Hurricane Pitch Competition
The annual “Shark Tank-style” competition showcasing TU student-created ideas and business ventures with the top three teams collectively winning $25,000 in cash prizes.
Competition Highlights
The competition is designed to give emerging collegiate entrepreneurs a real-world experience to pitch their startup ideas to investors, receive mentoring, network with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, enhance their startup strategy, and learn what it takes to launch a successful startup.
Applications for the 2nd Annual Pitch Competition open Oct. 8th, 2024.
Annual Competition
Inaugural competition hosted November 2023
$25k in prize money provided by Regent Bank
$7.5k (1st Place), $3.5k (2nd Place), $1.5k (3rd Place)
2 Divisions
Undergraduate and Graduate
Benefits
Personal and
Professional Development
The competition provides participants with personal and professional development through workshops and educational programming, industry-specific pitch deck mentorship, exclusive access to accomplished experts, and the opportunity to pitch VC for $25,000 in cash prizes and resources provided by Regent Bank.
Personalized Competition Prep
Applicants will receive expert advice throughout the competition cycle such as founder assessments and one-on-one pitch deck feedback and coaching.
Important Dates
The 2024 Hurricane Pitch Competition important dates, along with the application, will be announced soon.
2023 Winners
1st Place: Marama
The five-member team hopes to combat global food insecurity by introducing the marama bean as mainstream crop….
Marama beans, native to the Kalahari Desert in Africa, grow in the driest conditions and require very low farming input. They are full of protein and possess nitrogen-adding capabilities that also make it good for regenerative farming. Lombard and Higgs have created marama bean beverage shots in five delicious flavors, partnering with local farmers in Africa to source their products. The team won $15,000 for their pitch.
2st Place: SkinCheck
Founded by Julian Abhari, a senior from TU’s computer science program, alongside Dani Marques, an incoming MBA student at TU.
SkinCheck is a mobile app that enables users, primary care providers, and dermatology clinics to easily scan, monitor, and evaluate moles— increasing the chances for early identification and timely treatment. This app is deeply personal to Julian, who watched his mom battle skin cancer multiple times. Designed with inclusivity at its forefront, the team has developed the first-of-its-kind racially unbiased detection tool. This inclusivity is crucial in a field where people of color have historically been underrepresented resulting in inequitable health outcomes.
3rd Place: MyGamer
My Gamer with Seth Hastings (MS ’23), Eric Peterson (BS ’21), and Corey Bolger (BS ’17), all three of whom are doctoral students in TU’s Cyber Fellows program.
My Gamer offers fans a chance to control whose perspective they watch during esports competitions. They will partner with regional and national esports events to provide an innovative service to increase viewership, strengthen engagement, and boost revenue. They received $2,500 for their pitch.
Our Team
The University of Tulsa Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) and JOLT hosted the inaugural Regent Bank Hurricane Pitch Competition on November 10, 2023, sponsored by Regent Bank, the CCB, JOLT, and Hurricane Ventures
Get Involved
Interested in becoming a sponsor or mentor? Please email jolt@utulsa.com