Congratulations to this Year's Winning Teams
Two startups, PeriDeals and White Rabbit, beat out over 40 teams over the course of six months to land first and second place, respectively, in the Sunstone Innovation Challenge. The finalists were judged by a panel of three successful entrepreneurs and investors experienced in the local startup space.
PeriDeals, the challenge winner, is a free app that connects students with local markdown deals on perishable foods. The startup, whose founders are pictured at right, also helps grocery stores save food and minimize the cost of inventory shrink, tackling both food insecurity and waste issues. White Rabbit, the runner up, is developing a chemical based process to create fabric from recycled textiles and lint. The startup plans to utilize electrospinning to increase clothing and plastics recycling as well as address damaging fabric waste in landfills.
The competition, launched over a decade ago as a platform to encourage entrepreneurship, has grown significantly since Sunstone signed on in 2019. On Monday, Sunstone presented the winning team with $15,000 in seed funding as well as wraparound support in the form of co-working space, marketing, legal and accounting services totaling up to $35,000. Further, this year the runner-up received $10,000 in seed funding as well. Watch the presentations on Facebook Live.
Experience the Sunstone Innovation Challenge
The Innovation Challenge is a learning environment created to find an innovative product, service, or technology that meets a market need in a new or better way.
The Sunstone Innovation Challenge at CSULB is an annual campus-wide business plan competition. We are looking for diverse teams to develop, promote and launch sustainable, entrepreneurial and innovative business ideas through the presentation of a well-crafted business plan that address the core concepts of Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility.
The winning team receives support for their business, including $15,000 in seed funding, and space, marketing, legal and accounting services totaling up to $35,000. New this year! The runner-up will receive $10,000 in seed funding.
Interested in competing in the Innovation Challenge? Email us at Innovate@csulb.edu
IN THE NEWS
- Sunstone Innovation Challenge Awards $25,000 to Two Startups
- Sunstone Management and CSULB Announce Sunstone Innovation Challenge
- This app eases the vegan and vegetarian lifestyle—and it was built solely for Long Beach
- Cold brew delivered to your dorm? A Cal State Long Beach startup hopes to do just that
- Video: CSULB Campus Connection, story on the 2019 Innovation Challenge.
- Video: CSULB Campus Connection, featuring the 2019 Innovation Challenge.
- Students Brew a New Idea for a Membership Company
- Innovative Students Pitch Big Ideas For $50,000 Prize
- Four Finalist Teams Face Off at 2019 Innovation Challenge Pitch Competition
- From College to CEO: How CSULB is Kickstarting Student Startups
- Cal State Long Beach Students Launch Innovative Product