Every Spring, the Columbia Venture Competition gives out $350,000 dollars in cash prizes to the next generation of Columbia entrepreneurs.
Alumni judges from Brooklyn to Bordeaux to Beijing evaluate and advise competitors until three winners are chosen for each challenge track, which this year includes: the BlocPower Columbia Climate Challenge; Columbia-CareOne Healthcare All-Stars Challenge; Brown Institute Innovation Challenge in Journalism, Media, and Technology; the StartupColumbia Challenge; the SIPA Dean’s Public Policy Challenge Grant; the Technology Challenge; and the Undergraduate Challenge.
Congratulations to the winners of the Columbia Venture Competition – Technology Challenge, sponsored by Columbia Engineering!
First Place, $25,000 prize
PythonFix
Python-tooth-inspired fixation device for rotator cuff repair.
Founder: Iden Kurtaliaj, PhD, ’22SEAS
Second Place, $15,000 prize
Ocular Diagnose
Accurate and efficient AI-based ADHD Diagnostics.
Founders: William Das, ’25SEAS, Shubh Khanna, ’25 Stanford
Third Place, $10,000 prize
ViveSense
At-home male fertility testing.
Founders: Benjamin Greenfield, ’20SEAS; James Wang, ’22SEAS
All entries to the Technology Challenge included business models based on a solid foundation of applied, solution-focused, technology innovation. Judges favored novel tech over novel applications of existing tech. Submissions had to focus on product development, innovative design, and “builder” technologies including data analytics, biomedical solutions, software, or hardware. As always, cross-disciplinary teams were strongly encouraged.
The Tech Challenge was open to all Columbia University students and recent alumni (five years or less from their most recent degree) but teams must have one SEAS founding member (either recent alumni or student).