Three Auburn Engineering students among 12 teams to advance to Tiger Cage pitch competition semifinals

They came. They pitched. They advanced.

Three Auburn Engineering students — Liam Heary (computer science), Vincent Visser and Jadon Li (both industrial and systems engineering) — were among three entries selected to compete in the Tiger Cage Business Idea Competition semifinals on Feb. 28.

After five minutes of presentations and five minutes of questions/answers, judges trimmed the annual entrepreneurship competition’s entries to 12 following the Jan. 31 quarterfinal round.

Presented by the New Venture Accelerator and the Harbert College of Business, Tiger Cage identifies and supports innovative, early-stage product or service ideas created by the Auburn University students.

In its 11^th iteration, six finalists will compete on March 28 for a share of $100,000 in startup capital and a $5,000 technical innovation award sponsored by the Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management.

Heary, a sophomore, teamed with Harrison Ranier (apparel merchandising) to develop the business idea, Planet of Snacks.

“We are student-athletes (swimming) and through our experience as athletes, we have seen firsthand how many international students miss snacks from their home countries,” said Heary. “Many people with diverse backgrounds in the U.S. lack access to their favorite snacks from abroad, particularly at affordable prices and with original ingredients from each country. In today's interconnected world, consumers crave a broader variety of global snacks beyond what’s typically available at local grocery stores and gas stations.”

The platform centers around the global expansion of snack choices, giving customers the opportunity to purchase multiple products affordably from different countries — something that is currently unavailable in the U.S.

Visser, a sophomore, created Polar Docks, which provides liquid cooling to docks through strategically placed misters.

Docks, patios and wood surfaces can get up to 150 degrees — burning feet, paws and radiating heat in the summer. Polar Docks provides relief from extreme heat, allowing people to spend more time in these spaces. A current Polar Docks prototype is leak-proof and rust-proof.

Li, a junior, has teamed with a pair of business students, Christian Barnett (finance) and Samuel Miranda (business administration) to develop Student Task, a platform that aims to connect community members in need of lifestyle assistance specifically with college students who can provide requested services. Requests can include things such as lawn care, babysitting, moving assistance, cleaning and more.

“Unlike traditional jobs, our platform offers students the freedom to work around their busy schedules while providing community members with a simple, reliable solution for finding assistance,” he said. “With an intuitive interface, a robust user verification process, and a review system, our platform ensures accessibility, trust, and high-quality service for everyone involved.”

New Venture Accelerator Lou Bifano said student business ideas have steadily improved since the event’s inception in 2015, and this year’s is no exception.

“We are thrilled with this year’s crop of young entrepreneurs,” said Bifano. “Not only do we have a diversity of product offerings, but we have a nice blend of academic disciplines represented. I’m especially excited to see teams use artificial intelligence as part of their business plans and products.

“Tiger Cage has truly been an Auburn University success story. We could not have done this without the tremendous support of the industry professionals who take time out of their schedules to judge the multiple rounds of this competition and the New Venture Accelerator’s strong roster of entrepreneurs-in-residence, who help students mold the business plans into viable startups through dedicated and personalized coaching.”