IgniteWV Capital Awards
Spearheaded by the Encova Center at WVU Chambers College as the statewide successor and expansion of the historic WV Collegiate Business Plan Competition, IgniteWV awards non-dilutive seed grants across Main Street, Tech, and Early-Stage categories to founders across West Virginia.
Featured IgniteWV Awardees & Winners
Nikola Lighting LLC
Industrial, Advanced Materials & Energy
Innovative commercial and architectural lighting design, engineering, and installation firm transforming regional facilities with custom, high-efficiency illumination systems.
Goldenrod Kitchen
Food, Beverage & Agriculture
Dedicated gluten-free and allergy-friendly craft bakery and kitchen in Charleston providing artisan baked goods, specialty catering, and inclusive community food experiences.
Best Dam Tape
Apparel, Outdoor & Lifestyle
High-performance, water-resistant athletic hockey tape and direct-to-consumer subscription service engineered for maximum grip, blade feel, and durability on the ice.
Human Creative
Digital Media & Creative Industries
Digital provenance and authentication platform certifying, watermarking, and tracking human-authored and human-edited creative content across digital media landscapes.
Hill & Holler Herbal Co.
Food, Beverage & Agriculture
Small-batch botanical apothecary producing sustainable, locally foraged Appalachian herbal teas, wellness extracts, and all-natural handcrafted body care products.
Iconic Air
Industrial, Advanced Materials & Energy
Early-stage IgniteWV grant recipient that scaled into an enterprise greenhouse gas emissions and methane compliance software platform, acquired by Asuene in 2025.
Storefront
Tech & Enterprise Software
AI-powered operational software and predictive inventory orchestration tools tailored to streamline retail workflows for independent brick-and-mortar storefronts.
Marshall University Innovation & Business Model Competition (WVIBMC)
Hosted annually at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation by the Lewis College of Business and the iCenter, the WVIBMC trains students in Design Thinking, customer discovery, and Business Model Canvas validation, awarding non-dilutive seed funding to collegiate innovators across West Virginia.
Featured WVIBMC Awardees & Champions
Konaz
Food, Agriculture & Natural Resources
First Place and top prize winner of the 6th Annual WVIBMC finals at Marshall’s Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation, Konaz engineers guilt-free, high-protein dessert ice cream for wellness and fitness-focused consumers.
Goldenrod Kitchen
Food, Agriculture & Natural Resources
Recognized across multiple statewide pitch programs (placing 2nd at the 2024 WVIBMC finals at Marshall and winning IgniteWV 2023), championing wholesome, scratch-made breakfast and vegetarian options made with Appalachian farm ingredients.
SleepyPause
Software & Technology
Marshall University student-founded venture that engineered an intelligent playback control software application designed to detect user slumber state and automatically bookmark and pause streaming services.
Give it a Go
Consumer Products & Goods
Marshall University qualifier champion that advanced to the statewide WVIBMC finals, producing structured starter kits and frictionless learning guides for creative and mechanical hobbies.
Millions for Medicine
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Inaugural championship team of the West Virginia Innovation and Business Model Competition at Marshall University, designing a community micro-lottery concept to crowd-sponsor and forgive burdensome patient medical debt.
Earring BackTrack
Consumer Products & Goods
First Place Champion at the statewide WVIBMC finals hosted at Marshall University, developing an ergonomic stainless-steel assisted jewelry applicator tailored for users experiencing dexterity challenges and arthritis.
WVU LaunchLab Competitions
The university’s comprehensive startup center hosting the annual March Idea Challenge, Idea Pitch Competitions, and Demo Days to accelerate student and faculty innovations into viable commercial enterprises.
Featured LaunchLab Pitch Winners
Iconic Air
Industrial, Advanced Materials & Energy
Originated as student drone and STEM tech venture "ICONIC EDU," winning the 3rd Annual March Idea Challenge before scaling to greenhouse gas emissions tracking and an international buyout.
Pantry Plus More
Tech & Enterprise Software
Inaugural LaunchLab March Idea Challenge winner that grew into a regional non-profit establishing free in-school food and hygiene pantries across public schools in Monongalia County.
Dream Tidal 3D Construction
Tech & Enterprise Software
High-precision photogrammetry and spatial computing software platform automating 3D topographical reconstruction and digital mapping for construction operations.
Kustom Stomp
Apparel, Outdoor & Lifestyle
Customizable ergonomic composite snowboard stomp pads engineered to optimize balance, traction, and control during lift exits, one-footed gliding, and uneven terrain.
WV Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition (Historic)
Originally created and managed by the Encova Center at WVU Chambers College, this premier collegiate competition operated for more than 15 years as West Virginia’s flagship student business launchpad. In 2022, the Encova Center evolved and expanded the competition model into today's broader statewide IgniteWV initiative.
Past WVCBPC Championship Winners
Brite
Tech & Enterprise Software
Academic sentiment intelligence SaaS platform giving university professors and deans real-time analytics into student comprehension, feedback, and classroom engagement.
Eva Toor LLC
Apparel, Outdoor & Lifestyle
Reimagined ergonomic equestrian saddlery and technical riding products engineered to improve rider balance, reduce physical fatigue, and protect horse back welfare.
The Lite Sleeper
Apparel, Outdoor & Lifestyle
Ultra-lightweight, compact, modular sleeping shelter and tactical survival bivouac system designed by a student veteran for backcountry explorers and rapid response operators.
Highland Outdoors
Digital Media & Creative Industries
Independent quarterly print and digital adventure magazine sharing stories of public lands, trail conservation, and high-country exploration across West Virginia.
Noble Growing System
Industrial, Advanced Materials & Energy
Automated vertical hydroponics and commercial microclimate indoor growing hardware engineered for ultra-efficient nutrient delivery and water conservation.
Avalon Green Apparel
Apparel, Outdoor & Lifestyle
Glenville State student-founded women's high-performance golf apparel brand combining elegant athletic tailoring with weather-ready technical textiles.
Parthian Battery Solutions
Industrial, Advanced Materials & Energy
1st Virtual WVCBPC Grand Prize winner repurposing retired electric vehicle (EV) battery modules into certified stationary commercial energy storage systems.
Appalachian Aqua Farms
Food, Beverage & Agriculture
University of Charleston student-founded sustainable aquaponics and closed-loop aquaculture venture supplying regional restaurants and farm markets with fresh fish and greens.