2 Pitt teams will compete in the Rice Business Plan Competition

University of Pittsburgh graduate students will lead two teams in the 2024 Rice Business Plan Competition April 4-6. Only 42 teams were accepted to the world’s most prestigious and “richest” competition for student startups, offering millions in prizes.

The first Pitt competitor is Malleous. Co-founded by Benjamin Leslie and Adi Mittal, it has created an instrument that combines retraction and suction functions to help surgeons and declutter operating rooms. In a clinical trial, the device reduced neurosurgeons’ simulated procedure time by 28% and prevented the need to suction on average every 40 seconds.

Swanson School of Engineering PhD student Becca Segel says her startup, FlowCellutions, aims to reduce carbon emissions by advancing energy storage. The battery diagnostics company consists of experts spanning software engineering, electrochemistry and energy markets.