Over 200 students applied for the Michigan Business Challenge this year, hosted by the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurship. It invites undergraduate and graduate students from all 19 schools and colleges at the University of Michigan to pitch their new ventures in a competition.
Throughout the multi-round event, students experience the full cycle of new venture creation, from writing a comprehensive business plan to crafting a compelling pitch. In each round, students present their ideas to panels of judges, including accomplished entrepreneurs and investors.
The challenge features three distinct competition tracks, each designed to showcase the diverse range of ventures at U-M:
- The Seigle Impact Track recognizes businesses that prioritize a mission-driven goal, focusing on the creation of new ventures, products, or services that address social and/or environmental issues.
- The Innovation Track honors new ventures offering products, services, mobile applications, or platforms designed for consumers or enterprises.
- The Invention Track highlights ventures that center on intellectual property within high-tech industries, aiming to foster the development of businesses in fields like life sciences, physical sciences, mobility, AR/VR, and more.
Through five rounds of competition across four months, these students worked to hone their business plans, perfect their pitches, and build a viable venture. Over $100,000 in cash prizes were awarded to this year’s impressive group of student entrepreneurs.
Here are the 2025 Michigan Business Challenge winners:
1st Place Seigle Impact Track ($15,000)
goTeff is a superfood brand created using an ancient grain long used by champion Ethiopian runners. Our star ingredient, Teff, is a drought-resistant, sustainable superfood of the future, and goTeff is bringing this grain to market starting with a simple delicious snack. Saron Mechale (MBA ’26)
2nd Place Seigle Impact Track ($7,500); Showcase Award ($500).
ISBA automatically and proactively manages the energy production and consumption of European small and medium-sized businesses. Ronghao Wang (BBA ’27)
Finalist Award ($1,500)
Pith Finance (PiFi) is dedicated to servicing legal immigrants’ financial needs who are sidelined by the traditional banking sector for lack of citizenship status by utilizing a creative personal social risk profile. Jai Khatri (EMBA’26) & Ed Mamou (EMBA’26)
Finalist Award ($1,500); Elevator Pitch Award ($500).
Remedy is an affordable, quick, and reliable AI dermatology app aimed at the early detection and tracking of skin diseases: a checkup anytime, anywhere. Kierra Wang (BBA ‘28, BSE Computer Science ‘28), Olivia Heithoff (BBA ‘28), & Evelyn Chao (BBA ‘28, BA Political Science ‘28).
1st Place Pryor-Hale Invention Track ($15,000); Williamson Award ($5,000); Michigan Investment Challenge Committee Award ($2,000).
Intero Biosystems makes miniature human intestines for more predictive preclinical testing. Madeline Eiken (PhD ’26) & Don Sobell (MBA ’25)
2nd Place Invention Track ($7,500)
Extrinsic Immunity Therapeutics has developed a novel immunotherapy for first-line intervention to prevent and delay metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer. (Sam Currier MBA ’25)
Finalist Award ($1,500); Showcase Award ($500); Elevator Pitch Award ($500).
Thurm is a novel wake-up device that uses heat application to the wrist, aligning with the body’s natural rhythms, to enable a smooth and natural transition from sleep to wakefulness. Jake Rivett (BS ’27)
Finalist Award ($1,500)
Wave RF builds devices that allow nearby users to communicate without cell service for live events, natural disaster response, and outdoor recreation. Jack Woods (BSEng ’26) Eric Andrechek (BSEng ’25)
1st Place Pryor-Hale Innovation Track ($15,000); OneMagnify Best in Business, ($5,000); Sillman Undergraduate Award, ($5,000).
Milieu creates custom skincare products through at-home microbiome testing and AI-powered personalization. Nathan Shatz (BS Molecular Biology ’25, Business Minor), Ronil Chaudhary (BS Biophysics ’26), and Aarav Shah (BSE Chemical Engineering ’27).
2nd Place Innovation Track ($7,500); Pinkert Healthcare Award ($5,000).
Ark Health engages and recruits patients for clinical trials by providing concierge navigation services that knock down patient barriers, from pre-screening to enrollment. Callie Deng (MD/MBA ’25), Rohith Kesaraju (MD ’27).
Finalist Award ($1,500)
ChemCreatorVR is the flagship product of a virtual reality (VR) educational platform, intended to help students visualize, explore, and understand molecular structures. By leveraging virtual reality, students are able to create molecular structures in a 3D sandbox with dynamic, real-time feedback. Andy Yao (BSE CS, 2026), Isla McCubbin-Green (BBA & BS CS, 2028), Ya Li (MA Education, 2025), Lesi Li (MSI, 2025), Grant Wang (Computer Eng BSE, 2026), Ancheng Zhong (BA Psychology (major) & Data Science(minor), 2026)
Finalist Award ($1,500); Elevator Pitch Award ($500).
Maizetix.com is a Secure Student Ticket Marketplace that uses automated ticket management software tested by Michigan Athletics to ensure instantaneous and safe transactions for Michigan Students. George Huynh (BSE ’27) Ryan Davis (BSE ’27) Karl Rizzo (BSE ’27), & Alex Zhang (BSE ’27).
Congratulations to the 2025 Michigan Business Challenge winners! Your hard work and dedication have paid off. Go Blue!