UND innovators pitch commercialization-ready ideas at inaugural Lift-Off Showcase

August 25, 2026

Research teams showcase technologies developed through UND’s Innovation Moonshot Summer Accelerator

Members of the ND Vocal team, Jielun Zhang, Xudong Yu and Justin Montigne, accept the $10,000 grand prize at the inaugural Lift-Off event alongside Julie Collins, Amy Whitney, UND President Andrew Armacost, Scott Snyder and Eric Link. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.

Ten University of North Dakota research teams showcased technologies and innovations developed through their research and participation in the Innovation Moonshot Summer Accelerator during the inaugural Lift-Off event Aug. 20, highlighting the University’s commitment to transforming discoveries into real-world solutions.

Hosted by the UND Center for Innovation (CFI), Lift-Off marked the culmination of the Innovation Moonshot Summer Accelerator, a program designed to help faculty, researchers and innovators explore the commercial potential of their work. Throughout the summer, teams worked with coaches from CFI and the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers (ND SBDC) to conduct customer discovery, refine their value propositions, assess market opportunities and develop commercialization strategies.

“This is an opportunity to see the progress of innovative research working its way through a commercialization process,” said Amy Whitney, director of CFI. “These teams have spent the summer asking important questions to understand customer challenges, the markets where their technologies are aligned, and reflecting on how their solution can solve the pressing needs they discovered.”

Dr. Amy Whitney presenting at the Lift-Off Showcase. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.

Ten teams take the stage

The event featured presentations from 10 teams representing a range of disciplines, including health care, aviation, education, advanced manufacturing, energy and unmanned aircraft systems:

PT EMR, presented by Dan Stone, a clinical reasoning and simulation platform for physical therapy education.
Detectology, presented by Bappa Ghosh, developing technology to recover cell-free DNA from small blood samples for cancer-related applications.
Quantum Optics, presented by Markus Allgaier, exploring customized optical thin-film coatings for research and industry customers.
Volare, presented by Puja Roy, creating a platform to connect U.S. unmanned aircraft manufacturers with compliant suppliers.
Invisiscale, presented by Lina Bouakkaz, developing a bed-integrated system for automated weight monitoring in senior care settings.
Virvac LLC, presented by Masfique Mehedi, advancing a novel approach to treating respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and viral bronchiolitis.
PilotTraining, presented by Hyungwoo Jo, building data-driven tools to standardize and improve flight training.
ND Vocal, presented by Justin Montigne, developing an AI-powered vocal coaching platform to support music educators and students.
ESAS, presented by Paul Snyder, focused on improving airspace safety through real-time conflict detection and automated compliance records.
Smart FracOp, presented by Hadi Jabbari, using physics-informed AI to optimize horizontal frac completion operations.

Bappa Ghosh holding microphone during presentation — Bappa Ghosh, postdoctoral research fellow in biomedical sciences and co-founder of Detectology, prepares to present the team’s cancer detection technology during the inaugural Lift-Off event. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.

Supporting North Dakota’s startup ecosystem

Following the pitches, Sarah Louise, director of gener8tor’s 1889 Fund, sat down with Julie Collins, lead instructor and emcee of the Lift-Off Showcase, to discuss gener8tor’s programming and its impact on North Dakota’s startup ecosystem. The conversation highlighted how the organization supports emerging companies through funding, mentorship and connections to investors and industry networks.

Three teams earn $20,000 in prizes

At the conclusion of the event, judges’ scores were counted, and three teams were awarded a total of $20,000 in prize funding.

ND Vocal received the top award of $10,000. The AI-powered vocal training app listens to students sing and provides personalized coaching to guide their practice and support music educators.

Two teams earned $5,000 awards. PT EMR was recognized for its academic electronic medical record platform that provides realistic simulations for physical therapy students and supports pro bono clinical experiences.

Detectology also received a prize for its technology that uses a small blood sample to support breast cancer testing.

Andy Armacost speaking at lift-off showcase. — President Andrew Armacost speaking at the Lift-Off Showcase. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.

Turning research into real-world solutions

UND President Andrew Armacost said the event reflects the University’s commitment to translating research and creativity into solutions that benefit North Dakota and beyond.

“When we have a university that prides itself on research and discovery and creativity, there’s no better way to put it into good use for both the state of North Dakota and for society than to focus on this commercialization process,” Armacost said. “I’m so proud to see the 10 projects today and the efforts they’re making to take the great ideas and allow the world to see the great work that they’ve done here at the University of North Dakota.”

By bringing researchers together with mentors, investors, entrepreneurs and community partners, Lift-Off highlighted the next stage of innovation at UND, transforming promising discoveries into practical solutions with the potential to improve lives, strengthen industries and create economic impact across North Dakota and beyond.

Watch the event recording.