Secure over a year of hands-on experience and resume-ready credentials, competing with other student teams and preparing you for venture creation and leading roles post-graduation.
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Team DefenX is preparing schools to detect guns using accessible, AI-driven real-time surveillance. Their solution combines computer vision and seamless integration for an immediate response.
University of Maryland
$250K secured investment
Build a scalable solution to improve student mental health and engagement, centered around one of seven high-impact entry approaches. Secure up to $250K in an investment to launch your company.
Set the stage for future innovation and compete for the $2,040 grand prize. Form your team, choose your focus area(s), and tell us why your topic deserves to be solved. Finalists pitch live in person for hundreds of industry experts at the NEXPLORE Summit. Teams can submit for multiple focus areas, with more chances to win.
Focus areas
$2,040
April 2027
The competition focused on developing an affordable and automated solution for rapid detection and notification of school shooting events for K-12 schools and colleges.
This Horizons Challenge, in collaboration with NASA, focused on identifying problems that need solving now for a future in space. Topic areas were Safe & Sustainable Food, Off-Grid AI, Peak Human Performance, and High-Tech Health.
Awarded
$2,040
September 2025