Winners Announced in 2026 Tufts New Ventures Competition Finals

Following an afternoon of live pitches, winners for the Tufts New Ventures Competition have been announced.

On April 10^th, fifteen teams of aspiring Tufts entrepreneurs met the culmination of many months of hard work during the 2026 Tufts New Ventures Competition Finals, hosted by the Derby Entrepreneurship Center. For these teams of Tufts students and alumni their competition journey started back in February as they put together their applications. What followed was two months of late nights rehearsing, weeks spent refining pitch decks, strengthening business plans, and incorporating feedback from judges and coaches. At the start of the process, the Derby Entrepreneurship Center received a record seventy applications, which narrowed down to thirty semifinalists, and finally the fifteen finalists that pitched their ventures on April 10.

Over the course of a single afternoon, the fifteen finalist teams pitched live for judges and a hybrid audience of students, family, friends, faculty, staff, and coaches. Once the pitches concluded, the judges retired to their respective deliberation rooms, and participants and audience members were invited to a networking hour where they were able to mingle and connect with one another.

One hour later, following the judge deliberation, everyone returned for the winner announcements.

Reflecting on the event, Carol Denning, Associate Director of Derby Entrepreneurship Center, shared, “The Tufts New Ventures Competition is an annual showcase of persistence, creativity, and growth. It’s incredibly rewarding and inspiring to watch teams turn months of iteration, feedback, and hard work into confident, polished, and compelling pitches at the finals.”

Continue reading and join us in congratulating this year’s winners:

Stephen and Geraldine Ricci Interdisciplinary Prize:

Sonara Labs

The Paul and Elizabeth Montle Prize for Entrepreneurial Achievement:

Senior Award: Anh Ngo, A26

Most Progress in a New Venture: Josh Bernstein, E26

Best Demonstration of Grit: Aria Ma, A26, A26 (BFA)

The Small Business Prize:

The Small Business Prize was added to the Tufts New Ventures Competition this year with the goal to celebrate small business founders who embody the entrepreneurial mindset and skillset through bias to action.