The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah announced the finalist teams in the 2025 Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge recently. The student startup teams advance to the final round of this business-model competition for college students across the state.
Teams are competing for over $75,000 in cash and prizes, including a $20,000 grand prize. The winners will be announced on Saturday, March 22, at a public showcase and awards ceremony at the University of Utah.
“The finalists in this year’s competition are some of the best student entrepreneurs from colleges across the state, and they have vastly different backgrounds, products and ambitions,” said Anne Bastien, program director at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute.
The competition is managed by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, a top-10 ranked division of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, and sponsored by Tim Draper, a renowned venture capitalist.
The finalist teams come from universities across Utah and have a wide variety of products and services. Find a complete list of the finalists with descriptions of their startup teams below. The next step is online video voting, which is open to the public March 6-21. Vote online here.
The public is welcome to attend the Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge Showcase & Awards Ceremony on Saturday, March 22, 3:30-5 p.m. at Lassonde Studios on the University of Utah campus. Attend to meet all of the finalist teams and network with people in the Utah startup community. Register to attend here.
“We can’t wait to see the top teams at the final awards and showcase event, and we invite the public to join us to get to know them,” Bastien said. “Come see the future of Utah entrepreneurs by meeting these incredible startup teams and learning about their businesses.”
Other prizes in the Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge include scholarships to enroll in the Master of Business Creation (MBC) at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. The award-winning program offers one-on-one mentorship, applied curriculum, marketing support, access to business grants, networking opportunities and more to help founders grow their companies. Founders can enroll in the program online or in person.
The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute also hosts a high school version of this competition called the Tim Draper High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge. Those teams competed for $30,000 in cash and scholarships earlier this month. Learn about that competition at lassonde.utah.edu/hsuec.
Learn more about the Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge at lassonde.utah.edu/uec.
Finalist Teams for 2024-25
Here are the finalist teams for the Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge for 2024-25 (in alphabetical order):
- Bear Essentials (Snow College) – Bear Essentials provides handyman services to the 15,000-plus residences in the Bear Lake County area. Their main focus is offering the first 24-hour services in the area.
- Bidi (Brigham Young University) – With Bidi, you don’t have to waste time searching for the perfect businesses to help you with your wedding. All you do is tell them what you need, and they’ll find the right wedding vendors for you. No more hours and hours of searching through endless listings or playing phone tag with vendors. Their platform connects you directly with pre-screened, professional wedding vendors who are ready to bring your vision to life.
- Bleeped (Utah State University) – Bleeped is a patent-pending AI-powered software that removes vulgarity and unwanted content from digital media. With audiobooks as the current focus, it removes inappropriate material while preserving valuable content. Bleeped allows families to choose their settings, tailoring the experience to their preferences. Instead of deciding what should be filtered, Bleeped empowers families to control the content their children are exposed to, supporting high standards across digital media.
- Buzzed Honey (Utah Tech) – Buzzed Honey is a sustainability-focused, energy alternative company that offers a pre-workout alternative. Their ingredients are honey, caffeine and beta-alanine. This blend of ingredients fuels you for your workout, without giving you “jitters” or the “caffeine crash.” This product comes in both a 16-ounce bottle and a 12 pack of 1-ounce squeezable packets. Both have their special recipe that takes away the bitterness of the caffeine. Both products are currently sold on Amazon, Shopify and brick-and-mortar locations.
- Caribe Jewelry (Ensign College) – Caribe Jewelry is more than just a business; it is a mission-driven brand dedicated to positively impacting Venezuelan families’ lives by offering beautifully handcrafted jewelry to customers in the United States. The company provides high-quality, handmade jewelry pieces while ensuring fair compensation for the artisans who create them. With a strong commitment to social responsibility, Caribe Jewelry will start donating 5% of its profit. Together, the company strives to make a difference, one piece of jewelry at a time.
- Impact IQ (Southern Utah University) – Impact IQ makes golf improvement simple, accessible and easy by combining pro-level data tracking with real-time, AI-driven coaching. Their compact, clip-on device delivers the deep analytics of high-end simulators, the feedback of a private coach and the convenience of an app – all at a fraction of the cost. The company believes every golfer deserves the ability to own their swing, play with confidence and break through limits – without the barriers of expensive tech or lessons.
- Interval AI (Brigham Young University) – Interval AI automates the past-due accounts-receivable collection process for mid-sized businesses, allowing companies to focus on generating more revenue instead of chasing payments they already earned.
- Killer Spice (Utah Valley University) – Killer Spice is an innovator in the spice world with a unique line of infused blends that not only deliver bold, unforgettable flavors but also inspire creativity in the kitchen. Their products make cooking easier and more enjoyable, turning everyday meals into exciting culinary experiences. Killer Spice infused flavors into the salt to give it a stronger aroma and rich flavor.
- MoonButter Co. (Ensign College) – MoonButter Co. creates gourmet nut butters made from natural ingredients. These nut butters are out of this world. They have been perfectly curated with ingredients like nuts, extracts, freeze-dried fruit and seeds to create the smoothest, most delicious nut butter. However you like to spoon it, you’ll love it because it’s “goodness in a jar.”
- OCOVES (Salt Lake Community College) – OCOVES is committed to redefining modern men’s skincare by blending health-driven ingredients with sophisticated fragrances. Its mission is to empower men to feel confident and cared for by using products that prioritize both skin health and personal expression.
- PicPortal (Brigham Young University) – PicPortal transforms image sharing for photographers at live events by enabling real-time uploads. Traditional methods often cause delays and lost revenue due to batch uploads or waiting until events end, resulting in missed shots and late media distribution. With PicPortal, photographers can upload images directly from their cameras to galleries instantly. This allows professional photographers, media teams and news outlets to access and share high-quality images in real-time.
- Pivvt (University of Utah) – Pivvt is a SaaS (software as a service) platform that helps hospitality businesses collect real-time guest feedback through text, email and voice. By removing friction from traditional surveys, the company enables hotels to address issues, amplify positive experiences and improve guest satisfaction. Their proprietary technology powers seamless engagement, with future AI-driven insights to identify trends and optimize operations.
- Reset Dating Socials (Ensign College) – Reset Dating Culture hosts themed, in-person social events with rotating themes, locations, relationship skills, activities and food options. Reset Dating Socials is looking to play a part in helping to fix a broken dating culture filled with ghosting, awkward first dates, misaligned expectations, and decreased confidence and self-esteem.
- Roots Remedy (Salt Lake Community College) – Roots Remedy is a tested, effective, toxin-free, all-purpose cleaning product that protects those using it, the people around them and the environment. Free from parabens, alcohols, petrochemical based ingredients and more, you can be sure that you are investing in you, your family and the planet’s health by utilizing Roots Remedy. Powered by gentle ingredients and essential oils, it cuts through grease, stains and dirt without damaging surfaces. It’s an extension of making toxin-free how it should be.
- Signspaces (University of Utah) – Signspaces is an all-in-one ASL (American Sign Language) education technology platform designed to enhance the learning experience for deaf, hard of hearing and ASL learners in educational settings. Their mission is to provide accessible, innovative and affordable tools for students to learn ASL in the classroom and beyond. Through their browser extension, Signspaces translates English words into ASL, allowing learners to click on any highlighted word to see its ASL translation. Their primary focus is supporting STEM education for deaf and hard of hearing students and bridging the gap in language access for ASL learners. With over 7,000 users and 60+ schools currently participating in pilot programs, Signspaces is rapidly expanding its reach and impact.
- Simpll (Utah Valley University) – Simpll provides a one-click hosting solution to blockchain users, where usually they would have to deal with server commands.
- Social Sync (Snow College) – Social Sync provides social-media marketing services for small businesses in central Utah. It offers two main services: social media account management, and social media advertising creation and management. The company prioritizes in-person meetings and building strong connections with businesses.
- SOUR (University of Utah) – SOUR empowers sellers to showcase their unique style with photos and videos – without transaction fees – while buyers enjoy a curated, personalized shopping experience. With AI-driven product descriptions and in-app transactions, SOUR seamlessly integrates social features to make second-hand shopping effortless and rewarding. SOUR’s mission is to make sustainable fashion more accessible, engaging and community-driven.
- Tarriflo (Utah State University) – Tarifflo is an AI-powered platform that automates harmonized tariff schedule classifications, significantly outperforming traditional and competing software solutions. Their proprietary technology generates accurate classifications within minutes, supported by detailed rationales including comprehensive references to customs rulings and regulations. They also offer tariff-rate management and possess a large trade-compliance database covering non-tariff measures, free trade agreements, country-specific harmonized tariff schedule codes and indirect taxes.
- upadr (Weber State University) – upadr is a digital-health company focused on improving patient compliance, adenoma detection rates and colonoscopy preparation outcomes. Founded by Jackson Hardy, the app originated as a passion project and is currently being studied by the Weber State University Institutional Review Board. upadr provides an intuitive, guided and personalized prep experience, aiming to increase completion rates and procedural success while ensuring scalability and flexibility as a limited liability company (LLC).
- Wing Tutor (Southern Utah University) – Wing Tutor is an online platform that connects student pilots with certified flight instructors for one-on-one tutoring and group classes. The platform shows tutor availability and lets students search for their preferred tutor based on price, availability or subject. It features advanced video technology, including an online whiteboard, allowing tutors to demonstrate concepts with students in real time. Students have constant access to tutors, while tutors earn supplemental income from students from all over the US.
- Zilk (Utah State University) – Zilk is transforming restaurant marketing by seamlessly connecting budget-conscious college students with exclusive dining deals – driving restaurant growth while making savings effortless. As food prices increase, consumers constantly look for more ways to save. Zilk fits this role perfectly. It offers students a unique way to save money consistently while dining out, helping restaurants attract new customers and boost their average order values. Zilk’s innovative approach, designed with students in mind, ensures that saving money on meals is as seamless and accessible as possible.
About the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a nationally ranked hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Utah and an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business. The first programs were offered in 2001, through the vision and support of Pierre Lassonde, an alumnus of the Eccles School and successful mining entrepreneur. The institute now provides opportunities for thousands of students to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation. Programs include workshops, networking events, business-plan competitions, startup support, innovation programs, graduate and alumni programs, scholarships, community outreach and more. All programs are open to students from any academic major or background. The Lassonde Institute also manages Lassonde Studios, a five-story innovation space and housing facility for all students. Learn more at lassonde.utah.edu.
