A student team featuring two industrial and systems engineering graduate students won Auburn University’s 2017 Tiger Cage business pitch competition.
Robert Granzow and Rong Huangfu, along with MBA student Mengdie Chen, developed BioErgo Solutions, a platform aimed at helping businesses prevent occupational injuries through wearable technology.
The BioErgo Solutions team emerged from a pool of 20 student teams from across the university to win the competition. The team received a $10,000 grand prize.
Tiger Cage rewards the best early-stage products, services or business concepts developed by Auburn students. The teams make five-minute pitches and answer questions from a panel of judges. This competition is part of the annual Auburn University Entrepreneurship Summit.
Two Auburn engineers were also honored for their business acumen at the Auburn University Entrepreneurship Summit.
Walt Woltosz, co-founder and CEO of technology company SimulationsPlus, was inducted into the Auburn University Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.
Woltosz earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn in aerospace engineering in 1969 and 1977, respectively. After a 13-year career in the aerospace industry, Woltosz founded Words+ Inc., a company that manufactures and sells computer-based communication systems. Many people with disabilities, including renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, have used communications systems developed by Words+ to enhance their quality of life.
In 1996, Woltosz founded SimulationsPlus, a company that has become a leader in drug discovery and simulation software for conducting drug research. The company’s software allows pharmaceutical scientists to predict certain key potential drug dynamics, helping reduce multi-million dollar clinical trial failures and speeding up the time to market for effective new medications.
Two-time Auburn graduate Justin Lambert was awarded Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Lambert, ’07 chemical engineering and ’08 MBA, is the founder, owner and CEO of the Auburn-based women’s fashion retailer The Mint Julep Boutique, which launched in 2012. The boutique offers women’s clothing through its online platform.
