6 teams of aspiring entrepreneurs to compete for more than $75k in final round of UB’s Panasci competition

By Kevin Manne

BUFFALO, N.Y. —  Six teams will vie for more than $75,000 in startup funding and in-kind services in the final round of the 26th annual Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition (Panasci TEC) at the University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts on April 16.

Each of the finalist teams will present five-minute pitches, 43North-style, to a panel of judges and other viewers, and will be evaluated on how well they describe the feasibility and marketability of their venture, prove the need for their product or service and present potential sources of capital.

The team that presents the best plan for launching a viable new business in Western New York will earn $25,000 in seed money plus in-kind services valued at up to $40,000. The second-place team will collect $10,000 in startup funding. 

And new this year, a $5,000 prize sponsored by the UB Office of Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships will be awarded to the venture that demonstrates outstanding technological innovation and effective integration. 

Selected from 53 first-round applications and 13 semifinalists, the six finalists feature a diverse array of business plans:

• AARM Technologies is developing a smart wound bandage for chronic wounds that combines infection sensing with on-demand antimicrobial therapy in a single, easy-to-use dressing, enabling earlier detection, personalized treatment and faster healing.
  
• EchoWell Health is creating an AI-guided ultrasound platform that enables patients to perform standardized breast scans at home using a wireless probe, delivering real-time guidance and clinically usable data without requiring in-clinic imaging or trained sonographers.
  
• Great Lakes Dried Fruit produces premium dried apple snacks made from locally sourced New York State apples, thoughtfully packaged to deliver a high-quality, regionally rooted product.
  
• LAZZCO Rocketry is a consumer and educational model rocketry company designing, building and launching high-powered rockets while developing certified solid rocket motors, reusable hardware and integrated avionics systems to improve reliability and expand access to hands-on STEM learning.
  
• RecycleVision AI builds intelligent systems that improve plastic recycling by increasing sorting accuracy and reducing contamination. By bringing adaptive AI into recycling facilities, the technology helps drive a more efficient and sustainable circular economy.
  
• Schubert Medical Solutions is a medical technology company that developed an innovative device to ventilate patients in critical emergencies such as cardiac arrest, helping bridge the gap between untrained bystanders and medical professionals so anyone can deliver high-level care at any time.

In addition to the competition, organizers will celebrate the future of entrepreneurship and innovation at UB through a series of special initiatives. Grounded in the spirit of “America the Entrepreneurial,” Panasci 2026 will partner with Right to Start (a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to expand entrepreneurial opportunity for all) to celebrate the values that make innovation possible: access, support, creativity and the freedom to build. Guests will experience firsthand how UB and the Western New York entrepreneurial ecosystem work together to create pathways for founders of all backgrounds and disciplines.

Anyone interested in attending the presentations on April 16 can register for free at theticketing.co/e/ubpanasci26. The event will take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Panasci TEC was created in 2001 by the UB School of Management and the UB Office of Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships. It is funded with a $1 million endowment from the late Henry A. Panasci Jr. to facilitate and promote the commercialization of UB-generated technologies. 

In addition to $25,000 in seed funding, the winning team will receive in-kind awards valued at $40,000 for business growth coaching from Atlas Alignment Growth Partners; legal services from Colligan Law LLP; accounting services from Lumsden & McCormick LLP; website development and creative agency services from ThreeSixty; Intellectual Property legal services from Stake; leadership development and team coaching from the UB School of Management’s Center for Leadership and Global Impact; and co-working space from the UB Office of Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships. 

Hosted by UB’s Startup and Innovation Collaboratory powered by Blackstone LaunchPad, the event brings together UB students from science, technology, business and other disciplines to maximize their potential and create viable businesses in Western New York.