At the 37th annual New Venture Competition organized by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Entrepreneurship, a dynamic business plan pitch event was held on April 16 and 18, featuring a hefty sum of $65,000 in prize money. This year’s event saw 48 teams from nine different colleges and 44 distinct majors within the university, all vying for the top spot in a competitive bracket format.
Eduardo Sicilia Ayala emerged victorious with his venture, 2%Football, clinching the first place and a $15,000 cash reward. As a senior majoring in Clifton Builders management and marketing from Cancún, Mexico, Sicilia Ayala has been actively involved in the university’s entrepreneurial scene since his freshman year. His business, 2%Football, offers detailed scouting reports for American and Mexican football teams and is seeking to revolutionize its services by incorporating artificial intelligence into its report generation.
Second place, securing $12,500, was awarded to FuturHerd Solutions by Brooke Parrish, a graduate student in animal science. The innovative startup focuses on tackling common issues faced by livestock caretakers, introducing a revolutionary Nursery Nanny robot.
Third place, with a prize of $10,000, went to TeachFront, co-founded by Lena Lankas and Peyton Peck. Both computer science sophomores, they aim to equip educators with effective tools to embrace mastery grading in their classrooms.
The fourth spot and $7,500 was claimed by InfoFilm, an initiative by Madison Kreifels, an agricultural and environmental sciences communication junior. InfoFilm is dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap between the agriculture sector and its consumers through effective communication strategies.
Among the participants were also former finalists of the competition, including ventures like Cattle Kettle, Dyslexico, INFR (previously pitched as Beacon), and Pat on Tap. This year, Pat on Tap, a mobile bar and photo booth service, secured a special $15,000 prize for their expansion plans within Omaha, Lincoln, and the surrounding regions.
The victor, Abby Miller, expressed her passion for enhancing social gatherings with her tap trucks, aiming to create memorable events and grow the first fleet of tap trucks in Nebraska.
To prepare for the competition, students leveraged the resources provided by the center, with 60% of the participating teams seeking guidance through workshops, one-on-one coaching, and classes offered by the faculty and staff.
