The 2026 New Venture Competition has its finalists! After rounds of applications and semi-final pitches, ten ventures will compete for more than $80,000 in total prizes — with $20,000 going to the first-place winner in each of the NVC’s two tracks, General and Social Impact. Second place in each track takes home $10,000, third earns $6,000, and a $500 audience choice award means the crowd has a say, too.
Register for Innovators’ Night on Wednesday, April 15, to find out who wins!
General Track
AttorneyAlert — Brian Namnoum (MET’26) built a legal-tech platform that aggregates live public arrest data to connect recently arrested individuals with criminal defense attorneys through verified leads and live phone transfers, reporting 70–80% conversion rates for participating law firms.
Magnesis Robotics — Pranav Sultania (ENG’27) and Isabella Santarpia (ENG’27) have developed a squid-inspired electromagnetic propulsion system that silently moves underwater vehicles and pumps water without propellers, using minimal power and requiring almost no maintenance.
Naya — Julia Yusupov (Questrom’25) is building a reusable, self-disinfecting tampon applicator engineered for over 12,000 uses, paired with an applicator-free tampon subscription service that reduces both plastic waste and long-term period care costs.
Nervara — Carolyn Marar (ENG’25) and Yueming Li (ENG’24) are developing a biodegradable, injectable implant smaller than 10 mm³ that uses microwave technology to block pain signals for chronic pain patients, eliminating the need for surgery, batteries, or removal procedures.
Spectral Autonomy — Anton Njavro (CAS) and David Neary are building AI-enabled electromagnetic protection systems that make advanced spectrum defense capabilities portable across platforms, from military aircraft to sensors protecting stadiums, transportation hubs, and critical infrastructure.
Social Impact Track
Antioch Technologies — Mark Lucas (ENG’26) is developing a dual-wearable system that uses machine learning and mechanical compression to detect and suppress tremors in real time for people with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, offering a non-invasive alternative to medications and surgery.
DesignMy Education — Aryan Jain (CAS’26) created Value Lab, a platform delivered through public libraries that gives patrons a free, structured pathway from business idea to tangible outputs while equipping library staff with repeatable program materials and measurable outcomes.
Farms for Thought — Emma Hudson (ENG’27) and Maryam Bellakbira are placing autonomous vertical farms and STEM curriculum inside public schools in food deserts, starting in Washington, DC’s Wards 7 and 8, where students grow and distribute fresh produce to their families and neighbors at no cost.
GrantWare AI — Ryan Rodriguez (CAS’26), Gabriel Levi Ramos (CAS’26), and Adrian Dybacki (CAS’26) built an agentic AI platform that automates grant discovery, eligibility assessment, proposal drafting, and deadline management for school districts, nonprofits, and government agencies. The platform already has four K-12 design partners, including Worcester Public Schools.
JoHIL eKlinics — Samuel Amoako-Kusi (SPH’27) is operating a peri-urban hospital chain in Ghana that combines in-person care with telemedicine through a proprietary platform called eDok, delivering chronic disease management to rural communities facing a 4.5x doctor shortage compared to urban areas.
The problems these ventures are working on span food access, chronic pain, legal representation, public health infrastructure, electromagnetic defense, and more. That range is the point. Both tracks will be represented on stage at Innovators’ Night, and the event is free and open to the full BU community and the broader Boston startup ecosystem. Come find out who takes home the top prizes.
Register for Innovators’ Night on April 15!
