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Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies played a crucial role for student entrepreneurs competing for $750,000 in startup funding during the fifth annual Klaus Startup Challenge at the College of Computing.

More than 200 students competed during the entry-level pitch competition. ɫ���� alumnus and renowned tech entrepreneur Christopher W. Klaus, the competition's namesake, pledged $150,000 toward startup costs for five winning teams. The challenge aims to prepare beginner entrepreneurs for future competitions and funding opportunities.

The three-round competition started in February with 87 teams. In round one, teams had to meet the application deadline and ensure that at least one team member participated in all challenge workshops, mentor meetings, and pitch practices. Round two required eligible teams to submit a 90-second pitch video.

Twenty-four teams selected by a judges' panel then moved on to round three of the startup challenge, which took place on April 2 in the Klaus Advanced Computing Building.

For the final round, the teams pitched their startup concepts to a live audience and a panel of judges. The judges were Klaus, Joe Uhl, an alumnus and member of the College of Computing Advisory Board, and Margaret Weniger, director of Entrepreneurial Programs at .

The winning startups span financial services, cybersecurity, social media, and other business sectors.

Targeting the food and beverage industry, winning startup DDingDong has developed an innovative platform that leverages advanced technology and streamlined communication to connect restaurants and diners through personalized promotions.

(CS 25),  student , and business major  co-founded DDingDong. The team is using its funding investment from Fusen to establish the startup as a Delaware C Corporation.

“What started as a spark of an idea just three months ago has now grown into a real product, a real team, and a real company. With all those late nights, no weekends, and endless coding — all running on the sheer energy of ‘we believe in this,’” Park said in a LinkedIn post.

Park also thanked the judges in her post. She singled out Klaus. She said, “This challenge carries your name, your legacy, and your continued commitment to pushing innovation forward.

“It was an honor to pitch in front of you, and we’re incredibly grateful that you saw something in us. Your belief in our idea gave us the confidence to keep building.”

The competition rules require each team to have at least one member who is a current ɫ���� student. In addition to DDingDong, the winning teams of the 2025 Klaus Startup Challenge and their Yellow Jacket team members are:

AerLock: ,  (CS 24),  –&�Բ�����; brings AI to cybersecurity, creating a single solution to defend entire organizations in real time. It looks to outpace the development of malware, which will help end effective cyberattacks.

Chemetrian:  (CS MS 25) –&�Բ�����; empowers molecular scientists to harness AI and machine learning through an intuitive, easy-to-use platform that standardizes computational workflows. This functionality accelerates the discovery of societally transformative molecules, eliminating the need for programming expertise.

Loandock:  and  –&�Բ�����; streamlines the mortgage process for homebuyers by consolidating loan officers, underwriters, and processors into one AI-powered platform.

Shelfmates: ,  –&�Բ�����; creates tailored social media experiences for readers. It provides users with daily book discoveries, personalized recommendations, and tools to journal, rate, and effortlessly share their reading journeys.

The winning teams each received $150,000 to fund their startups. , a national campus startup accelerator founded by Klaus, provided the investment funding for the competition.

Despite this generosity, funding the College’s student startup challenge isn’t Klaus’s only investment in ɫ���� student entrepreneurship this year.

Klaus, a member of the College’s Advisory Board,  for any graduating student aspiring to launch a startup.​

"This is about more than just covering fees — it’s about lighting a spark,” said Klaus during Commencement remarks on May 2.

“Every founder needs someone to believe in them early. Through this gift, we’re offering that belief and giving graduates the chance to start building with purpose and confidence.”