Basecamp 2024: Hear from this year’s winners

After eight weeks of intense workshops, hands-on mentorship, and an exciting demo day, Basecamp 2024 wrapped for another year. 

This year brought yet another cohort of highly driven students who spent their summer developing and refining game-changing business ideas. From ideation to execution, these budding entrepreneurs showcased the creativity, resilience, and determination needed to turn their visions into reality.

The Basecamp Demo Day is the pinnacle of our summer program, where the top 10 student entrepreneurs take center stage to pitch their groundbreaking business ideas to a panel of judges. After weeks of refining their concepts with the help of mentors and workshops, these innovators  competed for several prestigous grant prizes. 

Demo Day is more than just a competition—it’s a celebration of the creativity, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit that fuels these emerging founders. It’s their platform to leave a mark on the business world. 

As the excitement of Demo Day settles, the journey for our Basecamp winners is just beginning. Hear directly from these rising entrepreneurs, who are still revelling in their well-deserved victories:

GlucoSense
$20,000 prize
Innovating non-invasive health monitoring

The first-place winners, Justin Allen and Tenzin Dhonyoe, co-founders of GlucoSense, are on a mission to revolutionize how pre-diabetics manage their health. Their startup is developing an affordable, non-invasive solution for monitoring blood glucose levels, a challenge that has long frustrated both patients and medical professionals. 

“Trying to measure blood without a blood sample is just as hard as it sounds,” explained Allen, one of the co-founders. Yet, despite the complexity, GlucoSense is tackling this problem head-on with a clear vision of creating a tool that could prevent the onset of diabetes. 

With their recent win, Justin and Tenzin plan to use the prize money to bring their vision one step closer to reality by developing a working prototype of their groundbreaking device.

Along the way, they’ve benefited from direct support and guidance from professionals in DMZ’s network, helping them refine their strategy and avoid common pitfalls. “Be clear about your vision but remain flexible and open to feedback,” Tenzin advised. “Growth comes from refining your product and business model.”

Justin explained that getting access to experts who had once been in his shoes provided encouragement throughout the process, “Having people who look at ideas for a living and tell us ours is worth making is the best kind of motivation.” The direct feedback from seasoned professionals gave the co-founders the confidence needed to push forward with their vision.

PYNX
$15,000 prize
Gamifying music discovery and revolutionizing fan engagement

PYNX is reshaping how fans discover and engage with new music. Inspired by “The Voice” show’s “blind auditions”, Asar Qadir founded PYNX, a gamified platform for unreleased music. By default, the artist and track name are hidden while music plays on the app, allowing listeners to focus on the sound. Users can then “reveal” the track info, purchase it, and even unlock perks like merchandise or concert tickets.

With the support of DMZ, PYNX is well-positioned to disrupt the music industry and provide new opportunities for both artists and fans alike.“Support from my amazing lead helped me out a lot when it came to navigating the legal side of startups and also with pitch practice,” Asar explained, highlighting how critical DMZ’s mentorship was in overcoming some of the more challenging aspects of launching a startup. This hands-on guidance allowed him to refine not only his platform but also the way he presented it to potential investors and customers.

Asar also shared valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: “Be empathetic and curious about the problems that your industry faces, talk to customers as much as you can, and iterate quickly!” His approach, rooted in curiosity and constant iteration, has driven PYNX forward in its mission to change the way fans experience music discovery.

What’s next for PYNX? “Securing a partnership with one of the big three major record labels!” Asar says as he looks to scale the platform and create deeper connections between artists and their audiences.

Sumina
$10,000 prize
Empowering women’s health in the workplace

Sumina is addressing a critical yet often overlooked issue in workplace wellness: women’s menstrual health. By filling the gap in support for women during their cycles, Sumina aims to transform what is often seen as a productivity barrier into a strategic advantage for businesses. This innovative approach enhances workplace inclusion and empowers women to perform at their best, no matter the time of the month.

“Having access to Experts-in-Residence from different backgrounds has helped refine our strategy and given me the confidence to tackle challenges head-on,” shared Sylvia Gehring, Founder of Sumina, as she reflected on the value of Basecamp’s mentorship. The program’s access to experts in the industry provided Sylvia with diverse perspectives that helped her sharpen Sumnia’s business model and overcome early obstacles. 

“If you’re thinking of applying to Basecamp, my advice is simple: go for it!”, shared Sylvia, as she reflected on her journey in the program. “The program pushes you out of your comfort zone in the best way possible, giving you the support and mentorship you need to grow as an entrepreneur,” Sylvia added.

With the prize money, Sylvia’s next steps include building a robust MVP to pilot with additional businesses and organizations. Part of Sylvia’s winnings will also fuel creative marketing efforts to raise awareness and drive adoption of their product.

FreshAI
$5,000 prize
Reducing food waste, boosting store efficiency

FreshAI is a SaaS company tackling a significant issue in the grocery industry: over-purchasing of fruits and vegetables, which leads to food waste and lost revenue for stores. Through forecasting, advanced reporting, and automated ordering, FreshAI is helping grocery stores reduce waste and improve their profit margins in the process. 

DMZ Basecamp played a crucial role in refining the business approach of FreshAI. “[Of all the program’s supports,] the mentors we had access to, whenever we needed help, impacted both FreshAI and myself the most,” shared Krish Bhoopati, Founder of FreshAI, highlighting how the program’s hands-on guidance shaped his strategy and decision-making process. 

With the prize money, FreshAI plans to expand their solution to more stores and fund pilot programs to demonstrate the power of AI in making more efficient and sustainable grocery operations. 

His takeaway from Basecamp? “Don’t be scared to take risks and take advantage of every opportunity that is available to you.”

The DMZ Basecamp program has fostered a new wave of trailblazing startups, each solving critical challenges in unique ways. From innovating non-invasive health monitoring

to revolutionizing how we discover new music, this cohort exemplified the impact of combining passion with strategic guidance. With the support and insights gained through Basecamp, these founders have gained the foundation to not only expand their businesses but also make a lasting impact in their respective industries. 

 We can’t wait to see where their journeys take them next.

 A special thank you to Embark Student Foundation and the George & Helen Vari Foundation for their generous support of the Basecamp program. Their contributions have made it possible for emerging entrepreneurs to develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

Looking to join Basecamp in 2025? Subscribe to our TechTalk newsletter and stay informed on program applications here. Until then, we invite you to check out DMZ Masterclass to master your business skills at dmz.to/masterclass.