Duke StartUp Challenge 2010 Finalists & Runner-ups Announced

The Duke Start-Up Challenge entrepreneurship competition runs throughout the academic year, from November to April. The competition includes an Elevator Pitch Competition in November, an Executive Summary Competition in January, and a live Finals Event in April, with multiple teams winning cash and prizes throughout the competition for the best submissions.

The finalists and runnerups are:

Energy & Environment Track

Finalist

Green Wave Sciences - Green Wave Sciences seeks to develop solutions to crop pest problems through the use of electromagnetic radiation. Contact: Michael Bell at [email protected]

Runner Up

Ecoviator - Ecoviator provides online users the opportunity to search for, compare, and book Ecotoursim adventures.Contact: Laura Brodhead at [email protected]

Healthcare & Life Sciences Track

Finalist

Rhexis Biomedical - Rhexis Biomedical has developed a disposable surgical instrument that improves the accuracy and reproducibility of cataract surgery, the most commonly performed outpatient surgery in the US. Contact: Michael McGroddyat [email protected] and Alaina Pleatman at [email protected]

Runner Up

Eye Innovations - Medical device to treat Glaucoma Patients Contact: Roberto Alfaro at [email protected]

IT & Media Track

Finalist

curvit - curvit fills the gap between online resumes and manually typed and formatted resumes by allowing the user to focus on the content, while curvit manages both online and hardcopy formatting. Contact: Drew Sadowski at [email protected]

Runner Up

YourStory - YourStory is the key for preserving and sharing family oral histories. Contact: Thomas Thekkekandam at [email protected]

Products & Services Track

Finalist

Micropower - Imagine running a laptop for 24 hours without plugging into a wall. Micropower is developing an ethanol fueled microengine to increase portability for consumer electronics and government robots. Contact: William Gardner at [email protected]

Runner Up

Colucci DANZA - Colucci DANZA will revolutionize the ballet pointe shoe market by offering shoes with superior value, safety, comfort Contact: Lina Colucci at [email protected]

Social Enterprise Track

Finalist

The Progress and Purity Project - The Progress & Purity Project aims to improve quality of life in northern Afghanistan by empowering women to start businesses, help fellow Afghans through microfinance and handicraft fair trade, and decrease disease through chlorine purification. Contact: Stephanie Fruth at [email protected]

Runner Up

CertiRx - CertiRx Corporation, an AuthentiForm Technologies, LLC company, (CertiRx) develops products that reduce the growing global risk of injury or death from counterfeit drugs by which the people of developing nations are affected disproportionately. Contact: Hersh Tapadia at [email protected]

Undergraduate-led Startups Track

Finalist

Wasabi - Restaurant quality Sushi. Casual dining prices. Wasabi will do for Sushi what Subway did for the sandwich.Contact: Shaan Puri at [email protected]

Runner Up

Preservabowl - PreservaBowl: Keeping food fresher, longer. Contact: Spencer Kuzmier at [email protected]

Women-led Startups Track

Finalist

Colucci DANZA - Colucci DANZA will revolutionize the ballet pointe shoe market by offering shoes with superior value, safety, comfort Contact: Lina Colucci at [email protected]

Runner Up

Kosh - Universalizing access to Education content - Kosh is an online knowledge repository that will aggregate and create engaging educational content in all formats. This virtual library will make educational media accessible at a nominal price and in regional Indian languages, to rural India Contact: Aparna Prasad at [email protected]