AEM Department Senior Takes Home the Win at Biz Talk Competition
Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics student Simeon Shaffar took home the grand prize of $2,000 at this year’s Biz Pitch competition on April 2, 2025.
Shaffar, a senior in the department, pitched his business venture Xygos—an interactive learning tool that provides real-time equation solving—to a panel of experienced entrepreneurs and potential investors at the Toaster Innovation Hub. The app uses visualization and interactive elements to help users learn new math concepts quickly and easily. Shaffar has been developing the venture with the Holmes Center in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
The Biz Pitch competition provides an opportunity for undergraduate students across the University of Minnesota to raise capital for their business ideas and receive valuable feedback from experts. The competition was initiated by the Holmes Center as a way for students to gain hands-on experience in presenting their business ventures.
Shaffar was one of seven finalists to present at the Toaster, winning both Overall Winner and Crowd Favorite. In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Shaffar serves as Chief Engineer in the Small Satellite Research Lab (SSRL), headed by AEM professor Demoz Gebre-Egziabher, as well as remaining involved in Greek Life at the University of Minnesota.
The competition win helped bring greater visibility to Shaffar’s project and promote his work within the broader University of Minnesota community.
“Much more important than the prize money, I’m grateful that Xygos now has some recognition from the University and the business community,” Shaffar shared. “I’ve been working on it quietly for years with my co-founder and have faced many technical and business-related challenges along the way.”
Shaffar plans to continue developing Xygos, using the prize money to expand its capabilities.