25 Teams Advance to Classroom Portion of the 2025 Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge

Published on Friday, February 14, 2025

Today, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation announced the 25 teams advancing to the classroom portion of the 2025 Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC), the University of Chicago’s signature startup accelerator for MBA students at the Booth School of Business.

Through the NVC, the Polsky Center has graduated more than 370 startup companies and created thousands of jobs for the economy. NVC startups have raised more than $1.2 billion in funding and achieved more than $8.5 billion in mergers and exits.

This year’s finals will be held in person at the Harper Center on June 5.

The teams advancing include:

AI MIGO is a network where AI tools meet people. The platform transforms complex consumer AI sourcing and adoption into frictionless and rewarding experiences – AI on top of AIs.
Ampable Inc. provides a zero-cost, fully managed EV charging solution for multifamily properties. It helps property owners boost tenant satisfaction and Net Operating Income by installing, maintaining, and managing dedicated EV chargers.
Buddi is a smart dog collar that combines behavior monitoring with real-time training support for new dog owners. Using advanced sensors and AI, it tracks pet activity, provides personalized training guidance, and helps owners understand and address common behavioral issues.
Carpe Diem is a snack company that seizes the day to wipe out invasive species by turning them into the tastiest treats. They create protein snacks that also happen to be sustainable by using invasive species, such as Asian Carp, as the main ingredients.
Correlate AI is an AI career coach that automates and optimizes the recruiting process. By creating dynamic digital profiles – detailed representations of users’ skills and experiences – the platform delivers personalized insights and intelligent automation.
Cyclical is building a science-backed mobile app for women to proactively live in sync with the four phases of their female hormonal cycles. They will offer an actionable and educational platform that provides guidance to enable long-term lifestyle changes.
Doulala is an AI-powered virtual pregnancy companion for reliable and personalized information, providing recommendations, and resources through guided prompts and conversational, natural language input from users.
Eggmond Chips provide a healthier and tastier alternative to traditional chips. They are high in protein and prebiotic fiber, but low in carbs. Eggmond Chips deliver clean, natural ingredients with superior texture and flavor.
FlowSense’s technology enables multi-step chemical reactions on simple test strips, improving sensitivity and expanding applications. They offer point-of-care diagnostics for infectious diseases, DNA purification, and other complex assays in a user-friendly, cost-effective format.
GovChime is an AI-enabled ERP solution that transforms how small businesses access and execute government contracts by simplifying the complex federal procurement process. As a complete contracting partner, GovChime serves as the prime contractor while maintaining direct project oversight, managing the entire contract lifecycle and enabling small businesses to focus on their core competencies without the substantial investment typically required to build internal capabilities.
Healthcare Plus delivers personalized, precision nutrition solutions for individuals with chronic conditions by leveraging digitalization and a dynamic feedback loop structure. They will focus on type 2 diabetes and obesity patients at the early stage.
K-One Semiconductor is addressing increased demand for power electronics in EVs and electrified heavy industry. Its technology targets the silicon carbide industry and reduces substrate cost by 40%, lowers through-wafer electrical resistance by 1000x, and reduces material waste by 90%.
Lakoa is an innovative AI-powered platform designed to help small and medium-sized businesses acquire new customers efficiently and cost-effectively.
MOOJ Foods is a South Asian health foods company that is reimagining traditional staples. Its protein-infused paneer (Indian cheese) is a protein-dense meat alternative with 30 grams of protein for only 135 calories and 0 grams of fat.
MOR Collections is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform redefining South Asian fashion with high-quality, versatile clothing pieces. Its unique mix-and-match approach offers the ability to purchase separate pieces for customization, filling an unaddressed market gap.
Mudita Earth delivers an affordable botanical-based and dermatologist-backed skincare line, formulated for all skin tones and types, with a focus on the unique needs of melanated skin. Rooted in farming heritage, they offer clean, effective ingredients—free from toxic additives.
Omega Intelligence is an AI-driven SaaS platform that automates and streamlines due diligence for private equity, venture capital, and corporate M&A teams. By integrating public and private data, automating document analysis, and delivering real-time insights, it enhances efficiency, reduce costs, and accelerates deal velocity.
Rayni is a B2B SaaS company. Its AI-powered platform helps scientists get instant, reliable guidance for operating complex lab instruments – reducing time spent on trials, wasted precious samples, and emotional frustration.
ReGen Lithium has created a novel process for recycling Lithium-ion batteries that dramatically reduces the costs of extracting valuable metals, improves safety by eliminating the need for hazardous chemicals, and reduces chemical consumption >60% vs. the current recycling processes.
relos facilitates residential real estate transactions by converting purchase contracts into actionable, interactive timelines for realtors, their clients, and other stakeholders, resulting in faster, compliant closings.
Selene is a quant trading firm in the sports betting markets using mathematical frameworks and projection modeling to identify market inefficiencies and achieve outsized returns. Its portfolio covers 20+ sportsbooks, with strategies across outlier, correlated, and arbitrage trades.
Solitude Labs is developing a zero-trust, decentralized secure communications platform for edge devices on the grid. The platform is compatible with any type of edge device, is network agnostic, and will provide users with a seamless and intuitive UI to integrate and manage communication.
The Dev Difference is a platform designed to help university students secure quality jobs and provide a holistic employer sourcing tool for high-quality talent matching in the tech industry.
Vanderway Homes makes homeownership attainable for more people by building and delivering high-quality, ready-to-occupy modular homes at an affordable price. They are committed to enhancing existing communities through thoughtful infill, creating denser, better-quality housing.
Vegan America is a vegan rewards program with more than 350K followers and partnerships with 300+ vegan-friendly brands like iHerb, Oatly, and Peet’s Coffee.

The NVC, a pioneering business school venture competition founded at Chicago Booth in 1996, became the richest such program in the nation in 2021 when it awarded $1.73 million in investment to student-led startups. A landmark UChicago event that has gained significant notoriety among the university entrepreneurship community, every NVC Finals over the last five years has awarded more than $1M in funding — including last year’s impressive $1.9M prize pool that awarded $1M to the Rattan L. Khosa first-place winner, alone.

A landmark UChicago event that has gained significant notoriety among the university entrepreneurship community, every NVC Finals over the last five years has awarded more than $1M in funding — including last year’s impressive $1.9M prize pool that awarded $1M to the Rattan L. Khosa first-place winner, alone.

Companies launched through the NVC include household names such as Grubhub, Braintree/Venmo, and Simple Mills. The Rattan L. Khosa First-Place Prize, in addition to other specialized prizes and awards, are announced at the Polsky Innovation Showcase immediately following the finals.