Seven student teams pitch their businesses at the second annual Startup Studio Demo Day
The Startup Studio is a program organizd by the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Friday mornings are normally quiet around the 121 Tech Hub in the Old City, but that was not the case on Friday, September 5th. Seven student teams from the University of Tennessee (UT) gathered in the main space, anticipating the Startup Studio business pitch showcase.
The 12-week program, hosted and facilitated by the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UTK, is designed to help students launch and scale their business ideas. This year was the second round of the program. Facilitator Haseeb Qureshi (HQ) said things went much more smoothly in year two. He’s proud of the progress.
“It’s always been my dream to have an accelerator,” he told us at the event. “These students have worked so hard. We’re really proud of them.”
The students were also joined by community partners, mentors, Stephen Mangum, the Dean of the Haslam College of Business, and the UT System President, Randy Boyd.
Read more about the companies
Semilore “Semmy” Abiodun-Adeniyi is a rising senior from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, pursuing a degree in computer science. He founded Tavern Game Technologies to support the tabletop role-playing game community through software solutions for finding, managing, and scheduling in-person games. So far, he’s had hundreds of people visit his newly developed website.
Matthew Jones is a master’s student in computer science from Cookeville, Tennessee, and Spencer Dore is a rising senior from Brentwood, Tennessee, studying management and artificial intelligence. Together, they have formed New Horizon Precision, specializing in the precision application of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and cover crops—targeting row crops, pastureland, and invasive species like Kudzu.
Venkat Gopu is a master’s student in computer science from Hyderabad, India. He started SoulThread to make therapy more connected and effective by offering clients AI-powered support between sessions, giving therapists tools to reduce administrative work and better track client progress.
Gopu was unable to attend Demo Day, but Qureshi spoke of his progress and grit in bringing SoulThread to market.
Joshua Hyde, a native of Greeneville, Tennessee, is a rising junior in biosystems engineering through the Health Integrated Business and Engineering program. He started cNTP Agritech to create cost-effective, on-site, and environmentally cleaner nitrogen fertilizers as a sustainable alternative to the carbon-intensive Haber-Bosch process.
John Kirk, a rising junior from Chattanooga, is pursuing a major in finance with a minor in entrepreneurship. He started Halieus to bring vintage fly-fishing style to a new generation by creating quality apparel that honors the hobby’s history and appeals to anglers who value tradition and character.
Harish Manyam is a student in the Physician Executive MBA program from Chattanooga. He is chair of the Department of Internal Medicine and a professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine in Chattanooga. Manyam is developing Omniasis, a sensor technology to enable real-time monitoring of cardiac rehab exercises at home, eliminating the need for patients to travel to a facility multiple times a week.
Zoë Vitale is a recent marketing graduate from New Castle, Pennsylvania. She started MerchAhead to transform the concert merchandise experience by facilitating pre-orders that fans can pick up at venues, eliminating lines, ensuring access to exclusive items, and enhancing the experience with features like augmented reality try-ons and loyalty rewards.
Learn more about the Startup Studio here.
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