The Texas Venture Labs Investment Competition (TVLIC) mimics the real-world process of raising venture capital. Graduate students from the University of Texas System present their ideas for new businesses and receive invaluable feedback from entrepreneurs and investors. Many TVLIC competitors go on to launch their businesses and countless other leverage the experience in their careers as leaders in their fields.

The Spring 2021 TVLIC was held online today and included 15 of the top graduate student startup companies competing in three divisions. After narrowing the field to three division winners, the finals kicked off with some fantastic pitches. The winning team was NiSOC.

The United States Government is actively searching for less expensive and more reliable solutions to its current radiation detection capability at US ports of entry. NiSOC has secured SBIR funding from the DoD for its innovative ( patented) solution based on a semiconductor platform. NiSOC successfully demonstrated its proof of principle in Phase I. Using funding from Phase II, NiSOC successfully demonstrated a working prototype semiconductor chip.

NiSOC also received the James D. Pippin Veteran Award given to the most promising startup in TVLIC with one or more veteran co-founders. Congrats to this team for taking home this exceptional award along with the Texas Champion grand prize!

The Texas Superstar Award went to Bold Move Beverages in second place and the Texas Rising Star went to Root Medical Translation in third place, who also won the ScaleHealth Innovation Award. The E. Craig Nemec Elevator Challenge Award is given to the best elevator pitches delivered by TVLIC competitors. The three winners of this wonderful quick-pitch component were NiSOC, Root Medical Translation and GRIT Chew.

The Fall 2021 TVLIC will be held on Friday, December 10, 2021. We can’t wait to continue this tradition of excellence then!

Hook ’em!