TEDCO Announces Inaugural Maryland Student Venture Showcase and Pava LaPere Innovation Awards Recipients

Recognizing nine student entrepreneurs for their innovative solutions

COLUMBIA, Md., Jan. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, announced nine awardees for the inaugural Maryland Student Venture Showcase and Pava LaPere Innovation Awards. The awards, funded by the State of Maryland through the Pava LaPere Legacy of Innovation Act of 2024, recognize and support outstanding student entrepreneurs from colleges and universities in the Baltimore-Towson-Columbia metropolitan statistical area.

"The Maryland Student Venture Showcase and Pava LaPere Innovation Awards are a testament to the incredible talent and innovation coming out of Maryland's colleges and universities," said Troy LeMaile-Stovall, TEDCO CEO. "We are excited to support these outstanding student entrepreneurs as they work to grow successful businesses."

The awardees include:

• From Towson University, DegreeMap is an intuitive platform that streamlines the process for students and advisors to collaboratively plan, track, and manage degree completion plans.
• From University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Elastic Energy develops innovative energy storage solutions derived from tree sap, providing a cost-effective, sustainable, and durable way to accelerate the global transition to renewable energy.
• From Johns Hopkins University, Fetal Therapy Technologies is the first platform microsurgical device company developing surgical instruments and training models optimized for the uterine environment to improve the safety of life-saving fetal surgical procedures.
• From Loyola University, Luminova Beauty LLC is redefining skincare with affordable science-backed products that empower you to feel confident in your own skin.
• From Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), RhizeUp is engineering rhizobia to mitigate fertilizer runoff and protect our waterways.
• From Towson University, SneakerSyncLabs.com enables anyone to start a plug-and-play resell business by offering streamlined sourcing automations.
• From Johns Hopkins University, Somnair is developing the first entirely non-invasive, clinically effect neurostimulation device for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a disease affecting 54 million Americans and 1 billion people worldwide.
• From University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Sustainabli is building easy-to-retrofit IoT systems to promote energy efficiency and safety in healthcare and laboratory settings.
• From Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), WholeSite is Drio's AI-assisted platform that simplifies website creation for growing businesses by combining guided content planning, dynamic design integration, and the power of WordPress to deliver professional, purpose-driven websites that reflect their values and attract their ideal audience.

Each awardee will receive a $50,000 non-dilutive award from the State of Maryland through TEDCO, as well as mentorship, training and other resources from the Maryland Student Venture Core Advisory Board, representatives from a network of entrepreneur support organizations in the local tech ecosystem, to help them scale their businesses.

The Maryland Student Venture Showcase and Pava LaPere Innovation Awards exemplify TEDCO's goal to uplift Maryland's entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. Through curated funding, resources and programs available to early-stage technology companies, TEDCO creates opportunities for technology-based startup growth and success.

UpSurge Baltimore was designated as the non-university affiliated ecosystem builder to administer the selection process.  In the fall/winter of 2024, UpSurge convened a steering committee composed of 19 out of 20 of the eligible participating institutions - representatives who support student entrepreneurship on their respective campuses.  Together, the group established and facilitated the inaugural selection process that led to 13 participating institutions nominating 39 incredible student ventures and engaging 20 external industry experts as evaluators.

"What's been most inspiring about this process is seeing our academic and innovation partners unite to identify and elevate these talented and promising ventures," said Core Advisory Board member Markus Proctor, executive director of Innovators of Progress. "The showcase will be a pivotal moment for collectively embracing these founders and helping them further integrate into Maryland's thriving tech ecosystem. We know from experience that early-stage support, meaningful connections, and wrap-around support are just as crucial as funding, and we're committed to ensuring they have everything they need to succeed."

Each of the nine awardees will have the opportunity to present their companies at the Maryland Student Venture Showcase scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2025, from 5:00-9:00 PM at 4MLK. A selection of the remaining 30 nominated student ventures will be exhibited during the event.  Innovators of Progress will sponsor three $500 community awards for exhibiting students and attendees will be invited to help select the winners during the event. The showcase is open to the public, and guests should register here to attend.

For more information about the Maryland Student Venture Showcase and Pava LaPere Innovation Awards, please visit www.upsurgebaltimore.com/md-student-venture.

About TEDCO
TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in, and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland. Learn more at www.tedcomd.com.

Media Contact
Tammi Thomas, Chief Development & Marketing Officer, TEDCO, [email protected]
Rachael Kalinyak, Associate Director, Marketing & Communications, TEDCO, [email protected]

SOURCE TEDCO