10 Startups to Compete for Over $1 Million in 29th Annual Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge Finals

Published on Friday, May 23, 2025

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is excited to announce the 10 teams advancing to the finals of the 29th annual 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.

On June 5, these teams will present their business plans to a panel of judges, who will decide how to award an investment pool of over $1 million. The winning team will receive at least $185,000 courtesy of the Rattan L. Khosa First-Place Prize.

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. The program continues to grow, with more than $1.9 million in investments awarded last year.

>> Register here to attend the 2025 NVC Finals on June 5

The NVC has graduated more than 370 startup companies still operating today, including nationally known brands such as Grubhub, Braintree/Venmo, Simple Mills, and Tovala. There are four tracks of the NVC serving distinct University of Chicago audiences, including undergraduates and executive MBA students.

The 10 teams competing in the 2025 NVC Finals were selected from 25 teams that participated in the classroom portion of the NVC, which consists of a credit-bearing spring quarter course.

The finalists are:

Ampable Inc // Ampable 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.
GovChime // 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.
K1 Semiconductor // K1 Semiconductor provides a breakthrough wafer processing service that enhances the efficiency and economics of advanced chip manufacturing. Its proprietary wafer-splitting platform technology enables up to 20x wafer reuse and works across a range of high-performance semiconductor materials, powering the future of mobility, clean energy, industrial automation, defense, and AI infrastructure.
MOOJ Foods // 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.
Mudita Earth // 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.
NutraCareU // NutraCareU 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.
Rayni // 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.
relos // 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 // 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 // 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 NVC Finals pitches and awards announcement will be live-streamed. Register to view the livestream of the 2025 NVC Finals here.

To learn more about the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge, click here.