The air in the Egyptian Ballroom at the Fox Theatre was full of conversation, the clinking of silverware on plates and nerves running high as students ran through their speeches one more time. It was Demo Day, the annual event where student startup teams in the CREATE-X initiative give short pitches to showcase the work they did over the summer.

WATCH THE VIDEO of 2018 teams 

Each startup fell into one of four categories: Business to Business; Healthcare; Sharing Economy, Social Media and Big Data; or Edtech and Fashion. Each team was challenged to prepare a pitch that lasted exactly two minutes and 15 seconds while still getting across the purpose and value of their product or service. Some teams asked for investors, others for feedback, others for volunteers to try out their project.

Demo Day marked the conclusion of Startup Launch, a program part of the CREATE-X initiative. Each team selected to participate was provided with seed money, mentorship and legal services to help them start their businesses and take them to market.

After their presentations, the teams headed to the Demo Pit, where they held demonstrations and allowed audience members to try out their products and services for themselves. The startups chatted with potential investors, networked, and spread the word about their big ideas.

Here’s a few of the more than 40 teams that took the stage at Demo Day.

DASduo

Sarah Hamer (3rd year industrial engineering student) and Jillian Radcliffe (3rd year business administration student)

DASduo was created after one of the founders was frustrated by the inconvenience presented by trying to walk her dog in the middle of the work day. Changing in the bathroom was uncomfortable and time consuming. Das Duo’s solution is business casual wear, intended for women with active lives. Their five-piece collection will be up for sale soon.

Spotlight AR

Anirudh Gubba, Nikhil Kulkarni (computer science alumnus) and Rahul Raina (computer science alumnus)

Have you ever been wandering around an amusement park aimlessly, trying to find a specific ride or get to a much-needed restroom? Spotlight AR aims to make social and travel experiences such as this easier through the integration of augmented reality. Users of the app can search for a particular attraction, hold their phone up, and be directed straight to where they want to go.

RIFT

Gordon Li (4th year computer science student) and Riley Auten

The creators of RIFT want to connect gamers and other internet celebrities with their fan base by allowing them to engage directly with one another. They provide a platform that allows streamers to play with their fan base, gamers to share skills and fans to virtually meet their role models.

TINA

Lovic Ryals (4th year mechanical engineering student), Alison Kight (BME alumna) and Sarah Bush (4th year biomedical engineering student)

TINA interviewed many women, young and adult alike, and found that many women had trouble and pain when inserting tampons. The issues only grow with women who are disabled or impaired. The team created a device that allows all women to insert a tampon easily and sanitarily.

Diivy

Simone Howard, Alyssa Daniel and Chaz Woodall

Many colleges know the struggle of encouraging alumni and other donors to contribute to their financial development. Diivy aims to make it easy to donate to the college of your choice through round-up technology. Users allow the app to round up each of their purchases to the next dollar, accumulating small amounts throughout the month and ending up with a donation that will increase institutional funding with ease.