The future innovators of Indiana
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There are a lot of big ideas on this stage. Photo: Courtesy of STARTedUP Foundation/Innovate WithIN
The year's biggest competition for the next generation of Hoosier entrepreneurs brought new ideas for stopping school shootings, making roads safer and AI legal assistants.
The big picture: The students bringing their ideas to the world via the Innovate WithIN pitch competition are making noise as investors on the hunt for the next big thing keep a close eye on Indiana.
Driving the news: Students from across Indiana recently went head-to-head for seed funding and marketing support at the 2024 Innovate WithIN competition, which the STARTedUP Foundation launched in 2018 with support from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
- A total of 61 teams submitted pitches for this year's event and 10 teams reached the finals at Butler University.
- Carmel High School was the only school in the state to have two pitches make the finals.
What they're saying: "Each year it just keeps getting bigger and better. And throughout this competition, I keep getting compliments where people say 'I didn't know they'd be this good,'" Don Wettrick, CEO of the STARTedUP Foundation, said in a statement.
- "Well, they are this good. Each year these students blow our judges and audiences away. We're beyond excited to have their hard work be showcased."
The intrigue: First place went to Ethan Hilton and Tolen Schreid from Signature School and Emily Rudolph from New Tech Institute for Caseflood.ai, an AI receptionist that helps lawyers more efficiently qualify potential clients.
- Caseflood.ai will receive $25,000 in funding provided by the Buckingham Foundation, and each student will get $10,000 towards a 529 education fund.
- Ashton Verbish from Hanover Central High School won second place and $5,000 in funding for SafetyGlow, a retractable device that alerts drivers of disabled trucks on the highway.
- Pragathi Arunkumar from Carmel High School won third place and $2,500 in funding for ShellSafe, a firearm detection sensor designed to curb school shootings.
Zoom in: Here is a look at the rest of the finalists from the Indy area.
Max Ledingham, Alexander Lu and Adithyan Naren of Carmel High School
- The trio created Epipatch, a life-saving wearable device that detects and treats severe allergic reactions.
Genesis Austin and Jayden Brosman of Speedway Senior High School
- Austin and Brosman are the makers of PinPoint Allergy, an allergy testing kit that uses a single finger prick to identify common indoor, outdoor and animal allergies.
Go deeper: Why AI needs a little Hoosier hospitality