algorithm that teaches children newly diagnosed with diabetes who are insulin-dependent — and their parents — how to eat the foods they enjoy while maintaining their target glucose level. This is done by informing the users of their insulin amount based on carbohydrate intake and integrating it with their continuous glucose monitor or blood glucose monitor. This ultimately prevents the likelihood of becoming hyperglycemic or hypoglycemic from miscalculating carbohydrates, fats and proteins in meals.

2023 Current Student Full Pitch:

1st Place Winner ($7,500) | Club Girl | Katie Calderon ’25
2nd Place Winner ($5,000) | Cosnetix | Greyson Newton ’21, Diana Salha ’25, Cameron Walker ’22
3rd Place Winner TIE ($3,500) | AggieBus | Arvind Balaji ’24, Anish Karthik ’25, Kirthivel Ramesh ’24
3rd Place Winner TIE ($3,500) | Redeemr | David Greek ’24, Carl White ’24

2023 Former Student Full Pitch:

1st Place Winner ($7,500) | Endpoint Security Inc | Page Heller ’78
2nd Place Winner ($5,000) | Xplosion Technology Corporation | Jaylen James ’22
3rd Place Winner ($3,500 – sponsored by LiquidAgents Healthcare) | Empifany | Christopher Taylor ’07

2023 Elevator Pitch (sponsored by IndigoStone Advisors):

1st Place Winner ($1,500) | Surgeon Support | Chase Lano ’25
2nd Place Winner ($1,000) | EValuate EV Charging Software | Cassie McQuinn ’21
3rd Place Winner ($750) | HemoVas Biosystems | Jason Eades ’26

2022 Current Student Full Pitch:

1st Place Winner ($7,500) | Flux Works LLC | Bryton Praslicka ’24, Daniel Zamarron ‘22
2nd Place Winner ($5,000) | Teale | Narendra Vishnumolakala ’22, Connor Ust ’22
3rd Place Winner ($3,500) | Flow-Pax | Haley Clark ‘23

2022 Former Student Full Pitch:

1st Place Winner ($7,500) | Wide Afternoon, LLC (Ovie) | Stacie Thompson ‘02
2nd Place Winner ($5,000) | ClaraTech | Clara Orlean ‘20
3rd Place Winner ($3,500) | SageSpectra | Madi Heck ’21, Mark Golla ‘22

2022 Elevator Pitch:

1st Place Winner ($1,500) | South Texas Security Gates | Carson Neal ‘22
2nd Place Winner ($1,000) | Imperium | Donald Bowen ‘25
3rd Place Winner ($750) | Unravl Hair | Zanbria Asante ‘18

2021 Current Student Full Pitch:

1st Place Winner | Phage Biosciences | Lila Ross ’20, ’21
2nd Place Winner | AI-Ris | Uthej Vattipalli ’22
3rd Place Winner | Olera, Inc. | Logan DuBose ’22

2021 Former Student Full Pitch:

1st Place Winner | Datalogz | Logan Havern ’19
2nd Place Winner | HelioWave Technologies LLC | Adrian Guzman ’08, ’12, ’19
3rd Place Winner | Divergene | Paola Correa, PhD ’15

2021 Elevator Pitch:

1st Place Winner | Real Rejuvenations LLC | R’riel Smith ’20
2nd Place Winner | Lazarus | Ben Omonira ’20
3rd Place Winner | Exosphere Fitness | Connor Pogue ’16, ’18

1^st, LCLIP, Ahad Azimuddin ‘20

2^nd, Zanbazan, Nargis Mougey ‘19

3^rd, PolyLabs, Shree Arunkumar ‘21, Jacob Good ‘20, Mohamed Harhash ‘20, Daniel Prasca-Chamorro ‘20, Whitney Souery ‘20

4^th, Lazarus, Elise Hackney ‘20, Ben Omonira ‘20, Seth Reine ‘20

5^th, SKYPaws LLC, Brianna Boyle ‘16, Stephanie Young ‘21

1^st, Bezoar Laboratories, Grace Tsai ‘16, Ryan Springer ‘18

2^nd, Botryonyx LLC, Daniel Browne ‘17

3^rd, SafeSpace Metal Detector Danial Kordi ‘18

4^th, Swing Sleeve Michael Batsell ‘17, Ian Cash ‘17, Andres Crucetta Nieto ‘18, Mozheng Hu, Sara Van Kalker ‘18

5^th, Teachr.com, Ram Panda ‘21, Jessica Skrobarczykca ‘18, Nathan Tupa ‘21, Anthony Vazhapilly ‘19