For the second consecutive year, a School of Medicine student secured first place in the LaunchLab Network and AlphaLab Gear’s PittStop pitch competition for early-stage physical product startups.
Ryan Mezan won the top prize for his company, Meztech Medical, developer of a stethoscope sterilizer. Mezan has now earned a coveted slot in the semi-final selection round for the AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup, which boasts a $50,000 grand prize.
Four competitors went head-to-head in this year’s PittStop competition. Other competitors included:
Gbajumo Fashion: Damilola Fanisu, a Design and Merchandising Master’s student in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.
B-SMART: Ashleigh Saurborn, a Communication Studies Master’s student in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and Lesley Kennedy, an Industrial and Management Systems Engineering student in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.
TruAir Wireless Power: Kevin LaGrand, a Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering sophomore in Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.
A panel of prestigious judges chose the Mezan as the winner, including Staci Offutt, Coordinator at Startable Pittsburgh, Joe Pleso, Alpha Lab advisor and entrepreneur and Dr. Zachary Wright, winner of the inaugural WVU PittStop competition and the Founder and CEO of SwiftTag Systems.
The overall competition consists of six regional semifinal competitions and a national final with a $50,000 grand prize. The winner of each PittStop receives a chance to pitch in the Pittsburgh regional semifinal Feb. 27 at Carnegie Mellon University. The winner of the Pittsburgh regional semifinal receives $3,000 and a spot in the national finals to compete for a $50,000 grand prize.
AlphaLab Gear guides early-stage physical product companies through customer discovery, prototyping, legal and accounting, business model development, product iteration, early manufacturing and customer traction. The incubator also offers an optional eight-week session focusing on manufacturing at scale, covering topics such as design for manufacturing, tooling, regulatory, quality control, vendor negotiations, inventory management/fulfillment, and connections to manufacturers and supply chains.
Operating since 2014, WVU’s LaunchLab Network serves as a comprehensive, one-stop shop to help students develop and commercialize their ideas, innovations, inventions or business models. In a motivating and supportive environment, the LaunchLab Network is an applied innovation center offers hands-on idea development support, education, mentorship, prototyping facilities, resources and connections to empower entrepreneurs across West Virginia.