Once again, College of Engineering students enjoyed a lot of stage time – and success – at the annual President’s Buckeye Accelerator Finale held on April 2. Six student-led ventures were each awarded $50,000 in startup funding at the highly competitive pitch event, four of which include engineering majors.
The showcase marked the culmination of a yearlong program led by the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship that supports student founders as they develop and grow their startups.
The finale featured 11 student teams pitching innovative ideas aimed at tackling challenges across industries, from health care and sustainability to space technology and community food access.
“This is the fourth cohort of the President’s Buckeye Accelerator, and the growth in ambition and quality each year has been incredible to watch,” said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of The Ohio State University Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship. “Our students are recognizing challenges across both established and emerging industries and creating ventures that reflect their academic strengths and commitment to meaningful impact.”
In addition to $50,000, each team will receive a year’s worth of coaching and mentoring. The four winning teams with engineering student members are listed below.
- Phoenix Battery Company, which repurposes decommissioned electric vehicle batteries into portable chargers, power stations and residential energy storage solutions. It was launched by electrical engineering major Jonah Mikesell, who also earned the top prize of $20,000 at Ohio State’s Best of Student Startups Finale last December.
- SPAERO Systems, which developed SWAN, a disinfection technology to prevent mold growth on spacecraft surfaces, with potential applications on Earth. Team members include aerospace engineering major Ian Harris.
- MemorEase, an all-in-one platform designed to support caregivers by consolidating tools, resources and guidance. Team members include chemical engineering major Sanjusha Gudla.
- Astraeus Paints, which created a color-changing paint to detect hazardous radiation levels in spacecraft interiors. Team members include aerospace engineering major Zachary Smith.
The other two winning ventures were KINO, a health and fitness platform that simplifies how users track their fitness progress, and Mobile Pantry, a logistics platform connecting food banks and pantries with volunteers to streamline multi-stop deliveries.
The President’s Buckeye Accelerator combines entrepreneurship skill building, deep mentorship, community building and funding with a structured process. Accelerator applicants first must complete a seven-week Boost Camp.
SPAERO Systems was founded by brothers Ian Harris and Nikolas Harris, a first-year student majoring in culinary entrepreneurship. Their invention, SWAN, is a sanitation solution for spacecraft that addresses a critical need in long-duration missions.
“We saw this urgent gap in spacecraft hygiene and mold prevention, especially with longer missions on the horizon,” Ian Harris said.
With increased interest in long-duration space exploration, the Harris brothers see opportunity to contribute to future space health and safety.
“As NASA and private space companies expand their missions, we want to be part of making that future more sustainable and secure,” Nikolas Harris said.
Katherine Cruz, a second-year public health major, co-founded MemorEase based on her family’s experience navigating care for her mother following a dementia diagnosis.
“My dad was in a constant state of crisis. There was no roadmap to follow,” Cruz said. “MemorEase is designed to give caregivers a centralized, reliable tool that helps them find support and take care of themselves, too.”
Last year, five of the six winning teams included engineering students.
