ROGERS, Ark. – The University of Arkansas dominated the 22nd annual Arkansas Governor's Cup on Thursday, sweeping the High Growth/Technology Division, placing two teams in the Small Business Division, and taking home a total of $67,000 in cash prizes.

Four graduate student teams whose businesses were developed in the U of A's New Venture Development program received honors in the High Growth/Technology division of the competition. Two other U of A teams — including an undergraduate team developed through the McMillon Innovation Studio's new Product Teams program — took home awards in the Small Business division.

GammaVet, which captured first place in the High-Growth division, is a multidisciplinary team led by Shana Owens, a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences postdoctoral researcher who is participating in the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship (which includes New Venture Development) through the NIH-funded Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program.

GammaVet is working on a clinical test for Felis catus gamma herpesvirus, a cancer-causing feline herpesvirus affecting more than 32 percent of cats worldwide. 

Owens, who is the inventor of the company's core technology, said her team's victory was validation for their venture.

"We are so excited that our hard work has paid off," Owens said. "We're incredibly grateful for the prize money, but even more so for the experience of presenting to experienced investors and advisors."

GammaVet plans to invest the winnings into their venture, continuing their research and development with a goal to begin manufacturing and selling their diagnostic device in 2023.

"Beyond that, we have ambitions to be a multiproduct company focused on improving feline health," Owens said.

CiphrX Biotechnologies finished second in the High Growth/Technology division, winning $15,000. They are working to improve brain cancer diagnostics.

SHOCK, which aims to commercialize a technology developed by Michael Ceballos, a U of A assistant professor of biological sciences, is developing enzyme-based additives used to drive efficiency and reduce waste in poultry feeding. SHOCK finished third, winning $10,000.

In the Small Business Division, McMillon Innovation Studio team Bento came in second and won $10,000 for their mobile app that aids restaurants by allowing them to easily create and change menus. NVD team Orange Otter Toys, which seeks to bridge the divide between children with and without cognitive disabilities, finished third and won $5,000.

Horizon Health Solutions captured the elevator pitch competition in the High Growth/Technology Division, winning $2,000. The company empowers independent pharmacies to compete against resource-rich industry giants through proprietary, innovative SaaS solutions. 

"Our ability to support student entrepreneurial teams is owed to a great many factors, including a dedicated mentor and alumni network, the collaboration of Entrepreneurship Support Organizations across the state, the support of the students' faculty advisers and home programs and colleges, our donors, and the entire OEI team," said Sarah Goforth, executive director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and lead instructor for the New Venture Development program.

"But make no mistake — these students' success is the direct result of their own exceptional talent, hard work, and collaboration. Entrepreneurship is a team sport, but there are no shortcuts."

She and David Hinton, interim executive director of the Office of Technology Ventures, who is co-instructor for the NVD courses, served as their teams' faculty advisors for the competition. Justin Urso, director of the McMillon Innovation Studio, served as the faculty advisor for Bento.

Since 2001, the Governor's Cup has impacted more than 3,000 Arkansas college and university students. This year's Governor's Cup included 31 teams consisting of 157 students from ten Arkansas universities. It was the highest student total since 2015. 

Finalists for the Governor's Cup were announced March 4 by the Arkansas Capital Corporation, which oversees the annual challenge. The awards ceremony was held at the Embassy Suites Pinnacle Ballroom in Rogers, marking the first time the event has been held in Northwest Arkansas.

Three of the winning teams — GammaVet, CiphrX Biotechnologies, and Horizon Health — will compete in the third annual Heartland Challenge Student Startup Competition later this month.

Students interested in the New Venture Development program, Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship, Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellowship, or McMillon Innovation Studio should contact oei@uark.edu or sign up for the OEI email newsletter at entrepreneurship.uark.edu.

About the winning teams:

GammaVet

• First place, High-Growth/Technology Division: $25,000
• Members:
  • Shana Owens, UAMS postdoctoral researcher and HSIE Scholar
  • Zach Waldrip, UAMS postdoctoral researcher and HSIE Scholar
  • Brett Littlejohn, Sam M. Walton College of Business Executive M.B.A. student
  • Braden Batemen, Bumpers College of Agriculture, Agricultural Economics M.S. student and Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellow

CiphrX Biotechnologies

• Second place, High-Growth/Technology Division: $15,000
• Members:
  • Emilie Darrigues, UAMS postdoctoral researcher and HSIE Scholar
  • Landon Burcham, College of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering M.S. student and Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellow
  • Hailey Carter, Sam M. Walton College of Business Executive M.B.A. student
  • Drake Harrison, Sam M. Walton College of Business Executive M.B.A. student
  • Stephanie Long, Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship student and Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellow

SHOCK

• Third place, High-Growth/Technology Division: $10,000
• Members:
  • Caleb Carmen, Sam M. Walton College of Business Executive M.B.A. student
  • Madison, McKim, Sam M. Walton College of Business Executive M.B.A. student
  • Julia Loshelder, College of Engineering, civil engineering Ph.D. student, and Kaneaster and Ruth Lindley Hodges Entrepreneurial Fellow

Bento

• Second place, Small Business Division: $10,000
• Members:
  • Toma Tomonari, College of Engineering, Computer Science B.S. student, McMillon Innovation Studio Product Team Lead
  • Olivia Pledger, Sam M. Walton College of Business, International Business/Finance B.S. student, McMillon Innovation Studio Product Team Member

Orange Otter Toys

• Third Place, Small Business Division: $5,000
• Members:
  • Natalie Akers, Sam M. Walton College of Business M.B.A. student
  • Brianna Beede, Sam M. Walton College of Business M.B.A. student
  • Sarah Heimer, Sam M. Walton College of Business M.B.A. student
  • Wes Jackson, Sam M. Walton College of Business M.B.A. student

Horizon Health Solutions

• Elevator Pitch, High-Growth/Technology Division: $2,000
• Members:
  • Amy Hopper, Sam M. Walton College of Business Executive M.B.A. student
  • Dr. John Sherrill, UAMS postdoctoral researcher and HSIE Scholar
  • Solomon Isu, College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering Ph.D. student and Kaneaster and Ruth Lindley Hodges Entrepreneurial Fellow
  • Josh Walker, Sam M. Walton College of Business Executive M.B.A. student

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village, and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.