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VenturePack Challenge

NC State's largest student startup competition. Join us in April 2026 for the next ceremony and showcase!

NC State’s Annual Flagship Startup Competition!

Originating in 2009 and formerly known as eGames, VenturePack Challenge is an NC State student competition created for the purpose of providing guidance, resources, mentorship and cash to student entrepreneurs.

Maybe you are working on a non-profit organization, a for-profit business, a solo-preneur with a side hustle or perhaps you are not exactly sure what type of founder you might be! All ventures, organizational types, size and stages are welcome in VenturePack Challenge.

There are two tracks for the competition – the student track and the Daugherty Endowment Track.

  • The student track is open to all undergraduate and graduate student teams comprised of at least 50% degree-seeking NC State students.
  • The Daugherty Endowment Track is open to 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.

2026 Student Team Finalists

Aegis Medical | Winner | $4,500

Aegis Medical is developing a mesh-integrated specimen retrieval bag designed to reduce incision size and extraction force during minimally invasive surgery. The device enables safer, more efficient specimen removal while preserving the benefits of laparoscopic and robotic procedures.

Coachera AI | Innovation in AI Track Winner | $1,000

Coachera AI is an AI-powered coaching platform that analyzes elite-level racket sports match videos to automatically identify key patterns and decision-making moments, while also offering detailed match statistics. It helps high-performance coaches deliver personalized and scalable feedback beyond live training sessions.

Colvida | Winner + Audience Choice | $5,000

Colvida is developing a next-generation fecal management system (FMS) for hospital patients that reduces leakage, skin injury, and infection risk while easing the workload on bedside clinicians. By improving containment and adaptability within existing hospital workflows, Colvida aims to improve patient outcomes and lower the hidden costs associated with fecal incontinence in intensive care unit settings.

Cualli | Winner + Audience Choice | $5,000

Cualli is developing a programmable probiotic platform that transforms microbes into “living medicines” designed to sequester environmental toxins, treat complex diseases and solve complex public health challenges.

Dunaleia | Winner + Future of Food Track | $8,000

Dunaleia remodels food aid to combat global malnutrition. Dynamically designed therapeutic foods and programming create pillars for capacity strengthening in food-insecure communities.

Forest Found Products | Grand Prize Winner | $8,000

Forest Found Products makes fast acting, long-lasting bug bite and sting relief products that are plant-powered.

Founder Readiness Institute | Finalist

Founder Readiness Institute quantifies leadership capacity and readiness using AI-powered transcript analysis to help predict who can actually lead in complex, high-stakes environments. We help investors, accelerators, and organizations reduce execution risk by identifying the behavioral capacity required to scale companies in an AI-driven world.

Hurūf La’b | Winner | $4,000

Hurūf La’b is a puzzle that tactically represents Arabic letters in their Four Contextual Forms, allowing users to create unlimited meaning with a fully mechanical version of the Arabic script. Designed for K-12 learners at novice proficiency levels, the larger Hurūf La’b system will include student workbooks, video guides, and a mobile AR phonics app so teachers can easily integrate the puzzle into their classroom routines given their unique teaching constraints.

ParkShark | Finalist

ParkShark is born from the universal frustration of circling the block for a spot, using low-cost sensor technology to provide real-time, street-level data that saves drivers time and stress. By turning unpredictable parking into a seamless experience, it aims to help both everyday commuters and delivery drivers navigate busy cities with much less friction.

Seagull EcoChem Inc. | Grand Prize Winner | $8,000

Seagull EcoChem Inc. is bringing customers the first cost-effective, sustainable, flexible plastic packaging replacement.

Seranova Medical | Finalist

Seranova Medical develops innovative postoperative care solutions for breast cancer patients. Our flagship device is a biocompatible stabilization and shielding system that reduces infection risk and enables earlier surgical drain removal following bilateral mastectomy procedures.

Specivex | Grand Prize Winner + Audience Choice | $8,500

Specivex is developing a novel, articulating endoscopic biopsy forceps designed to improve precision, efficiency, and biopsy tissue sample quality during minimally invasive procedures in space-constrained bodily lumens such as the esophagus.

SPRTN Technologies | Winner | $4,000

With 50x more wireless range than any other earbud on the market and the world’s first live audible AI coach, SPRTN 1s are the fully waterproof, all-in-one earbuds built for athletes and swimmers. Run the full length of the track without losing connection, then dive straight into the pool, still wearing your everyday earbuds.

Stratisk | Winner | $1,000

Stratisk is a decision-grade risk intelligence platform that helps municipalities turn fragmented infrastructure and environmental data into explainable, defensible risk rankings for capital planning. It enables planners and engineers to prioritize investments consistently, transparently, and continuously—without replacing existing systems or assuming engineering liability.

TerraInsight | Winner | $1,000

It takes about 2-4 weeks to receive lab results about parasitic worms and soil health. TerraInsight is building a portable, AI-powered soil analysis device that delivers real-time results in the field, enabling faster and smarter farm management decisions.

2026 Showcase Exhibitors

Handmade by Halley

Handmade by Halley is a small business run through Student-Made! We sell all sorts of products, such as stickers and crochet items.

Founders Bootcamp @ The Garage

Founder Bootcamp @ The Garage is a new high-impact program that helps founders take their business from post-idea stage to launching. Free for NC State students!

Kiku

Kiku is an Apple native app that integrates Text-to-Speech AI with reading and note taking.

Cualli

Cualli is developing a programmable probiotic platform that transforms microbes into “living medicines” designed to sequester environmental toxins, treat complex diseases and solve complex public health challenges

Kube

Kube is a smart hydration tracker that sits inside any water bottle and transmits live consumption data.

Dunaleia

Dunaleia remodels food aid to combat global malnutrition with dynamically-designed therapeutic foods and programming.

Respira Yoga

Respira Yoga is a family-owned wellness business dedicated to supporting individuals and organizations through personalized yoga, mindfulness, and consulting services. Whether you’re seeking to foster well-being in your workplace or deepen your personal practice, we offer tailored solutions that meet you where you are — helping you breathe deeper, move better, and live more fully.

Stratisk

Stratisk provides risk intelligence that helps municipalities prioritize inspections and maintenance across critical infrastructure.

Made by Megan

Made By Megan is the place for all accessories, from jewelry and hats to stickers and prints!

Founder Readiness Institute

The Founder Readiness Institute equips companies with AI-powered leadership analytics that measure a leader’s capacity to navigate complexity, make high-stakes decisions, and build teams that scale.

Hurūf La’b

The Arabic Language Puzzle for Education and Play

SPRTN Technologies

SPRTN Technologies is redefining the future of athletics and Bluetooth with the next generation of earbuds built for athletes and swimmers.

Coastal Cullers

Coastal Cullers brings the beauty of the coast to you with unique art pieces found nowhere else.

Jewelry by Mary Julian

Jewelry by Mary Julian creates earrings inspired by science.

TerraInsights

TerraInsights enhances plant pathogen detection and classification using AI computer vision

Trinket Toad

Handmade products, ranging from Lino cut prints to figurine keychains, spring-themed earrings to cute hair clips!

Whaleworks Crochet

Cute, crochet plushies made to bring softness to the hands and warmth to the heart!

Sweet Pia Cottage

Handmade items such as crocheted decorations, carvings, and moisturizer

Specivex

Specivex is developing a novel, articulating endoscopic biopsy forceps designed to improve precision, efficiency, and biopsy tissue sample quality during minimally invasive procedures in space-constrained bodily lumen such as the esophagus.

The Floral Forest

Selling nature jewelry that inspires others and lets them show off the beauty of the natural world!

ParkShark

ParkShark is a technology platform designed to assist both drivers and lot owners in all aspects of parking: from finding the right lot, to the exact vacant spot, parking your vehicle, remembering where you did, seamlessly paying for it, understanding demand, prices, traffic – all through our platform connected to our novel sensor network that provides most accurate parking information live.

Aegis Medical

Aegis Medical is developing a next-generation specimen retrieval system that enables safer, lower-force extraction of large surgical specimens through smaller incisions, improving outcomes for patients, surgeons, and hospitals.

Forest Found Products

Forest Found Products makes fast-acting, long-lasting bite and sting relief products for your next adventure. Plant-powered and made locally in NC.

Seranova Medical

Seranova Medical transforms postoperative recovery for breast cancer patients with an innovative, biocompatible device that stabilizes and shields surgical drains while enabling safer, faster removal following bilateral mastectomies.

Seagull EcoChem Inc.

Seagull EcoChem Inc. brings customers the first cost-effective, sustainable, flexible plastic packaging replacement.

Scholaris

Scholaris is an AI academic copilot that turns your syllabi into a personalized daily study plan – so you always know exactly what to work on and when.

Exciting Entrepreneurship Displayed at VenturePack Challenge

Wolfpack entrepreneurs competed at NC State’s largest entrepreneurship competition on April 14, 2025.

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.

2026 Daugherty Track Winners

Intra Therapeutics | First Place $25,000

Intra Therapeutics, Inc. is a preclinical stage biotherapeutics company established to commercialize localized cancer immunotherapies. Intra’s localized delivery systems enhance exposure and retention of immunotherapies within the tumor microenvironment and overcome the dose limitations of current systemically administered cancer immunotherapies.

PolyPV | Second Place $20,000

PolyPV provides lightweight, rugged and portable solar power solutions to ensure reliable energy for defense, disaster response and off-grid operators in the world’s most demanding environments.

Rooted-in-Tech | Second Place $20,000

Rooted-in-Tech has developed a fully enclosed, autonomous crop propagation system that delivers high-quality, disease-free young plants through crop-specific “environmental recipes.” 

Unlike traditional propagation systems, such as open-field nurseries, high tunnels or greenhouses, their platform enables precise, plant-level microclimate control within a fully biosecure environment.

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