Students from across Ohio State recently showcased their ideas for the very latest in technology and entrepreneurship at a pair of pitch competitions.

The 2016 Ohio State Business Plan Competition, which was hosted by the Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC) Institute at Fisher College of Business, brought together teams from throughout the university — many of which participated in the Langdale Academy in Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization.

“For 15 years, this event has been one of the best venues for students at Ohio State to pitch the next great idea,” said Michael Camp, executive director of the TEC Institute and a teacher in the Langdale Academy. “Every year, we look forward to seeing what issues and problems are top of mind for these students and the creative ways they’re addressing them.”

The team behind VibeMR took home first place and $15,000 in the Open Track division. VibeMR provides original equipment manufacturers of MRI technology exclusive access to the only Magnetic Resonance Elastography platform that evaluates small organs. The team was led, in part, by Joshua Hoffman, an MBA alumnus from Fisher.

The team behind VibeMR took first place in the Open Track Division. Pictured are (from left), Dr. Michael Camp, instructor at Fisher; Fraser Robb, GE Healthcare; Joshua Hoffman, Working Professional MBA student; Jake Mendel, Full-Time MBA student; Adam Dalis, Working Professional MBA student; Brad Homyak, biomedical engineering; Dr. Arunark Kolipaka, Ohio State radiology. Not pictured is Jon Dufour, Working Professional MBA student.

In the Undergraduate Track, Flyby took home first-place and a $5,000 prize. David Butcher, an operations management student and Innovation Creativity Entrepreneurship Scholar, created the concept of a production-line restaurant that specializes in craft BBQ sandwiches and regional sauces.

“Winning the undergraduate track of the Business Plan Competition gives us immense opportunity moving forward,” Butcher said. “It has already provided us with priceless connections in the community that are able to advise us and open many new doors. Flyby will be using the prize money to travel the country getting inspiration for sauces in each regional BBQ area of the country, as well as documenting the stories of people and small towns on social media with #PeopleWeMeat.”

Dr. Michael Camp (left) congratulates David Butcher, winner of the Undergraduate Track of the Ohio State Business Plan Competition.

The Best of Student Startups (BOSS) competition, an independent pitch event conducted by the Technology Commercialization Office and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, two teams consisting of Fisher students competed for financial and in-kind prizes to help fund their ideas.

InternWire, an online site where students are matched with peer-reviewed internships and companies, took first place at BOSS. The team behind InternWire included finance students Tanner and Troy Plewa, Alex Welker and graduate Amjed Osman.

Cameron Leids and Seth Mack finished in second place for Buckets, a mobile marketplace built for and by college students. Buckets would enable students to buy and sell items to and from other students.

By earning spots in the top five and competing in the BOSS finale, both teams qualified for the 2017 Ohio State Business Plan Competition.