Better Water Quality Device Takes The Win

A device designed to help scientists study water by making it easier and less dangerous to collect water samples was the winning technological innovation at the UC Santa Barbara Technology Management Program’s (TMP) New Venture Competition (NVC) Finals on May 19.

OSMO, a company started by UCSB students Kyle Neumann, Rahul Sangodkar, Edixon Puglisi and Anjana Krishnan, took home the grand prize of $12,000 for their advanced and versatile portable water sampling instrument following a day of pitching ideas and demonstrating technical and business expertise to a room full of peers, mentors and tech entrepreneurship veterans.

For showing the most business promise, OSMO bested five other student-team finalists, who in turn were selected after a rigorous half-year of TMP and NVC entrepreneurial training that started with over 30 student groups. Working with mentors who themselves have successfully built and promoted technology companies, the students learned how to take an innovative idea and turn it into a solid plan from which a promising tech venture can grow.

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By Sonia Fernandez, The Current