UA student ventures win mentorship, cash

Seven University of Arizona student entrepreneurial teams shared in $25,000 in cash and services as prizes in a business-pitch competition at the school on Tuesday.

The 2016 Perkins Coie Innovative Minds Challenge is sponsored by the New York-based law firm Perkins Coie LLP, the UA Tech Parks’ Arizona Center for Innovation, and InnovateUA, to link UA students with business-savvy mentors and help fund innovative ideas.

After 10 student teams pitched their ideas to a panel of entrepreneurial experts, six business-incubation fellowships were awarded, as well as $20,000 in cash.

Fellowships in the Arizona Center for Innovation’s Mentored Launch program, including office space at the UA Tech Park, were awarded to:

• Drone Flight Area Control

• , a task-based drone management system with applications in agriculture, inspection and other fields;

• Defiiant Technologies

• , which is introducing a 3-D social media experience through a wearable virtual reality (VR) camera and mobile VR app;

• Illumination Design Group

• , which develops display lighting to optimize the preservation and presentation of high-value artwork.

Fellowships in Startup Tucson’s Thryve entreprenership program were awarded to:

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• Indigenous Intellectual Sovereignty Hub

• (IISH) which created a website as a repository for Native-created, shareable content related to Native American issues and interests;

• Connected Communities

• , a mobile app that matches volunteers with nonprofit organizations and motivates volunteers to serve their community;

• Bridge

• , an online platform that connects and builds trust between the police and the community.

Cash prizes

Perkins Coie awarded $5,000 cash to Drone Flight Area Control and $2,500 cash to Illumination Design Group.

InnovateUA, a UA student-led entrepreneurship group, awarded $5,000 to Worksphere, creators of a smartphone app that gives employers the ability to manage communication, accountability and productivity on one device. The student company also won top honors and $10,000 in the UA McGuire Entrepreneurship Program New Venture Competition and Showcase last week.

InnovateUA also awarded $2,500 to Defiiant Technologies, while InnovateUA and Perkins Coie each awarded $2,500 to Indigenous Intellectual Sovereignty Hub.