Biotech Startup Focused on Mini Human Organs Wins 2025 Heartland Challenge
Members of the Intero Biosystems team speak at the Ledger in downtown Bentonville after being named the overall winner of the 2025 Heartland Challenge. From left: Charlie Childs, Don Sobell, Madeline Eiken.
A student startup from the University of Michigan that makes miniature human intestines for more predictive preclinical drug testing was the overall champion at the 2025 Heartland Challenge, a global student startup competition hosted by the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Sam M. Walton College of Business..
Intero Biosystems, which has developed the first stem cell-derived human "mini gut" that replicates cell types, spatial structure and function of the human intestine, earned $40,000 by taking first place at the competition in April.
The Intero team includes Charlie Childs, CEO and co-founder; Madeline Eiken, co-founder; and Don Sobell, senior vice president of business development and strategy. Their adviser is Anne Perigo, associate director at the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan.
Eiken said her team learned a lot from watching other startups compete and praised the feedback sessions with judges.
"The judges asked great, challenging questions that encouraged us to think deeper about the business and the science, which will prepare our company for success in the future," Eiken added.
In addition to the top prize, Intero also won $3,000 at an Investor Roundtable track sponsored by Cadron Capital and $2,000 by winning the Most Investable Company Award. This award was evaluated by Master of Science in Finance students at Walton College.
Perigo, who has traveled to Northwest Arkansas with three different startups from the University of Michigan, praised the competition for continually looking for ways to improve and highlighted its ambassador program, which pairs each semifinalist team with a local industry leader.
These ambassadors help teams build meaningful connections within Northwest Arkansas, with the goal of fostering long-term relationships and regional engagement.
"Northwest Arkansas truly shines — the competition involves the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem in welcoming the student teams to the area," Perigo said.
"From terrific local judges and mentors to beautiful accommodations and venues, the Heartland Challenge exposes the teams to the incredibly supportive and founder-friendly region. It makes a strong argument for entrepreneurs being able to flourish outside the traditionally strong coasts."
A record 133 teams submitted applications for this year's event, which was held April 3-5 in downtown Bentonville at the Ledger, and included a kickoff event at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
"The Heartland Challenge showcases our state's commitment to entrepreneurship while shining a spotlight on Northwest Arkansas as a thriving hub for innovation," said Brent Williams, dean of the Walton College.
"By bringing top student ventures to our region, we're creating opportunities for connection, investment and long-term impact — both for the startups and for our community," Williams said.
The competition was hosted again this year by the Walton College and overseen by the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, with generous primary support from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation.
Additional sponsors:
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Presenting Sponsor: Arkansas Capital Corporation
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Prize Sponsors: Clete & Tammy Brewer
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Event and Ecosystem Sponsors: Cadron Capital, Dickson & Main, Physician's Capital Fund, U of A Master of Science in Finance, Endeavor Heartland, Visit Bentonville and Cortado Ventures.
Other top winners included startups dedicated to rapid, at-home drug testing, water purification and expediting preclinical drug development with innovative technology.
MabLab, representing Columbia and Harvard universities, finished second and won $20,000 for its at-home test that can simultaneously detect the five deadliest lacing agents in under three minutes. MabLab also won $2,000 by finishing second in the Elevator Pitch competition.
Xatoms, from the University of Toronto and Western University, finished third, taking home $10,000. Xatoms uses its patented AI and quantum chemistry technology to discover new photocatalytic materials that can purify water from bacteria, viruses, agricultural pesticides and heavy metals.
Humimic Biosystems, the only U of A team to reach the finals, finished fourth and won $5,000. Humimic is revolutionizing preclinical drug development with innovative organ-on-chip (OOC) technology. The team won an additional $5,000 for audience favorite at the Startup Expo.
DioTeX Diagnostics, one of three semifinalist teams from Johns Hopkins University, finished fifth to earn $2,000. DioTeX is developing a rapid point-of-care test for internal hemorrhage detection.
Deb Williams, OEI's senior director of operations and student programs, said that students walked away from the competition not just with prize money, but "clarity, confidence and a new network to support what comes next."
"We structure the Heartland Challenge to simulate the real-world startup journey — from refining your pitch and business model to receiving direct feedback from ambassadors, mentors and investors," Williams added.
Other teams taking home prize money:
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CounselAI, from Johns Hopkins University, is an AI-powered platform that's seeking to ensure everyone gets fair counsel. The team won $3,000 in the Investor Roundtable track sponsored by Dickson & Main.
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Imagine Devices, from the University of Texas, is working to help premature infants in NICUs whose fragile skin can be damaged from multiple adhesive sensors and wires. The team won $3,000 in the Investor Roundtable track sponsored by the Physicians Capital Fund.
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PulseArk Technologies, from the U of A, is dedicated to enabling earlier detection of bleeding in an effort to save lives and prevent costly bleeding complications. The team won first place in the Elevator Pitch competition, earning $3,000.
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, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.
About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 9,800 students across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 national rankings. In addition, its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the #1 program in North America by Gartner. In 2024, The Princeton Review included Walton's M.B.A. program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs.
Contacts
Brandon Howard, communications manager
Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
479-418-4803, bjhoward@uark.edu