Celebrating its 25th year, the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship hosted the celebrated Rice Business Plan Competition this month, doling out more than $2 million in investment and cash prizes to the top-performing teams.

“For 25 years, the Rice Business Plan Competition has helped shape how Rice Business shows up in the world by creating a platform where student-entrepreneurs can tackle some of the most complex challenges of our time in energy, in health care, in technology and beyond,” Peter Rodriguez, dean of Rice Business, the presenting sponsor of the event, said in a news release. “If we’re serious about changing the world — and I believe we are — then it’s our responsibility to open doors for students everywhere to imagine bold solutions and build what comes next.”

Over the course of the three-day event, the 42 startups competing this year from colleges or universities around the world presented their plans before more than 300 angel, venture capital, and corporate investors. The teams were selected from the event’s largest applicant pool to date and represented 34 universities across four countries, according to Rice. Winners were announced at the company showcase and awards ceremony April 12 in downtown Houston.

Seven finalists were selected, though each team left the competition with some form of funding, according to Rice. The University of Michigan's Intero Biosystems was the star of the show, bringing home both the top-place finish and the largest total investment. Rice's own Pattern Materials also had a strong showing, placing fourth in the pitch competition and also earning the fourth-highest investment total.

Here are the teams that won big in 2025. See a full list of winners and prizes here.

Intero Biosystems, University of Michigan - $902,000

The team finished in first place for its GastroScreen, the first stem cell-driven human “mini gut” that is ideal for organ function testing before testing on humans, and also claimed the largest total investments among the competition.

• $150,000 Goose Capital Investment Grand Prize
• $250,000 Goose Capital Investment Prize
• $200,000 The OWL Investment Prize
• $100,000 Houston Angel Network Investment Prize
• $100,000 nCourage Investment Network’s Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize
• $100,000 Investment Prize from Nancy Chang
• $1,000 Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition - Overall Winner
• $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize
• TMC Innovation Healthcare Accelerator Bootcamp Invitation Prize

MabLab, Harvard University – $301,500

The team placed second for its rapid test capable of detecting multiple adulterants in laced drugs and spiked drinks.

• $100,000 Investment Prize, sponsored by David Anderson, Anderson Family Fund, Jon Finger and Finger Interests
• $100,000 The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Prize
• $25,000 nCourage Investment Network’s Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize
• $50,000 Valhalla Investment Network Investment Prize
• $25,000 The Eagles Investor Investment Prize
• $500 Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition - Life Science*
• $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize

re.solution, RWTH Aachen University — $76,500

The team placed third for its water-based technology that recycles polyesters without generating salt waste, making textile recycling viable.

• $50,000 Investment Prize, sponsored by David Anderson, Anderson Family Fund, Jon Finger and Finger Interests
• $25,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize
• $500 Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition - Energy/Cleantech
• $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize

Pattern Materials, Rice University – $134,500

The Houston-based team placed fourth for its laser-induced graphene technology that can be rapidly performed, enabling low-cost, scalable production of the material.

• $5,000 prize, sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright
• $50,000 Valhalla Investment Network Investment Prize
• $25,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize
• $25,000 New Climate Ventures Sustainable Investment Prize
• $25,000 Amentum and WRX Companies Rising Stars Space Technology and Commercial Aerospace Cash Prize
• $500 Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition - Hard Tech
• $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize
• $3,000 Venture Builder Innovation Prizes

Xatoms, Western University and University of Toronto — $30,000

The team placed fifth for its AI- and quantum-driven platform for discovering solar-activated semiconductor materials.

• $5,000 prize, sponsored by EY
• $25,000 nCourage Investment Network’s Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize

Mito Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University— $5,000

The team placed sixth for its automated manual cell culture with AI-powered robotic scientists for life science research

• $5,000 prize, sponsored by Chevron Technology Ventures

FarmSmart.ai, LSU – $106,000

The team placed seventh for its AI—driven assistant that synthesizes vast agricultural research into actionable, tailored intelligence, but earned the fifth-most investments among the group.

• $5,000 prize, sponsored by Shell Ventures
• $100,000 The OWL Investment Prize
• $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize
• Edward H. Molter Memorial Prizes for Wildcard Round - 1st place - Advance to Finals

Other significant awards

GreenLIB Materials, University of Ottawa – $152,000

• $150,000 Goose Capital Investment Prize
• $2,000 Venture Builder Innovation Prizes

Microvitality, Tufts University – $26,500

• $25,000 Southwest National Pediatric Device Consortium Pediatric Device Cash Prize
• $1,500 Edward H. Molter Memorial Prizes for Wildcard Round - 3rd place overall in WC

Nanoborne, University of Texas at Austin - $25,000

• $25,000 NOV Golden Ticket to Supernova Accelerator and Cash Prize

Last year, the Rice Business Plan Competition facilitated over $1.5 million in investment and cash prizes. MesaQuantum from Harvard University landed the highest total investment last year, although it was not named a finalist. Protein Pints from Michigan State University won the pitch competition.

According to Rice, 910 startups have raised more than $6.9 billion in capital through the competition over the last 25 years.