James Massaquoi and Sury Gupta, co-founders of 360VR Technology, won the grand prize of $75,000 at the 2020 Tulane Business Model Competition, which took place virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
360VR Technology, a company started by students at the University of Delaware whose flagship product is a web-based platform for emergency preparedness, took home the grand prize of $75,000 at the 20th annual Tulane
Business Model Competition (TBMC).
An annual presentation of the Freeman School’s Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, this year’s competition was originally scheduled to take place in March as part of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. When NOEW was canceled due to the pandemic, the Lepage Center quickly reorganized the competition as a virtual event, with teams presenting to judges via video conferencing software.
“In the 20 years that we have hosted the Tulane Business Model Competition, there certainly has never been one quite like this one,” said Ira Solomon, Freeman School dean. “We knew that there would be tremendous interest given the increased prize money, but this exceeded even our lofty expectations. The two rounds, conducted completely online, were truly inspiring.”
“Entrepreneurship is all about overcoming adversity, especially when faced with unexpected challenges,” added Rob Lalka, executive director of the Lepage Center. “By adapting to the online format, all of these student teams showed grit, perseverance and focus in ways that were far beyond their years. We were grateful for the willingness of all of our donors, judges and participants to try something completely new to help students from across the country achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. I’m thrilled with the outcome of this year’s TBMC.”
