What happens when classrooms are given the space to thrive?
When students have the right space to explore, a simple spark can grow into something real. In Accelerator classrooms, students go beyond learning theory to create real solutions to problems they see in their schools, towns, and world.
Each year, once a semester, students have the chance to bring their ideas to life through an in-class pitch competition. The top teams from each classroom will then move on to compete in a statewide competition and showcase of young Hoosier innovation. This culminating experience allows students to refine their ideas, test their entrepreneurial skills, and present their solutions on a bigger stage.
This is the heart of The STARTedUP Challenge, Indiana's most elite high school pitch competition. Many participants first discover their innovative potential in Accelerator classrooms, where teachers guide them through those crucial first steps of creative problem-solving.
Check out our top 10 State Finalist teams! These students took their ideas all the way from concept to opportunity and their stories show what's possible when classrooms become launchpads for innovation.
Meet the 2026 Finalists
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PageMD
3RD PLACE
PageMD is an AI-powered medical paging system that eliminates phone bottlenecks in clinics by intelligently handling and routing incoming calls, allowing staff to focus on patient care.
Seth Donea, Chaz Burkett, & Veronica Rodionova | Signature School Inc | Region 1
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OccluSense
1ST PLACE
OccluSense is transforming IV safety by replacing one-size-fits-all alarm systems with context-aware pressure analysis, reducing alarm fatigue, preventing unnecessary patient mortality, and freeing up critical nursing time through a smarter, more responsive hospital alerting system.
Riya Koya & Zaina Khan| Carmel High School | Region 2
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Dermi
Dermi is a bias-corrected skin cancer screening platform that combines an affordable smartphone dermoscope with high-accuracy AI to deliver accessible, equitable early detection across all skin tones.
Angie Xiu & Alex Mi | Carmel High School | Region 2
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Luna Bandages
Luna Bandages completely revolutionizes the bandage industry with first-of-its-kind reusable, hook and loop secured, fabric bandages that prevents and treats blisters.
Luke Padgett & Nathan Peck | Brownsburg High School | Region 3
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Iconic Looks
Iconic Looks delivers high-quality Raw hair extensions designed for women who value consistency, confidence, and trust.
Effortless. Always.
Trinity Easley | McKenzie Career Center | Region 3
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Course Caddy
2ND PLACE
Course Caddy is a golf ball retrieval system that saves both time and money through color strip and drone technology.
Brandon Ateke | Munster High School | Region 4 |
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NAM
NAM Spike Guard protects track athletes’ racing spikes with a lightweight, snap-on cover that prevents damage on hard surfaces while allowing comfortable movement between events.
Aris Koehler, Mason Green & Noah Deeds | Mishawaka High School | Region 4
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Reese Olivia Creative
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Reese Olivia Creative offers custom designs through embroidery and painting, turning personal ideas into meaningful, one-of-a-kind creations, all for His glory.
Reese Streicher | Carroll High School | Region 5
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Roots2Results
Roots2Results is an AI-powered platform that simplifies and translates complex financial and business documents, tailored to local regulations and built to support immigrant and non-citizen entrepreneurs navigating systems like visas and compliance.
Kishan Patel & Tucker Harris | Floyd Central High School | Region 6
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Phoenix Phuel
Phoenix Phuel is a company that cuts down on plastic waste in landfills and helps cut down on gas prices at the same time by turning plastic into fuel.
Nathan Jones, Bradley Moore & Jude Sabla | Terre Haute North Vigo High School | Region 7
Meet the 2025 Finalists
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Lovey Duv
Lovey Duv Sugar Scrub is an all-natural, organic skincare product that gently exfoliates, deeply hydrates, and restores a healthy, radiant glow to all skin types.
Lyla Schultz | Perry Central Jr-Sr High School | Region 1
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SpheriLine
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
SpheriLine innovates upon central lines to fight infection risks, improve patient experiences, and to support nurses.
Kelly Fulk & Maxwell Gootee | Carmel High School | Region 2
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NextGen Research Institute
3RD PLACE
NextGen connects high schoolers all across the world with real-world research opportunities at less than 1% the cost of our competitors.
Prabanjan Jayachandran & Tianle Liang | Zionsville Community High School | Region 2
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Compleyes.ai
1ST PLACE
Compleyes.ai helps manufacturing companies streamline environmental compliance by automating manual reporting tasks with AI-powered tools.
Raina Maiga & Truman Greaves | Purdue Polytechnic High School Schweitzer Center at Englewood & Zionsville Community High School | Region 3
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SafetyGlow
SafetyGlow enhances road safety with a retractable, highly-visible LED light strip for trucks, making broken-down vehicles easy to spot in dark conditions, reducing the risk of accidents on highways.
Ashton Verbish | Hanover Central High School | Region 4
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Septo
2ND PLACE
Septo provides a simple, noninvasive solution for infection tracking through an X-shaped, plant-powered bandage designed to comfortably wrap around vulnerable joints.
Alexis Karahalios, Abigil Mena & Jocelyn Aguirre | Munster High School | Region 4
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True Blue
True Blue is dedicated to raising awareness about juvenile diabetes through educational outreach programs in elementary schools.
Lydia Yoder & Kyla La Rue | Dekalb High School | Region 5
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Tailored Bites
Tailored Bites offers affordable, high-quality, dog and cat food tailored to pets dietary needs using locally sourced ingredients.
Ruby Campbell-Carpenter & Emma Sanders | AMP Lab at Electric Works, North Side High School, Wayne High School | Region 5
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VisiTube
VisiTube is a glow-in-the-dark cover for medical tubing that helps prevent falls and brings peace of mind to patients, caregivers, and families.
Max Vanderhoof, Kishan Patel & Hikari Shiga| Floyd Central High School | Region 6
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GripGuard Soccer Sox
GripGuard Soccer Sox’s mission is to reduce landfill waste, improve performance factors for athletes, and protect them by introducing a higher quality sock with innovative grip technology.
Leanna Rotondo | Charlestown Senior High School | Region 6
Meet The 2024 Finalists
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Hydroxy
Hydroxy creates affordable, easy-to-use devices that pull water from the air to help farmers irrigate crops even in dry areas.
Lenea Elliot, Matthew McKeehan, Colten Mitchell | Perry Central Jr-Sr High School | Region 1
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Caseflood.ai
1ST PLACE
Caseflood.ai streamlines legal practices with an AI-powered receptionist that handles calls affordably and efficiently, ensuring law firms never miss a client opportunity.
Ethan Hilton, Emily Rudolph, Tolen Schreid | Signature School | New Tech Institute | Region 1
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ShellSafe
3RD PLACE
ShellSafe offers a discreet, efficient firearm detection system for schools, utilizing specialized sensors to identify guns at entry points, enhancing safety without the intrusiveness of traditional metal detectors or costly AI systems
Pragathi Arunkumar | Carmel High School | Region 2
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Epipatch
Epipatch offers a life-saving wearable that automatically detects and treats severe allergic reactions, providing peace of mind with continuous monitoring and instant epinephrine delivery.
Max Ledingham, Alexander Lu, Adithyan Naren Carmel High School | Region 2
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PinPoint Allergy
Pinpoint Allergy offers a simple, pain-free allergy testing kit that uses a single finger prick to quickly identify common indoor, outdoor, and animal allergies, empowering users with easy-to-understand results to manage their allergies effectively.
Genesis Austin, Jayden Brosman | Speedway Senior High School | Region 3
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Wringo
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Wringo offers a discreet solution for individuals suffering from hyperhidrosis, providing immediate, lasting dryness without creams or wipes, using a unique, fabric-based technology that absorbs moisture and restores confidence.
Connor Gomez, Ameen Musleh, Vasili Papageorge | Munster High School | Region 4
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SafetyGlow
2ND PLACE
SafetyGlow enhances road safety with a retractable, highly-visible LED light strip for trucks, making broken-down vehicles easy to spot in dark conditions, thereby reducing the risk of accidents on highways.
Ashton Verbish | Hanover Central High School | Region 4
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SkyGuard
SkyGuard revolutionizes precision agriculture with drone technology that targets only weeds, reducing herbicide use and costs, ensuring more affordable, sustainable farming practices.
Luke Herring | Southwood Jr-Sr High School | Region 5
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CayPops Bakery LLC
CayPops Bakery LLC offers a unique franchise opportunity that empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to operate a home-based bakery, specializing in custom cake pops and sugar cookies. This model reduces startup costs and leverages local cottage food laws, making entrepreneurship accessible and profitable for teens and home-based individuals.
Caylyn Pruitt | Columbus North High School | Region 6
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Bluer Waters
Bluer Waters innovates affordable, eco-friendly industrial filtration solutions to significantly reduce toxic waste in waterways, offering simple, effective systems that empower medium-sized factories to meet environmental regulations and protect public health.
Tucker Harris, Tyler Harris, William Trask | Floyd Central High School | Region 6
Meet The 2023 Finalists
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Dr. Orthopedic
Dr. Orthopedic creates a slip-on, waterproof cast protector that helps individuals with orthopedic casts shower safely and comfortably while preventing water damage during recovery.
Jennifer Vazquez & ClaireDeardorff | Signature School | Region 1
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Legaltec
Legaltec is an AI-driven lawyer-matching platform that helps individuals find affordable, unbiased legal representation by instantly connecting them with attorneys based on data-backed performance insights.
Mann Patel, Jude Allaw & Ethan Hilton | Signature School | Region 1
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Clean Line
1ST PLACE
Clean Line develops an early-warning screening tool for catheter-associated UTIs that changes color to alert nurses before infections become severe, helping prevent complications and save lives.
Nathan Dierckman & Makayla Phillips | Carmel High School | Region 2
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Cancer Catch
Cancer Catch is an at-home rapid screening test that uses urine biomarkers to detect early signs of cancer, helping individuals identify potential cancerous growth before it becomes life-threatening.
Jacqueline Roth & Suhani Lodha | Carmel High School | Region 2
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Osci Charge
OsciCharge is a compact Bluetooth-powered phone charger that enables cordless, on-the-go charging from any outlet, helping users avoid low-battery emergencies without bulky battery packs or tangled cords.
Ian Jack & Josiah Findley | Greenfield-Central High School | Region 3
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Red Applications
Red Applications builds AI-powered software platforms for K–12 schools that help students find tutors, discover clubs, and stay connected to academic and extracurricular opportunities through one centralized hub.
Liam Lloyd & Edgar Medina | Westfield High School | Region 3
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Tow Scout
2ND PLACE
Tow Scout creates a durable, cupholder-mounted safety mirror that allows boat drivers to easily monitor tubers and skiers behind them without drilling into the boat, making towing safer and more convenient.
Benjamin Eberle | Hobart High School | Region 4
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Novos
3RD PLACE
Novos creates eco-friendly, plant-based air fresheners that neutralize odors naturally while offering culturally inspired scents that connect people to places, stories, and a sense of home.
Joshua Avila, Sayeed Mohammed & Austin Beetson | Munster High School | Region 4
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Intellikits
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
IntelliKits creates subscription-free, hands-on STEM education kits that let students build real, functional projects that make science and engineering more engaging, accessible, and fun for young learners.
Connor Wueller & Nash Brown | Dekalb High School | Region 5
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Communi
Communi creates an affordable classroom communication tablet that helps non-verbal students express their needs through pictures and symbols, instantly notifying teachers with the press of a button.
Adrianna Senteney & Emilie Henry | AMP Lab at Electric Works | Region 5

