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the 27th annual innovative idea competition

Register to attend the live pitch event for the 27th Annual Innovative Idea Competition, happening on Wednesday November 13th from 4-7pm EST in the 1810 Accelerator. Finalists to be announced shortly. Register here!

The Innovative Idea Competition encourages the generation of innovative new products, services, and technologies from all 17 schools and colleges within Temple University which can become the foundation for new businesses. This event is powered by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute and is open to all Temple University students, alumni, faculty, and staff and offers $10,000+ in cash prize packages!

Finalists

Upper Track Finalists

  • CUBBY CURTAINS - Lisa Carey, Fox School of Business and Management ‘24
  • LMS/CANVAS PLUGIN: AI-AWARE WRITING ENVIRONMENT (AAWE) - Megan Kane, College of Liberal Arts '24
  • RETIREMATES - Tyler Collins, Fox School of Business and Management ‘25
  • SELLBUYME - Will Fraser, Fox School of Business and Management ‘17
  • SQZ - Anjali Sachdeva, Fox School of Business and Management ‘20

Undergraduate Track Finalists

  • CYCLE SMART - Raphael Swingley, Tyler School of Art + Architecture ‘25
  • KICK SCORE - Daniel Vega, Fox School of Business and Management ‘25
  • SMALL SCALE WIND TURBINE - Hossam Khattab, College of Engineering ‘26
  • SPUTNIK - Karem Tawfik, College of Engineering ‘26 and Ahela Elshrkawy, College of Science & Technology ‘24
  • STRIDON SOLUTIONS - Ramdhan Russell, Fox School of Business and Management ‘26

Past Winners

Check out the amazing winners from years past!

The Winners

Watch

Watch last year's Innovative Idea Competition

Watch

Eligibility & Rubric

The Innovative Idea is open to Temple University undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty, and staff from all 17 schools and colleges within the University.  

Participants are encouraged to work in teams but may also enter as a solopreneur. The designated team leader must be a Temple University degree candidate (undergraduate or graduate), alumni, faculty, or staff, and the designated team leader must be part of the founding team. 

Submissions may include a new or an existing idea/business, but companies submitting to the Innovative Idea Competition must be less than two years old as of September 1, 2024.    

Existing businesses must be less than two years old; have gross sales less than $25,000; and have raised less than $5,000, including institutional funding from any accelerator programs, angel investors, venture groups, VCs, pitch competitions, foundations, or grants, as of September 1, 2024.

Eligibility Guidelines

For full eligibility guidelines and rules, click here.

Eligibility Guidelines

What do I need to do?

Review the submission questions and explain your idea and elevator pitch using the StartupTree submission portal.  

Who is eligible to compete?

Undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and faculty/staff* Temple University’s 17 schools and colleges are all eligible and strongly encouraged to participate.

*Faculty/staff who advise student ideas are ineligible to compete. The selection committee reserves the right to determine when a conflict of interest exists.

Can non-profit company ideas participate in the Innovative Idea Competition?

For the Innovative Idea Competition, non-profit ideas are eligible; however, for the Be Your Own Boss Bowl® in the spring, non-profit companies are not eligible to participate.

Are there additional eligibility requirements?

Yes! Your idea must have earned less than $5,000 in competitions or raised less than $25,000 in capital.

Are there restrictions on how the award money from the Idea Competition has to be used?

No.

What mentoring benefits are available?

The Innovative Idea Competition is filled with mentorship opportunities - meet with our Entrepreneurial Student Association (ESA) for peer mentoring sessions or find specialized mentors by signing up for StartupTree, to meet with the dozens of mentors from various industries and fields. To find a mentor, discover our list of mentors by clicking HERE!

How can I be assured that my idea is safe?

The Innovative Idea Competition honors the confidentiality of all participants’ concepts. Submissions will not be released or copied for any purposes other than use in the Innovative Idea Competition. The judges also recognize the sensitivity of the materials being presented. Moreover, all participants, reviewers, judges, and committee members are informed that the following is prohibited: Utilizing for commercial gain any material provided to Temple University specifically and restrictively for educational purposes without prior permission of the provider. As members of the Innovative Idea Competition, all participants, judges, and committee members should consider themselves bound by this code. 

Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions by entrants should be considered information that could possibly enter the public realm, and entrants should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged, or presented in these sessions.

How to Get Involved

Become A Competition Sponsor

Donate to the IEI Competition Fund to support Temple Owlpreneurs!

Become A Competition Sponsor

Become A Reviewer or Mentor

Join the IEI as a competition reviewer or mentor to a budding entrepreneur!

Become A Reviewer or Mentor

Thank you to our current sponsors of the 26th annual Innovative Idea Competition!

$1,000 Digital Innovation Award – Sponsored by the Digital Innovation Foundry at Temple University.  

  • Digital – The idea must apply technology in an interesting and/or novel manner 
  • Problem – The idea must solve a real business or societal problem. 
  • Practical –The idea must be practically doable given current technology, context, and resources.  

 $500 Global Innovation Award – presented by the Temple University Center for International Business Education and Research  

  • Global – world-wide reach with their product or service and make a global impact 
  • Innovation – new product or service with plans for exporting out of or importing into the U.S.  

$500 People’s Choice Award – Presented by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute and voted on by the live-viewing audience!

Previous Winners

2023
AWARDPRIZE AMOUNTWINNER
Grand Prize$1,500BiteBrave
1st Place – Undergraduate Track$1,000Fanalli
2nd Place – Undergraduate Track$500Beauty Birds
1st Place – Upper Track$1,000Movision Pro
2nd Place – Upper Track$500PHlavor5
Crowd Favorite$500Spot

Global Innovation Award Presented By Ciber

$500Elaria
Digital Innovation Award Sponsored by the Digital Innovation Foundry$1000Movision Pro
BSL's Social & Climate Impact Award$1000 Beauty Birds
BSL's Health & Life Science Award$1000Movision Pro
BSL's Consumer Product & Service Award$1000PHlavor5
BSL's General Award$1000Fanalli
2022
AWARDPRIZE AMOUNTWINNER
Grand Prize$1,500Accessum LLC
Aroonsiri Howell, FOX ’25
1st Place – Undergraduate Track$1,000VRCoach
James Owen, TYL ’23
2nd Place – Undergraduate Track$500Career Experience
Whitney Constable, STH ’24
1st Place – Upper Track$1,000Kuaay
Yousif Memon, CST ’17
2nd Place – Upper Track$500Flare
Afua Mensah, FOX ’18
Global Innovation $500Flare
Afua Mensah, FOX ’18
Digital Innovation $1,000Career Experience
Whitney Constable, STH ’24
Crowd Favorite$500VRCoach
James Owen, TYL ’23
2021
AWARDPRIZE AMOUNTWINNER
Grand Prize$1,500Ethan Berg
Fox School of Business ‘20
1st Place – Undergraduate Track$1,000Moo Solutions
Noah Montierth
College of Engineering ‘22
2nd Place – Undergraduate Track$500Avi I.T.
Avi Knotts
College of Science & Technology ‘25
1st Place – Upper Track$1,000Rally
Max Reiff
Beasley School of Law ‘21
2nd Place – Upper Track$500Ace Club
Opeyemi Oyekanmi
Fox School of Business ‘04
Global Innovation $500

Moo Solutions
Noah Montierth
College of Engineering ‘22

Rally
Max Reiff
Beasley School of Law ‘21

Digital Innovation $1,000

Agora World
Ethan Berg
Fox School of Business ‘20

LogicCxt
Nathaniel Sloan
Fox School of Business ‘22

Crowd Favorite$500PetBox
Ghena Alkhalaf
Fox School of Business ’22
2020

GRAND PRIZE

Healthy RFP
Eric Friedman – College of Science and Technology

Jon Vogel – Drexel University

Garrett Gillin – Drexel University

Colin Sholes – Beloit College

 

Upper Track

First Place: ArtFlip
Jona Shreeves-Taylor – Fox School of Business

Second Place: My Relief Wear, LLC
Mary McElya – School of Theater, Film, and Media Arts

 

Undergraduate Track

First Place

Indicative Absorbing Bandaid (IAB)

Angeli Sen – College of Engineering

Vendant Patel – College of Engineering

Marko Stankovic – College of Engineering

Michael Kyae Appiagyei – College of Engineering

 

Second Place

Koi Charging LLC

Daniel Cantando – Fox School of Business

Eric Yu – Fox School of Business

 

Crowd Favorite Award

Sanitime

Chloe Gehret – College of Science and Technology

Allyson Yu – College of Science and Technology, Tyler School of Art + Architecture

 

Global Innovation Prize

My Relief Wear, LLC

Mary McElya – School of Theater, Film, and Media Arts

2019

GRAND PRIZE

The Vegan Leather Co.
Zimri Hinshaw – College of Liberal Arts ’21

 

Upper Track

First Place: NeckUp
Nikita Patel – Fox School of Business ’20

Second Place: VacayAbility
Natasha Graves – Fox School of Business ’18

 

Undergraduate Track

First Place: Recibo
Elliott Fix – College of Engineering ‘20

Second Place: Gively
Adam Gasiewski – College of Science and Technology ‘21

2019 Global Innovation Winner

Versa
Gabriel Marte – College of Public Health ‘19

 

People’s Choice Winner

First Place: Dr. Pod
Kavya Sreeram – College of Engineering ‘20

Second Place: Gively
Adam Gasiewski – College of Science and Technology ‘21

2018

Grand Prize
PureTrip by Salman Alotaibi, College of Engineering ‘19

Global Innovation Prize
Athlete Crush by Thilo Kunkel, School of Sport, Tourism, & Hospitality Management 

 

Upper Track:

1st Place:Invest Out by Tyrone Glover, Fox School of Business & Management ‘96

2nd Place: Miranda by Nikolas Revmatas, Fox School of Business & Management ‘19

 

Undergraduate Track

1st Place: Mouse Motel by Paul Gehret, College of Engineering ‘19

2nd Place: Mailroom by Rahul Nimmagadda, Fox School of Business & Management ‘19

Crowd Favorite

1st Place: PureTrip by Salman Alotaibi, College of Engineering ‘19

 2nd Place: Mailroom by Rahul Nimmagadda, Fox School of Business & Management ‘19

2017

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Biomaterix, Emily Kight, College of Engineering ’18

Global Innovation Prize

Biomaterix, Emily Kight, College of Engineering ’18

 

Undergraduate Track

1st Place: C.A.L.M., Daniel Couser, Fox School of Business and Management ’18

2nd Place: VibraSoft, Kyle Jezler, College of Engineering ’19

 

Upper Track

1st Place: Immersive Therapy, Keith Regan, Fox School of Business and Management Alumni

2nd Place: QuickReCon, Alexander Garaschenko, Fox School of Business and Management Alumni

 

Crowd Favorite

1st Place: My Student Quarters, Jessica Rehrig, College of Liberal Arts Alumni

2nd Place: The Atheroprobe, Laura Navarro, College of Science and Technology ’21

2016

Grand Prize $2,500

Pinpointer, Nigel Satenstein

1st Place Graduate, Faculty, Staff or Alumni $1,000

SensiFoam, Conor Vickers

2nd Place Graduate, Faculty, Staff or Alumni $500

Wearable Balance Device, Peter Agada

 

1st Place Undergraduate $1,000

Regenerative Suspension System. Christopher Ricci

2nd Place Undergraduate $500

Prohibere, Emily Kight

 

1st Place People’s Choice – Crowd Voted $1,000

Pinpointer, Nigel Satenstein

2nd Place People’s Choice – Crowd Voted $500

Oscar the Grouch Matt McCormick

Global Innovation Prize $500

Pinpointer, Nigel Satenstein

2015

Grand Prize Award

Quick Stabilizing Carbon Stephen Peduto

 

Global Award

Pound Cake Camille Bell

1st Place, Undergraduate

Seed Dyes Tyler Stoltzfus

 

1st Place People’s Choice Award

 

1st Place, Graduate Ka Bom Designs Olawunmi Thomas-Quarcoo

2nd Place, Graduate

Myjé Severine Bandou

 

2nd Place People’s Choice Award 2nd Place, Undergraduate

Self-Stabilizing Gloves Sabrina Zouaghi

2014

Anne Nelson Grand Prize

Lia-Pregnancy Test Redesign Bethany Edwards, School of Media and Communications, 2006

1st Place, Graduate Faculty, Staff or Alumni

Roar for Good Yasmine Mustafa, Fox School of Business, 2006

2nd Place, Graduate Faculty, Staff or Alumni

Heart Upbeat! Cecilia Scimia, School of Medicine, Faculty

 

1st Place, UndergraduateSnow Dissolving Light Post Bradley Blosser, Fox School of Business

2nd Place ,Undergraduate

Bouyant Pile Sean Webster, College of Engineering

 

1st Place, People’s Choice Award

Roar for Good Yasmine Mustafa, Fox School of Business, 2006

2nd Place, People’s Choice Award

Lia-Pregnancy Test Redesign Bethany Edwards, School of Media and Communications, 2006

2013

Futura mHealth Award

GrassRoots Nicholas Horn, Fox School of Business

 

Retail & People’s Choice Award

Hook Kahn (Karen) Louise Miller, CHPSW

 

MADV Grand Prize Award

Genie Player Zhewei Zhang, Fox School of Business

 

PAC Strapping Award

Screw Up Michael Haley, Fox School of Business

 

ED Kane Award

City Brella Meng Hsuan Tsai, Fox School of Business

 

Joseph Weiss Award

WebTV Joe Doyle, Fox School of Business

 

Nancy & Bill Baxter Award

Greener Greens Michael Ward, Science & Technology

2023 IIC Event Graphic