Twenty teams recently participated in the New Venture Fair, and of those teams, UC Santa Barbara’s Technology Management Department has selected six to compete in the 2025 New Venture Competition (NVC) Finals. The New Venture Fair gave teams the chance to pitch their business ideas in a trade show format, including product demonstrations and poster presentations.

Established in 1999, the NVC is UCSB’s flagship entrepreneurial experience. Over the course of eight months, undergraduate and graduate students work in multi-disciplinary teams under the guidance of faculty and mentors as they address a business problem or opportunity and develop start-up business models for innovative product ideas. The NVC Finals is a Shark Tank-like event where each of the six finalists will pitch their products and business plans to the audience and answer questions from a panel of independent judges. This event is open to the public and will take place on Thursday, May 22 at 3:30 PM, at Corwin Pavilion.

The six finalists are described below:

Assistive Tech offers a non-invasive biomarker test, through the use of VR headsets, that detects Alzheimer’s risk up to 15 years before symptoms appear. Earlier diagnoses enable treatment options that improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Copona is an augmented reality retail solution that enhances in-store shopping using smart glasses. It provides consumers in-store guidance and a more informed shopping experience. For retailers, Copona reduces staffing burdens and delivers powerful analytics through a dashboard that tracks customer behavior and product interaction.

JaffX is an open-source guitar pedal that promotes community-driven development and sharing of digital audio effects. The digital guitar effects device is affordable and easy to use right out of the box, yet also infinitely extensible through the software ecosystem.

Masterminding is a teacher AI Agent for high schools that streamlines lesson planning by transforming hours of work into a rapid, intuitive process. It generates personalized learning paths—customized quizzes and adaptive content—for each student based on their individual strengths and weaknesses, while providing teachers with real-time analytics to enhance classroom outcomes.

NetSplit is a software solution that intelligently manages and monitors internet performance for shared facilities. It provides complete control over the network with innovative ‘smart-sharing’ technology that allows the user to dynamically allocate bandwidth based on device priority. NetSplit saves money for businesses while enhancing internet performance.

RazeMath revolutionizes math education by using AI to break down complex problems into personalized, step-by-step solutions tailored to each student's unique needs. It dismantles educational barriers by transforming standard instruction into a customized learning journey that directly addresses individual challenges.