Team Flu Finder receives second place prize ($10,000) and Best Innovation prize ($2,500) at the 2014 UW Business Plan Competition.

The team, led by UW Bioengineering PhD candidates Gina Fridley and Carly Holstein and also involved UW Foster School of Business MBA students Alyssa Hochman, Jonny Holz and Joel Loveday.

Flu Finder aims to improve current flu diagnosis tests with a new type of diagnostic device that is accurate, inexpensive, and can be administered by anyone, anywhere, with results in less than 20 minutes. The technology is based upon Gina and Carly’s thesis work in UW Bioengineering professor Paul Yager’s lab.

The UW Business Plan Competition has provided over $1.3 million over its 17 year history to promote student ideas and generate new ventures. The competition involves over 400 judges, mentors, sponsors, supporters each year from the alumni and business community, and provides the opportunity for UW students to pitch their ideas to Seattle area venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Read on to learn about all 2014 UW Business Plan Competition winners at the UW Foster School blog.