The 2025 PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition was held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics. This full-day competition allowed University of Kentucky student teams to pitch their business plans to judges for a chance to win seed money. A total of $20,000 in prize money was available across two divisions. The competition was divided into an Undergraduate Division and a Graduate Division. Both divisions featured teams giving 10-minute pitches followed by 5 minutes for questions. The initial pitch rounds for both divisions took place simultaneously. Later in the day, Undergraduate teams were invited to observe the remaining Graduate team pitches.
“I’m very proud of all of our winners and the work they have put in throughout the year,” said Warren Nash, Executive Director of the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship, who provides commercialization advice to all teams. “Every team came well-prepared and impressed the judges, I am proud of the quality of this year’s pitches.”
The final round featured the Top 3 Undergraduate and Top 3 Graduate Teams competing for the prize money. The teams listed as participating in the competition included:
Undergraduate Teams:
- AFO Cyber, LLC (Ayah Abdeldayem, Naji Abdeldayem, Hannah Hale)
- Lexington Youth Product Development, (Gabriel Portugal)
- SafeSip (Wesley Harper), Sondr (Alberto Cocke)
- Trace On (Vansh Patel)
Graduate Teams:
- LotWaze (Muhammad Qasim)
- NeuroVista Innovations (Faraneh Fathi, Sajad Vahedi, Samaneh Rabienia Haratbar, Guoqiang Yu)
- EdgeTrack Solutions (Bryce Gentner, Shem Odhiambo, Eric Wambua)
- RAM Devices (Madison Bates, Joseph Halcomb)
- AdjustaPutt (Delaney Bennett, Jackson Riney)
- FlowTech (Faezeh Akbari, Fatemah Hamedi, Pegah Safavi)
- FreeFlicks (David Rubury)
- Bourbon Kings (Ryan Sarhan)
The winners of this year’s pitch competition are:
Graduate Track Winners:
1st Place - FlowTech ($5,000) | College of Engineering
FlowTech is a biomedical technology company developing compact, non-invasive wearable devices for real-time monitoring of brain hemodynamics. Their aim is to provide an affordable, wearable solution for monitoring brain blood flow and oxygenation to aid in the early diagnosis of neurological diseases.
"Winning the PNC Pitch Competition has been an incredible milestone for us at FlowTech. It’s truly motivating to see others recognize the potential impact of our innovation in biomedical optics for brain hemodynamic monitoring. We are sincerely grateful to the judges, organizers, and PNC Bank for this opportunity. The experience enabled us to connect with inspiring fellow founders and gain invaluable feedback that will help us refine and advance our vision for the future." - Team FlowTech (Pegah, Fatemeh, Faezeh).
2nd Place - NeuroVista Innovations ($3,000) | College of Engineering
NeuroVista Innovations focuses on revolutionizing neurological imaging by developing a portable, high-resolution, and AI-powered imaging system. Their technology, Time-Resolved Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (TR-LSCI), enables real-time blood flow monitoring and aims to be a more affordable and accessible alternative to traditional imaging methods like MRI and CT scans.
"Participating in the PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition and the Von Allmen Center’s Bootcamp has been a transformative experience. I had the opportunity to meet potential investors who believed in NeuroVista’s mission to make critical brain health monitoring more accessible, so no one has to wait in fear for life-saving information. I'm incredibly grateful for the mentors, judges, and organizers who made this journey possible. Every step was a true learning experience, and I look forward to building on this momentum moving forward. Thank you to Warren Nash, Mariam Gorjian, and the VACE team for their support, and to PNC for sponsoring such a valuable event." - Faraneh Fathi
3rd Place - RAM Devices, LLC. ($2,000) | College of Engineering
RAM Devices, LLC. (Graduate, 3rd Place) addresses the problem of time-consuming clinical assessments in stroke rehabilitation. Their first product is a wearable sensor-based device with an intuitive interface designed to provide objective monitoring of hand function, quantitative measurements, and real-time feedback, reducing assessment time by 53%.
“What made the PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition so impactful was the chance to connect with passionate founders, receive thoughtful feedback from judges, and meet potential investors who believe in RAM Devices’ mission. I left the competition feeling energized by the community, inspired by the innovations, and grateful for the support that will help shape RAM Devices’ path forward.” - Madison Bates
Undergraduate Track Winners:
1st Place - AFO Cyber, LLC. ($5,000) | College of Engineering
AFO Cyber, LLC. (Undergraduate, 1st Place) is dedicated to protecting individuals, particularly the older generation, from scams and fraud. They offer a subscription-based service that combines human expertise with technology to provide personalized scam analysis and educational awareness, emphasizing a human-centric approach over solely AI-driven solutions.
2nd Place - Trace On ($3,000) | College of Engineering
Trace On (Undergraduate, 2nd Place) is introducing a blockchain-based platform designed to transform the verification of academic and professional credentials. Their solution aims to make credential verification secure, immutable, and instantly verifiable, addressing the inefficiencies and fraud risks of traditional methods.
3rd Place - LYPD (Lexington Youth Product Development) ($2,000) | College of Design
LYPD (Lexington Youth Product Development) (Undergraduate, 3rd Place) is a summer program for high school students in Lexington, KY, designed to expose them to the world of product development. The program involves working on projects sponsored by local businesses, learning marketable skills, gaining work experience, and networking with companies.
Other teams participating in the competition:
- SafeSip, which offers a color-changing cup to instantly detect spiked drinks
- Sondr, a dating app aiming to foster deeper connections by delaying the reveal of profile pictures
- LotWaze, a platform seeking to provide affordable and accessible parking in Lexington by utilizing underutilized lots
- EdgeTrack Solutions, which offers an AI-powered platform for real-time predictive shipment tracking in logistics
- AdjustaPutt, an at-home putting mat with a modular grid system for customizable terrain
- Bourbon Kings, a board game centered around bourbon production designed to be a fun, educational, and social experience.
- FreeFlicks, offers free admission to movies by utilizing in-movie advertising