Highlights from UC Startup Weekend

Bearcats hacked their way to success with forward-thinking projects

Student entrepreneurs recently packed the University of Cincinnati’s 1819 Innovation Hub for UC Startup Weekend, an intense three-day hackathon where attendees pitched promising startups and developed innovative ideas.

With big dreams powered by sleepless nights, more than 70 students furiously built for the future.

Every team brought something new, but only two could take home part of the $5,000 prize pool. When the final pitches ended, students celebrated not just their projects but their progress, thrilled about how much they'd learned and ready to keep building.

Where student startups begin

Cincinnati’s startup scene is fearless and fast growing, and UC students are right in the middle of it. UC Startup Weekend showed how the school’s Center for Entrepreneurship helps students turn ideas into real ventures through programs like Venture Lab NEXT.

The hackathon tested creativity, teamwork and focus.

The hackathon tested creativity, teamwork and focus. Between the 12,000-square-foot 1819 Ground Floor Makerspace and guidance from experienced founders, students had everything they needed to bring their ideas to life.

Projects ranged from apps that protect user data to tools for healthier screen time and smarter dating connections. In total, 29 teams joined this year, proving that Bearcat imagination runs deep.

And the winners are …

Two teams stood out for their creativity, technical skill and business potential, earning a share of the $5,000 prize pool.

1st place ($3,000): Encore Arena

Encore Arena winning first place at UC Startup Weekend. Photo/Kailyn Swarts

K-pop card trading and competition app
Team members: Natalie Harvey, Varsha Govardhanam and Vivian Comer

Encore Arena is a competitive mobile app for K-pop fans to collect, trade and battle with digital cards. While other trading apps exist for Pokemon and baseball, few serve K-pop’s massive global audience. The team hopes to change that with a fun, community-driven experience that connects fans and keeps the excitement going online.

2nd place ($2,000): MOA

MOA winning second place at UC Startup Weekend. Photo/Kailyn Swarts

Compute-in-memory computer architecture model
Team member: Ezra Wolf

MOA tackles one of AI’s biggest challenges: power use. Traditional computing architectures move huge amounts of data between memory and processors, burning energy fast. MOA’s compute-in-memory design keeps data where the action happens, making AI tools more efficient.

Cincinnati’s home for student innovation

Encore Arena and MOA were just two of many strong ideas from UC Startup Weekend 2026. Hosted every year at the 1819 Innovation Hub, the event brings together some of the region’s most ambitious student builders and gives them the tools to scale.

As the heart of the Cincinnati Innovation District, 1819 connects entrepreneurs to people and spaces that help ideas grow. From the Venture Lab, where students get mentorship to shape their business models, to the makerspace, where prototypes come to life, 1819 gives early-stage startups a place to start and stay inspired.

For Encore Arena, MOA and the 27 other teams, UC Startup Weekend was just the beginning. They leave with mentorship, momentum and a strong network pushing them toward what comes next.

Featured image at top: Teams celebrating during UC Startup Weekend. Photo/Kailyn Swarts

Innovation Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.