Montana State University has announced the finalists for the $100K Venture Competition, which is hosted annually by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the MSU Blackstone LaunchPad.
The competition provides entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their business ventures, receive feedback and compete for startup funding.
The finalists for the three competition tracks are as follows.
Deep Tech/University Based Research
- GPT Teach for Me: An artificial intelligence technology that helps educators create engaging video presentations from PDF slides. Presented by Andrew Laskowski, MSU faculty member in the Earth Science Department.
- Grain Yield Enhancement: This technology can increase plant rooting, branching and yield potential across many different crops and provide protection against drought-induced yield losses. Presented by Brandon Tillett, a PhD candidate in MSU’s plant science department.
- LinQ Photonics: Advancing lidar imaging to meet market needs of ranging, measurement and communications. Presented by Caleb Rohn, M.S. in optics and photonics alumni, Cole Hammond, a current PhD student in the electrical engineering department and Zach Lakin, a graduate research student in the spectrum lab.
Traditional Venture
- Remsight: A technology and service provider specializing in surface water management and analytics. Presented by Stephen McLaughlin, an MBA student at the University of Montana.
- Sierra Training Halters: A business that uses equine psychology and behavior analysis to create an effective and painless halter for horses. Presented by Daniel Sierra, a graduate of MSU’s Master of Science in Innovation and Management program.
- StarSync Studio: A new approach to music production that connects creators worldwide and enables real-time editing across all devices. Presented by Marley Miller, Tiger Pixton, Nicholas Scharbach and Quinn Olney, current and former University of Montana students.
Social Impact
- Phreno: A concussion sensor that provides real-time and accurate information about head impacts. Pitched by Nick Kasten, computer science student at MSU.
- Sacred Canine Rescue: A non-profit animal rescue serving the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and surrounding communities. This venture is a culturally grounded animal rescue focused on community safety, humane care, and honoring traditional values. Presented by Jozette Limpy, MSU Animal Science student.
- Starless Sky Productions: A production, acquisition and distribution company for micro-budget feature films. This venture caters specifically to the culture of Montana and the greater Northwest region. Presented by Gus Yeager and Mara Flynn, MSU Film student
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