6 Startups Vie for Investment at the 2025 College New Venture Challenge

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and The University of Illinois’ Grainger College of Engineering are pleased to announce the six finalists selected to compete in the College New Venture Challenge (CNVC) finals.

On Friday, March 7, the finalists will present their business plans to a panel of judges and investors for a piece of an investment pool expected to top $200,000.

“Selecting this year’s finalist teams was extremely difficult,” said Starr Marcello, AM ’04, MBA ’17, deputy dean for MBA and Masters Programs at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and professor of the CNVC. “There were so many incredible teams that were part of this year’s cohort, and we look forward to continuing to support all of the incredible ventures in the future.”

The 2025 finalists are:

• Avea Robotics // Avea Robotics is developing autonomous, collaborative floor cleaning robots designed for mid-sized commercial buildings. Its system of vacuums, scrubbers, and workstations works seamlessly to reduce labor costs, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent cleanliness. By targeting cleaning contractors and universities, we are transforming commercial cleaning with a smart, scalable, and cost-effective solution.
• Club Hub // Club Hub is a centralized platform that streamlines extracurricular management for schools. It enhances student engagement, automates club communication, tracks attendance, and simplifies administrative oversight. Club Hub is used by 14,000 students in 30 paying schools across 15 states, and they’re not stopping till every student uses Club Hub.
• Exactics // Exactics is a biotechnology corporation focused on improving global healthcare by expediting treatment for debilitating diseases through affordable, accurate, and accessible rapid diagnostic tools. Utilizing their proprietary adaptable platform, Exactics is launching with QuickLyme®, an at-home Lyme disease screening test, with expansion plans for various Neglected Tropical Diseases and beyond.
• (P)rind // (P)rind repurposes parmesan rinds into a nutrient-dense, three-ingredient superfood snack. Packed with health benefits supporting muscle, bone, and heart health, (P)rind caters to busy, health-conscious consumers seeking affordable convenience without compromise. It upholds the artisanal quality of Italy’s finest parmesan, delivering flavor with a positive social impact.
• Rise Reforming // Rise Reforming, Inc. is developing a novel process to transform plastic waste into carbon-negative dimethyl ether (cnDME), an emerging chemical used in both the propane and aerosol industries. It takes plastic companies would otherwise landfill, reducing their waste-disposal costs while avoiding methane emissions from plastic decomposition.
• Tilden Therapeutics (formerly Orion Oncology) // Tilden Therapeutics is commercializing revolutionary drugs to address the deadly process of tumor spread during stage IV cancer, responsible for 90% of cancer-related deaths. It is focusing its efforts first on triple-negative breast cancer, the most deadly and spread-prone subtype of breast cancer, and has extremely limited treatment options

Launched in 2012, the CNVC is one of five tracks of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ New Venture Challenge, a pioneering and top-ranked startup accelerator that has nurtured more than 370 still-active companies that have raised more than $1.2 billion in investment and achieved some $8.5 million in mergers and exits.

Alumni of the college accelerator include success stories such as Cubii, Wasoko, MoneyThink, Quevos, and Fronen.

The CNVC is open to returning undergraduate students from UChicago, as well as students in the entrepreneurship track of the City Scholars program at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

“We are excited to see University of Illinois students showcase their talent and innovation at the College New Venture Challenge. This unique opportunity allows them to collaborate within Chicago’s vibrant startup ecosystem, gain valuable real-world experience and take their entrepreneurial ideas to the next level,” said Jed Taylor, Assistant Dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Grainger College of Engineering.