Marquette hosts Invitational Pitch Competition

Emerging student entrepreneurs from five Wisconsin universities gathered at Marquette University on Nov. 13 for the Marquette Invitational Pitch Competition. The event featured teams from UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), Lawrence University, Lakeland University and Marquette University presenting early-stage business concepts across mobility, real estate, education, safety and health technology.

A panel of judges awarded $22,000 in prizes to the top teams.

Kynetics takes first place

Marquette’s team Kynetics earned first place and a $10,000 prize. The student founders are developing rehabilitation technologies designed to support recovery and improve human performance.

UW-Milwaukee’s Shepherd Traffic placed second, receiving a $7,500 award. The company automates traffic data intelligence to support transportation planners.

Third place and a $2,500 prize went to Skip The Warmup of Marquette University, which created a washable, heated knee sleeve for continuous use.

Additional award recipients

Property Deals of UW-Milwaukee finished fourth and earned $1,000 for its platform that verifies off-market real estate listings and connects wholesalers, investors and real estate professionals.

Marquette’s SafeU secured fifth place and a $1,000 award for its emergency material tracking program.

Emma Perry of Lawrence University received the Rising Star Award for Community and Beyond, a platform that helps high school students find and track volunteer opportunities while supporting schools and nonprofits with hour verification.

Student-led innovations from across Wisconsin

The competition highlighted a wide range of student ventures, including:

Pathfinder LLC (MSOE): A tool that helps sales teams improve win rates by generating personalized reports based on a company’s playbooks and communications.
Colloquy (MSOE): An AI-driven language learning platform that builds conversational fluency through natural dialogue and daily practice.
AccountrixTeam (Lawrence University): A project management platform for teachers and students with AI-powered progress summaries.
DetailMatch (Lakeland University): A developing app that will connect auto detailers with partner businesses through a three-sided marketplace.