Students pitch business ideas at Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge

BOISE, Idaho — The ninth annual Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge is a statewide university competition that’s encouraging students establish their firms. 

The 12 groups of finalists gathered at Boise Point out University to pitch their startup company ideas to a panel of judges to contend for $50,000 of seed funding on Friday. 

Boise State’s Enterprise Higher education hosts the competition. 51 groups from 7 faculties competed this 12 months throughout 4 distinctive tracks: components, created products, support/consumer merchandise and technologies/drugs.

The Enterprise College is a software in just Boise State’s Faculty of Innovation and Design. Undertaking Higher education Director Cara Van Sant reported their mission is to assist scholar business owners start their ventures beyond the classroom.

“So, the plan generation – that innovation and entrepreneurship is actually essential to college students throughout the point out,” Van Sant stated. “To one, let them see what they are equipped to do, and then also give again to the neighborhood.”

The adhering to scholar enterprises pitched their concepts at the Idaho Entrepreneur Problem finals:

Sawtooth Sweet Shoppe – College of Idaho

Sawtooth Sweet Shoppe is a freeze-dried candy producer that presents a sweet way to snack for sweet fans.

“We consider standard sweet and we set it in our freeze-drier, we can run all of our candies in about a two-hour cycle. Then it slowly heats them up, and so the h2o that is commonly in the candy evaporates and they become crunchy,” Kalyssa, owner of Sawtooth Sweet Shoppe stated. “So, all of these candies are the crunchy version of what you would ordinarily consider, like a taffy or a Skittle to be.”

Vision – Idaho Condition College

Vision is a moveable scenario that sanitizes contacts, cleansing them and removing any buildup of germs. José is the inventor of Vision, he arrived up with the strategy immediately after one of his contacts dried up through a class.

“It will be utilizing UV light-weight, which will be capable to sanitize your speak to lenses suitable absent in about 5 minutes by eradicating germs and protein buildup – which is a main reason as to why you have to toss away your contacts,” José mentioned. “In particular immediately after a month, you’ll start off viewing foggy – which is in essence that buildup of protein. So, our system will commence lights with a UV gentle, and your contacts will be sanitized.”

JETPAKK – Brigham Youthful College Idaho

JETPAKK is a customizable backpack with interchangeable straps to convey individuality and style.

“You obtain 1 backpack, and it really is going to final you a life time. You have interchangeable straps, so you can be distinct every one working day,” Jaxon, inventor of JETPAKK mentioned. “You can decide on from distinct shades and styles to match your outfit or persona.”

After Several hours – Brigham Young College Idaho 

Immediately after Hours is a cling-out spot on the BYU Idaho campus where by college students can get wings and non-alcoholic beverages. Joseph and Mimi arrived up with the thought for a class venture right after noticing a absence of places to get wings in Rexburg.

“We think people today continue to want the pleasurable, and the ambiance and the chill vibe that arrives with a bar,” Joseph mentioned. “We will deliver all the exact same items, the actual similar ambiance, every little thing that arrives with it – just with out the liquor – so that we can just get a great snack right after learning for 12 hours a working day.”

StrapWell – University of Idaho

StrapWell is a bag designed to strap and cinch on to any tie-down, to assistance design and making supply corporations ship goods that can’t be loaded with much larger cargo.

“This bag solves that problem, wherever you can strap down a total load of lumber, and then add this bag to the leading of that and tie down it,” Sam, inventor of StrapWell explained. “It drives securely wherever you require to go, and you can throw in whatsoever you need.”

Aquafur – Boise Condition College

Aquafur tends to make dry satisfies for chilly h2o recreationalists to use for whitewater kayaking, rafting, fishing and paddle boarding. 

“You place it on, zip it up, it retains 100% dry when you get in the river.,” Brayden, inventor of Aquafur mentioned. “You can get out with your tuxedo on or regardless of what go well with you want – and you might be gonna continue to be dry.”

Silver Shield – Idaho Condition University

Silver Protect is a glove specifically made to avoid hairstylists and animal groomers from getting hair splinters.

“In the business, one particular of the huge issues is hair splinters, which are splinters for hair that receives stuck in the fingers – and they are true prone to infection, it causes a great deal of medical health issues. So, the sector won’t have nearly anything to handle that,” Ray, co-founder of Silver Protect stated. “What our products is, is a glove that is exclusively created for folks who have to take care of equipment all working day. Have on these gloves all day, they’re breathable, dry quickly. The overall style of the glove is to try out to eliminate hair splinters as a great deal as probable.”

Breathe Easy Navigation – Boise State University

Breathe Straightforward Navigation is a assistance line created by respiratory therapist and cardiopulmonary manager to support respiratory sufferers. 

“I’m seeking to department out and be a subcontractor to the hospitals, and give a service to be able to teach the local community on any respiratory disease diagnosis that they could have,” Jackie, founder of Breathe Simple Navigation reported. “So, we are perhaps doing work with the medical professionals at the hospitals, the pulmonary physicians, and hoping to go out and navigating the sufferers from suspected problems with pulmonary analysis – to staying capable to assist them, educate them on any medications they might have to have to acquire. If they require to get navigated to a rest lab for a rest examine, if they have to have to get a pulmonary purpose check – getting ready to enable deliver those expert services that they want. And getting able to assistance greater navigate so they are in the driver’s seat of their possess healthcare.”

Willow’s Playground – University of Idaho

Willow’s Playground is a digital reality application made to assist kids on the autism spectrum bolster their interaction techniques.

“Willow’s Playground is an open up-entire world VR software which makes it possible for the consumer to method and converse as freely as they want to take matters at their individual pace and learn the things they want to,” Jacob, creator of Willow’s Playground explained.
“Reports have identified that that is a single of the most effective methods to really encourage participation, because a ton of small children with autism are more introverted, they will not like to speak as significantly. This is a way to support them split out of that shell in a protected way.”

On Glass – Boise Point out University

On Glass is an adapter that permits the user to immediately connect a mobile phone to an optical system.

“On Glass is a way to attach your mobile phone to an optic, like a recognizing scope or a pair of binoculars. So, what’s exclusive about our item is that it would not demand a distinct scenario, you can use whatsoever case you presently have, you can just connect it basically to your optic,” Zach, inventor of On Glass reported. “This will allow you to consider your cell phone and acquire really higher high quality photographs at a length.”

On Glass gained the remaining pitch opposition, and – in addition to far more than $10,000 to assist establish his business enterprise – Zach also received a ticket to pitch his business enterprise at Boise Entrepreneur 7 days.

“This funds is gonna go really much for me to raise my marketing and my producing,” Zach mentioned. “I hope I can get this product out and ready to develop even extra solutions right after this.”

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