Cupid's Cup Competition Names 12 Semi-Finalists To Compete At Under Armour Global Headquarters

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Twelve startups have been selected from nearly 200 worldwide entries to advance to the semifinal round in the Tenth Annual Cupid's Cup Business Competition, presented by Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank and the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. The entrepreneurs will present on March 10 at Under Armour's global headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. The top five startups will compete for $115,000 in total prizes at the final round to be held April 22 at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Semifinalists will travel from across the country and Canada to spend the day pitching their businesses and interviewing with the investors, entrepreneurship experts, and Under Armour executives who will serve as judges. Plank and the judges will narrow the applicant pool to five finalists who will compete for a transformative prize package including $115,000 in total cash prizes ($75,000 for the grand-prize winner), coaching from a team of successful entrepreneurs, and the prestigious Cupid's Cup.

The semifinalists represent 11 universities and a broad range of industries. They are:

• East Coast Lifestyle Clothing Inc. (Acadia University) – A Canadian clothing line started in an entrepreneurship class that sells online and in 60 malls across Canada.
• Grip Boost, LLC (University of Maryland) – A product that restores the tackiness to American football gloves, legally, after they have been worn down by the physical nature of the game.
• Gym Supreme (University of Maryland) – A fitness start-up that designs patented fitness products, including the Mega Bar, to help humanity stay consistent with their health goals.
• Identified Technologies (University of Pennsylvania) – Enhances jobsite operations and safety for energy and construction companies using aerial data through a proprietary, pilotless unmanned aerial vehicle and dock station.
• Let's Be Well RED (Duke University, School of Medicine) – Combats iron deficiency in India through increasing awareness and the GudNeSs bar, which provides the World Health Organization's recommended daily iron dosage.
• OnYou (George Mason University) – A patent-pending magnetic smart phone case that ensures phone music and application capabilities aren't limited during exercise.
• Riide (Georgetown University) – Designs, builds, and sells electric bikes while providing urban transportation solutions.
• Scholly (Drexel University) – A mobile and web application that allows students an easy way to find scholarships for college.
• SnappyScreen, Inc. (Cornell University) – The world's first touchless sunscreen application system.
• Testing Timers (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) – Patented watches for ACT and SAT testing participants that aid in time management, anxiety reduction, and better results.
• VirtualU INC (Virginia Tech) – Integrates 3D human modeling technology into the fitness and healthcare space so people can accurately track how their body changes as they lose weight.
• ZOOS Greek Iced Teas (Stetson University) – An all-natural, real-brewed, caffeine-free, ready-to-drink Greek Iced Tea.

Plank and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, part of the Robert H. Smith School of Business, host the annual Cupid's Cup startup showcase and competition as a culmination of the support it provides students to start and grow businesses. The Dingman Center provides students with opportunities to pitch their business ideas, receive feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and the ability to access funding. 

Cupid's Cup was inspired by a rose delivery business Plank started as a student at the university. As a member of the football team he was not permitted to have an outside job, so he turned to entrepreneurship as a way to pursue his business interests. Plank worked with the Dingman Center to create and lead a business competition to foster similar student entrepreneurship. The April competition marks the tenth year of Cupid's Cup.

The competition was open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at accredited colleges and universities or recent alumni of those institutions. Applicants had to prove they are running a business entity that has generated at least $5,000 in revenue or provide demonstrated proof of traction.

More information about the competition is available at www.cupidscup.umd.edu.

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SOURCE University of Maryland - University Communications