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.

More finalists from the Indy area

Fresh off a 5-year run at James Madison that saw him go 52-9 while collecting a pair of Sun Belt East division titles, Curt Cignetti is taking charge of an IU football program that went just 3-9 in 2023.

Driving the news: Cignetti and the rest of the Big Ten's head football coaches caught up with Axios Indy and other reporters during last week's Big Ten Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium.

What he's saying: Cignetti, who has been coaching for more than 40 years, knows nothing quiets critics quicker than winning.

• "Normally at these things I stand up here and we're picked to win the league. That's just usually how it's been," he said. "I know you guys (have) been waiting for me to say something crazy. That wasn't quite crazy."

Here's what else Cignetti had to say about what success means at Indiana, talking a big game and more.

📉 On being ranked near the bottom of media polls.

• "It was just three seasons ago that Indiana was a touchdown away from winning the Big Ten conference. In this day and age, the internet society … three seasons ago seems like three decades ago. And all of a sudden, Indiana has become like an impossible job," Cignetti said.
• "What I can tell you is in this business, the margin for error is very slim. And even Indiana last season lost five 1-score games."

On hitting the ground running, Big Ten expansion and more

👀 As the state considers changes to its high school graduation requirements, Purdue University president Mung Chiang has weighed in — the proposed changes do not meet the school's admission standards in math, social studies and world languages. (WFYI)

⚖️ Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen is back in court as the judge considers several motions, including whether to let jurors hear confessions he allegedly made while incarcerated and a request to move him from state custody to a county jail. (IndyStar)

🥈 Carmel swimmer Drew Kibler won silver at the Paris Olympics yesterday as part of the men's 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay. (WRTV)

A record number of National Women's Soccer League players are suiting up for Olympic competitions.

Why it matters: Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett has said he hopes that the city's pursuit of an MLS team will include a women's team, too.

• "I think there is a compelling reason why Indianapolis would be well-served by both a professional MLS men's team and a professional women's league team," Hogsett told reporters last week. "Those are decisions that, frankly the ownership group would have to make ... I would encourage them that both men and women be well-represented."

The big picture: The NWSL reports it is fielding more players in the Games than any other league in the world.

• That's 56 players representing 11 countries, including the United States.

The intrigue: The U.S. Women's National Team leads all countries, with 19 NWSL players, followed by Team Canada, with 10.

Twenty-seven players will make their Olympics debut in Paris, including reigning NWSL MVP Kerolin and Sophia Smith, who's top three in goals, assists and shots on target.

• More than half of the first-time participants are 24 years old and younger.

What's next: Women's group stage matches continue today. Schedule