The University of Tulsa’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship hosted the third annual Regent Bank Hurricane Pitch Competition on Friday. The “Shark Tank-style” event brought together 12 finalist teams – six undergraduate and six graduate – who pitched their startup ideas to local venture capitalists, business leaders and over 100 audience members.
More than 39 student teams applied to compete this year. Thanks to presenting sponsor Regent Bank, a total of $25,000 in prize money was awarded to support these students. During the past three years, finalist teams have gone on to compete nationally at events such as Love’s Entrepreneur’s Cup, SXSW, Build in Tulsa, the Regnier Venture Competition and TCU’s Values & Ventures, collectively raising more than $885,000 in additional capital.
Student innovation in action
In the undergraduate division, Glauc, founded by biomedical entrepreneurship senior Sarvesh Ramakrishnan and integrative healthcare studies sophomore Aaryan Thavaran, claimed first place. The team’s at-home tear analysis kit uses advanced proteomic testing to detect early signs of ocular diseases before symptoms appear.
“I’m exceptionally grateful to receive support for Glauc from the Hurricane Pitch Competition and Regent Bank,” Ramakrishnan said. “More than anything, it means a lot to me that I can continue building this dream of a world where blindness can be eradicated.”
He also thanked his mentors at the Harvard AI Ophthalmology Lab, Drs. Mohammad Eslami, Tobias Elze and Michael Morley, as well as Chris Wright, director of UTulsa’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Taleya Mayberry, director of entrepreneurial programs, for their ongoing support.
Second place went to GreenSense (finance junior Brett Walsh and finance freshman and women’s golf team member Maddie Roach), which uses a sensor to aid adaptive and aging golfers read greens more easily. Sangra (chemical engineering and economics junior Harish Vaithianathan and mechanical engineering sophomore David Majed) took third with a device that replaces fingersticks with fast, waste-free blood donation scans.
In the graduate division, Verda Robotics (petroleum engineering doctoral student Vusal Karimov and business analytics master’s student Saleh Bayramli) earned first place for its artificial intelligence-driven technology that gives farmers real-time, ground-level insights to combat crop loss and labor shortages.
“Winning first place is an incredible honor and a huge milestone for our team,” Karimov said. “This achievement reflects countless hours of research, collaboration and persistence.”
Second place went to Neuro-Detect AI (petroleum engineering master’s student Michael Senyo and computer science master’s student Hana Mengist), which uses deep learning to identify brain tumors from MRI scans. ClearStrip Labs (biology senior Grant Brawley and biology doctoral student Benjamin Epperson) earned third for its rapid at-home hormone testing kit.
Mayberry said the event continues to create transformative opportunities for students. “The Hurricane Pitch Competition gives students a chance to see themselves as real entrepreneurs and to take what they’re learning in the classroom and apply it in a way that’s tangible and exciting,” she said. “For our winners, it’s a huge moment of validation.”
As in previous years, students enrolled in the Kendall College of Arts & Sciences’ arts, culture and entertainment program played an essential role in producing the event. They managed video and photography, signage, audio and visual production and audience engagement, helping create a high-energy atmosphere at the competition.
Alongside Regent Bank, additional sponsors included Hurricane Ventures, JOLT and the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, all housed in UTulsa’s Collins College of Business.