Past Competitions
competitions
finalists
Winners
Awarded
Vanly users
contract at Ledger
December 2025
Innovation Day, December 5, 2025 — single track, three cash prizes
Vanly
hellomyfriend
Wayloom
December 2025 · First place
Vanly
Founder
A peer-to-peer network for RV and van travelers to book safe overnight parking on private property. Vanly Pro adds AI trip planning.
Where they are now: 40,000+ users and 3,000 host listings across all 50 states; first place and Audience Choice at 20Fathoms' TCNewTech pitch competition (Feb 2026); named a SmartZone “Company to Watch”.
December 2025 · Second place
HelloMyFriend
Founder, with clinical collaborators
Now BridgeSpace: an emotionally intelligent AI companion, Izzy, that helps kids practice social moments safely — saying hi, handling nerves, making a friend. Built with clinicians.
Where they are now: Launched the BridgeSpace scenario platform and a Hope Network pilot; returned as a GR DeepTech finalist in May 2026.
December 2025 · Third place
Wayloom
Founders, with faculty mentor Dr. Suhila Sawesi
An AI-native platform that lets institutions digitize validated cognitive tests, localize them across languages, deploy them securely, and monitor cognition over time — with EHR integration.
Where they are now: Early-stage pilot users; presented at Web Summit Qatar Alpha; pursuing pre-seed funding.
Finalists
- Scalable AI (Josh Ross — AI agent suite for manufacturers)
- EducationAI (Boulbaba Abdeljaouad)
- NextMeal AI (Kamrul Hasan)
Judges
- Brian McKeiver — BizStream
- James Meeks — Rapids Ventures
- Jim Hackett — former CEO, Ford and Steelcase
- Joshua Hulst — Michigan Software Labs
- Nathan Owen — Grand Ventures
- Stacy Paul — Array of Engineers
April 2026
Innovation Day, April 24, 2026 — two tracks, one winner each
Ledger
GaitlyAI
MoveFactorX
May 2026 · Winner, Venture Track
Ledger
Co-founders
AI for law enforcement, inside the CJIS boundary. Reads an agency's records, reports, and device extractions and answers investigators with page-specific citations.
Where they are now: Signed a $260,000 contract; building with a founding partner agency, a large Michigan sheriff's office.
May 2026 · Winner, Emerging Ideas Track
GaitlyAI
Co-founders
Smartphone-camera gait analysis, validated against the GAITRite clinical system. The dataset behind it is published on IEEE DataPort.
Where they are now: Continuing validation work at Grand Valley; no external milestones to report yet.
May 2026 · Finalist
MovefactorX
Co-founders
A wearable sensor, belt, ballistic ball, and app that digitize movement assessment for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and athletic trainers.
Where they are now: Selling into clinics and training facilities in West Michigan.
Finalists
- Cellosyncra
- MindGuard
- PulseGuard Sentinel
- MoveFactorX
- HelloMyFriend
- Prospecter
Judges
- Zachariah Booker — founder, Mentavi Health
- Laurie Supinski — Start Garden
- Matt Larson — founder, Vanly
Apply by November 30, 2026