Pyogenix earns $25,000 grand prize; LandClarity.ai receives $10,000 runner-up award
Ann Arbor SPARK recently celebrated the completion of its latest Entrepreneur Boot Camp cohort, recognizing a group of promising startups tackling challenges across healthcare, cybersecurity, education, financial wellness, real estate technology, artificial intelligence, and sustainability.
The Entrepreneur Boot Camp is Ann Arbor SPARK’s intensive program designed to help early-stage founders validate their business models, refine their value propositions, and prepare for growth through customer discovery, coaching, and mentorship.
The program culminated in a celebration and pitch competition on June 9, where 11 startups showcased their progress. Pyogenix earned the $25,000 grand prize, while LandClarity.ai received the $10,000 runner-up award. Homestream Inc. and Mind Money Balance were also recognized as finalists.
“This cohort was exceptionally coachable,” said Lee Gorman, founder of Barton Consulting Services and director of Ann Arbor SPARK’s Entrepreneur Boot Camp. “The founders were highly engaged, eager to learn, and willing to challenge their own assumptions. They came prepared, asked thoughtful questions, and consistently did the work required to move their businesses forward.”
This year’s cohort reflected the diversity and innovation of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, with founders developing solutions ranging from AI-powered real estate platforms and cybersecurity tools to healthcare technologies and educational resources.
Participating companies included:
- Awayster, LLC (Lee and Julie Horning) — A digital health intervention platform that empowers individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder to accomplish daily tasks and personal goals.
- Dark Defensive LLC (Patrick Murray and Sue McTaggart) — A cybersecurity platform that identifies exposed digital assets on the dark web and maps findings to regulatory compliance requirements.
- Homestream Inc. (Andrew Weiss) — An AI-powered platform streamlining workflows for residential real estate investors. (Finalist)
- LandClarity.ai (Jason Green and Matt Boyer) — Software that simplifies and accelerates title commitment review for land developers. (Runner-up)
- Lung Sphere 360 LLC (Thamer Sartawi) — A care coordination and workflow platform for lung nodules and lung cancer.
- Mind Money Balance (Lindsay Bryan-Podvin) — A financial wellness company providing trauma-informed financial education. (Finalist)
- Pyogenix (Vishu Asthana) — A rapid bacterial identification technology with the potential to reduce reliance on broad-spectrum antibiotics. (Grand Prize Winner)
- Sustain Earth Mission (SEM) (Maryam Motamed) — An infrastructure solution addressing industrial noise, vibration, and harshness challenges in data centers.
- Thimble and Thread LLC (Gunjan Sud) — An AI-driven personal styling application focused on building confidence in fashion decisions.
- Tools to Thrive (Bobby Madamanchi and Diane Aretz) — A platform helping students manage academic responsibilities and time more effectively.
- We Adaptify (Emerson Delacroix) — A provider of evidence-based motivational interviewing education and training.
“Boot Camp challenged us to step back from the technology and focus on the problem we’re solving and the customers we’re serving,” said Vishu Asthana, founder of Pyogenix. “The feedback, mentorship, and customer discovery process helped us sharpen our message and strengthen our strategy. We’re honored to receive this recognition and excited to continue advancing a solution that could transform how bacterial infections are identified and treated.”
According to Gorman, artificial intelligence continues to influence how new companies are being built, with many startups incorporating AI into their products and business models. However, the core principles of entrepreneurship remain unchanged.
“The founders who stand out are the ones who deeply understand their customers’ pain points and can clearly communicate the value they bring,” said Gorman. “Both Pyogenix and LandClarity.ai demonstrated a phenomenal understanding of the problems they are solving and showed a willingness to adapt and learn throughout the program.”
Jason Green, co-founder of LandClarity.ai, said the Boot Camp experience reinforced the importance of staying close to customers throughout the startup journey. “One of the biggest lessons from Boot Camp was the importance of continuously listening to customers and challenging your assumptions,” said Green. “The program helped us better understand the pain points land developers face and communicate how LandClarity.ai solves a real and costly problem. We’re honored to be recognized and excited for what’s ahead.”
Over the course of Boot Camp, participants worked closely with mentors, coaches, and fellow founders to refine their businesses and test assumptions through customer discovery. While major pivots are often highlighted in startup stories, Gorman noted that this cohort’s success was driven by a series of smaller breakthroughs and refinements that strengthened each company’s approach.
“If there’s one lesson I hope every founder takes away from Boot Camp, it’s to never stop challenging your own assumptions by digging deep to truly understand your customers’ pain points and how you can best address them,” said Gorman.
Looking ahead, Gorman remains optimistic about the future of entrepreneurship in the Ann Arbor region.
“There are so many bright, creative people who see opportunities to solve meaningful problems and are willing to do the hard work required to bring those ideas to life,” she said. “That’s what gives me confidence in the future of entrepreneurship here.”
More information about Ann Arbor SPARK’s Entrepreneur Boot Camp and startup support services available here.
