FindU, a Nebraska startup founded by two University of Nebraska-Lincoln sophomores and Raikes School students, took home the $10,000 grand prize at the Silicon Prairie Startup Week Pitch Competition, hosted by Silicon Prairie News at The Ashton. OMEDUS, a health-tech startup, won the People’s Choice award, securing $2,500 through audience votes.
The competition, a highlight of Silicon Prairie Startup Week, provided Nebraska startups a chance to gain exposure, connect with investors and industry experts, and compete for cash prizes.
The event began with a startup showcase where members of the public met the 19 semifinalist companies. By the time of the final live pitch round, five companies had been announced as finalists:
- FindU, pitched by Kenny Morales and Wilson Overfield
- GTM.bot, pitched by Alex Avila
- OMEDUS, pitched by Jessica Queen
- Motortango, pitched by Andy Liakos
- Set Your Sites, Inc., pitched by Stacy Dam
During the finals, each startup had five minutes to present its business model, followed by a Q&A session with the judging panel. The judges were Erica Wassinger, general partner at Proven Ventures; Shonna Dorsey, executive director of Nebraska Tech Collaborative and InternNE; Nate Clark, managing director at NMotion.
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FindU, a platform focused on connecting first-generation students to Nebraska colleges and scholarships, won the top prize. OMEDUS impressed attendees with its innovation designed to assist healthcare professionals in prioritizing which patients to treat first during triage, earning the People’s Choice award.
To be eligible for the competition, startups had to be based in Nebraska, have been operating for no more than five years, and have developed a minimum viable product (MVP). The event, central to Silicon Prairie Startup Week, highlighted a diverse group of startups and celebrated the state’s entrepreneurial energy.
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