Three startup ventures featuring Albany Law School students pitched their ideas in the final round of the statewide New York Business Plan Competition, held April 24, 2015, at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany. The three teams, which include representatives from other Capital Region institutions, competed against the top teams from 10 semifinal competitions held around the state, with two of the teams placing within the top three of their divisions and receiving cash prizes.

Members of the LuxOrioN and BrewMinder teams after the awards ceremony

Vincent DiCocco ’16 and Laura Gulfo ’16, with a partner from the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), comprise the LuxOrioN team, which placed second in the energy/sustainability track. LuxOrioN pitched its novel LED phosphor technology that offers a 40 percent reduction in cost when compared to incumbent LED lighting device manufacturing processes.

BrewMinder, a team comprised of Alexandra Scoville ’16 and Kevin Murphy ’16 and students from CNSE and the University at Albany Business School, is also developing a nano-sensor, as well as analytic software, that will allow breweries to monitor their product without taking physical samples. BrewMinder placed third in the competition's advanced technology/nanotechnology track.

Shawn Lescault ’15, with partners from CNSE and the University at Albany Business School, also pitched their plan for Aureonic, a venture to develop high-temperature nano-sensors to detect greenhouse gas emissions in turbine engines, coal-fired power plants and other combustion environments.

The Albany Law students are participants in an entrepreneurship class offered at the CNSE, which they can do as part of the partnership between Albany Law and SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s CNSE.