Soma Tech from Texas A&M University Wins Mays Business School’s Inaugural Undergraduate AI Pitch Competition

Undergraduate students from Texas A&M University took first place at the Building a Better Future Through Business and AI National Undergraduate Pitch Competition for their product, Soma Tech — a tool that combines AI-driven analytics with smart irrigation tech for productive crop management.

More than 100 teams of undergraduate students from 37 universities across the country submitted business plans in the inaugural competition, presented 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. The top 12 teams delivered pitches to a panel of judges at the Wayne Roberts ’85 Building at Texas A&M University on Saturday, Sept. 20 for a chance to win the $100,000 grand prize. 

The teams were tasked with creating market-ready business proposals that leverage AI tools to address real-world challenges, actualizing the Mays mission to build a better future through business. Submissions were evaluated on their potential innovation, market potential, feasibility, and impact, and the groups of students pitched their AI-based businesses to a panel of judges, including: Andres Cabada (managing director, Halliburton Labs), Mitra Miller (VP/president-elect, Houston Angel Network), Wade Myers (founder, Eagle Venture Lab), Andrew Nelson (CEO, Lisam America), Zach O’Neal (head of marketing, Flawless AI), and Shigeki Uchihashi (VP of strategic change management, JERA Americas).

The top five teams were:

• First place: Soma Tech (Texas A&M University): Combines AI-driven analytics with smart irrigation tech for productive crop management — led by Ananya Das and Kshiti Kangovi
• Second place: Import Intel (Texas A&M University): Tariff and import dashboard for optimizing supply chain decisions — led by Tejas Kalpathi, Arjun Madana, and Ian Schandlbauer
• Third place: GlaminAI (George Washington University): Bridges the beauty education gap for Gen Z makeup beginners — led by Ariana Rehman
• Fourth place: Flight Guard AI (University of Houston): Real-time AI cockpit voice and data analyzer for aviation — led by Len Johns Shaji, Justin Nguyen, and Ray Torres
• Fifth place: Hey Eva (Texas A&M University): AI-powered digital assistant offering step-by-step tech guidance for less tech-savvy users — led by Shubh Bhakta and Niraj Yawalkar

See the full list of teams and finishes here.

Thanks to Deloitte and the Deloitte Foundation for their support of the competition.