Moonshot is an ideation-focused pitch challenge that asks students to think big ––beyond the classroom–– and pitch an idea that solves a real-world problem in 2 minutes or less!
Our Bureau
West Lafayette, IN
Suryansh and Ayush as part of teams of Purdue University students won cash prizes during the Moonshot Pitch Challenge recently, an ideation-focused judged event that featured two-minute pitches of solutions to address persistent problems.
Active Purdue undergraduate and graduate students across all colleges participated in the challenge by submitting a video to explain the problem the team was addressing and propose its solution.
As per the release, different teams submitted their solutions in one of three categories: Earth – Ideas primarily focused on addressing socioeconomic needs and challenges, Orbit – Ideas primarily focused on launching a company, and Moonshot – Ideas primarily focused on solving a seemingly impossible problem. First-place teams in each category received $1,500 apiece.
First place, Moonshot category, and Best Pitch: Empyrean Energy, which harnesses space’s solar power for continuous, zero-emission energy on Earth, promising global access and environmental preservation.
Suryansh Panwar, an applied statistics student at the College of Science, said, “Giving the pitch in two minutes was difficult, but our focus was mainly on providing quality. I plan on going to the new-venture challenge next semester.”
First place, Earth category: BioVolt, which generates electricity using photosynthesis. Its biophotovoltaic panel erases carbon emissions while creating energy at the same time.
Ayush Karkare, a student in the First-Year Engineering program at the College of Engineering, said, “It took a lot of effort to present; I practiced for hours and hours. The product was the perfect culmination because we’ve been working on the same project for a long time, which made it easier to pitch.”
Purdue Innovates Incubator organized the biannual event. “The Moonshot Pitch Challenge is entirely about ideating bold, audacious solutions to address worldwide challenges,” said Justin Renfrow, Incubator director. “Purdue students are proving their ability to think critically about problems and then take the next giant leaps to solve them.”
“Purdue Innovates recognizes that life-changing ideas are generated across all populations at Purdue University, including its amazing students,” said Doug Applegate, Incubator associate director. “Incubator is proud to provide programming to all Purdue populations to ideate, refine, and support their solutions.”
As per the release, Purdue Innovates is a unified network at the Purdue Research Foundation to assist Purdue faculty, staff, students, and alumni in either IP commercialization or startup creation.
Purdue University, a public research institution with excellence at scale, is ranked among the top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top 4 in the United States, as per the release.
