USD Students Pitch Innovative Business Ideas to Business Leaders for Chance at Funding

University of San Diego (USD) students took part in a “Shark Tank” style competition Wednesday night during the Knauss School of Business’ Venture Vetting (V2) Pitch Competition. Organized by the Free Enterprise Institute's Catalyzer, the V2 Pitch Competition is a campus-wide competition where USD students pitch their innovative businesses for cash awards.

This year’s winner, Symphony BioWear, was awarded a total of $16,500 ($14,000 for winning the competition and $2,500 for being selected as one of the People’s Choice Award winners). Their idea is to develop BioWear, which will extend the concept of continuous glucose meters to other molecular biomarkers. They want to develop a smart patch that continuously monitors the hormones, cortisol and testosterone: important biomarkers of stress, sleep, nutrition, recovery, and fitness. 

“We truly believe this will revolutionize how the world changes. We really hope we can transform life the way that DNA sequencing did,” said Alexandra Nemiroski, V2 Pitch Competition winner and USD Knauss School of Business MBA candidate.

The runners-up were Blue Planet Optics, which is changing the contact lens industry with plastic-reducing product designs and cruelty-free testing, as well as Purposer, which is building a two-sided marketplace that facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers for purpose-driven products. Those two teams will each receive $3,000.

By taking part in this competition, participants learned the basics of turning a business idea into a fully developed startup. They took part in hands-on workshops, got paired with industry and faculty mentors and created a pitch deck and presentation fit for investors. Participants also got the chance to present to a judging panel of investors– which included CEOs and Executives from national and local businesses: 

•  Jeffery Adler, CEO of iProtean
•  Carl Dumesle, Founder and CEO of HUGS, USD Class of 2021
•  Nina Saberi, President of Castile Ventures
•  Adrian Hall, Executive Chairman at Illumesense
•  Shayn Skaff, Co-Founder and CEO of Blooma, USD Class of 1995

All eleven semifinalists will receive access to the USD Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic and one-on-one consulting from the Brink Small Business Development Center at USD– San Diego's #1 rated accelerator. Each semifinalist also earned a spot in the Knauss School of Business Collaboratory. The Collaboratory is an incubator space that provides a physical space for companies to work, workshops and entrepreneurial skill building opportunities, and access to mentors, coaches, and advisors to help them propel their companies forward. 

Lastly, the winner, Symphony BioWear, will have an opportunity to compete in next year's Knauss School of Business San Diego Angel Conference and the opportunity for $200,000 investment.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.