Brandon Sweeney and Blake Teipel, graduate students in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, jointly won the Center of New Ventures and Entrepreneurship’s 14th annual Raymond Ideas Challenge at Mays Business School. Teipel won the competition for the second year in a row.
Their business idea entitled, “Customizable Prosthesis via 3D Printing,” was voted the best out of the 300 ideas entered into the competition with 40 finalists. Sweeney and Teipel pitched the idea through a written proposal and video.
Sweeney’s business idea stems from his research with Dr. Micah Green, associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and an affiliated faculty member in the materials science and engineering department. He applied a unique property of carbon nanotubes to overcome the difficulty of the weld strength of polymers. Increased weld strength can bring about stronger 3D-printed prosthetic devices at a fraction of the cost of currently available prosthesis.
“Brandon’s creative and innovative approach has the potential to greatly expand the reach of 3D printing in industrial applications,” said Green. “It’s a pleasure to work with graduate researchers like Brandon who combine such engineering creativity and innovation.”
Both Sweeney and Teipel are interested in using their research experience in materials science and engineering to accelerate their entrepreneurial aspirations.
“I want to develop the nanotechnology research I have worked on in the lab into a successful market product that transforms the way we manufacture parts and resolves the current limitations of energy storage,” said Sweeney.