Nick Delmonico of Strados Labs; Jacob Jeifa, Wilson Hsu, Krzysztof Czerwinski and Alex Carr of TenantU; and Amira Idris and Danielle Dubay-Betters of Vibrating Therapeutic Apparel (VTA) are advancing in the alumni, faculty and staff track to the final round of Hen Hatch 2017, the University of Delaware’s premier startup funding competition.

These teams will pitch their business concepts and compete for $100,000-plus prize pool at World Café Live at the Queen in Wilmington, Delaware, on April 25.  

“This year UD alumni from the classes of 2002 to 2016, faculty and staff from six colleges submitted business concepts in markets ranging from virtual reality to robotics to healthcare. We are pleased to engage our alumni, faculty and staff and in so doing facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship at UD and for the state of Delaware.” said Vince DiFelice, faculty member and venture support lead with UD’s Horn Program in Entrepreneurship.

Alumni, faculty and staff team profiles

• Strados Labs – Strados Labs offers Pulmawear, which aims to improve chronic respiratory disease management. Nick Delmonico, Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, class of 2012.

• TenantU -- TenantU is creating a new model for residential property management. This team includes Jacob Jeifa, Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, class of 2016; Wilson Hsu, College of Engineering, class of 2015, Krzysztof Czerwinski, College of Engineering, class of 2016; and Alex Carr, College of Engineering, class of 2017.

• Vibrating Therapeutic Apparel (VTA) – VTA offers wearable, therapeutic products that use vibration technology to help alleviate pain. This team includes Amira Idris, College of Engineering, class of 2015 and Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, class of 2016, and Danielle Dubay-Betters, College of Arts and Sciences, class of 2017.

Hen Hatch and Innovation Showcase

UD students, faculty, staff and community are invited to watch the final round of the competition from 5-9 p.m., Tuesday, April 25, at the World Café Live at the Queen in Wilmington, Delaware. It will feature pitches by the top three teams from each track before an accomplished panel of judges. Early bird tickets -- at $10 for students and $25 for community members -- are available until April 8. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, including beer and wine, will be provided. Advance registration is required. Register online.

About the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship

The Horn Program in Entrepreneurship ignites imaginations and empowers world changers through educational offerings that emphasize experiential learning, evidence-based entrepreneurship and active engagement with entrepreneurs and other members of the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through participation in Horn Program offerings, students gain the knowledge, skills, personal capacities, experiences, connections and access to resources needed to successfully manifest innovation and thrive in the rapidly changing world.