Montana State entrepreneurs take top prizes at annual $100K Venture Competition

BOZEMAN — Montana State University students, alumni, post-doctorate researchers and faculty saw success in the finals of the $100K Venture Competition, which were held in MSU’s Inspiration Hall on April 21. The annual competition is hosted by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the MSU LaunchPad. Now in its seventh year, it is a critical funding mechanism for entrepreneurs searching for support to build, grow and scale their businesses.   

At the event, nine finalists pitched their innovative business ventures to a panel of judges to compete for a portion of the $100,000 prize money. The nine finalists were chosen from 15 strong semi-finalists who were selected from more than 50 first-round applicants.   

The competition was open to all students, faculty, researchers and 2024 and 2025 graduates from MSU, University of Montana, Montana Tech and affiliated campuses. Teams affiliated with MSU won the top awards.   

“The MSU venture competition was such a great experience. Preparing a pitch for the competition was incredibly useful, and the advisers at MSU’s Launchpad provided guidance throughout the process that I found really helpful,” said Lauren Jonas, founder of the first-place venture Beeotics. “From the competition, I now have funding to move forward with crucial experiments to advance my product.”  

The pitches were divided into three categories. The winners are listed below with submitted descriptions of their business ventures.    

Deep Tech/University Based Research  

First place ($20,000): Beeotics, whose product is designed to boost the honeybee immune system and provide protection against disease. Presented by Lauren Jonas, postdoctoral researcher at MSU in the laboratory of Michelle Flenniken, MSU professor of plant sciences and plant pathology.   

Second place ($10,000): Barley Bloom, creating high-value, flavorful, functional food ingredients from barley for a growing global market. Presented by Aline Brito, postdoctoral researcher at the Malt Quality Lab at MSU; Hannah Uhlmann, director of the Malt Quality Lab at MSU; Jamie Sherman, professor of plant sciences and barley breeder at MSU.   

Honorable mention ($3,333): Ocka, which identifies each student’s strengths and weaknesses to deliver targeted, evidence-based instruction on what they need to learn next. Presented by Jayson Nissen, assistant professor of physics at MSU.    

Social Impact  

First place ($20,000): Empress of Ghee, which aims to make premium, grass-fed ghee a staple in every cupboard. Presented by Surya Milner, assistant teaching professor of English at MSU.  

Second place ($10,000): indelible.Blob, building the protocol for reality, this solution creates proof for every image the moment it’s captured, helping people differentiate between real and fake images. Presented by Jeremy Jeffay, a senior in multi-disciplinary studies at the University of Montana.   

Honorable mention ($3,333): Coincident Systems, which builds coordination and decision-making infrastructure that helps rural healthcare facilities work together across large distances. Presented by Mike Poplin, Ryan Kalsher and Alex Westlund, all MSU graduate students in industrial engineering.   

Taditional Venture  

First place ($20,000): TENT, an online marketplace for handcrafted outdoor gear. Presented by Jonah Schlee, MSU senior in business management, and Zach Brydalski, recent alum in fish and wildlife management at MSU.  

Second place ($10,000): COPILOT by Big Sky Dynamics, developing the first edge-AI cockpit adviser for general aviation pilots, providing real-time spoken guidance during emergencies and critical phases of flight to prevent accidents and save lives. Presented by Josh Kornoff, researcher at UM.   

Honorable mention ($3,333): Modulus, engineers daily carry bags that eliminate failure points through intentional design and uncompromised quality. Presented by Paul Borash, senior in mechanical engineering at MSU.  

The competition was judged by a panel comprised of experienced business stakeholders, listed below: Tanaya Carter, Bozeman market president of First Western Trust and MSU alumna; Jim Cole, managing director for PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Managed Services; Teresa Harting, vice president of marketing at Foundant Technologies and MSU alumna; Steve Krenzer, executive with decades of experience including senior leadership roles at Groupon and Experian; and Taylor Newill, vice president of strategic customer engineering for Oracle.   

The Launchpad helps MSU students succeed in entrepreneurship and in their careers. Open to students, faculty and alumni in all majors, the campus-based Launchpad provides guidance, mentoring and opportunities for participants to grow their networks and resources to help their businesses succeed.   

More information about the $100K Venture Competition and how to apply for next year is available at montana.edu/business/venture-competition/.