12 Student Team Finalists Advancing in AI Business Plan Competition Announced

Twelve student-led AI companies have been selected as finalists for the “Building a Better Future Through Business and AI” National Undergraduate Pitch Competition, setting the stage for the in-person pitching round in College Station later this year.

The competition called for business proposals from undergraduate student founders that leveraged AI to address real-world challenges. Students from 37 universities submitted 103 pitches in the first round, including concepts that ranged from an artificial emissions tracker to an AI-powered shooter detection and response platform.

Submissions were evaluated on their potential innovation, market potential, feasibility, and impact, and the entrants were narrowed down to 24 semifinalists that were invited to a virtual pitch round on July 1. Students pitched their AI-based businesses to a panel of AI experts who selected 12 companies as finalists.

The ventures proposed solutions that could transform the world’s largest industries, such as an AI-powered digital assistant that offers step-by-step guidance to help less tech-savvy individuals navigate technology and a new approach to crop production that combines AI-driven analytics with smart irrigation technology. Seven universities and 11 industries are represented in the finalists, and five teams are composed of students from Texas A&M University.

In the final round, the 12 finalist teams will pitch their business plans in-person in College Station on Sept. 19-20. Winners will receive cash prizes, including $100,000 for first place, $50,000 for second place, and $25,000 for third place. They will also have the opportunity to be paired with an entrepreneur mentor from Texas A&M for one year.

The finalists are:

• Flight Guard AI
  • Led by Len Johns Shaji, Justin Nguyen, and Ray Torres; University of Houston
  • A real-time AI cockpit voice and data analyzer for use in aviation
• GlaminAI
  • Led by Ariana Rehman; George Washington University
  • Designed to bridge the beauty education gap for Gen Z makeup beginners
• Hey Eva
  • Led by Niraj Yawalkar and Shubh Bhakta; Texas A&M University
  • AI-powered digital assistant that provides step-by-step guidance to help less tech-savvy individuals confidently navigate technology
• Import Intel
  • Led by Tejas Kalpathi, Arjun Madana, and Ian Schandlbauer; Texas A&M University
  • A tariff and import dashboard to help supply chain
• InfoSavvy
  • Led by Yaw Boateng, Ameen Zia, Inzwi Zunga, and Yash Shah; Southern Methodist University
  • AI-driven chatbot that provides university administrators with valuable data analytics, offering insights into common student concerns, advising bottlenecks, and engagement trends
• MediCall
  • Led by Vitthal Agarwal, Rohan Chintakindi, Diyan Chokshi, and Arjun Iyer; University of Maryland
  • An AI-powered platform that streamlines hospital operations and patient care through voice-enabled triage, intelligent appointment booking, and unified data dashboards for patients, doctors, and administrators
• Novation
  • Led by Pranav Krishnan and Aditya Gollamudi; Texas A&M University
  • AI trademark analyst for non-lawyers
• Recrura
  • Led by Chad Tjugum, Sadiq Wanyaka, John Mertz, and Bella Biever; University of Wisconsin – Whitewater
  • An AI-driven jobs matching platform that helps to connect qualified applicants with businesses looking to hire top talent
• Repped Sports
  • Led by Rio Pittman and Colin Doles; University of Texas at Austin
  • AI-powered NIL (name, image, and likeness) marketplace that empowers high school and college athletes to monetize their skills through personalized services such as private coaching, training sessions, appearances, and mentorship
• Secure Watch
  • Led by Felix Ogordi, Hugh Cohen, Kedaar Vyas, and Viraj Boreda; University of Maryland
  • An integrated AI-powered firearm detection system paired with emergency applications and a wearable alert button designed for real-time emergency response and compliance with Alyssa’s Law
• Soma Tech
  • Led by Ananya Das and Kshiti Kangovi; Texas A&M University
  • A solution‬‭ that‬‭ combines‬‭ AI-driven‬‭ analytics‬ with smart irrigation technology to deliver essential support for successful crop production
• Trace
  • Led by Pearl Kapoor, Houston Parker, and Areeb Ashraf; Texas A&M University
  • Checks for originality score on student homework assignments

The “Building a Better Future Through Business and AI” National Undergraduate Pitch Competition, the first of its kind, is hosted by Texas A&M’s Mays Business School in collaboration with the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Architecture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Texas A&M Innovation, with support from Deloitte and the Deloitte Foundation.

For more information, visit mays.tamu.edu/ai.