{"682486":{"#nid":"682486","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Klaus Startup Challenge Showcases Georgia Tech\u0027s Rising Entrepreneurial Talent","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence (AI) technologies played a crucial role for student entrepreneurs competing for $750,000 in startup funding during the fifth annual Klaus Startup Challenge at the College of Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than 200 students competed during the entry-level pitch competition. Georgia Tech alumnus and renowned tech entrepreneur \u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher W. Klaus\u003C\/strong\u003E, the competition\u0027s namesake, pledged $150,000 toward startup costs for five winning teams. The challenge aims to prepare beginner entrepreneurs for future competitions and funding opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe three-round competition started in February with 87 teams. In round one, teams had to meet the application deadline and ensure that at least one team member participated in all challenge workshops, mentor meetings, and pitch practices. Round two required eligible teams to submit a 90-second pitch video.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwenty-four teams selected by a judges\u0027 panel then moved on to round three of the startup challenge, which took place on April 2 in the Klaus Advanced Computing Building.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the final round, the teams pitched their startup concepts to a live audience and a panel of judges. The judges were Klaus, \u003Cstrong\u003EJoe\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EUhl\u003C\/strong\u003E, an alumnus and member of the College of Computing Advisory Board, and \u003Cstrong\u003EMargaret\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EWeniger\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of Entrepreneurial Programs at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe winning startups span financial services, cybersecurity, social media, and other business sectors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETargeting the food and beverage industry, winning startup DDingDong has developed an innovative platform that leverages advanced technology and streamlined communication to connect restaurants and diners through personalized promotions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/seungtaeklee-stantheman\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeung Taek Lee\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (CS 25),\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/degree-programs\/bsms-program-computer-science\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECS BS\/MS\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/sunny-park-5206b3235\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESunny Park\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u003C\/strong\u003E and business major\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/seongyeon-cho-95b466331\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeongyeon Cho\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eco-founded DDingDong. The team is using its funding investment from Fusen to establish the startup as a Delaware C Corporation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat started as a spark of an idea just three months ago has now grown into a real product, a real team, and a real company. With all those late nights, no weekends, and endless coding \u2014 all running on the sheer energy of \u2018we believe in this,\u2019\u201d Park said in a LinkedIn post.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPark also thanked the judges in her post. She singled out Klaus. She said, \u201cThis challenge carries your name, your legacy, and your continued commitment to pushing innovation forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was an honor to pitch in front of you, and we\u2019re incredibly grateful that you saw something in us. Your belief in our idea gave us the confidence to keep building.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe competition rules require each team to have at least one member who is a current Georgia Tech student. In addition to DDingDong, the winning teams of the 2025 Klaus Startup Challenge and their Yellow Jacket team members are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAerLock:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jackrumpf\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJack Rumpf\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jack-wachter-953094236\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJack Wachter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (CS 24),\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/yoyixie\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYoyi Xie\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/aerlock\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAerLock\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E brings AI to cybersecurity, creating a single solution to defend entire organizations in real time. It looks to outpace the development of malware, which will help end effective cyberattacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChemetrian:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/daaashley\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Ashley\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (CS MS 25) \u2013\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemetrian.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChemetrian\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E empowers molecular scientists to harness AI and machine learning through an intuitive, easy-to-use platform that standardizes computational workflows. This functionality accelerates the discovery of societally transformative molecules, eliminating the need for programming expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELoandock\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ethan-gutierrez-916394189\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEthan Gutierrez\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jha-arnav-loandock\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArnav Jha\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.loandock.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELoandock\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E streamlines the mortgage process for homebuyers by consolidating loan officers, underwriters, and processors into one AI-powered platform.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShelfmates:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/khushi-gupta358\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKhushi Gupta\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/krishnav694\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKrishnav Singhal\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/shelfmates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShelfmates\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E creates tailored social media experiences for readers. It provides users with daily book discoveries, personalized recommendations, and tools to journal, rate, and effortlessly share their reading journeys.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe winning teams each received $150,000 to fund their startups. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fusen.world\/\u0022\u003EFusen\u003C\/a\u003E, a national campus startup accelerator founded by Klaus, provided the investment funding for the competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite this generosity, funding the College\u2019s student startup challenge isn\u2019t Klaus\u2019s only investment in Georgia Tech student entrepreneurship this year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlaus, a member of the College\u2019s Advisory Board,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wabe.org\/georgia-tech-alumnus-and-tech-entrepreneur-to-cover-incorporation-costs-for-new-grads-to-create-startups\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Emade headlines this month when he announced that he would personally cover the incorporation costs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E for any graduating student aspiring to launch a startup.\u200b\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is about more than just covering fees \u2014 it\u2019s about lighting a spark,\u201d said Klaus during Commencement remarks on May 2.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvery founder needs someone to believe in them early. Through this gift, we\u2019re offering that belief and giving graduates the chance to start building with purpose and confidence.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENamed for alumnus and tech entrepreneur Christopher W. Klaus, the College of Computing\u0027s annual student startup competition featured $750K in funding. The Klaus Startup Challenge aims to prepare beginner entrepreneurs for future competitions and funding opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Named for alumnus and tech entrepreneur Christopher W. Klaus, the College of Computing\u0027s annual student startup competition featured $750K in funding."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2025-05-21 03:10:49","changed_gmt":"2025-05-22 01:17:54","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677104":{"id":"677104","type":"image","title":"The winners of the 5th Annual Klaus Startup Challenge pose with their large cardboard checks from Fusen and the competition judges.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe winners of the 5th Annual Klaus Startup Challenge pose with their large cardboard checks from Fusen and the competition judges.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1747797470","gmt_created":"2025-05-21 03:17:50","changed":"1747797470","gmt_changed":"2025-05-21 03:17:50","alt":"The winners of the 5th Annual Klaus Startup Challenge pose with their large cardboard checks from Fusen and the competition judges.","file":{"fid":"260972","name":"2X6A4147.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/2X6A4147.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/2X6A4147.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":193368,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/20\/2X6A4147.jpg?itok=25RJV1nK"}}},"media_ids":["677104"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"194105","name":"aspiring entrepreneurs"},{"id":"193948","name":"CREATE-X, startup, entrepreneurship, founders"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:albert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBen Snedeker\u003C\/a\u003E, Communications Manager II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}