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Innovation and Entrepreneurship

VenturePack Challenge

NC State's Largest Student Startup Competition

Apply for 2025's Competition 

NC State’s Annual Flagship Startup Competition!

Originating in 2009, the VenturePack Challenge, formerly known as eGames, is an NC State student competition created for the purpose of providing guidance, resources, mentorship and cash to NC State student entrepreneurs. Maybe you’re working on a non-profit organization, a for-profit business, a solo-preneur with a side hustle, or maybe you’re not exactly sure what type of founder you may be! All ventures, organizational types, size and stages are welcome in the VenturePack Challenge.

There are two tracks for the competition – the student track and the Daugherty Endowment Track for officially registered startup companies that have licensed NC State intellectual property in the past three years.

Teams must forgo two rounds of judging across different categories, measuring everything from market feasibility, financial strategy and beyond. The student track is open to all undergraduate and graduate student teams comprised of at least 50% degree-seeking NC State students.

11:59pm EST, Feb. 16, 2025 is the deadline to apply for 2025’s VenturePack Challenge.

2024 Competition Recap

On April 15th we celebrated the finalists and winners of the 2024 VenturePack Challenge! Couldn’t make it to the show? We have a few videos and the winners of this year’s competition below, which were unveiled at the Award Ceremony.

Video Intro to I and E
A Word From Previous Year’s Winners

2024 Student Team Finalists

Afuse offers a reliable platform for building early college connections, finding roommates, and easing the anxiety of transitioning to college life.

CardiaSight is a direct-to-consumer, wearable ECG (alternatively known as EKG) monitoring device with a wireless form factor. This provides much more comfortable access to full 12L ECG diagnostic readings without a trip to the hospital and detection of all arrhythmias and heart attacks.

NC Eclectic Esports helps people get into organized gaming by creating innovative video game events with a welcoming, inclusive environment and services that make it easier to find meaningful gaming events.

AnyDroneRTK is a universal drone attachment that increases the positional accuracy of drones from 10 meters down to 3 cm for a fraction of the cost of the competition. This enables small drone pilots to compete with commercial grade products in the generation of highly accurate 3D models and maps.

The Distress Signal Device is a keychain or bracelet sized device that allows users to discreetly send an emergency message with their precise location to a friend/family member or emergency services.

WaypointMap is a software service that allows consumer/freelance drone pilots to automate data capture and 3d modeling.

Nature’s Throne is transforming outdoor experiences with an innovative 2-in-1 camping chair that can be used as a comfy seat by the campfire, but also doubles as a portable toilet, focusing on sustainability, comfort, and practicality for outdoor enthusiasts.

Theory SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) company that helps clients grow sales through search results. Clients primarily work with us for managed SEO, consulting, and link building.

The team has developed a use case for a medical device that monitors the treatment of osteopenia to prevent the development of onset osteoporosis and other associated complications of treatment, like heart failure. It plans to sell the device directly to skilled nursing facilities for geriatric care.

Loom3D provides a novel weaving process to make high-quality seamless pants which eliminates wastage of materials, shortens production timelines, and reduces manufacturing costs.

TutorSmith is an online tutoring platform with the goal of providing tutoring the way it should be by matching K-12 students with college age tutors and retired teachers. Our goal is to have our services as affordable, accessible, and flexible as possible.

Project Textback offers a seamless solution for service businesses to capture and engage missed calls through an automated text messaging system, ensuring every potential customer is reached and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

DroneMedkit is a refrigerated drone attachment that solves the problem of last mile delivery for sensitive medicine. Working with auto-injectors, insulin, and other live saving medication.

EcoZone is an app that gamifies sustainability practices, engaging users through weekly challenges and a vibrant community platform, while also incentivizing real-world impact through tree-planting initiatives.

Daugherty Endowment Challenge

The Daugherty Endowment has been a contributing partner of the VenturePack Challenge since 2016, with the primary goal of increasing the success of startup companies based on NC State IP. The Daugherty Endowment Track is open to officially registered startup companies who have licensed NC State intellectual property in the past three years — meaning their licenses must be currently active. The funds allocated to winning companies can be used for critical early-stage business expenses.  For the past five years, the Daugherty Track has awarded prizes totaling $50,000 each year – with first place receiving $25,000, second receiving $15,000 and third receiving $10,000. In 2021, the Daugherty Track had two teams tie for first place.

The Daugherty Endowment Track is made possible by The Richard L. and Marlene V. Daugherty Centennial Campus Entrepreneurialism Endowment (Daugherty Endowment) with funding partnership from the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science and collaboration with the NC State Office of Partnerships and Office of Research Commercialization.

Teen Health Research Inc. is an early-stage woman-owned startup focused on empowering teens and families to develop the communication skills they need for happier, healthier relationships. We are building an app platform called The Talk that will revolutionize how parents and teens communicate about sexual health and relationships, fostering open dialogue within families for more fulfilling connections. 

MithrilAI Corp. is a semiconductor company that designs trusted AI/ML hardware for safety- and security-critical applications. Leveraging our breakthrough research, the hardware we develop can detect and mitigate cyber-attacks that are trying to steal information or cause disruptions in hardware execution flow in AI/ML systems.

NC Solar Inverters is developing hardware to help US inverter manufacturers double reliability, reduce lost energy by 50%, and cut costs by 10% or more. We do this through novel circuit topologies using silicon carbide devices. 

Learn More

The Daugherty Track at the VenturePack Challenge is made possible thanks to the following:

  • Richard and Marlene Daugherty Entrepreneurialism Endowment 
  • Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science
  • NC State Office of Partnerships
  • NC State Office of Research Commercialization

We also thank Eastman Chemical Company for their support.

Curious about the earlier competition? Meet the 2023 Finalist Teams

A compact, easy-to-use counter-top appliance capable of making fresh tofu.

A hands-off sepsis monitoring device that allows clinicians to continuously monitor patients.

A wearable glove for breast self-examination using a unique tech and analytics combination.

A device to perform thoracentesis and thoracoscopy at decreased time and cost, with maximized accuracy.

A textiles-based solution to water pollution.

A device for precise field steel fabrication.

A solution for anastomotic leaks that occur in colon-cancer related colectomies.

A pressure redistribution pad to prevent bed sores.

A user-friendly mobile option for nurses to chart and transfer patient data through touch or speech.

Rooftop solar power system for apartment complexes.

Populating a federalized access website for shared equipment labs to ease lab equipment reservation and use.

Makes finding the right people for your home build as easy as possible.

An organized e-commerce experience for college campuses that is quick and trustworthy.

A decision support system for rational crop disease management of when, where and how to protect their crops.