Inc.U Competition
Kickstart Your Business
Six undergraduate teams from across the commonwealth will compete for cash prizes of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000 for first, second, and third place. In addition, the Startup Spark Award will recognize one campus applicant, not selected as a finalist, with a $1,000 prize for exceptional innovation and potential.
Finalist teams will also receive valuable support, including mentorship, professionally produced marketing videos, and showcase opportunities to help their startups gain traction. Winners will be announced during Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC in March.
2025 Top 6 Teams
- 5South5 helps creators, athletes, and influencers grow their audience and monetize their talent through tailored social media strategies, content creation, and brand deal facilitation. With a deep connection to the creator economy and a proven track record of securing major brand sponsorships and millions of views, 5South5 empowers the creators of tomorrow—one post at a time. The startup is founded by Danny Vitale, a student in the Bellisario College of Communications.
- Bapanada is redefining affordable, grab-and-go dining by addressing food security and accessibility in communities. With a focus on Latin culinary traditions, Bapanada aims to expand its reach through a flexible mobile business model, providing nutritious and affordable meals while securing contracts with universities along the East Coast. The startup is founded by Penn State Berks student Brandon Christian Everett.
- Core Carry offers a sleek, minimalist wallet designed for modern lifestyles. Combining functionality, durability, and elegance, our flagship product features a slim design, premium suede cover, and a card pop-up mechanism. Core Carry is committed to creating high-quality everyday carry solutions that prioritize efficiency and style. The startup is founded by Nicholas Nadreau, a student in the Smeal College of Business.
- Orest Luzeckyj Artwork bridges the gap between high-quality artwork and meaningful connections with artists. Through engaging social media content, the brand showcases unique pieces while fostering a deeper connection with audiences, allowing them to purchase artwork that resonates personally. The startup is founded by Penn State Abington student Orest Luzeckyj.
- Slammed-U is a roommate-matching service and community-building platform that transforms how college students connect. Unlike traditional services, Slammed-U fosters a thriving digital community where students can find compatible roommates, engage in meetups, and discover events, making the transition to college life smoother and more social. The startup is founded by student Niklas Restrepo from the Smeal College of Business.
- SPAR Holster is revolutionizing firearm retention for law enforcement with its patent-pending Single Press Angular Retention (SPAR) system. Unlike traditional mechanical retention holsters, SPAR Holster enhances officer safety by improving security without compromising performance in high-risk situations.The startup is founded by Penn State Harrisburg student Erin Godfrey.
Curious to know what it’s like being a student startup founder? Hear from the experiences of the 2022 Inc.U winners.
Key Dates
Virtual Information Session: December 9, 2024
Applications Open: January 8, 2025
Applications/Video Submissions Due: January 19, 2025
Finalists Announced: February 7, 2025
Live Finalist Presentations: March 22, 2025
Recognition Reception: March 27, 2025
Learn more about the program.
Application Process
Each team should submit one 2–3-minute video about their idea. The video should cover the following. Creativity is encouraged!
- The problem you want to solve and why it is important.
- How you plan to solve the problem.
- Why you are passionate about this topic, and
- Information about your team.
From these video submissions, a select number of teams will be chosen for an in-person interview. From this interview pool, six teams will be selected to compete in the finalist event. The finalist event will be a live event in March at University Park, held on Saturday, March 22, 2025, and will kick-off Startup Week powered by PNC. These six teams compete for top prizes of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000. Finalist teams will also be provided other services specifically designed to help their startups gain traction, such as business mentors, a professionally designed marketing video, access to prior winners and plenty of opportunities to showcase their teams and their idea.
All finalist teams must have a legal entity and EIN number. If your team does not already have a legal entity established at the time of application, they MUST start the process immediately following their notification as a finalist team. Legal support to assist in the process is available through the Penn State Law Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic.
There is no entry fee to participate. Submitting an application includes agreeing to the competition’s rules and procedures, as well as allowing Inc.U and its organizers to use photographs, video and materials presented during the pitch as promotional materials.
Resources for Student Startups
Not sure what to expect or how to pitch your idea? Get inspiration from last year’s finalist teams:
Eligibility
Eligible Penn State students are current undergraduate students working towards a degree, and either attend one of the campuses located within the commonwealth of Pennsylvania or have a PA based company. Students must also be in good standing at the time of the application and remain so throughout the competition.
If you are a foreign national with a US visa, your visa may not allow for business ownership in a US legal entity. In order to participate you must demonstrate an ability to meet the eligible companies requirement and receive approval from Invent Penn State to be selected as a Finalist.
Eligible companies are those that are owned 51% or more by one or more eligible Penn State students actively participating in the competition process and must be a US legal entity with the ability to do business in PA. All applicants must have a legal entity to receive a cash prize. If your team does not already have a legal entity, you MUST begin this process immediately following your notification that you have been selected as a finalist team, so that award payments can be made according to the payment deadlines. You can receive assistance with entity formation through the Penn State Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic.
Application Form & Deadline
Teams are required to submit an online Application Form. The Application Form, in addition to team contact information and agreement with the competition’s rules and procedures, also includes a release allowing Inc.U and its organizers to use photographs, videos, and materials presented during the pitch as promotional materials.
Entry is deemed to be made by submitting a completed Entry Form together with a 2-3-minute video.
All declarations made on the application are subject to review.
Presentation and Judging Criteria
Finalist presentations are to be held live at University Park on a Saturday, March 16, 2024. Teams are expected to be present during the day the Friday prior for practice pitches and competition briefings. Those teams needing to travel from other campuses, lodging and travel costs will be covered for your participation.
Team size, for the purpose of pitching in the finalist competition, is limited to TWO individuals, who must also both be eligible Penn State students. Additional team members and non-PSU team members are welcomed and encouraged to participate in other aspects of the competition, such as the mentoring, coaching, video preparation, etc.
Presentation time will be limited to 2.5 minutes with a limited amount of slides. No prototypes and props may be used during the presentation.
Judging criteria will evaluate student presentations based on the overall goal of the Inc.U Competition and in alignment with the Invent Penn State initiative to promote economic development, job creation and student success.
Criteria will include, but may not be limited to:
- Clarity of problem definition
- Uniqueness and viability of the solution
- Market attributes and scalability
- Team progress and credibility
- Explanation and justification for use of funds
- Quality of presentation and Q&A
Judges will independently score and then collaborate on all decisions. Judges decisions are final. Judges have complete discretion on how the investment pool is distributed to the finalist teams.
Payment of Cash Awards
All cash awards will be made out to the company, therefore award requests can only be submitted once a legal entity is established and one the company has been approved for payment through the PSU procurement process. Cash awards must be specifically requested by the company selected for an award. These requests should be made as soon as possible following the competition, and no payment is guaranteed for any team making their award requests after June 30 of that year. For teams who also need to establish their legal entity and EIN number, they should do so immediately after they are announced as a finalist to ensure payment is able to be made in a timely manner.
No equity position is taken as a result of these cash awards.
Intellectual Property
Students retain all rights to the materials created and ideas presented at Inc.U. Student teams should carefully assess the applicability of all IP rights and laws to any and all presentations and disclosures made during the Inc.U competition.