Material-tech startup BRCĒ from Michigan State takes home grand prize at Rice Business Plan Competition

More than $1.4M in prizes announced to all competitors

HOUSTON, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BRCĒ is a material-tech startup replacing failure-prone textiles with polymer composites engineered for strength, fire resistance and intrinsic stability. Its patented Lattice-Grip technology enables directional grip and controlled tension at the yarn level, eliminating slippage and performance loss under extreme conditions. The recent "Shark Tank" participant won over judges during the Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) and walked away with 11 prizes totaling $611,500.

In his winning remarks, BRCĒ's co-founder and CEO Madhav Aggarwal credited watching a fellow Michigan State University alum win the 2024 RBPC as the spark for his own entrepreneurial journey. After seeing that, the team began competing in smaller competitions to sharpen their pitch and build momentum with the goal of ultimately making it to the "Super Bowl of Student Entrepreneurship" at Rice.

This year's RBPC saw 42 startups compete for more than $1.3 million in investment and nondilutive cash prizes and an additional $110,000 in in-kind value April 9-11 at Rice University and in Houston's Ion District. The RBPC is the world's largest and richest intercollegiate graduate student startup competition, hosted annually by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and presented by Rice Business. The event serves as a global stage for emerging ventures from leading universities — this year's invited startups represented 39 universities from four countries.

The 26th annual competition brought together more than 300 angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate leaders and entrepreneurial ecosystem partners, creating an unmatched environment for investment, mentorship and connection. Teams pitched their cutting-edge solutions in categories, including energy, cleantech and sustainability; life sciences and health care; hard tech; digital enterprise; and consumer products. Read more about the competing startups.

"The Rice Business Plan Competition has grown into far more than a competition — it's a proving ground for founders and a catalyst for real company formation, as well as a catalyst for building the Houston entrepreneurial ecosystem," said Brad Burke, associate vice president of Rice Innovation and executive director of Rice Alliance. The 2026 competition marks Burke's final RBPC, capping nearly 25 years of leadership and impact on the global startup ecosystem.

"The level of talent and ambition we see each year continues to raise the bar," said Catherine Santamaria, director of the RBPC. "What makes RBPC truly special is the depth of engagement from our judges and partners, who provide meaningful feedback and connections that help founders move their companies forward."

The student entrepreneurs gain real-world experience pitching their startups, enhancing their business strategy and learning what it takes to launch and scale successfully. The competition always includes an elevator pitch competition, practice round, semifinals and wildcard and final rounds. Between pitches, RBPC teams enjoyed networking and mentorship opportunities, gaining applicable knowledge for their startups. In addition to competing for investments, cash and in-kind prizes, these graduate students gain invaluable advice from investors on how to secure funding, raise awareness and launch a successful venture. To learn more about the 2026 RBPC, visit rbpc.rice.edu.

Based on the judges' overall scores, the seven finalists were:

• BRCĒ, Michigan State University — first place and the $200,000 Goose Capital Investment Grand Prize with a total of $611,500 in prizes.
   
• Legion Platforms, Arizona State University — second place and the $100,000 Investment Prize sponsored by Jon Finger, Finger Interests; David Anderson, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation; and Nancy Chang, with a total of $535,500 in prizes.
  • Legion Platforms is building accessible 3D online games designed to run seamlessly on low-powered devices and slow internet connections. Powered by its proprietary game engine, users can instantly access games via browser or mobile without downloads.
     
• Imagine Devices, University of Texas at Austin — third place and the $50,000 Investment Prize sponsored by Jon Finger, Finger Interests; David Anderson, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation; and Nancy Chang, with a total of $111,000 in prizes.
  • Imagine Devices is developing Trinity Tube, a multifunctional nasogastric feeding tube. By consolidating multiple devices into a single integrated solution, Trinity Tube enhances respiratory monitoring, reduces device burden and supports safer, more efficient care for premature infants in the NICU.
     
• Altaris MedTech, University of Arkansas — fourth place and the $5,000 cash prize sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright with a total of $16,000 in prizes.
  • Altaris MedTech is improving pediatric diagnostics. The first product, Strep-Detect, replaces traditional throat swabs with a spray-based method that causes infections to fluoresce under blue light.
     
• Routora, University of Notre Dame and University of Texas at Austin — fifth place and the $5,000 cash prize sponsored by Chevron Technology Ventures with a total of $15,500 in prizes.
  • Routora is an AI-powered platform transforming how cities and small businesses manage inspection operations. Its software automates scheduling, assignment and route optimization, replacing inefficient manual planning tools.
     
• DialySafe, Rice University — sixth place and the $5,000 cash prize sponsored by ExxonMobil with a total of $15,500 in prizes.
  • DialySafe is an AI-powered remote patient monitoring platform designed to detect peritonitis in home dialysis patients earlier and more accurately. Its proprietary magnetic induction spectroscopy sensor clips onto existing tubing to identify infection biomarkers without fluid contact.
     
• Arrow Analytics, Texas A&M University — seventh place and the $5,000 cash prize sponsored by Shell Ventures with a total of $16,000 in prizes.
  • Arrow Analytics is improving air travel efficiency with an autonomous baggage tracking, counting and sizing platform. Using depth cameras and spatial AI at airport gates, the system helps airlines reduce boarding delays, optimize cabin storage and enhance the passenger experience.

Additional significant prizes and the winning teams are:

• $200,000 Goose Capital Investment Prize — Legion Platforms, Arizona State University
• $100,000 The OWL Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
• $100,000 The OWL Investment Prize — Legion Platforms, Arizona State University
• $100,000 Houston Angel Network Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
• $100,000 The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Prize — Legion Platforms, Arizona State University
• $75,000 The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
• $50,000 nCourage Investment Network's Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
• $25,000 New Climate Ventures Sustainable Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
• $25,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize — Imagine Devices, University of Texas at Austin
• $25,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize — Legion Platforms, Arizona State University
• $25,000 Southwest National Pediatric Device Consortium Pediatric Device Cash Prize — BiliRoo, University of Michigan
• $25,000 Amentum and WRX Companies Rising Stars Space Technology and Commercial Aerospace Cash Prize — BeamFeed, City University of New York
• $25,000 The Eagle Investors Investment Prize — Imagine Devices, University of Texas at Austin
• $20,000 Aramco Innovator Cash Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
• $20,000 Aramco Innovator Cash Prize — Grapheon, University of Pittsburgh 
• TMC Innovation Healthcare Accelerator Bootcamp Invitation Prize — NerView Surgical, McMaster University

A total of $75,000 in in-kind legal services were awarded to all finalists with the Baker Botts Prize. The grand prize winner receives a chief financial officer consulting prize worth $40,000. The full list of winners and prizes can be found at rbpc.rice.edu.

About Rice University
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering and computing, humanities and arts, music, natural sciences and social sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy and Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Internationally, the university maintains the Rice Global Paris Center, a hub for innovative collaboration, research and inspired teaching located in the heart of Paris, and Rice Global India in Bengaluru, India. With 4,793 undergraduates and 4,185 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked in the top 10 for best quality of life by the Princeton Review. 

SOURCE Rice University