Arizona State student-entrepreneurs awarded $250K for investment funding

PHOENIX — Two dozen Arizona State University-affiliated startups were awarded more than $250,000 in investment funding at an entrepreneurship competition last week.

The startups who were awarded the funding included a software that tracks when people may be in a mental health crisis, a game that eases childhood anxiety and a pool security monitor. Other student inventions included an application that helps drivers find parking spaces.

All of the inventions were made as part of the university program called Venture Devils, which was created in collaboration with the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

The program is described as one that provides “space, mentorship and access to funding students, faculty, staff or community members.”

The funding was awarded during Demo Day last Friday, a daylong event held at SkySong in Scottsdale. The event featured a panel of judges who listened to nearly 100 pitches from students affiliated with the ASU program.

One of the winners of the event was a program called Compass for Courage, which was founded by Ryan Stoll, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology, and Armando Pina, an associate professor in the School of Psychology.

Stoll’s program is an interactive curriculum for children which uses role-playing and board games to help the children overcome anxiety. Stoll explained that he has been developing the program for seven years as part of his PhD training at ASU.

The Compass for Courage program was awarded $22,500 in investment funding.

For more information on the groups that participated in Demo Day, check out the university’s website.

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