2025 Maryland NEW VENTURE Program Concludes with Pitch Night at bwtech@UMBC

Catonsville, MD – On Monday, May 12, eight teams representing local technology startups faced off in a pitch competition hosted at bwtech@UMBC. The event marked the conclusion of Maryland New
Venture 2025 – a program that aims to accelerate the launch of Maryland-based tech businesses.
Each team consisted of an Entrepreneur, a dedicated Mentor, and four UMBC graduate student Fellows (32 in total), who collaborated throughout the 12-week program to refine their concept, validate market potential, and design a business launch plan to bring it to market.

The teams were guided through a curriculum facilitated by bwtech@UMBC and featured presentations
from local business experts to learn more about the market research, financing, sales, marketing, and
other aspects required to validate a company before launch.

At the Pitch Night competition, each entrepreneur pitched their team’s launch plan to a panel of judges,
who awarded cash prizes to the teams with the most promising ideas and well-designed plans. The 2025 Pitch Night judges were:
● April Richardson, Esq., President of DC Sweet Potato Cake;
● Hakim Dyer, Founder of Dyer & Company and Interim Executive Director, MBIA; and 
● Jennifer St. Germain, Vice President at T. Rowe Price.

Three teams were awarded cash prizes:
#1 – AnnieGuard: awarded $4,000.
AnnieGuard is an AI-powered threat detection platform for sarcoma, built to integrate into EHR systems
and flag high-risk patients at the point of care. Our multimodal API analyzes clinical, pathological, and
genomic data to reduce misdiagnosis, enable earlier intervention, and improve patient outcomes. The
company was founded in honor of the founder’s mother, who passed away from sarcoma.
● Entrepreneur: Tiara Jamison
● Mentor: Chris White
● Fellows: Parul Walkey, Zachary Taylor, Sinchana Datta, Pushpa Datta, Bala Sai Santhoshi Tumu

#2 - In Vitro Matrix: awarded $3,500.
In Vitro Matrix has developed a 3D scaffold to grow hepatocytes, providing a more accurate, more
reliable, and less expensive path to drug development.
● Entrepreneur: Rudolf Park, Post-Doctoral Research Associate at UMBC
● Mentor: David Fink
● Fellows: Abisola Dalumo, Gaurav Dhakad, Vamshi Konapuram, Rama Mounish Challa

#3 – Muvley: awarded $2,500.
Muvley is a motion tracking and exercise feedback application designed to help users improve their
form, performance, and results.
● Entrepreneur: Patrick Greene
● Mentor: Saif Islam
● Fellows: Devarsh Wali, Holland Davis, Sai Teja Gunamoni, Raghav Singhal

Additional participating teams:

SphereHub
● Entrepreneur: Hamza Umar
● Mentor: Christina Holt
● Fellows: Yash Bhatt, Tyler Evans, Deepak Bhukya, Ganeswaram Satya Sai Polamarasetti

Modelus
● Entrepreneur: Mantej Singh
● Mentor: Bei Ma
● Fellows: Itoro Baker, Abdul Abass Kamara, Tamizuddin Awase Mohammed, Varun Thalla

Didara Technology
● Entrepreneur: Adegboyega Akinsiku
● Mentor: Donna Ruginski
● Fellows: Mridul Nawale, Swetha Sree Madan Mohan, Harish Ramu, Abhiroop Roy Chowdhury

JumpStart2Tech
● Entrepreneur: Vinod Akunuri
● Mentor: Matthew Lowinger
● Fellows: Abdul Ibrahim Sesay, Anjolaoluwa Vincent Ogunsanya, Vamsi Pavan Karthik Malladi

Props
● Entrepreneur: Logan Cundiff
● Mentor: Ali Sinan
● Fellows: Geeta Naga Sai Amrutha Chandaluri, Mrunal Jadhav, Samarth Suresh, Ramya Sri
Tellakula

“We couldn’t be prouder of this year’s Maryland NEW VENTURE Program cohort,” said Aaron Miscenich,

Executive Director of bwtech@UMBC. “Pitch Night offers an inspiring glimpse into the incredible talent
and innovation emerging from UMBC and Maryland’s tech ecosystem. These teams invested months
into refining their ideas, conducting market research, and crafting compelling pitches—an inspiring
collaboration that reflects the inclusive excellence at the core of bwtech and UMBC’s missions. We’re
confident that the experience and insights gained through this program have laid a strong foundation
for their future success as entrepreneurs.”

About bwtech@UMBC Research & Technology Park
bwtech Research & Technology Park at UMBC is a dynamic hub where innovation, entrepreneurship,
and business expertise converge to foster business growth and economic opportunities in Maryland. We support companies at every stage—from concept to scaling revenue—across a range of tech-driven industries, including AI, cybersecurity, environmental technologies, and bio-life sciences. At bwtech, entrepreneurs gain access to a supportive community with world-class educational programs, expert mentorship, and high-impact networking opportunities, empowering them to achieve lasting success. To learn more, please visit https://bwtech.umbc.edu/