Six CSE-related teams make 2025 MN Cup semifinal
From ammonia-fueled engines to the next chip to potentially power AI, CSE students and alumni brought their best
More than 200 people gathered at Herbert M. Hanson Jr. Hall on the night of June 5 for the MN Cup Semifinalists Reception. Of the 92 companies that made the semifinal selection, six had University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering (CSE) students, faculty, or alumni as members.
Each team delivered a one-minute elevator pitch, sharing their innovative startup ideas with the entrepreneurial ecosystem. They will take part in workshops and events throughout the summer.
The winners from the nine MN Cup divisions will then all pitch live at the 2025 Grand Finale on Monday, October 6 from 4-7 p.m. at McNamara Alumni Center.
Here’s a further look at the six teams with CSE ties.
NorthStar Cryo (Life Science/Health IT division)
NorthStar Cryo, Inc. develops modern cryopreservation solutions, with an emphasis on cellular tissues. The startup is based on technology invented by John Bischof, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in Mechanical Engineering and the Medtronic-Bakken Endowed Chair for Engineering in Medicine in CSE.
“Our product, CryoMesh, is a patented self-preservation platform that enables ice-free, long-term preservation of islets (cells) with the ability to maintain structure, function and viability requirements,” said founder Nathan Allen, at the June 5 reception.
Bischof leads the University of Minnesota's ATP-Bio, which recently advanced methods for the first successful transplant of a cryopreserved large mammal kidney that was stored for more than a week.
Aza Power Systems (Energy/Clean Technology/Water division)
Co-founded by Seamus Kane, who earned a Ph.D. from the College of Science and Engineering in 2021, Aza Power Systems creates carbon-free engines that run on ammonia. These engines use the same combustion technology as regular petroleum ones. This also means that Aza’s engines are durable because of their combustion design, but emit no carbon dioxide because of the ammonia used as fuel. There are a number of advantages of ammonia over traditional fuels that leave carbon behind.
Kane is a research manager with the Murphy Engine Research Lab on the Twin Cities campus.
Delano Bat Company LLC (General division)
Logan Benda, CEO of Delano Bat, is a University of Minnesota alumnus with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. The company was founded by Delano, Minn. native Peter Kruse, who created the patented FZN Technology process for manufacturing its baseball bats.
This proprietary process results in a bat offering players the traditional feel of a wooden bat while giving them the pop of a composite bat. While Delano’s bats puts the startup into a category of their own, according to the company's website, its first model failed National Collegiate Athletic Association certification because it had too much pop!
QAL Semiconductor (High Tech division)
Through its patent-pending method of designing computer chips, QAL Semiconductor wants to reduce power consumption of future AI models by at least 90 percent and increase speed by four times. The company plans to produce a test chip here in Minnesota—and in time catch the attention of tech giants like Microsoft, Nvidia, and AMD.
“That’s when the journey will get really fun,” said founder James Lupino, who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1984 with a mechanical engineering degree.
Xygos LLC (Student division)
Xygos is an AI-powered math assistant designed to help students go from zero knowledge to acing their tests in minutes. Xygos analyzes users as they solve the problem and uses this data to give instant feedback and hints, just like a tutor. The app, created by current UMN aerospace engineering student Simeon Shaffar with UW-Madison student Aidan Toney, already has over 1,000 users on the Apple App Store from 80 countries.
The pair plans to use the premium model for Xygos, eventually monetizing features like interactive graphs. Shaffar recently won the UMN BizPitch competition.
Echo Data Analytics (High Tech division)
University of Minnesota computer science alumnus Tariq Bashir, a founder of Echo Data Analytics, worked as a software developer before becoming a firefighter. The startup hopes to transform the way emergency response services use data—by compiling it from various sources and putting it on a single, easy to read dashboard. Concerns like staffing gaps and operational inefficiencies can be revealed in seconds, not weeks, to firefighers and paramedics across the United States.
“We're excited to connect with more partners and stakeholders to drive decisions at the heart of public service,” said Bashir during the group’s pitch.
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