The University of Utah Opportunity Quest, a business model executive summary competition, announced the top 10 teams today for the 2019-20 competition. These teams will be competing for a chance to win $10,000 in cash prizes, including a $5,000 grand prize. The winners will be determined on competition day, Jan. 17, 2020.
Find a list of the top 10 teams and read about them below.
Opportunity Quest is managed by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, a nationally ranked division of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, and sponsored by Zions Bank.
“We are grateful and excited for all the applications we received for this season, and we are even more excited for the contenders who will be advancing to the final portion of the competition,” said Kearsa Hodgson, the student chair of Opportunity Quest. “All the ideas were innovative and inspiring, and we wish you the best of luck!”
Branch Opportunity Quest competitions are held at universities across Utah. The top teams become finalists in the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, where teams compete for $100,000 in cash and prizes. All college students in Utah are welcome to compete in the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge. The application deadline is Feb. 12.
Learn more about Opportunity Quest at lassonde.utah.edu/oq.
Top 10 Teams
Here are the top 10 teams in the University of Utah’s Opportunity Quest for 2018-2019. These teams will advance to the final judging on competition day. They are listed in alphabetical order:
- Coweb — A portal to learning management systems with added functionality to manage group/coursework more effectively.
- GAIA Technologies — A unique solution to simplify electronic prosthesis for increased consumer availability.
- Heimdall Health — An improved pneumatic otoscope capable of providing quantified data to healthcare professionals when examining ears for otitis media (OM), a common middle ear infection affecting 80 percent of children in the U.S.
- Life Ready — A “camp” geared towards seniors in high school to prepare them for the “real world.”
- MounTins — A coaster company that partners with local restaurants that provides coupons to its customers.
- Parq — A platform that allows home and business owners to rent out their parking spots to the public.
- Rexchanger — A platform that allows owners to put their outdoor equipment up for rent.
- Sawtooth — A load expanding and securing tonneau system that can quickly load, secure, and protect cargo taller than a pickup truck’s bed walls.
- Usobek — An affordable alternative for modern male reproductive health and analysis.
- Vitapul — An autoinjector that stores medication in a new and innovative manner, keeping the medication of choice more thermally stable to decrease degradation and elongate expiration dates.
2019-20 Competition Timeline
- Application Opens: Friday, Sept. 13, 2019, at noon
- Application Deadline: Monday, Nov. 25, 2019, at midnight
- Online Judging: Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019, to Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019
- Announce Top 10: Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, by midnight
- Top 10 Mentor Session: Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, 6-8 p.m.
- Top 10 Video Deadline: Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, at midnight
- Top 10 PowerPoints Due: Friday, Jan. 15, 2020, at 5 p.m.
- Competition Day: Friday, Jan. 17, 2020
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 seminars, 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.
