Clean N’ Go Powerwashing, one of five student teams, took home first place and $12,500 of seed-funding. Team MiniMinds was awarded the audience favorite award and the new societal impact award, making their mark on the audience and investor panel.
Competing for a record-breaking $40,000 in seed funding, five student teams participated in the thirteenth annual newsStartUp Showcase on Thursday, April 24, at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Culminating a year’s worth of mentorship, business planning, and perfecting their pitches, the student teams took the stage in front of a in person and livestreamed audience. For a second year in a row, the showcase was hosted by newsalumna Mariana Antaya '23, a product manager at Microsoft Teams and founder of quantifAI - a fintech startup that commenced at newsStartup in 2022.
Sophomore marketing and management major and founder of , has propelled his company, to success- amassing $52,000 in revenue last year with making about $21,000 in profit. The company focuses on exterior cleaning for residential and commercial customers across Long Island, NY, and secured the first-place win. Collins, who shadowed the StartUp Showcase teams last year, came well equipped for this year’s showcase, hoping to leverage the seed funding toward marketing, business expenses, and more.
Collins practiced his pitch for about ten hours leading up to the April 24 showcase. He embraced his full, two academic years in delivering the best possible pitch. Upon hearing he would take home $12,500 in seed-funding based on his pitch Collins shared, “I couldn't believe it, it was a roller coaster of emotions, but I had a lot of confidence in my pitch, and I had a great time answering my questions,” Collins said.
As Collins took the stage, he clearly articulated the quality of his service, sharing how Clean N’ go uses high-pressure and low-pressure solutions depending on the project, which includes house washing, driveway cleaning, roof washing, paver cleaning and sanding, and more.
Each student team who took the stage fielded the questions of the investor panel and showcased their businesses’ mission and goals to an engaged audience. An integral part of the night included recognition of Team MiniMinds, an AI-powered learning disability diagnostic tool. The team was awarded both the audience favorite and the first-ever recipient of the newsStartUp societal impact award.
The investor panel featured alumni, business experts, and C-suite executives. To learn more about the 2025 investor panel, visit ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø.edu/startup.
"newsUniversity’s StartUp Showcase left me inspired by the bold thinking, smart risks and fresh ideas the students brought to life. Being a panelist was a rewarding experience and a great reminder that creativity, persistence and curiosity fuel every great venture,” newsStartUp panelist and CEO of BIC, Gonzalve Bich, said.
