Industry partners and students celebrated their shared accomplishments at the Design Studio Showcase on April 24 at Nebraska Innovation Campus. Third- and fourth-year students in the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln worked on projects sponsored by local businesses to build real solutions.

Students in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management presented their startups to mentors, faculty and family on April 24. The event marked the conclusion of the 2025-2026 Startup Studio, where four student teams developed their startup ideas bolstered by $100,000 investments and community support.

Nebraska’s entrepreneurship ecosystem is benefiting from startups that grow out of highly technical research at universities. Enabling that transition are tech transfer organizations that build relationships and infrastructure for complex work.

University legal clinics are a free resource to help Nebraska entrepreneurs navigate the complex legal challenges that come with starting or scaling a business. The Creighton University School of Law recently launched the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic to serve Omaha. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Weibling Entrepreneurship Clinic assists business owners across the state.

The donation comes from the Diabetes Care Foundation in its mission to benefit community wellbeing initiatives. Greisch Center for Enterprise Value Director Nathan Preheim discussed what the funding means for future offerings. Students shared the encouragement they’ve experienced to grow their ventures.

Program leadership said they narrowed the four Innovation Fellows from over 50 applicants. The cohort members are building innovations in such areas as secure communications, crop research and genetics and measuring blood flow for surgeries.

NUtech Ventures works with researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to protect and license their innovations for commercial use. As funding gets tight, Horst leads a greater focus on entrepreneurship and industry relations.

Partners for Livable Omaha launched the OurStory Small Houses project in 2024. Students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Architecture FACT design-build studio contribute ideas and gain hands-on industry experience through the initiative. Leaders say the program can inspire replicable accessible housing solutions.

The investments are made in support of the Startup Studio capstone program offered through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management. Students, organizers and community supporters describe the impact of the collaboration in launching career ambitions and retaining talent in the state.