Startups Win Investor Funding in Texas Tech's Own 'Shark Tank'

February 11, 2020

Ten teams participated as finalists in the iLaunch Competition.

Three teams of startup entrepreneurs were awarded funding as winners of the Texas Tech University Innovation Hub at Research Park's 2020 iLaunch Competition.

The iLaunch finals, the Hub's own "Shark Tank"™-like experience, served as an opportunity for 10 startup teams to pitch to a real investor panel to win the top prize of $10,000. Designed to identify, grow and launch startup companies, the annual competition involves entrepreneurs from Texas Tech and the West Texas community.

The winners are:

First place: PCOS Innovations, LLC
An app based on proven research that helps women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) by providing a nutrition guide, grocery list, recipes, body mass index tracker, motivational videos and resources for support.
Team lead: Dr. Jennifer Phy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC)
$10,000 awarded

Second place: Confocal TechMed
A diagnostic software utilizing machine learning with novel criteria to read and interpret imagery captured in real-time on the surface of the skin.
Team lead: Jasmin Rahesh, TTUHSC student
$3,000 awarded

Third place: Blossom Wear
A patented idea that addresses the need for menstrual-leak protection and concealed methods of carrying feminine-hygiene products.
Team lead: Tena Gonzales, community member
$1,000 awarded

The winners were announced Friday (Feb. 7) during the Innovation Hub's Entrepreneur Social.

tags: Faculty, Innovation Hub, Research, Stories, Students, Vice President for Research, texas tech in the community

Texas Tech University

A new era of excellence is dawning at Texas Tech University as it stands on the cusp of being one of the nation's premier research institutions.

Research and enrollment numbers are at record levels, which cement Texas Tech's commitment to attracting and retaining quality students. In fall 2020, the university achieved a goal more than a decade in the making, reaching a total student population of more than 40,000. In 2018, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education again placed Texas Tech among its top doctoral universities in the nation in the “Very High Research Activity” category. Texas Tech is one of 94 public institutions nationally and 131 overall to achieve this prestigious recognition.

Quality students need top-notch faculty. Texas Tech is home to a diverse, highly revered pool of educators who excel in teaching, research and service. The university strives to foster an environment that celebrates student accomplishment above all else. Texas Tech is large enough to provide the best in facilities and academics but prides itself on being able to focus on each student individually.

The momentum for excellence at Texas Tech has never been greater.

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Innovation Hub
at Research Park

This 40,000-square-foot facility is designed to be a resource for the faculty and students of both Texas Tech and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center as well as community members interested in launching new ventures. Texas Tech is a national research university, and the Innovation Hub at Research Park is critical to building the knowledge-based economy of West Texas through the development of innovators and entrepreneurs who solve society's problems and develop innovations to make impact.

The Innovation Hub at Research Park is located at 3911 4th Street, Lubbock, TX, just west of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

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Office of Research and Innovation

The Office of Research and Innovation is tasked with facilitating excellence in research, scholarship and creative activity for Texas Tech students, faculty and staff. The office promotes an academic environment embracing creativity, curiosity, innovation, diversity, ethics and integrity.

Among other programs, the OR&I supports responsible and safe conduct of research, faculty development and recognition, interdisciplinary collaborations, externally sponsored research, partnerships with industry and community stakeholders, international research collaboration and the application of research for the benefit of society. The OR&I promotes a culture of creative expression, discovery, innovation and collaboration with the goal of advancing Texas Tech's status as an elite national research university.

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