Creators of a business smartphone app won top honors and $10,000 in the University of Arizona McGuire Entrepreneurship Program New Venture Competition and Showcase on Friday.
WorkSphere, creators of a smartphone app that gives employers the ability to manage communication, accountability and productivity on one device, topped 20 other McGuire student startup teams in the annual competition.
WorkSphere’s student team members are Daniel Dicochea, Dante Egger, Ivan Mendez, Timothy Wolfe and Chaoying Yan, all seniors and double majors, the school said in a news release.
The team also won a $1,000 cash award for the peer-nominated Best in Class award as well as the honor of receiving the Eller Entrepreneurship Outstanding Team award.
Student startup teams presented their ideas in a rapid-fire “rocket pitch” competition and trade show.
McGuire Center Executive Director Joe Broschak called the pitch competition a signature event at the Eller College of Management.
“It’s immensely gratifying to see how much they have developed and to watch them pitch their polished ideas to a panel of industry experts and investors,” Broschak said.
This past academic year more than 80 students teamed up to develop 21 new ventures, including a wearable 3D camera and virtual reality social media platform, a drone app marketplace, biometric security systems, neurological therapeutics and interactive educational apps, the school said.
“We went from not knowing what we were going to do at the beginning of the year to knowing exactly what we’re going to do now,” said Dicochea, CEO of WorkSphere, adding that all the winnings will be spent directly on development.
WorkSphere previously had won the grand prize in the Arizona Collegiate Venture Competition in Phoenix and a top award in the Carnegie Mellon University Venture Challenge in Pittsburgh, both in April.
The other five finalists in the competition were:
• ROVR, which took second place and a $5,000 prize after pitching a mobile app for casual daters, people seeking a serious relationship or those who want to connect with new friends.
• Defiiant Technologies, third-place winner of $2,500 and creators of a mobile virtual reality app and wearable virtual-reality camera that introduces immersive 3D social media.
• Jupitar, creators of a drone app development software and app store.
• Park Central, a parking brokerage service that links city drivers with private landowners.
• TheraCea Pharma, which is commercializing a therapeutic to help people with neurological disorders.
