venture challenge
From 0 to 1 · Completed
Duke's first student-led, large-scale AI+X startup competition
Successfully convened founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders across disciplines.
About Xscent
Xscent Venture Challenge is Duke University's first student-led, large-scale AI+X startup competition, successfully hosted by DukeCEO as a flagship initiative for student-driven venture creation.
Bringing together founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders across a range of AI-powered verticals—including AI + Social Impact, Academic Research, Gaming, Real Estate, Beauty, Biotech, and FinTech—Xscent established a platform where early-stage ventures could be evaluated, supported, and accelerated at institutional scale.
Hosted by DukeCEO, Xscent demonstrated the potential of student-led innovation to bridge talent, capital, and long-term impact, setting a new benchmark for venture-building initiatives at Duke.
Winning Teams
🏆 1st Place
🥈 2nd Place
🥉 3rd Place
AI design tool that turns 2D sketches into 3D interactive game level scenes — no coding required
$4,000 AWS Cloud Credits
Open access academic publishing with incentivized quality controls
$4,000 AWS Cloud Credits
AI-powered city onboarding companion that helps newcomers settle into a new city with ease
$4,000 AWS Cloud Credits
TraceMind AI
Captures obligations and responsibilities hidden in WeChat, Outlook, Zoom and other channels — turns them into living, API-powered contracts with traceable evidence
$4,000 AWS Cloud Credits
✦ Showcase Team
A next-generation low-cost LLM-based assistant for online businesses to deliver human-like, personalized, and secure customer interaction
Judges
Anita Ali
Wells Fargo
SVP, Enterprise Observability and AI Solutions
Maggie Ma
Lenovo
Global Account CFO
Miao Hong
Lenovo
Director, Strategic Business Transformation
Nagsen Meshram
SAS
Director of Software Development
Yiran Chen
Duke University
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Patrick S. Repko
TrueBridge Capital Partners
Vice President of Business Development
Amanda Stockwell
Duke University
Adjunct Associate Professor
Jennifer Feng
Former CTO, Wanda Group
Managing Director, EdgeNext
Jiarui Li
CInnatrix / NCCBA
CInnatrix CEO, President of the NCCBA
Welcoming Speech
* The welcoming remarks were delivered by Hao Cheng, co-founder of Xunlei, and Jennifer Feng, a core judge for the Microsoft and Tencent Accelerators as well as Global DCD Dynamic.
Open Speaker
Our Partners
Sponsorship Partners
Media Partners
Community Partners
