“It does not take a genius to create something of high value, but instead dedication to the process and grit to push oneself beyond the mundane. We are all capable of being an entrepreneur, in some form or another, if we apply the right tools and empower the creator inside us.”

​—Sana Karimi | Sociology Major

Maria Artunduaga founded Respira Labs, with the aim to revolutionize lung home healthcare and take on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She won the 19th annual Big Bang! Business Competition at UC Davis and continues to advocate for inclusion in the STEM fields. Read the article >

Sacramento is rising in the ranks of cities where nextgen entrepreneurs want to stake a claim. As the 11th best area in the U.S. for startups, Sacramento has become a landing spot for young workers and businesses, according to CommercialCafe, a national commercial real estate blog and data provider. Read the article >

Aggie Square’s chief innovation officer has held many titles: doctor, lawyer, NFL linebacker. The Sacramento Business Journal takes a look at Jim Kovach’s storied career. Read the article >

Among the newest five Big Ideas is “Building the Entrepreneurial Mindset” in all students, championed by Professor Andrew Hargadon. Read the article >

For Little Bang! Poster Competition alum Akshay Prabhu, nothing ties a meal together like community. His Davis-based startup, Foodnome, reflects that philosophy, turning homes into restaurants the way Uber turned regular cars into taxis. Read the article >

360VR Technology specializes in virtual 3D models of buildings that can be accessed by firefighters and law enforcement when an emergency strikes. They won the $10,000 Engineering Sector Award in the 19th annual UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition. Read the article >

RePurpose Energy makes large electric storage systems using retired electric car batteries. The startup won $12,500 at the 19th annual UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition. Read the article >

BioMilitus, which studies the use of insects in reducing agricultural waste and creating animal feed, will be using their $25K in UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition prizes to build a pilot program this summer. Read the article >

Respira Labs, founded by Maria Artunduage in 2018, won the top prize in the 19th annual UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition for developing a wearable device that uses artificial intelligence and other data to predict and prevent COPD attacks. BioMilitus also won prize money for its work in breeding black soldier fly larvae for use in poultry farming and aquaculture. Read the article >

Maria Artunduaga, a translational physician-scientist, took home the $20,000 first prize in the 19th annual Big Bang! Business Competition at the University of California, Davis (held May 23). Her innovation: a wearable device that uses acoustic sensors, data signal processing and artificial intelligence to predict and prevent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attacks.

UC Davis Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship founder and faculty director Professor Andrew Hargadon reflects on our early years–and our path today and into the future. Read the article >

Japa, winner of the 2018 Big Bang! Business Competition, took the $10,000 prize in the Sacramento Kings Capitalize fourth annual Tech Night. Japa’s innovative parking inventory management system makes the parking experience, specifically for campuses and cities, easier and more efficient. Read the article >

Japa took top prize in our 2018 UC Davis Big Bang! competition for its smart parking startup. “Smart cities are coming,” says CEO and co-founder Mathew Magno. “With Japa, we can take any third-party data, put it into one app and have the whole bird’s eye view of the transportation industry in a futuristic way.” To date, Japa has raised $250,000 in its seed round with a goal of $500,000. Read the article >

Co-founded by Tony Simon, Cognivive is a Davis-based therapeutic company developing “digital therapeutics” — treatments in the form of virtual reality games to reduce cognitive and motor impairments in brain injury patients and children with developmental disorders. Cognivive won second place in the 2018 Big Bang! Business Competition. Read the article >