Five Startups Selected as Finalists for 2025 – 2026 Duquesne New Venture Challenge

Now in its seventh year, DNVC continues to attract national attention for its commitment to advancing innovation and supporting early-stage entrepreneurs. The competition has become a dynamic platform for emerging founders to refine their ideas, receive mentorship from experienced business leaders, present their ventures to industry experts and gain attention from investors. 
 
“Once again, the 2025–26 DNVC semifinalists demonstrated a remarkable level of entrepreneurial innovation,” said Dr. Dean McFarlin, dean of the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business. “We are deeply committed to supporting and encouraging talented entrepreneurs in the early stages of building their ventures through this annual competition. Through DNVC, the School of Business reinforces its role in cultivating entrepreneurial talent and helping transform promising concepts into difference-making ventures. This year’s five finalists represent an exceptionally strong group of early-stage businesses.”
 
The finalist teams, listed alphabetically along with brief company descriptions, are as follows (* denotes a Duquesne-affiliated team): 
 
Accelowave Technologies, Inc. – Offering revolutionary solutions designed to enhance the quality of life for individuals with swallowing disorders.
HeadStrait Labs – Medical device company redefining how patients with suspected central nervous system injuries are stabilized and monitored during emergency.
Peachy Day – Integrative migraine care app with AI-powered health tracking, wellness coaching and neurologist telehealth.
SafeSock – Sensor-lined foot sleeve that continuously delivers haptic biofeedback for patients who have undergone lower-limb surgery.
TrainingU* – A team of Duquesne students whose concept is a web-based marketplace where youth athletes can find and book one-on-one, personalized and affordable training sessions with NCAA athletes.

Finalist teams are required to submit an executive summary, a comprehensive business plan and a formal slide presentation. On April 18, 2026, each team will present their venture to a live panel of distinguished judges selected by the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business.

In preparation for the final round, teams will have access to several entrepreneurial resources designed to strengthen their ventures and business plans. Finalists will receive support from Bob’s Launch Pad, a makerspace within Duquesne’s Center for Excellence in Entrepreneurship that provides prototyping equipment and innovation resources. 

Each team will also be paired with a mentor from the Duquesne University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and receive 15 hours of personalized consultation tailored to their specific business needs. In addition, participants will be granted complimentary access to Palo Alto Software’s LivePlan®, one of the world’s leading business-planning platforms used by entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Cash prizes totaling more than $41,000 will be awarded during the final stage of the competition. The top three teams will also receive additional professional support, including 10 hours of legal services through the Thomas R. Kline School of Law and five hours of consulting services from Duquesne’s Small Business Development Center.
Winners will be announced at the DNVC Awards Reception, an invitation-only event taking place in late April on Duquesne’s campus.

"Our judging panel noted this was an outstanding group of finalists, and that made evaluations especially difficult this year," said Staci Offutt, director of the Center for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. "We are pleased that the teams are showing up with great ideas and the competition just keeps getting better and better!"

About Duquesne New Venture Challenge (DNVC)

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 fewer 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. 
 
The DNVC is supported by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of more than 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

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