"The Pursuit By You" took home a $7,500 first-place prize in the Ben Franklin Technology Partners TechCelerator @ State College virtual pitch event, which awarded $10,000 to local entrepreneurs. Six entrepreneurial teams pitched their business concepts to a panel of independent judges and showcased innovative technologies in health, augmented reality (AR) and education, among other markets.
Founded by Olivia and Eva Weinstein, "The Pursuit By You" is developing a strategically engineered nutrition program that uses behavior modification techniques to encourage healthy lifestyle choices.
A $2,500 second-place prize was awarded to toARguide, an AR platform for mobile phones that allows the user to visit historical and cultural sites with visuals and information. The platform is led by Andrew Male and Tina Anness, who was a fall 2020 Harrisburg LaunchBox Idea TestLab winner.
“This cohort represented an exciting mix of emerging products and services,” TechCelerator Program Director Bob Dornich said. “Everyone that completes our challenging curriculum is a winner in my book. I’d like to offer our congratulations to all, and especially to those who took home cash prizes.”
In addition, Zoom audience members selected AlphaSlate as the winner of the $1,000 People’s Choice Award. Founded by Akhil Mammen, AlphaSlate is an education platform that creates a personalized learning itinerary for K-12 students.
Entrepreneurial teams participating in the TechCelerator @ State College attended a 10-week virtual, business startup bootcamp offered by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania in partnership with Invent Penn State. The bootcamp teaches participants about customer discovery, accounting and startup costs, among other subjects.
Applications for the fall 2021 TechCelerator @ State College bootcamp, which will run Sept. 14 through Nov. 30, are now open and can be submitted online. The fall 2021 bootcamp can be attended in person or virtually. Applications are due Aug. 30.
Other spring TechCelerator teams included:
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Koin Keepr —a platform that allows merchants to offer a “cash roundup” service that converts change to in-store credits. Koin Keepr was founded by Krutik Patel, a junior studying computer science in the Penn State College of Engineering.
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Open QuarterMaster — a modular inventory management system for personal and industrial applications. Open QuarterMaster was founded by Greg Stewart.
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Hello Social — a service offering expert-level marketing services to small, rural business owners. Hello Social was founded by Ellen Matis.
Past winning TechCelerator @ State College startups include Vitable Health and NotePro.
To view more Penn State-affiliated startups, visit StartupNavigator.psu.edu. To view more Penn State technologies available for license, visit IPNavigator.psu.edu.
About Ben Franklin TechCelerator @ State College
A partnership with Invent Penn State, Ben Franklin TechCelerator @ State College offers startup accelerators and entrepreneurial training for regional entrepreneurs, students, faculty members, and small business owners. The innovative program contributes to an entrepreneurial climate, increases technology transfer opportunities, and helps develop a robust startup culture around State College, Penn State, and the surrounding area.