Startup Proposing ‘Smart’ Lid Wins $25,000 Grand Prize in Trinity University Competition
October 16, 2020 - Trinity University
Successful Startup. Zachary Taylor, a computer science major, and Tara Lujan, a psychology major pitched their health-minded product dubbed Sapphire as a way to offer a solution for those curious about their daily water intake. Courtesy Photo, Trinity University.
By Chase Rogers - Writer, San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- A Trinity University student startup named Sapphire, won the grand prize winner at the university’s annual Stumberg Competition, receiving a $25,000 prize.
- One of six finalists in the competition, Sapphire plans to offer a solution for customers curious about their daily water intake through a smart lid that attaches to the water bottles.
A Trinity University student startup named Sapphire, poised to create a health-minded means to measure one’s water intake, won the grand prize winner at the university’s annual Louis H. Stumberg Venture Competition, receiving a $25,000 prize.
One of six finalists in the competition, Sapphire plans to offer a solution for customers curious about their daily water intake through a smart lid that attaches to the water bottles. The lid, in addition to displaying water intake, also connects to the user’s phone to show through a proprietary application.
The startup was co-founded by women's soccer team player and chief executive officer Tara Lujan and recent graduate chief technology officer Zachary Taylor. Taylor is currently a software engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
In her virtual pitch, Lujan said she plans to license its intellectual property to strategic partners and take a cut of revenue, citing their plan’s speed as a plus.
"We want to see our product out there,” Lujan said. “Through licensing, that could be done a lot faster and smoother than if we were to completely manufacture it by ourselves.”
The contest also awarded $5,000 to students Kincannon Wilson and Amy Platter for their startup Thoughtfull, creating all-natural snacks aimed at helping people achieve self-care through their diet.
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Over 30 student businesses have contended in the Stumberg Venture Competition since its launch in 2016, awarding over $300,000 in cash. According to Luis Martinez, the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, this figure does not include the thousands of dollars worth of mentorship and resources that Trinity provides the students competing in the competition.
“We’re proud to see that a number of students have graduated in the businesses they started as they were students,” Martinez said of Trinity’s unique entrepreneurial program. “The Stumberg Prize is an important part of our program. We strongly believe in wanting students to build something for the first time and this program also allows them to launch real ventures while they are still students.”
Other startups that competed in the competition included a firm aiming to help companies transition into e-commerce; a backpack company offering custom packs made to alleviate back and neck pain; a mobile veterinarian service that provides euthanasia for pets in the owners homes; and a multimedia platform for immigrants.
For more information on Trinity University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Stumberg Competition, visit https://www.trinity.edu/academics/departments/entrepreneurship-minor.
Chase Rogers is a freelance reporter and writer published in the Central and South Texas regions. He can be reached at chaserogersreporting@outlook.com