The President’s Innovation Challenge (PIC) is an invitation to Harvard students and select alumni to propel their ideas forward — with the chance to win a share of $515,000 in non-dilutive funding, gifted from the Bertarelli Foundation.
Throughout the seven-month process, teams develop their ventures with robust support from the Harvard Innovation Labs, working toward the live event on May 3. Register for the Awards Ceremony.
ACT ONE
The President’s Innovation Challenge is an opportunity to say yes to the unknown — and make way for the possibilities we haven’t yet imagined. A diverse community of innovators, one that invites imaginations to run wild, creates an ecosystem that propels everyone forward: The PIC is a chance to come together to discover what’s possible when we lead the way, pioneering a better future for new generations.
Applications closed on November 30, 2022 at 11:59 pm EST.
Where will your
imagination take you?
Teams that qualify for the PIC typically have made substantive progress on their venture beyond the initial ideation and validation stages. They usually have gained market traction such as customers, revenue, pilots, partnerships, engaged users, or funding from professional investors or donors. High-impact biotech, life sciences, or tough tech ventures that have done substantial technology validation and initial commercialization explorations are also encouraged to apply. We actively encourage teams and founders from a diversity of backgrounds and industries to apply. When you apply to the PIC, you will automatically become a Student i-lab Member for Spring 2023. If you don’t have enough traction for the PIC, we still encourage you to sign up for Student i-lab Membership.
Student ventures are placed in one of three tracks:
Venture teams currently in LLX GEO and the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab are automatically eligible to participate in the President’s Innovation Challenge. A selection of these Harvard alumni and affiliate-led ventures will be invited to pitch for the PIC. For more information, please see your program administrator.
Teams accepted to the President’s Innovation Challenge benefit from all the resources at the i-lab, including 1:1 staff advising tailored to your industry, matched mentorship, expert office hours, and networking opportunities. Finalist teams also gain valuable experience pitching to judges.
We assemble a top-notch panel of 150+ judges across different industries who are founders, investors, operators, and industry experts. They provide valuable feedback to approximately 100 Semifinalist and 15 finalist teams.
Throughout the spring, we will showcase many of our teams through social media and other editorial outlets. Teams chosen as Finalists will be invited to participate in the Awards Ceremony attended by the global innovation and investment communities.
The President’s Innovation Challenge is an opportunity to win a share of $515,000 in prize money, generously provided by the Bertarelli Foundation.
The conversations you have and the relationships you build are vital toward your progress as a team. Participating fully in a community of passionate entrepreneurs facing similar challenges can buoy you through successes, help you through frustrations, and support you well beyond the PIC experience.
Accepted venture teams are placed into the track that is most appropriate for their venture. Each track awards $100,000 total in Bertarelli Foundation prize money.
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The PIC is an opportunity to build something necessary and new, and be inspired by what’s possible. It’s also a chance to join an inspired and inspiring community of innovators who care as much about the questions as the solutions. Take the challenge to discover how more human futures are possible! |
Applications are now closed |
The President’s Innovation Challenge is a call to action for fully-matriculated Harvard, degree-seeking Harvard students — including undergraduates, graduates, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows.
Applications are due November 30, 2022 at 11:59 pm EST.
The President’s Innovation Challenge is open to venture teams led by at least one fully-matriculated, degree-seeking Harvard student, including undergraduates, graduates, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows. While we encourage collaboration with entrepreneurs, scientists, and industry executives—and welcome participants outside of the Harvard community—we require that a Harvard student be a founder, committed leader, and integral part of each venture team. The Harvard student will be the primary point of contact and will be required to pitch on behalf of the team. We encourage teams and founders from a diversity of backgrounds and industries to apply.
Qualifying ventures for the PIC have made progress on their venture beyond the initial ideation and validation stages. This may mean they have gained market traction, such as customers, revenue, users, signed partnerships, and/or raised funds. We understand that all teams are in the growth stage, and as a part of that process, we recommend that students look at past winners to see examples of teams that have been successful in the President’s Innovation Challenge.
Student teams accepted into the President’s Innovation Challenge will become members in the Student i-lab and will be supported in their journey by resources such as 1:1 advising, expert resources, and help with pitch coaching, as well as a vibrant community of entrepreneurs. Ventures at an early stage (who have not yet gained market traction) are still invited to apply for the Student i-lab membership, which provides tailored resources to help launch and supercharge your venture.
The 100+ Semifinalist and 15 Finalist teams are evaluated by a panel of 150+ judges across different industries who are founders, investors, operators, and industry experts.
Qualified teams have measurable traction for their venture and are evaluated based on the following areas:
We encourage teams and founders from a diversity of backgrounds and industries to apply.
If your venture is not selected for the challenge, this doesn’t mean that your idea isn’t incredible, or that you aren’t likely to succeed. The PIC is for venture teams that have made a certain amount of progress. Many of our past winners have applied more than once, gaining valuable feedback and experience, and have made more progress the second time around.
If you don’t have enough traction yet to join the PIC, we encourage you to participate in our Student i-lab Membership to take advantage of our tailored programming and office hours, which can help take your venture to your next milestone.
Got questions about the President’s Innovation Challenge? Look no further! If your question isn’t answered below, please contact us at i-lab@harvard.edu.
How do I know if my venture has enough traction to apply to the PIC?
If your venture is at the idea stage, you might be too early. We encourage you to join the i-lab membership here to further validate and refine the idea.
If you have traction via customers, revenue, dozens of users, pilots, partnerships, or funding from investors (not friends and family) or donors, you should absolutely apply.
If you’re in between or when in doubt, feel free to reach out to an i-lab staff advisor here.
High-impact biotech, life science, or tough tech ventures that have done substantial technology validation and commercialization explorations are also encouraged to apply.
Is there value in applying even if I’m not selected as one of 15 Finalists or win prize money?
Absolutely — typically 100+ Semi-Finalists will receive feedback from our judges, and many find the feedback very valuable to help them further develop your idea.
Additionally, applicants will also become a member of the Student i-lab, which offers workshops, funding opportunities, and other resources to help you further your ventures.
How does judging work?
Teams who apply to the PIC go through three rounds of selection:
How will my application be evaluated by judges?
Teams are scored based on four main categories:
What support do you offer teams going through the PIC process?
Teams receive feedback from judges, pitch practice, help with their pitch deck, and other opportunities to advance their business further, faster.
If I am selected to participate in the President’s Innovation Challenge, am I also in the Student i-lab Membership?
Ventures selected for the President’s Innovation Challenge will become members of the Student i-lab during the application process, to continue developing their ventures throughout the spring. The Student i-lab Membership is designed to support you as you grow your venture and help you gain traction.
What happens if I apply for the President’s Innovation Challenge and my venture is not selected to be a Semi-Finalist?
If your venture is not selected for the challenge, this doesn’t mean that your idea isn’t incredible, or that you aren’t likely to succeed. The PIC is for venture teams that have made a certain amount of progress. If you don’t have enough traction yet to join the PIC, you will still be invited to participate in the Student i-lab Membership and take advantage of our tailored programming and office hours, which can help take your venture to your next milestone.
What if I only want to apply to the Student i-lab Membership?
We encourage you to apply to the i-lab Student i-lab Membership directly. Please visit the Student i-lab Membership page to learn more about the program and access the application. If your venture is still too early in its development (e.g., you are focused on defining your offering and validating your customers), we are still eager to support you!
If my venture is selected to participate in the President’s Innovation Challenge but ultimately doesn’t get chosen as a finalist, what happens then?
You remain in the Student i-lab Membership and can continue developing your venture with the enthusiastic support and resources of the i-lab community.
If I win an award at the President’s Innovation Challenge celebration, does the money have to be used in any specific way?
The award money is a prize. You decide what to do with your prize money! It is also non-dilutive, which means you don’t have to give up any equity in your venture to accept the award.
Do I have to attend the Awards Ceremony in May to receive a Bertarelli Foundation Award?
It’s highly encouraged, but not mandatory, to attend the awards ceremony on May 3, 2023 to receive a grand prize or runner-up prize.
Ready to apply to the President’s Innovation Challenge?
Your extraordinary ideas inspire and create the future we can’t wait to inhabit. Join us for a spring full of community, encouragement, learning, and excitement as you seize this challenge to level up your venture and win (we’re cheering for you!) up to $75,000 in Bertarelli Foundation prizes.
Applications are due by November 30, 2022 at 11:59 pm EST.
Still have questions? Come to our President’s Innovation Challenge Launch Event on November 1!
ACT TWO
With an abundance of ideas and energy, we tackle the problems that matter most — the ones that seem insurmountable. A diverse community of innovators that invites ideas from every angle creates an ecosystem that propels everyone forward. Following a new idea from seedling to inception takes tenacity and humility. Our opportunity is to pay attention, follow through on our instincts, and do the hard work to turn our wildest ideas into reality.
Impossible is just
the beginning.
During this phase of the PIC, teams are pushed to their greatest potential. Those who have made it this far have likely attracted a user base, charted a course for commercialization, and may have even established paid customers or partnerships. Now they’re really leaning in, hustling hard to propel their ventures even farther, even faster, with full support from the i-lab community. Their pitches, products, business models, and go-to-market-strategies are scrutinized under a microscope and refined in preparation for the President’s Innovation Challenge and beyond.
The Harvard Innovation Labs is endlessly proud of all our semifinalists, past and present. Whether or not an idea makes it to the final round of the PIC, the i-lab is here to help get each of you over the finish line. We believe that all the incredible progress made during this phase is just the beginning of the road — and we’re here for all the twists, turns, uphill battles, and exciting wins along the way.
From more than 323 applications, the PIC committee chose 134 student teams as semifinalists. In addition to student teams, there are 24 alumni and affiliate semi-finalist ventures competing.
Semi-finalist teams represent unique, original ideas developed by a diverse cross-section of entrepreneurs from each of Harvard’s 13 schools.
Armed with unique specialties and industry expertise, PIC judges from far and wide evaluate team applications to select finalist teams in each track — and offer critical advice for refining each venture.
An expansive global perspective informs this competition. At the i-lab, our rich international ecosystem brings distinct cultural elements, bolstering the innovative power of our community.
Accepted venture teams are placed into the track that is most appropriate for their venture. Each track awards $100,000 total in prize money, made possible by a gift from the Bertarelli Foundation.
The Social Impact Track is open to teams that want to make our planet safer, more equitable, sustainable, and beautiful. The critical issues they address include social equity, the depletion of finite resources, helping artists and cultural traditions thrive, and more.
Sub-categories include but are not limited to: arts, equity, education, environment, economic development, food, and sustainable agriculture.
Agora
Agora is a virtual after-school space. Did you know that 70% of the active learning happens outside school? We democratize great after-school.
Team Lead: Oscar Namen
School: Harvard Business School
Web: agora-ed.com
Alokito Teachers
A data-driven teacher development platform providing personalized services to make teaching effortless and effective.
Team Lead: Azwa Nayeem
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: alokitoteachers.com
ArchEPI
We bring real estate developers, community groups, and local government together to create green buildings that improve community health.
Team Lead: Adele Houghton
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: architecturalepidemiology.org
BlockCarbon
BlockCarbon is a remote sensing + AI technology-driven marketplace selling Asia-based carbon credits to the global market.
Team Lead: Charles Liu
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: blockcarbon.earth
Blossom: Bi-Lingual Story Switching Method
Blossom ebooks empower K-6 students to read children's beloved stories in 2 languages -- eg. 25% English + 75% Spanish, or 50% English + 50% Chinese.
Team Lead: Bill Tan
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: iblossom.com
Body Empowerment Project
We decrease eating disorder risk in marginalized youth through a 10-week evidence-based prevention program for middle and high school students.
Team Lead: Amanda Moreno
School: Harvard Medical School
Web: bodyempowerment.net
Catching Joy, Inc.
In 2008, I co-founded Catching Joy, a youth led 501c3 nonprofit, which promotes youth service in order to share the responsibility & joy of giving.
Team Lead: Maxwell Surprenant
School: Harvard College
Web: catchingjoy.org
Chrysalis Streaming
Chrysalis creates culturally responsive STEM animated stories and partners with prominent role models to empower k12 black and brown students.
Team Lead: David Hill
School: Harvard College
Chula
Chula is a certified cooks-to-consumer segment where local users and certified cooks connect, list, order, and process payments.
Team Lead: Ujjwal Rai
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: chula.com
Civic Roundtable
Civic Roundtable is a secure collaboration platform for the 22.5M public servants on the frontlines of state and local government.
Team Lead: Madeleine Smith
School: Harvard Business School
Web: civicroundtable.com
Connect-Ed
Connect-Ed bridges digital divide by collecting and distributing used equipment, and teaching digital literacy skills to to low-income communities.
Team Lead: Gulnaz Kordanova
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: connect-ed.kz/en
CovEducation
CovEducation is an educational non-profit that provides free virtual tutoring to students in underserved school districts around the country.
Team Lead: Pallas Chou
School: Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Web: coved.org
DonorSpring
DonorSpring is a platform that connects nonprofits with new donors and increases donations from existing donors.
Team Lead: Taylor Greenthal
School: Harvard Business School
Web: donorspring.org
EarthQuake
EarthQuake helps retail investors grow their wealth meaningfully, investing in sustainable portfolios and pushing companies for change.
Team Lead: Arnaud Pincet
School: Harvard Business School
Web: earth-quake.us
First Gen Empower (FGE)
Support first-generation, low-income, and undocumented CA high school students with college and career readiness resources, training, and mentorship.
Team Lead: Arabi Hassan
School: Harvard Law School
Web: firstgenempower.com
Flare Education
Flare Education tackles generational poverty by providing low-income high school students with a 36-month paid workforce development program
Team Lead: Ajit Vakharia
School: Harvard Business School
flare-education.org
FoodNiche-ED (GrubEasy Interactive Lab Inc)
We empower teachers to introduce nutrition education to K-12 students in an engaging way without increasing teachers' workload.
Team Lead: Julia Olayanju
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: foodniche-ed.com
GarboCarbo Inc.
GarboCarbo Inc. captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it into valuable byproducts (e.g. precipitated calcium carbonate, or PCC.
Team Lead: Pavan Pandurangi
School: Harvard College
GoYogi
For students who experience smartphone addiction or apnea, our venture triangulates data from smart devices to provide custom mental health resources.
Team Lead Shruthi Kumar
School: Harvard College
Web: go-yogi.org
Inqui-Lab Foundation
Nurture problem-solving capacity among first generation learners.
Team Lead: Eshwar Bandi
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: inquilabfoundation.org
Ivy League Mentoring
We are a non-profit group of Ivy League students who provide mentoring including tutoring, academic help, coaching, and study strategies to students.
Team Lead: Alessandro Hammond
School: Harvard College
Web: ivyleaguementoring.com/
Jamii Life
Jamii Life empowers marginalised professional and family caregivers of colour with tools and training to deliver high-quality home-based care.
Team Lead: Zeenith Ebrahim
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: jamiilife.com
KAARI: Handmade for the metaverse
Kaari provides artisan enterprises a platform to build & sell non-traditional, digital products to XR enterprises seeking highly differentiated assets
Team Lead: Anandana Kapur
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: kaari.studio
KRISHI NEER (Agri-Elixir)
Krishi-Neer, a venture aligned with UN-SDG (6,11,12,13), has crafted an indigenous product that acts as a sponge & optimizes water levels in the soil.
Team Lead: RONAK JOGESHWAR
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Melanin Doc
Melanin Doc is a non-profit organization that supports minority students interested in medicine with scholarships and mentorship opportunities.
Team Lead: Ted Obi
School: Harvard Business School
Web: instagram.com/melanindoc/
MetaForest DCAR (Decentralized Crowd Afforestation and Reforestation) Protocol
MetaForest Protocol is a Decentralized Crowd Afforestation and Reforestation (DCAR) carbon offset project using a crowd-tree-planting model.
Team Lead: Romeo Siquijor
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: metagencoin.com
MSCE Model Answers Q&A App
I published a Mathematics textbook for High School Students in Malawi. I would like to develop an app to reach students in the rural areas.
Team Lead: Michael Masiya
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: gofundme.com/f/please-donate-to-aid-printing-of-mathematics-book
Officina
Officina is a fellowship program to offer young people the opportunity to work in the public administration while developing a well-rounded profile
Team Lead: Valeria Tiberi
School: Harvard Business School
Web: officineitalia.org
Prod
Prod recruits the most talented college seniors, and helps them build a viable, impactful startup to pursue full-time after graduation.
Team Lead: Arul Kapoor
School: Harvard College
Web: prod.so
Project FUEL
Developing life skills in children aged 8-18 for lifelong learning and holistic wellbeing.
Team Lead: Deepak Ramola
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: projectfuel.in
Puentes Community Translators
Training bilingual youth from low-income immigrant areas to become career translators, bridging economic and language barriers in their communities
Team Lead: Krizia Lopez
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: puentestranslators.com
Purple Point Neurodiagnostics LLC
We address the gap in epilepsy diagnosis in low and middle income countries.
Team Lead: Teguo Djoyum
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: linktr.ee/purplepointnd
RockFix
RockFix helps the critical minerals industry decarbonize, unlock waste (tailings) value, and increase operational safety through rock mineralization.
Team Lead: Melissa Zhang
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: breakthroughenergy.org/our-work/fellows/projects/explorer-grants/
Sage
Sage is a platform for non-profit green banks, community development financial institutions, and private investors to collaborate on climate finance.
Team Lead: Morgan Brewton-Johnson
School: Harvard Business School
Seeing Hope
Seeing Hope combines technological innovation and sustainable community development to fight the extinction of indigenous languages and cultures.
Team Lead: Nicholas Belmore
School: Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Web: seeinghope.com
SeerLit
Duolingo for College Admissions, providing first-gen, low-income students with a structured, supported, and gamified college admissions process
Team Lead: Viet Nguyen
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Spiritual Care Project
The Spiritual Care Project is a movement and online app to grow accessibility to contemporary resources for spiritual health care.
Team Lead: Jenn Louie
School: Harvard Divinity School
Web: spiritualcareproject.com
The Ameliorating Health in Africa Initiative (A.H.A Initiative)
The AHA Initiative transforms unused spaces in existing community institutions into free primary healthcare centers for extremely low-income residents
Team Lead: Tolani Yesufu
School: Harvard Medical School
Web: ahainitiative.com
The Arc of Change LLC
We train diverse progressive leaders in the transformative craft of community organizing to create real-world change and restore democracy.
Team Lead: Abel R. Cano
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: arcofchange.com
TrustChain
TrustChain is a human-powered Web3 verification system for social impact projects that builds and abridges trust between donors, NGOs, and communities
Team Lead: Marc Alain Boucicault
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: trustchain.world
Ukraine Global Scholars Foundation
We help bright Ukrainian high school students from modest backgrounds get accepted at the world's best boarding schools and colleges.
Team Lead: Yuliia Lemesh
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: UGS.foundation
UMA Peru
UMA Peru offers to the international market handicrafts made by Peruvian artisan women in conditions of socioeconomic vulnerability and violence.
Team Lead: Alejandra Guardia Muguruza
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: umaperu.com
The Health & Life Sciences Track is open to any team improving the efficacy of healthcare services, including therapeutics, devices, healthcare, and digital health. Projects may address a wide range of issues, from improving access to care to realizing the potential of personalized therapies.
AiNaDoctor Inc.
Our venture aims to provide AI-assisted cloud services for dentists to manage patients' diagnoses and treatment designs, documentation, and insurance.
Team Lead: Na Zhao
School: Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Web: aina.health
Alvus Health
Alvus Health develops target identification and drug discovery platform by AI and high-throughput patient-derived organoids.
Team Lead: Junhan Zhao
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: alvushealth.com
ARTyx
At ARTyx, we are developing an innovative RNA therapeutic platform for cancer treatment, with an initial focus on Breast Cancer.
Team Lead: Alice Desbuleux
School: Harvard Medical School
AugMend
AugMend is a data-driven virtual reality therapy platform leveraging bio-feedback and AI to unburden clinicians, prevent relapses and increase SoC.
Team Lead: Artemiy Shlyaptsev
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: augmend.life
BonePixel
A data-driven tool leveraging existing clinical data to assess hip health for personalized diagnosis and treatment planning using AI and 3D simulation
Team Lead: Nazgol Tavabi
Web: bonepixel.com
BRIDGE
Bridge is an AI-powered matchmaking service which connects patients ready for discharge from hospital with care providers in their communities.
Team Lead: Carlo Ross
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: bridgesocialcare.com
Cell BioEngines
We are a therapeutic platform company pioneering off-the-shelf, cell-based medicine by mass producing highly potent immune cell states.
Team Lead: Sam Casey
School: Harvard Business School
Web: cellbioengines.com
COLLOGH CARES INC
We help healthcare providers, patients, and payers to improve the management of chronic kidney disease and prevent (or delay onset of) kidney failure.
Team Lead: David Wu
School: Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Web: colloghcares.com
Dart Biosciences
Dart Biosciences is developing personalized gene therapies for an array of rare and common diseases.
Team Lead: Hyunyong Koh
DoriVac
DoriVac (DNA Origami Vaccine) is a biotech startup developing novel cancer treatments using DNA nanotechnology.
Team Lead: Kevin Emancipator
School: Harvard Business School
Web: instagram.com/reel/Cki-aDkPrvt
eyeMage
eyeMage is a handheld device that allows for noninvasive, quantitative assessment of potential corneal surface disease or injury.
Team Lead: Jayanth Pratap
School: Harvard College
Go Healthy & Co
It combines psychology and artificial intelligence to deliver tailored psychological interventions through a smartphone application using a chatbot
Team Lead: Laura Marciano
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: gohealthyandco.com
HEIO Biotechnology
We envision building a human immune organ-mimicking system, as a platform for therapeutic antibody discovery.
Team Lead: Yunhao Zhai
Ilios Therapeutics
Ilios creates trojan horse new molecular entities optimized to cross the blood-brain barrier and target multiple pathways involved in neurons death
Team Lead: Vincent Dassault
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Web: iliostx.com
InConfidence
In-Confidence is a smart patch technology that delivers at-home posterior tibial nerve stimulation to treat urinary incontinence overactive bladder
Team Lead: Helena Franco
School: Harvard Medical School
Web: inconfidence.io
Kiikter
Kiikter is a low-cost snack fortified with key micronutrients to improve children´s nutrition and reduce anemia.
Team Lead: Alan Espinosa
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: kiikter.com
Mansarover Inc
We use multiscale deep learning methods to design and validate novel, longevity-promoting drugs.
Team Lead: Brennan Overhoff
School: Harvard College
Web: mansarover.us
MEDICIPHER
AI-enabled clinical billing automation and data mining.
Team Lead: Al-Muataz Khalil
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: medicipher.ai
miniDia
A portable device "miniDia" is used to quantify multiple biomarkers for precise disease diagnosis and monitoring via smartphone imaging and analysis.
Team Lead: Zuantao Lin
School: Harvard Medical School
Minka
Minka is a tech-enabled staffing marketplace that matches allied health professionals with the right role and the right employer.
Team Lead: Eric Park
School: Harvard Business School
Web: heyminka.com
Mobile Memory
Mobile Memory is harnessing the power of AI to detect early signs of dementia via speech analytics.
Team Lead: Dhruva Gupta
School: Harvard Medical School
Web: mobilememory.app
Modulate Bio
We develop innovative therapies for patients with central nervous system (CNS) disorders, by applying novel drug design concepts to validated targets.
Team Lead: Andrew Thomson
School: Harvard Business School
NeoDrain
NeoDrain is developing a medical device to prevent accidental dislodgement of drainage catheters.
Team Lead: Mario Russo
School: Harvard Business School
neumind ltd
Helping digitize neurorehabilitation for people living with neurological conditions or injuries such as stroke, brain injury and dementia.
Team Lead: Claudia Hill
School: Harvard Business School
Web: neumind.co.uk
Neurobionics
Neurobionics' neural interfacing technology seamlessly bidirectionally connects muscles and nerves to devices for control and therapy.
Team Lead: Shriya Srinivasan
PeriPeach
Improving the comfort and care of birthing people.
Team Lead: Tess Koi
School: Harvard Medical School
Web: peripeach.com
Prompt eCare
Prompt eCare is a virtual oncology platform to improve patient survival by rapid evaluation, treatment & enhanced care coordination at a lowered cost.
Team Lead: Maxi Pape
School: Harvard Business School
Renal regenerative therapy
Using plasma and stem cells to regrow kidney tissues in patient with chronic kidney disease
Team Lead: Ebima Okundaye
School: Harvard Medical School
Rheoxtech
We are creating a patent-protected platform that acts as an adjunct to enhance coronary flow and recovery of the heart during serious heart attacks.
Team Lead: Neil Thomas
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: https://forbes.mc/article/top-10-entrepreneurs-to-watch-in-healthcare-in-2022
SomaCode
Somacode is a high-throughput, in vivo platform technology that helps deliver therapeutic cells to their targets within the body
Team Lead: Soufiane Aboulhouda
School: Harvard Medical School
Web: wyss.harvard.edu/technology/somacode-getting-cell-therapies-where-they-need-to-go
Willow Health
Willow Health is a precision brain health monitoring (digital biomarkers from mobile devices) and intervention platform
Team Lead: Morgan Moncada
School: Harvard Business School
Web: mywillowhealth.com
Zeph
Zeph is a device and remote pulmonary rehab platform that trains respiratory function and enhance disease management in one holistic offering.
Team Lead: Mimi Gendreau Kigawa
School: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Web: zephbreath.com
The Open Track is open to a wide array of commercial enterprises, selling to businesses and/or consumers.
Popular industries include but are not limited to: education technologies (whether selling to government, schools, or families), finance, ecommerce, information technology, Web3, consumer products, food and beverage, and virtual and augmented reality applications.
Accessible Bio
We are building a B2B platform that enables industry biologist to run machine learning workflows at a low cost and without having to be an expert AI.
Team Lead: Ben Altschuler
School: Harvard College
Web: accessible.bio
AllStreet
AllStreet provides access to private funds - private equity, venture capital, real estate - for the currently excluded retail investor
Team Lead: Ayo Ekhator
School: Harvard Business School
Web: theallstreet.com
Amble
Amble is mid-term rental platform that curates novel, flexible housing for tenants, and provides landlords with greater profitability and security.
Team Lead: Andrew Vardell
School: Harvard Business School
Anemone
Anemone consists in an alternative to LinkedIn dedicated to the cultural and creative industries.
Team Lead: Elie Attias
School: Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Web: anemone.paris/en
Archnetwork
Providing architecture students and early graduates a virtual interactive platform to connect with firms for internships.
Team Lead: Harshika Bisht
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Web: bitly.ws/wrFa
Astor
Astor's community-based portfolio monitor helps retail investors understand their portfolio and create their own investment thesis.
Team Lead: Lindsay Dorf
School: Harvard Business School
Web: astor.money
Autoguardias
A platform for hospitals to automate the allocation of medical shifts, accounting for individual preferences as well as meeting the requirements.
Team Lead: Lucia Vives
School: Harvard College
Web: autoguardias.com
Autumn Labs
Autumn labs is a data platform that helps hardware engineers collect, organize and analyze their test data.
Team Lead: Prathik Muppidi
School: Harvard Business School
Bard Books
Bard Books is on a mission to create more inclusive and personalized content through artificial intelligence.
Team Lead: Michael Bervell
School: Harvard Business School
Web: Bard-books.com
Blend
Blend connects influencers with brands to create more lucrative partnerships.
Team Lead: Nicholas Marcenelle Perez
School: Harvard College
Web: blend-app.com
bloss.m
bloss.m combines community, education and technology to empower girls/women to discover and achieve their purpose.
Team Lead: Lola Olaore
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: uk.linkedin.com/company/bloss-m
BoldShapes
BoldShapes designs and sells plus size wardrobe staples.
Team Lead: Barbara Ploix
School: Harvard Business School
Web: boldshapes.com
Buildoly
Buildoly is an all in one platform that helps homeowners plan, design, and build their renovation projects.
Team Lead: Jeff Cheung
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Web: buildoly.com
Calypso
Calypso is a simple, conversational recruiting solution that does work for you. We automate, screen, schedule, and onboard new recruits via WhatsApp.
Team Lead: Andres Godoy
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: calypso.day
Cambridge Terahertz
Securing our schools and other vulnerable locations with portable radar imaging
Team Lead: Wayne Pak
hool: Harvard Kennedy School
Cherish
A lifeline for caregivers & loved ones with dementia, Cherish is a subscription kit service designed to educate & help families connect.
Team Lead: Audrey Scagnelli
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: cherishcommunity.com/
Coastal Protection Solutions, Inc.
We design easily deployable and affordable systems that mitigate the effects of climate change (flooding and storm surge) on coastal communities.
Team Lead: Alexandra Berkowitz
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Web: coastalprotectionsolutions.com
DeepInsights
An AI-first meeting intelligence platform that helps boost organizational meeting productivity by making meetings more efficient.
Team Lead: Era Jain
School: Harvard Business School
Web: getdeepinsights.com
DetoXyFi
We build next generation drinking water filters for use by individuals and households that are sustainable, affordable, and highly effective.
Team Lead: Dhananjay Goel
School: Harvard Kennedy School
dGo-on
We provide organizations a unique digital voting solution; ballot secrecy is unhackable and voters gain trust by self-verifying their counted ballot.
Team Lead: Josefina Correa Gutierrez
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: dgo-on.com/en/home/
Earthbond
We take retail energy demand and couple it with user's financial profile to qualify and offer them financing for top quality solar in Nigeria
Team Lead: Chidalu Onyenso
School: Harvard Business School
Web: earthbond.co
ENABL
A knowledge-sharing mentorship platform that automates a significant amount of the mentoring and learning process
Team Lead: Daniel Walker
School: Harvard Law School
Web: enabl.online
FanCoin
Enabling sports teams- in developing economies- to increase fan engagement via tiered membership benefits, including fractional ownership of teams
Team Lead: Usman Shuja
hool: Harvard Kennedy School
Focus Debate Academy
teach student public speaking and debating
Team Lead: Lidya Lu
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Girlboss Gatekeep Gaslight: The Game
An engaging and self aware card game for parties and playing with friends — those you are close to and those you are just getting to know.
Team Lead: Tara Burchmore
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: instagram.com/girlbossgame
Growbie
The first personal development platform for immigrants in America: We teach power skills, such as networking, via courses, coaching, and community.
Team Lead: Jashin Lin
School: Harvard Business School
Web: growbie.com
Guise Medical
Guise Medical produces customizable syringe covers to alleviate a child's fear of needles by disguising the syringe as a toy (e.g., turtle, butterfly)
Team Lead: Dawson Falgoust
School: Harvard Law School
Web: guisemedical.com
HiSolver
We offer Gen Z students a platform to build learning communities powered by an oracle AI that helps them share knowledge and learn faster and better.
Team Lead: Yan Kaled Barbosa
School: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Web: hisolver.com
Hydra Pops
Electrolyte popsicles provide a healthy and enjoyable way to hydrate, without all the nonsense (added sugars, dyes, and harmful ingredients).
Team Lead: CC Salzman
School: Harvard Business School
Web: instagram.com/hydra_pops
idTeach
Technology to quantify the impact of emotions and interactions in the classroom, & give tailored feedback/coaching for a better education
Team Lead: Ruben Anzures
School: Harvard Business School
Web: jann.mx
iN2DEGREE
iN2DEGREE is a brand committed to use sustainable materials that minimizes the impact to the environment. Embrace the power of natural material.
Team Lead: Matthew Lee
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Web: in2degree.com
Inclusively.ai
The first AI enterprise communication tool that roots out biased language by providing real-time actionable insights for teams
Team Lead: Yeti Khim
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: inclusively.ai
Kismet
Kismet discovers novel materials for carbon capture, inventing the perfect molecules for removing CO2 from our air.
Team Lead: Aaron Sabin
School: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Klexion
Klexion is a marketplace that digitalizes the reselling process of physical, valuable items.
Team Lead: James Vincent Ines
School: Harvard College
Web: klexion.com
Lawyers Near Me PH ("LNM PH")
LNM PH is an organization that connects potential clients to competent lawyers depending on their legal needs and location through online platforms.
Team Lead: Annarose Mel Cruz
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: facebook.com/lawyersnearmeph
Ledger Research
Ledger Research is an Uber for researchers that connects them to participants across language and cultural barriers.
Team Lead: Yacine Fall
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
M7 Health
M7 is building a workforce management platform for hospitals to make nursing jobs more sustainable and attractive amid a record nursing shortage.
Team Lead: Ilana Springer Borkenstein
School: Harvard Business School
Web: nursing.jnj.com
Mercor
Mercor is a recruiting company which connects talented students at underutilized engineering schools globally with midsize companies and startups.
Team Lead: Adarsh Hiremath
School: Harvard College
Web: mercor.io
MintStars
MintStars helps creators and models earn more, protect their content, and reduce burnout with the world's first NFT subscription platform.
Team Lead: Jessica Van Meir
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: mintstars.com
Northwood Space
Northwood hardware product significantly expands the orbits and frequency ranges available simultaneously from the ground for satellite communications
Team Lead: Bridgit Mendler
School: Harvard Law School
Web: northwoodspace.io
Oban Market
Oban is a microfinance marketplace and education platform empowering microfinance borrowers in Nigeria with best loan plans and financial literacy too
Team Lead: Matt Tengtrakool
School: Harvard College
Web: oban.market
Order Zone
A one-click template-based and customizable solution for SMBs in India to easily transition to technology for operations (inventory, orders, payments)
Team Lead: Aishwarya Sreenivas
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Web: orderzone.squarespace.com
Pears.
Pears enables remote workers to live in different cities throughout the year, at cheaper rates than their typical lease.
Team Lead: Ibrahim Ibrahim
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Web: pears.homes
Penguin.ai
Penguin helps creative marketing teams generate unlimited visual assets (e.g, images and videos) using generative AI models.
Team Lead: Rohan Doshi
School: Harvard Business School
Web: diffusionroom.com
Ream
Ream enables authors to monetize their readers through a monthly subscription in exchange for early access to their stories and an exclusive community
Team Lead: Michael Evans
School: Harvard College
Web: ream.ink
Saafwater | TechXcl India Pvt. Ltd.
Saafwater is an Al-loT platform that monitors water quality in realtime to forewarn anomalies, along with purification recommendations to improve it.
Team Lead: Deepanshu Pathak
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: saafwater.com
SideStreet
Our mission is to enable healthcare's next labor force - Community Health Workers (CHWs) - to care for our nation's most challenging patient
Team Lead: Saad Soroya
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: sidestreethealth.com
StartMyName.com
We build fast, simple and affordable template-based websites via automated tech for SMEs in developing regions that otherwise would not go online.
Team Lead: Heerraa Ravindran
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: startmyname.com
Stochastic
Stochastic is building a software platform that enables the access to the most difficult AI models for enterprises.
Team Lead: Glenn Ko
School: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Web: stochastic.ai
TAPP
TAPP offers a new passwordless "user login" method for enterprises that eliminates phishing, which is responsible for 90% of all cyber breaches.
Team Lead: Georgi Ivanov
School: Harvard College
Web: tappsecure.com
Taste of Kenya
Taste of Kenya disrupts the supply chain with direct trade linking Kenyan coffee farmers with coffee buyers bypassing five levels of middlemen.
Team Lead: Zipporah Gatiti
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: tasteofkenya.org
The NRI Nation
The NRI Nation is a digital media company that does journalism for and about the global Indian diaspora population
Team Lead: Nikita Roy
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: mynrination.com
Twenty Team, Inc.
Twenty gives young adults the mentors, skills, and resources they need to navigate their twenties, in work and in life.
Team Lead: Katie Kirsch
School: Harvard Business School
Web: twenty.team
Uncubical
For employees in the grind running from one task to the next, we provide a pause, recentering with step by step breathwork and wellness programs.
Team Lead: Chavi bansal
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: chavibansalwellness.com
Urbane
Talent platform connecting senior operators to high-growth companies starting with project based work
Team Lead: Benjamin Cunningham
School: Harvard Business School
Web: joinurbane.com
Veritel Energy
Decarbonize multi-family properties with renewable energy to provide a healthier environment in at-risk communities.
Team Lead: Anthony Keslinke
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: veritelenergy.com
Vocadian
Vocadian transforms safety, health, and productivity management with clinically validated voice AI technology for front-line workers and management teams.
Team Lead: Yujie Wang
School: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Web: linkedin.com/company/vocadian/
Youth Investors Corp
Dedicated to bringing access and educational equity to financial literacy, Youth Investors Corp focuses on strengthening economic outcomes of youth.
Team Lead: Dylan Jin-Ngo
School: Harvard College
Web: youthinvestorscorp.org
Nuzzle Technologies, Inc.
We help veterinary clinics get, process, and manage patient electronic medical records in a software-agnostic manner.
Team Lead: Neshmeen Faatimah
School: Harvard Business School
The Ingenuity Awards celebrate high-potential ideas within the Harvard Innovation Labs Venture Program and provide funding to early-stage ventures.
Assignment Inc.
Assignment organizes the world’s climate change plans into solvable assignments on a mobile application—the Pokémon go of climate change.
Team Lead: Joel Rodriguez
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: assignmentapp.org
ClearSky
ClearSky serves as a crucial tool in assisting people with vision problem and help improve the quality of safety and efficiency.
Team Lead: Mahbuba Sumiya
School: Harvard College
Web: pitch.lpce.harvard.pitchpages.io
EmbedX Bio
We filed IP on a novel bioprinting method for applications in disease modeling and the scalable generation of human tissues and organs.
Team Lead: Daniel Reynolds
School: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
e-Rehri
Affordable, electric, modular, and sustainable carts for street vendors in Indian cities.
Team Lead: Gauri Nagpal
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Web: gaurinagpal.com/rehri
Halo Braid
Halo is an automated hair braider that saves time and money for the 180 MM women who get their hair braided regularly.
Team Lead: Yinka Ogunbiyi
School: Harvard Business School
Web: halobraid.com
NoLo
NoLo simplifies the student loan forgiveness process for public service; it's essentially TurboTax for student loans.
Team Lead: Jasmin Smoots
School: Harvard Business School
Web: getnolo.com
Pacto Medical
A compact pre-filled syringe that expands medical access at a reduced cost and environmental impact by lowering the packaging footprint by 40%.
Team Lead: Ian Speers
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: pactomedical.com
Rehydrate, Inc.
Hydrogen fuel cells emit drinking-level grade water as a byproduct of the energy reaction - I want to redesign a fuel cell for max water production.
Team Lead: Jake Sortor
School: Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School
Web: rehydratetheplanet.com
SALTech (Sustainable Architecture Landscape Technology)
S.A.L.Tech is a startup to develop and implements plant-based products to mitigate Climate Change.
Team Lead: Abhishek Desai
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Webquity
Webquity provides accessibility tools to students with visual dyslexia and minor visual impairments that enable equitable access to online education.
Team Lead: Kianjai Huggan
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: webquityed.com
The Open Track for Alumni is open to a wide array of commercial enterprises, selling to businesses and/or consumers.
Popular industries include but are not limited to: education technologies (whether selling to government, schools, or families), finance, ecommerce, information technology, Web3, consumer products, food and beverage, and virtual and augmented reality applications.
The Afrijob Network
The Afrijob Network is Africa's first employer branding platform.
Team Lead: Tre Hunt
School: Harvard College
Web: afrijob.network
Bring4You
We enable SMBs to leverage the gig economy to ship their bulky goods.
Team Lead: Pierre-Mayeul de Nicolay
School: Harvard Business School
Web: bring4you.com
BuiltMind
BuiltMind objectifies real estate valuation with machine learning.
Team Lead: Martin Decky
School: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Web: builtmind.com
Chaku Foods
Building farmer centric value chains for a climate resilient future
Team Lead: Nikki Okrah
School: Harvard Business School
Web: chakufoods.com
Kern Systems
Kern is using enzymes and cutting-edge software to store digital data in DNA.
Team Lead: Pradeep Bugga
School: Harvard Medical School
Web: kernsystems.com
Labhya
Co-creating emotional wellbeing programs for public school students at scale
Team Lead: Richa Gupta
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: labhya.org
Mineral Forecast
Machine learning for drill hole targeting in the mining exploration industry
Team Lead: Javier Muñoz
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: mineralforecast.com
Moonstar.ai
Moonstar is the engagement and retention platform for remote workers.
Team Lead: Alexandra Copos
School: Harvard Kennedy School
Web: moonstar.ai
PairUp, Inc.
A platform that connects employees with the right help at the right time.
Team Lead: Emily Harburg Harburg
School: Harvard College
Web: pairupapp.com
Patient First.AI
A digital health card just like your bank card.
Team Lead: Fiza Shaukat Shaukat
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Web: patientfirstai.com
Physis Investment
Physis helps institutional investors build and report on sustainable portfolios
Team Lead: Stefania Di Bartolomeo
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: physisinvestment.com
Rhymes with Reason
An app that helps students learn words via popular music.
Team Lead: Austin Martin Martin
School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Web: rhymeswithreason.com
Soteri Skin
The first skincare to offer long-term pH correction for long-term eczema relief.
Team Lead: Rafal Pielak
School: Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Web: soteriskin.com
SXD
SXD eliminates fabric waste through patent-pending technology.
Team Lead: Shelly Xu
School: Harvard Business School
Web: sxd.ai
Thermaband
Smart predictive bracelet that provides cooling relief for menopausal women.
Team Lead: Debbie Dickinson
School: Harvard Law School
Web: thermaband.com
Vertum Technologies, Inc.
Vertum builds farming robots to make indoor farms more profitable & sustainable.
Team Lead: Kaan Armagan
School: Harvard College
Web: vertum.tech
The Health & Life Sciences Track for Alumni is open to any team improving the efficacy of healthcare services, including therapeutics, devices, healthcare, and digital health. Projects may address a wide range of issues, from improving access to care to realizing the potential of personalized therapies.
Aperture Bio
Transforming the future of cancer biomarkers with single cell proteomics
Team Lead: Laura Kelley
School: Harvard Business School
BioDevek
BioDevek is developing the next generation ofbiomaterial-based surgicalsolutions
Team Lead: Gonzalo Munoz
School: Harvard Medical School
Web: biodevek.com
Brainify.AI
Assist pharma in success in clinical trials for female antidepressant drugs.
Team Lead: Mariam Khayretdinova
School: Harvard Extension School
Web: brainify.ai
General Biologics, Inc.
General Biologics develops protein drugs for COPD and genetic disorders.
Team Lead: Jeffrey Way
School: Harvard Medical School
InGel Therapeutics
Regenerative cell-therapy biotech aiming to treat people affected by blindness
Team Lead: Pierre Colombe Dromel
School: Harvard Medical School
Web: ingeltx.com
Interon Laboratories, Inc.
Interon is pioneering immunotherapy for the brain.
Team Lead: Jaspaul Singh
School: Harvard Business School
Web: interonlabs.com
Promakhos Therapeutics Inc.
A therapeutics platform for curing chronic inflammatory disorders.
Team Lead: Katerina Chatzi
School: Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Web: promakhos.com
Stratagen Bio
Stratagen Bio is improving care by measuring how much oxygen is in tissue.
Team Lead: Greg Ekchian
School: Blavatnik Fellow
Web: StratagenBio.com
During the semifinalist phase of the President’s Innovation Challenge, 158 student and alumni teams are pushing the limits of what’s possible, pursuing their wildest imaginations in the name of their ventures. Their specialties range from virtual learning to gene therapy — and their hopes are riding on taking their ventures to the PIC finals, where they’ll compete to win up to $75,000 in Bertarelli Foundation prize funding.
This year, like any other, only a fraction of teams will advance beyond this stage. But the lessons they learn will shape the future of their ventures. In honor of the hard work and perseverance of all our teams, we caught up with three past semifinalists to learn about the evolution of their ventures since participating in the PIC.
*Watch last year’s PIC and learn about the 2022 ventures teams.
A Venture Competition, by the Harvard Innovation Labs
Live for the Harvard and Boston Innovation Community, streaming globally.
5 Tracks – 25 Teams
$515,000 is funding, made possible by a gift from the Bertarelli Foundation
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May 3rd — Join us in person or stream live.
STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL THINGS PRESIDENT’S INNOVATION CHALLENGE
ACT 3
The entrepreneurial journey is always asking us to look up, around us, and beyond ourselves. It is not linear. The ventures that we see every day here at the Harvard Innovation Labs reflect the courage, nimbleness, and playfulness it takes to innovate.
When we bring a more human approach to venture creation and to our lives, everything opens up. During our 10th anniversary year, we are reminded that we are surrounded by the potential for more creativity, more goodness, and more humanity with each other. The opportunity to create new worlds and ways of being is all around us.
Join us on May 5, 2022, as we celebrate the President’s Innovation Challenge Finalist ventures and announce which teams will be awarded a share of $510,000 in Bertarelli Foundation Awards!
Let’s create the future together.
| April | • Finalists refine their pitches, work on their pitch decks, and prepare to pitch live to a panel of judges. • Judges determine which teams will receive awards. |
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| May | • At the President’s Innovation Challenge Awards Ceremony on May 5, 2022, we will announce the $75,000 and $25,000 Bertarelli Foundation Awards for each of the five tracks. |
