Innovation Hub’s JumpStart program funds first cohort of undergraduate innovators across disciplines.
The Texas Tech Innovation Hub is proud to announce the inaugural recipients of the JumpStart Microgrants, an initiative designed to empower undergraduate students across the Texas Tech University System with the early-stage funding and resources needed to bring bold ideas to life.
JumpStart Microgrants bridge the gap between ideation and execution, giving students access to seed funding, mentorship, and Hub resources to help them validate ideas, test feasibility, and develop working prototypes. Open to students in all disciplines, the program aims to accelerate the commercialization potential of innovative concepts while preparing undergraduates for future funding and entrepreneurial success.
“JumpStart Microgrants are all about helping undergrads take the next step,” explains Mallory Thomason, Administrative Coordinator. “It’s been exciting to see Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) poster winners turn their research into real working prototypes with our support. We love seeing big ideas move from the poster board to prototyping!”
Building a Pipeline for Undergraduate Innovation
The JumpStart program is part of the Hub’s mission to create an innovation pipeline for undergraduate students. This year, two of the top recipients of the microgrants, Christopher Tobin and Shruti Naga, first showcased their ideas during the Undergraduate Research Conference’s (URC) Commercialization Poster Competition in April. Their awards reflect the quality of their proposals and alignment with the Hub’s goals to help transform ideas into marketable solutions.
“The JumpStart Award helps students take the guesswork out of early-stage innovation by providing microgrants to build, test, and refine real prototypes,” shares Taysha Williams, Managing Director. “It gives them the confidence and support they need to move from concept to creation!”
Additional awardees, including Xachary Chapman, Tyler Wade, and Johnny Ramirez, will also engage in entrepreneurial programming through the Hub, including the ACTIVATE I-Corps and Red Raider Startup programs. These programs ensure they receive critical feedback, mentorship, and resources to strengthen their skills and accelerate their progress.
Each of the awardees (listed below) have a customized set of milestones to ensure they take their idea to the next stage of development. The milestones include meeting with mentors, attending specific programs, and engaging with the Innovation Hub’s staff team throughout the funding period.
Meet the First JumpStart Award Winners
StrikeGuard (Awarded $5,000) | Team: Christopher Tobin and Steven Mangoffo, Students in the Rawls College of Business Administration
Strike Guard will manufacture protective equipment designed to prevent injuries to the arm/hand of baseball umpires. This funding will enable StrikeGuard to further develop their prototype and take their business concept to a full scale business model.
Purrfect Feeder (Awarded $4,250) | Team: Xachary Chapman and Austin Pflum, Students in the Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering
The Purrfect Feeder is a canned food cutter and portioned food dispenser for cats and dogs. The microgrant will accelerate the creation of a functional prototype and early customer testing.
BlinkTalk (Awarded $4,250) | Team: Shruti Nagawekar and Bailey Pratt, Students in the Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering
BlinkTalk is developing a cross-platform communication app that uses a live camera feed to detect and translate eye blinks into Morse code, which is then decoded into English in real time. The awarded funding will be utilized to take BlinkTalk to the next level by covering key development and testing costs.
Nemo Robotic Camera Mount (Awarded $1,000) | Team: Tyler Wade, Students in the Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering
The Nemo Robotic Camera Mount is a wearable robotic arm for content creation. The award will support his efforts to build and calibrate a functional prototype.
From (Awarded Innovation Hub Membership) | Team: Johnny Ramirez
From is developing customizable and artistic bouquet gifts that blend art, personalization, and nature into lasting, display-worthy designs. The awarded Innovation Hub Membership, valued at $1,000 annually, will provide the team with space to collaborate and further develop the early-stage idea through the Hub’s resources, programs, and mentorship.