Plug and Play Showcases 10 Winners at New Jersey AI Innovation Challenge Demo Day

Demo Day marks key milestone in statewide initiative supported by NJEDA to accelerate AI solutions for social and public good

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Plug and Play today announced the successful completion of the New Jersey AI Innovation Challenge Demo Day, a major milestone in the statewide initiative supported by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to accelerate the development of AI-based software solutions that advance social and public good across New Jersey.

Hosted in New Brunswick, the Demo Day brought together the 10 winning teams selected through the Challenge to present the minimum viable products they developed through the program. The event convened founders, investors, corporate leaders, ecosystem partners, and public-sector stakeholders for a live look at emerging AI solutions being built in New Jersey across areas including government services, clinical intelligence, diabetes care, climate resilience, student support, cybersecurity, and energy forecasting.

The New Jersey AI Innovation Challenge was designed to identify and accelerate practical AI applications with the potential to deliver measurable value for communities, institutions, and industries across the state. The program generated 285 applications, highlighting the depth of AI talent in New Jersey across startups, universities, corporations, and independent teams. Following a competitive review process, 10 winners were selected to receive support to further develop their solutions toward MVP readiness and real-world application.

"Demo Day highlighted both the depth of AI talent in New Jersey and the practical quality of the solutions coming out of this program," said Tyler Lange, Director, Plug and Play NJ. "These founders are building with real use cases in mind, and our role is to help accelerate that progress by connecting strong teams with the support, visibility, and ecosystem they need to move toward deployment."

With Demo Day complete, the program now moves into its next phase, in which participating teams will continue working against clearly defined milestones tied to non-dilutive follow-on funding. Under the Challenge structure, winners may receive additional support based on progress toward pilot demonstration or commercialization in New Jersey. NJEDA's framework allocates up to $3.34 million in sub-grant funding for winning teams and companies, administered by Plug and Play.

"The winning teams demonstrated how AI technologies can transform industries and contribute to New Jersey's innovation ecosystem," said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Evan Weiss. "AI presents significant economic opportunities for New Jersey's entrepreneurs, businesses, and residents. By supporting this emerging industry, the NJEDA is expanding access to high-quality employment opportunities and driving our economy forward."

The 10 teams showcased at Demo Day were:

• AgentGov — AI-powered fraud detection for state and local government
• AIntropy — universal knowledge perception platform enabling AI to understand knowledge beyond language
• CardioLink — explainable clinical intelligence for cardiovascular care
• GlucoSync — real-time AI decision support for diabetes treatment
• Hydronos Labs (ClimateChain-NJ) — AI digital twins for supply chain disruption risk
• Scholera (SkillSignal) — adaptive, predictive learning intelligence platform
• DevPlus — AI-agent infrastructure management with embedded compliance
• NJSecure — enterprise-grade cybersecurity for New Jersey community banks
• Prosperi — AI counseling copilot for K–12 student support
• ilika Spatial — probabilistic AI energy demand forecasting

"The winning teams demonstrated how AI technologies can transform industries and contribute to New Jersey's innovation ecosystem," said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Evan Weiss. "AI presents significant economic opportunities for New Jersey's entrepreneurs, businesses, and residents. By supporting this emerging industry, the NJEDA is expanding access to high-quality employment opportunities and driving our economy forward."

With Demo Day complete, the program now moves into its next phase, in which participating teams will continue working against clearly defined milestones tied to non-dilutive follow-on funding. Under the Challenge structure, winners may receive additional support based on progress toward pilot demonstration or commercialization in New Jersey. NJEDA's framework allocates up to $3.34 million in sub-grant funding for winning teams and companies, administered by Plug and Play.

The initiative reflects a broader effort to strengthen New Jersey's position as a destination for applied AI innovation by connecting promising teams with the capital, mentorship, visibility, and ecosystem support needed to build and scale in-state. NJEDA's program materials describe the initiative as a mechanism to help early-stage teams build AI-based software solutions using New Jersey state data and advance them toward pilot demonstration or commercialization.

To learn more about the NJ AI Innovation Challenge, visit the website: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/innovation-services/challenge-offerings/ai-innovation-challenge.

About the New Jersey AI Innovation Challenge

The New Jersey AI Innovation Challenge is a statewide initiative supported by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to accelerate the development of AI-based software solutions that advance social and public good across New Jersey. The Challenge is administered by Plug and Play and is designed to support winning teams as they progress from prototype development to MVP, pilot demonstration, and commercialization

About NJEDA

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State's principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey's long-term economic competitiveness. Visit https://www.njeda.gov/ to learn more.

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 60+ locations across five continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies, including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, LendingClub, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/.

Plug and Play Media Contact
Jacky Tsang
Senior Communications & PR Associate
[email protected]

SOURCE Plug and Play