The DNVC is hosted annually by the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business at Duquesne University. The three-stage business plan competition is open to companies nationwide that are less than four years old. It serves as a platform for early-stage startups to showcase their innovations, receive mentorship, and compete for cash prizes and valuable resources.
Congratulations to Aquatonomy for winning first place in the 2023-2024 DNVC. Aquatonomy developed an autonomous robotic inspection solution for underwater applications. The technology expedites inspection and repair time, eliminates risks to humans, and ensures the safety of critical infrastructure. Team members include Dr. Michael Kaess, Dr. Xiaoyu Kaess, and Jane K. Joseph, a 2012 Duquesne University graduate. Watch Aquatonomy's one-minute pitch video.
For finishing in 1st place, Aquatonomy receives:
- $20,000
- 10 hours of free legal education through Duquesne's Thomas R. Kline School of Law related to entrepreneurship
- Up to 15 hours of free consulting services from Duquesne's Small Business Development Center
- Up to 5 hours advisement with Palumbo-Donahue School of Business Entrepreneurship program leaders to discuss funding strategy and connect with regional funders.
2023-2024 Finalists
- 2nd place, winning $10,000—Revitalize Energy creates energizing eyedrops that relieve the effects of screen fatigue using a patented formulation of stimulants and amino acids. Team members include Kyle Guinness, Tammy Szijarto, and Duquesne student Jason Garland, who double majors in entrepreneurship and finance. Revitalize Energy's pitch video.
- 3rd place, winning $5,000—VELO.AI promotes situational awareness for cyclists using an audio and visual alert system. Team members include Clark Haynes, Alison Treaster, and Duquesne MBA student Jani Pierre. VELO.AI's pitch video.
- 4th place, winning $3,000—Flowcellutions optimizes the longevity and efficiency of flow batteries through diagnostic solutions. Team members include Becca Segal, Dr. Chris Wilmer, and Duquesne student Lucas Mitchell, who is studying Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science. Flowcellutions pitch video.
- 5th place, winning $3,000—dashcam.bike turns a smartphone into a high-quality bike camera to record rides and promote safety. Team members include Armin Samii and Duquesne alumna Erin Potts. dashcam.bike pitch video.
1st through 3rd place teams also win 10 hours of free legal education through Duquesne's Thomas R. Kline School of Law related to entrepreneurship, up to 15 hours of free consulting services from Duquesne's Small Business Development Center, and up to 5 hours advisement with Palumbo-Donahue School of Business Entrepreneurship program leaders to discuss funding strategy and connect with regional funding sources including banks, economic development agencies, angel investors and angel investor groups, and others.
How the DNVC works
Entrants submit a short description of their business idea along with a one-minute video pitch. $3,000 in cash prizes. DNVC Committee selects up to 15 semi-finalist teams to advance to Stage II.
Semi-finalist teams submit an executive summary, short business plan, and a five-minute video pitch. $15,000 in cash prizes ($1,000 for each semi-finalist team). A panel of judges select up to 5 finalist teams to advance to Stage III. All teams receive free access to Palo Alto's LivePlan software.
Finalists submit an executive summary, full business plan, and PowerPoint presentation plus make a live presentation to a panel of judges followed by Q&A. $41,000 in cash prizes. Finalists are assigned mentors and have access to the resources of our sponsors.
Finalists have access to the resources of our sponsors
Duquesne University Kline School of Law
Duquesne Small Business Development Center
Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship, including sophisticated equipment in our maker space—Bob's Launch Pad
Thank you to our partners
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