On Wednesday, May 13, seven teams of student entrepreneurs in the INCubatoredu program presented their final product pitches to a panel of seasoned judges and an audience of people in the auditorium. A group of juniors and seniors presented a mid-year pitch this past February, giving them a chance to alter their presentations and products. Each pitch was amazing and, in my (admittedly, non-professional) opinion, each product was ready to be sold in the real world.
Cash Campus started pitch night off strong with their app that rewards students with money to study. The app would be a non-profit funded by grants. The students aimed to help motivate students and build long-term study habits in their users.
Next up came Auto Essentials, a car maintenance kit designed for beginners, DIY-ers, and people who want to save money. Consumers would rent a kit containing everything they need to perform an oil change at a competitive price to compete with mechanics and other kits of its kind.
The next team to present their pitch was DefenseX and their Buzz Block Band. The product was a durable, reusable mosquito repellent wristband designed for people who love to spend time outdoors, especially those who are sensitive to other repellants. The band uses an ingredient called nootkatone, which is safer and better for the environment than other repellents, like DEET.
Ottomatic Hairgrowth went next, pitching their scalp and hair care product. Their formula combines rosemary, peppermint oil, caffeine and panthenol to support healthy hair growth.
Pee Purge, the next team to present, pitched their cleaning spray to help pet owners who must deal with pets urinating in their homes and ruining carpets and furniture. PeePurge cleans up stains, gets rid of odors and replaces them with a lemon scent and deters future accidents, all at a competitive price. The spray uses a special compound called D-limonene that provides both the lemon scent and the deterrent factor.
The next group to go up presented the Flo Bag, a discreet feminine product bag designed to look like a purse. The bag has space for every product a consumer could need plus extra room for phones, wallets, keys, and other items. The bag can be carried alone but is still small enough to fit inside a work, school or gym bag and is made with a waterproof lining.
The final group to present their pitch were the WiFi Wizards, showing off their customizable Wi-Fi extender. The team presented a solution to fix dead zones in houses, schools and places of work. The product is low-cost and offers flexible, app-based control.
After each team presented their products to the panel, the judges went to a separate room to deliberate over their top three teams of the night. Once they returned to the auditorium, they awarded prizes to the three best product pitches of the night. In third place came Pee Purge, followed by DefenseX in second place. The first-place prize was awarded to the founders of FlowBag, who received medals as well as a glittering trophy for their wonderful product.
“Constantly improving even when they’re good,” teacher Jesse Drury said of his students. He added that watching them improve is “really rewarding.”
“I’m just so proud of them,” Drury said.
