Posted on May 7, 2012 by Wendy Frost
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UTSA business and engineering students competed for $100,000 in business-related services and prizes during the UTSA $100,000 Student Technology Venture Competition held on April 28.
The biannual competition, hosted by the UTSA Center for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship (CITE), promotes student entrepreneurship by pairing engineering students who create viable new technologies with business students who create business plans to market those technologies through a viable start-up.
The winner was ACPPC, a company that developed a revolutionary process of predicting, diagnosing and classifying prostate cancer. Team members were Ali Almuntashri (engineering), Jose Luis Bravo (business), Abraham El-Nakat (business) and Michael Richard (business). PCMR Medical was awarded “Best Business Plan,” and “Best Pitch” was awarded to Enhanced CPM Technologies.
Nine teams of UTSA business and engineering students competed in this year’s contest. Their companies represented a variety of new technologies including medical devices, electronic management of devices in the home, energy savers, construction and software.
The teams were judged by local academic, business and entrepreneurial experts based on their business plans, new technology and the team’s presentation. Judges were James Brehm , Compass Intelligence; Rudy de la Garza , Idea Finishing School; Don Douglas , Liquid Networx; Mike Frye , University of the Incarnate Word; Nicole Gewinner , Jackson Walker; Kristopher Hochart , Red Wagon Properties; Neil Kellen , Consert Inc.; Jeremy McMahon , San Antonio Technology Center; and Derrick Pizarro , Cox Smith Matthews.
“Since its inception in 2006, CITE remains focused on coordinating resources in support of early venture execution within the university or in collaboration with companies,” said Cory Hallam , director of CITE. “Our competition is a culmination of these efforts as we witness our students execute their visions into a feasible business venture.”
The founding sponsor of the competition is the Texas Research Technology Foundation. New and continuing sponsors include Cox Smith Attorneys, the Harvard Business School Club of San Antonio, San Antonio Technology Center, the UTSA College of Business, the UTSA College of Engineering and the UTSA Office of the Vice President for Research.
CITE is an interdisciplinary center in the UTSA College of Business and the College of Engineering. The center focuses on fostering the growth of entrepreneurs and new technology-based ventures through a process of education, experiences, resources and support.
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu
— Wendy Frost
