Four student-led ventures are advancing to the final round of Hen Hatch, the University of Delaware's premier startup funding competition.After presenting their innovative ideas during the semifinal round, Agri Sky Eye, ContentCraze, GIGXY and Rivulet have earned their spots in the 2026 Hen Hatch Finals. The teams will compete for a share of $50,000 in cash and prizes at the Blue Hen Innovation Fest on December 3.
The four finalists represent a diverse range of industries, from agricultural technology and digital marketing to music and entertainment. Each venture showcases the creativity, entrepreneurial mindset and problem-solving skills of UD students.
From Semifinals to Finals
During the closed semifinal round on October 16, student entrepreneurs pitched their ventures to a panel of judges and participated in mentoring sessions with experienced entrepreneurs and industry professionals. These sessions provided valuable feedback, practical insights and guidance to help teams refine their ideas and take their ventures to the next level.
Thank you to the semifinal round judges: Neals Frage, Bill Luzier, Lindsay Pennington, Kristen Scott, Claudius Taylor and Jaimie Watts.
Special thanks also go to mentors Elyce Hall, Scott Lugar, Bhavani Shankar and Andrea Thompson for sharing their expertise and supporting the student entrepreneurs.
Meet the 2026 Hen Hatch Finalists
Agri Sky Eye
Arjun Nanda Kumar | Graduate Student, Robotics | Expected 2027
Agri Sky Eye is an overhead cable-driven robot designed to detect and selectively spray weeds in high-value specialty crops. Built for farms of up to 10 acres, the technology aims to reduce the labor required for manual weeding while helping growers manage their crops more efficiently.
ContentCraze
Drew Tendler | Finance, Sales Minor | Class of 2028
ContentCraze is a platform that enables brands to launch marketing campaigns powered by thousands of user-generated content creators. By connecting businesses with creators who promote their products and services, the platform helps brands expand their reach through authentic, creator-driven content.
GIGXY LLC
Emmanuel Akande | Business Management | Class of 2027
Jesse Wilson | Marketing and Management, Entrepreneurship Minor | Class of 2028
GIGXY is an online marketplace connecting musicians and music professionals with customers looking to book talent for performances, events and other opportunities. The platform aims to simplify the process of discovering, connecting with and booking musical talent.
Rivulet
Annamalai Muthupalaniappan | Graduate Student, Mechanical Engineering | Class of 2030
Rivulet is a low-cost agricultural robot that travels along existing center-pivot irrigation systems to monitor crop health and soil moisture. Designed for agricultural research programs and high-value crop growers, the technology provides field-level data without requiring additional infrastructure, drone operators or manual data collection.
What's Next? The Hen Hatch Finals
The four finalist teams will take the stage on December 3 at the Blue Hen Innovation Fest, where they will pitch their ventures for a chance to win a share of $50,000 in cash and prizes.
Each team will have seven minutes to present its venture, followed by a five-minute Q&A session with a panel of judges. The final round offers students an opportunity to showcase their progress, demonstrate their ventures' potential and take another step toward bringing their ideas to market.
Explore More Ventures at the Innovation Showcase
The innovation doesn't stop with the finalists! The Innovation Showcase at Blue Hen Innovation Fest will feature additional student-led ventures, including six Hen Hatch semifinalist teams and other emerging entrepreneurs.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the students behind these ventures, explore their ideas and learn how they're turning innovative concepts into real-world solutions.
Participating ventures include:
Hardbat Adaptive
Owen Mathias | Entrepreneurship | Class of 2027
Hardbat Adaptive makes fitness more accessible for people with disabilities through personalized one-on-one and small-group programs. The venture helps participants build strength, confidence and independence while developing healthy routines that support their long-term well-being.
Healing Ivy
Sophia Small | Human Services | Class of 2026
Healing Ivy is reimagining traditional IV poles to better meet the functional and aesthetic needs of patients receiving care at home. The concept focuses on creating medical equipment that fits more naturally into the home environment.
MESH
Youssouf Drame | Global Business, Marketing Concentration | Class of 2027
MESH is developing an operations workspace for behavioral health organizations that connects the software systems they already use. The platform aims to streamline workflows by giving staff a clear path from requests to verified task completion.
Nouvho
Loovensky Louis | Finance | Class of 2027
Nouvho is an all-in-one business platform that helps service-based businesses simplify their operations. The platform allows businesses to launch fully branded websites in minutes while managing bookings, payments, clients, retail, classes, staff and space rentals from one system.
Parker Media
Parker Stille | Entrepreneurship | Class of 2028
Parker Media is a full-service social media agency specializing in video content for real estate professionals. Through engaging digital storytelling, the agency helps real estate agents strengthen their online presence, attract new clients and grow their businesses.
Prediction Wizard
Jacob Wyngaard | UD Doctoral Student, Applied Mathematics | Expected 2029
Kyle Wyngaard | Washington College, Economics | Class of 2029
Prediction Wizard is a points-based mobile platform that allows friends to create predictions about custom events, track outcomes and compete on shared leaderboards. Inspired by popular prediction platforms, Prediction Wizard brings the excitement of making predictions to friendly competitions without involving real-money betting.
Stemma's Garden
Emma Stiner | Entrepreneurship | Class of 2027
Stemma's Garden provides a creative third space where customers can design their own custom flower arrangements while reducing glass waste and contributing to a circular economy.
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the creative Engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement at the University of Delaware. Currently ranked among the best entrepreneurship program in the U.S., Horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
