Six UNC-Chapel Hill student teams. One shot. Real capital on the line.
Go behind the scenes of Innovate Carolina's Luby Pitch Competition, where Carolina entrepreneurs face down nerves, five-minute pitches, and a panel of judges for a chance to fund their startups' next chapter. Now in its third year and backed by a $300,000 gift from the Joan & Chester Luby Charitable Trust, the competition puts real money behind bold student ideas.
Hear pitches from startups like PlugVerse, a booking marketplace for local musicians and venues; NAIRS, an AI-powered rehabilitation sleeve for at-home physical therapy; Sensible, a smart sticker that turns menstrual cycles into biological data; and Safeli Shop, a campus-verified marketplace for students to safely buy and sell.
Watch each team push through prep, nerves, and the pressure of "one shot, no do-overs" and see who walks away with the top prizes.
Since launching, the Luby Pitch Competition has funded 16 student teams, who've gone on to secure over $819,000 in total funding, proving what community-backed student entrepreneurship can do.
Learn more about the Luby Pitch Competition here: https://innovate.unc.edu/joan-and-chester-luby-pitch-competition/