Telo, a student startup from the University of Minnesota that is developing assistive walking devices with integrated technology, was the overall champion at the 2024 Heartland Challenge.
The competition was held April 11-13 at the Ledger in downtown Bentonville and is hosted annually by the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business and overseen by the UA’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation with support from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation.
Telo earned $50,000 by winning first place at the competition, with three UA startups making the final round of 12, which included teams from universities such as Johns Hopkins and Washington University.
Seeking to revolutionize the rollator walker, Telo has a patent-pending reverse frame that puts “the user at the center,” according to co-founder Morgan Kerfeld. Telo’s device offers back support for more stability while also opening users up to the world, “so they are seen first, not the rollator,” Kerfeld said.
Telo also provides metrics for speed, distance, and reliance through a mobile application. The company said this allows users to track their activities, set goals, monitor progress, and enhance physical therapy.
Steven Bleau, another co-founder who presented alongside Kerfeld, thanked the judges for “believing in our mission.”
“Working with chronically ill people that have mobility issues or elderly that experience something similar, it’s deeply personal to us,” Bleau said. “To know that we have your support, really does mean the world to us.”
RHM Innovations, from the University of Rochester, finished second, taking home $25,000. Thryft Ship, from the University of Georgia, placed third, winning $10,000. Pro Pika, from the U of A, finished fourth, winning $5,000. CurveAssure, from Johns Hopkins University, finished fifth and won $1,000.
Designed to simulate the process of raising venture capital for a high-growth enterprise, the Heartland Challenge is the first global student startup competition in Arkansas and has awarded nearly $500,000 in prize money since it was first held virtually in spring 2020. This year’s competition featured 12 semifinalists representing nine universities and a prize pool of more than $100,000.
Sponsors for this year included premier sponsor New Road Capital Partners and event and prize sponsors Visit Bentonville, Symbiosis, Cortado Ventures, Delta Solar, Cadron Capital, Arkansas Capital, Natural Capital, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Walton College’s Master of Science in Finance Program.
About the semifinalists:
- CurveAssure — Johns Hopkins University
- CurveAssure is pioneering remote monitoring for spinal care patients through a three-part system combining wearable sensors, deep learning and clinical reports to provide dynamic metrics and revolutionize dynamic, patient-centered healthcare.
- Hidalga Technologies — U of A
- Using its eponymous software, Hidalga is optimizing administrative workflows in healthcare by streamlining insurance prior authorizations via algorithmic intuition to save clinics time and money.
- Hipond — Tufts University
- Hipond is an innovative online platform designed to help international students adapt in the U.S. by offering a unique combination of social networking, a marketplace for second-hand goods and tailored services.
- Kreative DocuVet — Iowa State University
- Kreative DocuVet solves the time-consuming, tedious task of medical record-keeping for vets by harnessing AI to record appointment audio and quickly ready-to-use medical records.
- ProPika — U of A
- ProPika uses its patented technology to process cellulose so fuel producers can transform billions of tons of agricultural waste into sustainable alternative fuels and chemicals.
- RHM Innovations Inc. — University of Rochester
- RHM Innovations is providing a paradigm shift in the caregiving landscape with its Aide-ing Arm, a hands-free assistive shower device that ensures a dignified bathing experience for patients while reducing the strain on staff.
- Sakura MedTech — University of Illinois
- Sakura MedTech offers a superior, patient-centric imaging device for cervical cancer screening to improve the patient experience and gynecological efficiency.
- Sustain-a-Plate — Washington University in St. Louis
- Sustain-a-Plate reduces food waste by harnessing machine learning to help grocery stores discount prices for products set to expire, thereby encouraging shoppers to buy those over longer-lasting items.
- Telo — University of Minnesota
- Telo is developing assistive walking devices with integrated technology to better facilitate physical therapy — the first significant innovations to assistive walking devices in over 40 years.
- Thryft Ship — University of Georgia
- Thryft Ship is a dedicated shipping platform tailored to Instagram to streamline that portion of the app’s transactions, helping more than 1,750 business ship over 118,000 packages since 2021.
- Wanderist — U of A
- Wanderist is accelerating the wine industry toward a sustainable future by facilitating a seamless transition to wine-on-tap service for local establishments while keeping bottles out of landfills.
- YieldEASE — Johns Hopkins University
- YieldEASE aims to improve the diagnosis of breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa through its gun structure technology for fine needle aspiration, which intends to de-skill FNA and make the adequacy of samples independent of operator skill.
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