Collider Cup XVI Wrap-Up — Announcing the Winners!
The Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET) at UC Berkeley proudly hosted Collider Cup XVI on May 8, 2025. Hosted by student emcees Benecia Jude Jose (’25 Public Health and Data Science) and Anika Kesavalu (’26 Data Science and Business Administration), the biannual event brought together Berkeley’s brightest innovators, presenting startup solutions across AI, civic technology, health, sustainability, and more.
SCET was thrilled to welcome industry professionals, faculty, students, and the larger community to see the incredible talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit on display.
🏆 1st Place – Experimentia
- Nikil Thalanki (‘25, M.S. Materials Science & Engineering)
- Kaushik Kunal Singh (‘25, EECS)
- Eric Berndt (‘25, EECS)
- Yao Shen (‘25, Ph.D. Chemistry)
- Ezenbaatar Batjargal (‘25, Mechanical Engineering)
Course: ENGIN183B: Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
What it is: “Automating experimental research with robotics.”
Experimentia builds modular robotic platforms that automate the repetitive parts of experimental research. Scientists design the experiment, and the Experimentia system provides a custom robotic pipeline to run thousands of trials with machine precision — accelerating discovery across materials science, chemistry, and beyond.
Watch the pitch
🥈 2nd Place – MirAR
- Nevin Bangloy (‘26, Data Science)
- Eman Mahmoud (‘25, Business Administration)
- Dorian Monaco (‘25, Entrepreneurship)
- Pari Pandya (‘26, Data Science)
- Shantanu Singh (‘25, Business Administration)
Course: Product Management: Technology for Startups
What it is: “Try it. Buy it. Love it — your virtual fitting room.”
MirAR leverages advanced 3D scanning technology to create personalized digital avatars, enabling shoppers to virtually try on clothing before buying. Their solution reduces online returns, enhances sustainability, and improves customer satisfaction in fashion e-commerce.
🥉 3rd Place – Bloom
- Arthur Baruzzi (’26, Data Science)
- Daniel Liao (’26, Economics)
- Lucas Camargo (’26, Data Science & Economics)
- Junwan Jung (’25, Sociology)
- Diego Galavis (’26, SCET)
- Pitchayapa Panyarachun (’26, SCET)
Course: ENGIN 183C: SportsTech, Entrepreneurship & the Future of Sports | A Berkeley Changemaker® Course
What it is: “Automating sports recruiting so coaches recruit faster, smarter, and better.”
Bloom is an AI-powered platform that helps college sports coaches manage and organize recruiting emails. Their dashboard automatically extracts and structures key player information, helping coaches uncover hidden talent efficiently.
Watch the pitch
💡 Most Innovative Technology – SonAura
- Avyuktha Mattupalli (’26, Data Science + MCB)
- Yuxuan Cai (’26, CS + Applied Math)
- Lydia Liu (’26, EECS & Mechanical Engineering)
- Angela Chen (’26, Microbial Biology + Nutritional Science)
- Jialin Jiang (’26, MCB + Data Science)
Course: Engin 183C: Designing Tech Solutions for Youth Mental Health | A Berkeley Changemaker® Course
What it is: “Your AI-powered personal sound bubble—clear conversations, no headphones needed.”
SonAura redefines personal audio by creating an AI-powered, adaptive sound bubble that enhances nearby voices while minimizing background noise — delivering seamless, headphone-free conversations through ultrasonic beamforming technology.
Watch the pitch
🏅 People’s Choice Award – SimpleGov
- Mathieu Cloart (‘25, Entrepreneurship)
- Charles Jeffs (‘26, Economics)
- Kiara Shriqui (‘25, Economics & Political Science)
- Sam Schnaars (‘26, Data Science & Linguistics)
Course: ENGIN C183F/POL SCI C193A: Building Bridges between Democracy and Technology for a Better Society
What it is: “Democratizing political data to rebuild trust in democracy.”
SimpleGov is a civic technology platform making political donations, lobbying records, and legislative votes transparent and accessible. By connecting the dots between money and policy, they empower citizens to hold elected officials accountable.
Presenters
🎤 Beyond the winners, Collider Cup XVI featured several standout teams showcasing exciting innovations across multiple industries:
- Glow (Designing Startups to Transform Society)
- Samuel Eyobed Dejene, Stanley Tulani Ndlovu, Nonzunzo Sylvia Sikhosana, Daisy Kudzai Tsenesa, Michelle Ren Zhou, Armaann Karnnavat
Glow turns doomscrolling into ambition by matching students with mentors using AI, fostering authentic, goal-driven relationships.
- Samuel Eyobed Dejene, Stanley Tulani Ndlovu, Nonzunzo Sylvia Sikhosana, Daisy Kudzai Tsenesa, Michelle Ren Zhou, Armaann Karnnavat
- Watch the pitch
- LiCORiCE (ENGIN 183C-005: AltMeat: Product Design of Plant-Based Foods)
- Christopher Mazmanian, Daphne Marisol Feijoo Zavaleta, Jacob Sun-Woo Park, Celine Novella Hidayat
LiCORiCE leverages natural licorice root as a healthy, sustainable replacement for synthetic sweeteners and emulsifiers.
- Christopher Mazmanian, Daphne Marisol Feijoo Zavaleta, Jacob Sun-Woo Park, Celine Novella Hidayat
- Watch the pitch
- Dianysos (ENGIN 183E: Technology Entrepreneurship)
- Ugo Cedric Dany Delalonde, Paul Mateu, Vincent Von Appen, Veronica Cheung, Avi Desai
Dianysos transforms supermarket wine shopping with a frictionless, hyper-personalized AI recommendation engine.
- Ugo Cedric Dany Delalonde, Paul Mateu, Vincent Von Appen, Veronica Cheung, Avi Desai
- Watch the pitch
- PlayMaker (At-Large Bid Winner. ENGIN 183C: SportsTech, Entrepreneurship & the Future of Sports | A Berkeley Changemaker® Course)
- Parker Terrill, Carolina Dawson, Nicholas Godbehere
PlayMaker is the social network for former collegiate athletes to connect, compete, and stay active post-graduation.
- Parker Terrill, Carolina Dawson, Nicholas Godbehere
- Watch the pitch
Alumni Expo Winner
🎓 Alumni Expo Winner – Equipad
Equipad is a compact, dual dispenser that stocks plant-fiber pads and tampons, designed for easy, low-cost installation, fast restocking, and maintenance-free operation.
Using agricultural waste to produce sustainable products, Equipad offers a frictionless, cost-effective solution for institutions while improving menstrual care accessibility. Their business model includes both dispenser sales and refill revenue, with plans to expand to direct-to-consumer markets.
SCET Teaching Awards
👏 Best Instructor Award – Christyna Serrano
Course: ENGIN 183C SportsTech, Entrepreneurship & the Future of Sports | A Berkeley Changemaker® Course
“Christyna Serrano’s course was the best I’ve taken at SCET. She has a rare ability to make complex concepts feel intuitive and engaging, turning every session into a space for creativity, challenge, and personal growth. Her curriculum was thoughtfully structured, balancing real-world relevance with academic rigor, and her mentorship extended far beyond the classroom. Christyna genuinely cares about her students’ success—she listens, adapts, and empowers. Her course didn’t just teach me frameworks; it reshaped how I think about innovation and leadership.”
👏 Best Course Assistant Award – Manan Bhargava
Course: ENGIN C183F Building Bridges between Democracy and Technology for a Better Society
“What makes Manan stand out even more is the energy, positivity, and passion he brings to every class. His enthusiasm is contagious, and his genuine care for students is evident in every interaction. Among the many GSIs and student instructors I’ve worked with over the past three years at Berkeley, Manan is truly one of the best. His professionalism, approachability and commitment to the course and students make him incredibly deserving of this recognition.”
Judges and Emcees
A huge thank you to our judges for their thoughtful insights and challenging questions:
- Darren Cooke, IE Director
- Sibyl Chen, Berkeley SkyDeck
- Khalil Fuller, Pear VC
(Insert student emcee names here if available.)
Their presence helped push the teams to elevate their pitches and sharpen their entrepreneurial vision.
Sponsors and Prizes
Thanks to the support of Pear VC, SkyDeck, and Alchemist Accelerator, winning teams received:
- 1st Place: Automatic acceptance into SkyDeck Pad-13 Incubator, interviews for AlchemistX and PearX ($25k SAFE investment opportunity), TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets, professional headshots, and access to professional development sessions.
- 2nd Place: TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets, professional headshots and professional development access.
- 3rd Place: TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets, professional headshots and professional development access.
Celebrating Innovation and Impact
Collider Cup XVI once again demonstrated the remarkable creativity and determination of Berkeley SCET students.
From improving government transparency to reimagining shopping, health, and education, our students are tackling the world’s biggest challenges head-on.
The ‘Collider’ Cup is named for the way SCET fosters collisions of diverse students, disciplines, and perspectives to create breakthrough ideas and ventures.
Stay tuned for Collider Cup XVII — Fall 2025 — where a new generation of innovators will once again take the stage!
👉 Learn more at scet.berkeley.edu/collider-cup
The Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET) at UC Berkeley proudly hosted Collider Cup XVI on May 8, 2025. Hosted by student emcees Benecia Jude Jose (’25 Public Health and Data Science) and Anika Kesavalu (’26 Data Science and Business Administration), the biannual event brought together Berkeley’s brightest innovators, presenting startup solutions across AI, civic technology, health, sustainability, and more.
SCET was thrilled to welcome industry professionals, faculty, students, and the larger community to see the incredible talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit on display.
🏆 1st Place – Experimentia
- Nikil Thalanki (‘25, M.S. Materials Science & Engineering)
- Kaushik Kunal Singh (‘25, EECS)
- Eric Berndt (‘25, EECS)
- Yao Shen (‘25, Ph.D. Chemistry)
- Ezenbaatar Batjargal (‘25, Mechanical Engineering)
Course: ENGIN183B: Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
What it is: “Automating experimental research with robotics.”
Experimentia builds modular robotic platforms that automate the repetitive parts of experimental research. Scientists design the experiment, and the Experimentia system provides a custom robotic pipeline to run thousands of trials with machine precision — accelerating discovery across materials science, chemistry, and beyond.
Watch the pitch
🥈 2nd Place – MirAR
- Nevin Bangloy (‘26, Data Science)
- Eman Mahmoud (‘25, Business Administration)
- Dorian Monaco (‘25, Entrepreneurship)
- Pari Pandya (‘26, Data Science)
- Shantanu Singh (‘25, Business Administration)
Course: Product Management: Technology for Startups
What it is: “Try it. Buy it. Love it — your virtual fitting room.”
MirAR leverages advanced 3D scanning technology to create personalized digital avatars, enabling shoppers to virtually try on clothing before buying. Their solution reduces online returns, enhances sustainability, and improves customer satisfaction in fashion e-commerce.
🥉 3rd Place – Bloom
- Arthur Baruzzi (’26, Data Science)
- Daniel Liao (’26, Economics)
- Lucas Camargo (’26, Data Science & Economics)
- Junwan Jung (’25, Sociology)
- Diego Galavis (’26, SCET)
- Pitchayapa Panyarachun (’26, SCET)
Course: ENGIN 183C: SportsTech, Entrepreneurship & the Future of Sports | A Berkeley Changemaker® Course
What it is: “Automating sports recruiting so coaches recruit faster, smarter, and better.”
Bloom is an AI-powered platform that helps college sports coaches manage and organize recruiting emails. Their dashboard automatically extracts and structures key player information, helping coaches uncover hidden talent efficiently.
Watch the pitch
💡 Most Innovative Technology – SonAura
- Avyuktha Mattupalli (’26, Data Science + MCB)
- Yuxuan Cai (’26, CS + Applied Math)
- Lydia Liu (’26, EECS & Mechanical Engineering)
- Angela Chen (’26, Microbial Biology + Nutritional Science)
- Jialin Jiang (’26, MCB + Data Science)
Course: Engin 183C: Designing Tech Solutions for Youth Mental Health | A Berkeley Changemaker® Course
What it is: “Your AI-powered personal sound bubble—clear conversations, no headphones needed.”
SonAura redefines personal audio by creating an AI-powered, adaptive sound bubble that enhances nearby voices while minimizing background noise — delivering seamless, headphone-free conversations through ultrasonic beamforming technology.
Watch the pitch
🏅 People’s Choice Award – SimpleGov
- Mathieu Cloart (‘25, Entrepreneurship)
- Charles Jeffs (‘26, Economics)
- Kiara Shriqui (‘25, Economics & Political Science)
- Sam Schnaars (‘26, Data Science & Linguistics)
Course: ENGIN C183F/POL SCI C193A: Building Bridges between Democracy and Technology for a Better Society
What it is: “Democratizing political data to rebuild trust in democracy.”
SimpleGov is a civic technology platform making political donations, lobbying records, and legislative votes transparent and accessible. By connecting the dots between money and policy, they empower citizens to hold elected officials accountable.
Presenters
🎤 Beyond the winners, Collider Cup XVI featured several standout teams showcasing exciting innovations across multiple industries:
- Glow (Designing Startups to Transform Society)
- Samuel Eyobed Dejene, Stanley Tulani Ndlovu, Nonzunzo Sylvia Sikhosana, Daisy Kudzai Tsenesa, Michelle Ren Zhou, Armaann Karnnavat
Glow turns doomscrolling into ambition by matching students with mentors using AI, fostering authentic, goal-driven relationships.
- Samuel Eyobed Dejene, Stanley Tulani Ndlovu, Nonzunzo Sylvia Sikhosana, Daisy Kudzai Tsenesa, Michelle Ren Zhou, Armaann Karnnavat
- Watch the pitch
- LiCORiCE (ENGIN 183C-005: AltMeat: Product Design of Plant-Based Foods)
- Christopher Mazmanian, Daphne Marisol Feijoo Zavaleta, Jacob Sun-Woo Park, Celine Novella Hidayat
LiCORiCE leverages natural licorice root as a healthy, sustainable replacement for synthetic sweeteners and emulsifiers.
- Christopher Mazmanian, Daphne Marisol Feijoo Zavaleta, Jacob Sun-Woo Park, Celine Novella Hidayat
- Watch the pitch
- Dianysos (ENGIN 183E: Technology Entrepreneurship)
- Ugo Cedric Dany Delalonde, Paul Mateu, Vincent Von Appen, Veronica Cheung, Avi Desai
Dianysos transforms supermarket wine shopping with a frictionless, hyper-personalized AI recommendation engine.
- Ugo Cedric Dany Delalonde, Paul Mateu, Vincent Von Appen, Veronica Cheung, Avi Desai
- Watch the pitch
- PlayMaker (At-Large Bid Winner. ENGIN 183C: SportsTech, Entrepreneurship & the Future of Sports | A Berkeley Changemaker® Course)
- Parker Terrill, Carolina Dawson, Nicholas Godbehere
PlayMaker is the social network for former collegiate athletes to connect, compete, and stay active post-graduation.
- Parker Terrill, Carolina Dawson, Nicholas Godbehere
- Watch the pitch
Alumni Expo Winner
🎓 Alumni Expo Winner – Equipad
Equipad is a compact, dual dispenser that stocks plant-fiber pads and tampons, designed for easy, low-cost installation, fast restocking, and maintenance-free operation.
Using agricultural waste to produce sustainable products, Equipad offers a frictionless, cost-effective solution for institutions while improving menstrual care accessibility. Their business model includes both dispenser sales and refill revenue, with plans to expand to direct-to-consumer markets.
SCET Teaching Awards
👏 Best Instructor Award – Christyna Serrano
Course: ENGIN 183C SportsTech, Entrepreneurship & the Future of Sports | A Berkeley Changemaker® Course
“Christyna Serrano’s course was the best I’ve taken at SCET. She has a rare ability to make complex concepts feel intuitive and engaging, turning every session into a space for creativity, challenge, and personal growth. Her curriculum was thoughtfully structured, balancing real-world relevance with academic rigor, and her mentorship extended far beyond the classroom. Christyna genuinely cares about her students’ success—she listens, adapts, and empowers. Her course didn’t just teach me frameworks; it reshaped how I think about innovation and leadership.”
👏 Best Course Assistant Award – Manan Bhargava
Course: ENGIN C183F Building Bridges between Democracy and Technology for a Better Society
“What makes Manan stand out even more is the energy, positivity, and passion he brings to every class. His enthusiasm is contagious, and his genuine care for students is evident in every interaction. Among the many GSIs and student instructors I’ve worked with over the past three years at Berkeley, Manan is truly one of the best. His professionalism, approachability and commitment to the course and students make him incredibly deserving of this recognition.”
Judges and Emcees
A huge thank you to our judges for their thoughtful insights and challenging questions:
- Darren Cooke, IE Director
- Sibyl Chen, Berkeley SkyDeck
- Khalil Fuller, Pear VC
(Insert student emcee names here if available.)
Their presence helped push the teams to elevate their pitches and sharpen their entrepreneurial vision.
Sponsors and Prizes
Thanks to the support of Pear VC, SkyDeck, and Alchemist Accelerator, winning teams received:
- 1st Place: Automatic acceptance into SkyDeck Pad-13 Incubator, interviews for AlchemistX and PearX ($25k SAFE investment opportunity), TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets, professional headshots, and access to professional development sessions.
- 2nd Place: TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets, professional headshots and professional development access.
- 3rd Place: TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets, professional headshots and professional development access.
Celebrating Innovation and Impact
Collider Cup XVI once again demonstrated the remarkable creativity and determination of Berkeley SCET students.
From improving government transparency to reimagining shopping, health, and education, our students are tackling the world’s biggest challenges head-on.
The ‘Collider’ Cup is named for the way SCET fosters collisions of diverse students, disciplines, and perspectives to create breakthrough ideas and ventures.
Stay tuned for Collider Cup XVII — Fall 2025 — where a new generation of innovators will once again take the stage!
👉 Learn more at scet.berkeley.edu/collider-cup