Celebrate Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship at PLASMA Demo Day
On May 2, 2024, in California Hall, ten teams of undergraduate student entrepreneurs will pitch their companies to industry experts at Demo Day. The annual event is the culminating experience of PLASMA, a 12-week early-stage cohort accelerator program organized by the Student Startup Center at the University of California, Davis.
"At the Student Startup Center, we're all about helping student founders solve some of the biggest problems on the planet," shared Aaron Anderson, director of the Student Startup Center. "For twelve weeks, we throw everything we've got at these teams to help them refine their businesses, and in the end, it's remarkable what they've built. Demo Day is the culmination of all of that work."
This year's PLASMA teams are working on a wide range of innovative solutions, including AI-powered essay grading tools, revolutionizing the recruitment industry and more. Meet the 2024 teams:
ColentAI
ColentAl aims to revolutionize the recruitment industry with new collaborative technologies gathering real data to back resumes coupled with deep web search.
CounselHero
For school counselors and students who seek a more personalized and efficient approach to academic and career planning, CounselHero is an innovative digital counseling platform. Unlike traditional counseling methods or basic ed-tech tools, CounselHero leverages AI-driven insights and interactive tools to provide tailored guidance, empowering students with clear, data-informed decisions for their future.
EpiSense
For healthcare institutions that need a discrete, wearable device to prescribe to epileptics to prevent injuries from seizures, EpiSense is an EEG headband, unlike indirect competitors who cannot predict seizures.
Fit Candy
For candy consumers who are looking for a healthy, low-calorie, and all-natural alternative, Fit Candy is a candy product made from upcycled watermelon rinds which is unlike its competitors because it is not only a low-calorie and healthy candy alternative, it is also made with real fruit and all-natural ingredients while also aiding in reducing food waste by making use of an upcycled food with tremendous nutritional potential.
MakeBox
The Make Box provides creative, hands-on DIY robotics kits with online educational programs for middle school students and parents interested in innovative STEM education. Unlike traditional STEM curriculums and one-time-use projects, The Make Box develops fun, multipurpose kits paired with strong mentorship from high school & college instructors to help foster lifelong passions in STEM.
SeaNails
For artificial nail users who experience damage from the harsh chemicals and processes of a manicure, SeaNails is an all-natural, biodegradable, waste-based extension nail manicure that is nourishing to the nail bed by way of our collagen-based nail glue while its biodegradability allows for use as an organic fertilizer, unlike traditional nail manicures (acrylic, dip powder, etc.) that are plastic-based, destroying both your nail bed and the environment.
Splash
For pool owners who need a chemical maintenance and safety solution, Splash is a smart pool product that measures pool chemicals via a sensor box and monitors the pool for accidental falls via a smart camera. Splash offers ease of mind by 24/7 chemical and video monitoring unlike pool services and other monitoring devices that are expensive and unreliable.
Square Solutions
For research labs and hospitals that develop and administer cell therapies, Square Solutions is a portable cell incubator that bridges the gap between research and clinical environments unlike the current transportation method, which is proven to reduce cell therapy efficacy.
Tallyrus
For educators and schools who struggle with the time-consuming task of grading essays and providing personalized feedback, Tallyrus is an AI-powered essay grading tool that offers rapid, detailed, and tailored feedback on student writing, unlike Turnitin or Canvas where teachers must grade every essay manually.
WaveLength
For music-loving people who want to make an authentic connection, Wavelength is a dating app that uses musical compatibility to match users with others in their area, unlike Tinder, Bumble or Hinge, which promote easy but ultimately shallow connections with others through generic, quantity-based schematics.