DELAWARE, Ohio – With the U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition at 勛圖厙, "we're creating jobs, we're fostering innovation, and we are driving long-term prosperity for everyone in our state," OWU President Matt vandenBerg said in announcing the winners of Ohio's largest and most lucrative business plan contest.
vandenBerg spoke Saturday at the Ohio Statehouse, where six teams gathered to learn who had placed first, second, and third in their competition categories. All were named finalists in OWU's inaugural following a "Shark Tank"-style competition Sept. 26 on the Ohio Wesleyan campus. They are sharing in a total prize package worth $450,000.
"These college and professional teams absolutely exemplify all the grit and perseverance and can-do attitude that you need to be successful entrepreneurs," vandenBerg said. "Every team who is here is going to earn a significant prize package: either $100,000, or $75,000, or $50,000. So no matter what happens, each one of you is a winner today."
Before announcing the results, vandenBerg also told the crowd that all six teams will receive access to the , or DEC OWU, "the very first liberal arts business accelerator in the United States" and "the nation's very first collaboration of its kind – between a city, a county, and its university."
"Most universities who are involved in entrepreneurship, they focus their efforts on later-stage development when companies are scaling or seeking big-time investment," vandenBerg said. "And while we do that, too, at Ohio Wesleyan and through the DEC OWU, we're reimagining that entire process by focusing on the very beginning. We are working to become Founder U – the preeminent university for supporting founders and for launching startups. …
"By attracting top talent and supporting them through every single stage of their venture," vandenBerg continued, "we're creating new businesses and driving economic growth. We're ensuring that Ohio isn't just a place that launches businesses, but this is a place that launches businesses, nurtures them through their development, and helps them to thrive right here, to everyone's benefit. …
"We're empowering them to create and to innovate, and build – right here in Ohio – and we're doing it in a way that's truly transformative for our state. That's what makes Ohio Wesleyan a leader in this space. … Today is an electrifying inflection point for entrepreneurs and economic development in Ohio."
Phil Smith, director of the DEC OWU, took to the West Plaza stage at the Statehouse to announce the winners and invite everyone to compete in or observe next year's even more lucrative .
WaterWise Technologies, represented at the Statehouse event by Kendall Byrd, earned first place in the professional track. The Columbus, Ohio, startup is developing an aquatic drone, or unmanned surface vehicle (USV), to target pathogens, algae, and toxins in freshwater ecosystems without using potentially harmful chemicals. It seeks to integrate real-time water monitoring, contamination prevention, and treatment into a single device.
SearchOwl, represented Saturday by Jadon Wyant, Dale Berkove, Cullen Combi, and Ryan Kaiser, earned first place in the college student category. Founded by five Case Western Reserve University students, SearchOwl seeks to improve the online shopping experience with an ad-free algorithm that learns user preferences over time and suggests appropriate products to explore. Currently, the students are using skincare products to help them build "a better shopping paradigm."
Both winning teams earned investment packages valued at $100,000 in addition to office space and mentorship at the DEC OWU. The second- and third-place finishers received investment packages worth $75,000, and $50,000, respectively.
The second- and third-place professional track winners are, respectively:
The second- and third-place college student and new graduate winners are, respectively:
Opened in 2018, the DEC OWU supports budding businesses by connecting them with Ohio Wesleyan student-interns able to assist with accounting, data analysis, market research, website creation, and other needs. As they work, the students gain hands-on, real-world business experience to help them fulfill their own entrepreneurial ambitions. Over the past six years, 11 companies have grown and graduated out of the entrepreneurial center, adding 45 new full-time jobs to the local tax base and attracting more than $3.7 million in investments and grants. Learn more at www.owu.edu/DEC.
Founded in 1842, 勛圖厙 is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 and competes in 24 NCAA Division III . Through its signature experience, the , Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at or learn more at .