Meet the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition 2026 Champions
Meet the Teams Behind This Year’s Winning Ventures!
The Merage School’s Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship proudly celebrates the winners of this year’s Stella Zhang New Venture Competition, following nearly 100 student venture submissions earlier this spring.
The top 10 finalist teams pitched LIVE during the NVC Grand Finale to a panel of Orange County investors and entrepreneurial leaders, including Isabelle Bart, Scott Joslyn, Jasmine J., Matt Sand, and Charla Triplett.
The competition showcased the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of UC Irvine students. Thank you to their judges, coaches, mentors, supporters, and sponsors for making this year’s event possible. They also extend their sincere appreciation to Stella Zhang for her continued generosity and commitment to supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.
Congratulations to all finalists and winners on an unforgettable night of bold ideas and entrepreneurship!
Congratulations to Competition and Track Winners
Grand Prize Winner $20,000 - Pipeline
Grand Finale Runner Up $5,000 - NeuroStrat
Beall Applied Innovation Specialty Award $10,000 - LAMON
Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Specialty Award $2,500 - Ascend First
Fan Favorite Specialty Award $1,000 - RestWing
Business Products and Services
1st Place $10,000 - Simly
AI-native simulated electronic health record for affordable, high-fidelity medical training. Built as a lower-cost alternative to traditional simulation platforms, Simly delivers dynamic clinical cases and is currently piloting at UC Irvine School of Medicine.2nd Place $5,000 - Abner Computing
Multi-provider AI inference platform that routes requests across GPU providers in real time based on price, latency, and reliability. This helps enterprises reduce costs, avoid downtime, and improve performance without relying on a single provider.
Consumer Products
1st Place $10,000 - RestWing
Patent-protected ergonomic headrest attachment that reduces neck strain and improves comfort during long car rides. It clips onto existing headrests and provides adjustable side support without bulky travel pillows.2nd Place $5,000 - PAQQ LLC
Smart bag and app ecosystem that uses RFID tracking and AI-powered recommendations to help users pack smarter, avoid forgetting essentials, and stay prepared for travel, work, and daily life.
Consumer Services
1st Place $10,000 - Pipeline
AI-powered transfer planning platform that generates personalized term-by-term roadmaps for community college students based on university requirements, helping simplify the transfer process at an affordable cost.2nd Place $5,000 - CuraVoice
AI-powered voice simulation platform helping healthcare students practice bedside communication through personalized voice scenarios, real-time feedback, and integrated learning tools.
Life Sciences
1st Place $10,000 - LAMON
AI-powered platform for early detection and progression analysis of neurodegenerative diseases using digital biomarkers and multimodal data analysis.2nd Place $5,000 - NeuroStrat
Uses cognitive games to identify Alzheimer’s risk levels and triage patient care earlier, improving accessibility and accelerating early intervention.
Social Enterprise/ Sustainability
1st Place $10,000 - BrickCycle
Transforms recycled plastic, glass, and seashell waste into durable, non-fired bricks that reduce carbon emissions while improving insulation and construction efficiency.2nd Place $5,000 - Ascend First
AI-powered transfer success platform providing personalized transfer plans, mentorship, academic roadmaps, and ROI insights for community college students.
SOURCE: University of California, Irvine (UCI) Paul Merage School of Business