Nine Student Startups Win $50,000 Each at 4MLK BioPark Showcase

Nine student-founded startups each received $50,000 non-dilutive awards and mentorship at the Maryland Student Venture Showcase held Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at 4MLK in the University of Maryland BioPark, organizers said. The awards were presented under the Pava LaPere Innovation Awards program run by UpSurge Baltimore with major support from TEDCO and the State of Maryland.

TEDCO’s Feb. 3, 2026 announcement used the headline phrasing, “Nine student-founded startups to receive $50,000 non-dilutive awards and ecosystem support,” and Technical Ly noted the grants were drawn from the Pava LaPere Legacy of Innovation Act of 2024. Technical Ly summarized the law this way: “The nine winning student-founded companies were awarded $50,000 grants from the Pava LaPere Legacy of Innovation Act of 2024. Signed into law last year by Gov. Wes Moore and administered by both Maryland-founded TEDCO and UpSurge, the legislation intended to celebrate and support student ventures in Maryland.”

UpSurge and LinkedIn listings identified the nine 2026 awardees and their institutional homes. The winners named were ACC Industries, Loyola University Maryland, developing an EV battery that is easier to recycle and disassemble; Event Hopper, Towson University, a market management software for community events; Heisler Semiconductor LLC, Johns Hopkins University, which supports next-generation manufacturing with AI-enabled solutions spanning electronics design, process development, and custom equipment manufacturing; iBraid, UMBC, a beauty-tech startup from Velma Funebe building the first augmented reality braiding app; Kairos Nexus Global, Stevenson University, a platform enabling up to 60 percent cost savings by connecting U.S. businesses with verified global talent; Modelus, Johns Hopkins University, using AI to help biotech manufacturers catch cell quality problems early; Opsify, Towson University, an AI-powered operations platform for service-based small businesses; Perfect Place, Morgan State University, focused on decluttering and redesign to create functional spaces; and Strike Sense, UMBC, developing attachments that turn martial arts chest protectors into an electronic gamified sparring system.

Organizers framed the Showcase as part of a broader ecosystem push. TEDCO and UpSurge materials described the program as “part of UpSurge Baltimore’s broader work to grow an inclusive, connected innovation ecosystem by aligning founders, capital providers, and support organizations around shared economic goals.” Speakers listed on Upsurge’s event page included Abi Kulshreshtha of the Maryland Innovation Initiative at TEDCO, Francesca Ioffreda of the State of Maryland’s innovation office, Frank LaPere, and Markus Proctor of Innovators of Progress. Technical Ly reported Ioffreda said her office “brings the very same principles of entrepreneurship into the public sector.”

Audience voting sponsored by Innovators of Progress produced three community awards announced by executive director Markus Proctor: Impact Award went to Jay’s Watermelonade, Innovation Award to Mindmap AI, and Passion Award to Kairos. The Showcase was open to the public and registration was posted on UpSurge Baltimore and Greater Baltimore Committee event pages; the venue is 4 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Baltimore.

Organizers and press materials also reflected continuity with the inaugural 2025 Showcase, when TEDCO named nine Pava LaPere awardees including DegreeMap, Drio LLC, Elastic Energy, and Fetal Therapy Technologies. Technical Ly reported 39 ventures from metro Baltimore colleges and universities were nominated for the program, while 2025 PR materials referenced a different nomination count; organizers say nominations for the 2025-2026 cycle are closed. The state-funded awards aim to move student innovations from campus to market, channeling Pava LaPere Act resources into Baltimore’s university-linked startup pipeline.