2026 Innovators’ Night Recap: Magnesis Robotics and Farms for Thought Win Top Prizes
Innovate@BU awarded $86,000 across the New Venture Competition and community awards on April 15 at George Sherman Union.
Meet the 2026 Enlight Fellows
The Enlight Fellowship is a 10-week summer program generously funded by the Enlight Foundation and run by Innovate@BU. Fellows split their time between a placement at a social impact organization and venture development programming, and each receives a $10,000 stipend. This year’s cohort spans graduate and undergraduate programs, with professional experience reaching from Boston to […]
Announcing the 2026 New Venture Competition Finalists
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 […]
Introducing the Semi-Finalists of the 2026 New Venture Competition!
Boston University’s New Venture Competition has selected its 2026 semi-finalists, advancing one step closer to determining which student-led ventures will share in this year’s $80k prize pool. The semi-finals include 20 teams — 10 on the social impact track and 10 on the general track. The annual New Venture Competition gives current BU students and […]
Success at Innovators’ Night 2025: $80k in Prize Money, Student Awards, and a Visit from President Gilliam!
Last night, 500+ innovators from Boston University and beyond gathered at Innovator’s Night to connect, celebrate, and find out who won the 2025 New Venture Competition! The awards didn’t stop at the New Venture Competition, however. From Students Innovators of the Year, to incredible mentors, to the cohorts of Innovate@BU’s selective summer programs, entrepreneurs from […]
Leon Lin is Bringing Juiceless Juice to the Bartending Scene
Leon has been recognized as the 2025 School of Hospitality Administration Student Innovator of the Year! When Jiayou “Leon” Lin (SHA’24) was working as a bartender both in the United States and abroad, one task consistently dampened his enthusiasm for the job: juicing citrus before each shift. That frustration sparked an idea that would eventually […]
Luca Pungan’s Biosensors are Driving the Future of Reproductive Health
Luca has been recognized as the 2025 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Student Innovator of the Year! When Luca Pungan (ENG’25) transferred to Boston University as a sophomore, he found himself playing catch-up with his peers. Originally a molecular biology major, he switched to biomedical engineering and spent his early years at BU taking freshman-level classes […]
Ben Gardiner is Eliminating Hiring Hassles
When Ben Gardiner (CAS’25) was interning at a mid-sized tech company, he witnessed firsthand a problem that plagues modern hiring: a single job posting attracted thousands of applications over a weekend, leaving his hiring manager overwhelmed with the impossible task of reviewing them all. “The way we hire is a little broken,” Ben explains. “Three […]
Prianna Sharan (CAS’25) Named Student Innovator of the Year for Social Connection App
Computer science student Prianna Sharan (CAS’25) never planned to become an entrepreneur when she arrived at Boston University from California. Yet her desire for creative autonomy and a chance meeting with Remi Chester (Questrom’25) during her first week at BU Splash would change that trajectory entirely. Now the co-founder and CTO of Popple—a social media […]
Orobor is Recycling Tennis String into a Stylish Solution
When Jakob Esterowitz (ENG’27) noticed his clothing manufacturer overseas was reluctant to disclose where materials came from, he began investigating on his own. What he discovered was startling: 10% of global carbon emissions come from polyester clothing production, and more than 24 million pounds of polyester tennis strings end up in landfills annually—where they remain […]