Startup Yale 2025: A Celebration of Bold Ideas and Big Impact
As the sun set over New Haven, the energy from Startup Yale 2025 was still buzzing through the halls of Hotel Marcel. Over two packed days, we witnessed something extraordinary: students stepping into their power as entrepreneurs, creatives, and community leaders—turning ideas into action, and passion into purpose.
The pitches were bold. The stakes were high. And the room? Electric.
From the first round of pitches on Thursday to Friday’s grand finale, we saw everything from climate tech and AI to public health and storytelling take center stage. These weren’t just business ideas—they were visions for a better world.
After hours of thoughtful pitches, tough questions, and inspiring responses, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.
🎉 And the winners are…
Creative Entrepreneurship Prize: Creative Project: Unboxed Musicians
Audience Choice Winner: Creative Project: Patience: an opera
Creative Entrepreneurship Prize: Creative Venture: Calmware
Audience Choice Winner: Creative Venture: Makerstate
Manolo Sanchez Prize: Numanac
Audience Choice Winner: WealthMeUp
Miller Prize: Sourcerer
Audience Choice Winner: AIMIGO
New Haven Civic Innovation: First Place: Enrich Health; Second Place: ShellVive; Third Place: Wealth Beacon Group Foundation
Audience Choice Winner: Black Obsidian Healing
Planetary Solutions Prize: First Place: MudderAI; Second Place: Verustruct
Audience Choice Winner: Verustruct
Rothberg Catalyzer Prize: TranscribeGlass
Audience Choice Winner: Vault Kinetics
Thorne Prize: Fulcrum
Audience Choice Winner: Fulcrum
Yale Innovators Prize: EnglishSeeKho
Audience Choice Winner: Whiskey Bravo
And in celebration of Startup Yale’s 10th anniversary, we surprised the crowd with two special poster prize winners—Calmware and NeuroPuffs–recognizing student participants whose presence and creativity helped bring the event to life in a whole new way.
Each winner reminded us why this event matters: Startup Yale isn’t just about funding. It’s about belief.
Belief that your idea is worth sharing.
Belief that the right pitch can spark change.
Belief that a room full of strangers can become your biggest supporters.
We shared meals, spontaneous brainstorms, and big laughs. We heard from entrepreneurs like Erika Hairston (YC ’18), Rachel Laryea (GRD ’22), and Ben Young (SOM ’16), about building not just successful companies, but authentic lives. We watched students connect with mentors who could one day be collaborators, funders—or even co-founders.
And when it was all over, there was one clear takeaway: the future is in good hands.
To everyone who joined us—thank you. Startup Yale is a moment, but it’s also a movement. And this year, that movement felt stronger than ever.
We can’t wait to see what these founders do next.