Two Michigan State University engineering students recently had the opportunity to take their innovative idea for high-performance athletic gear from East Lansing to a global stage.
Madhav Aggarwal and Tanvi Gadamsetti are co-founders of BRCĒ. They say they’ve created the world’s first shoelaces that never come untied.
Aggarwal first came up with the idea during a 48-hour competition in February of 2024. Despite losing that contest, he stayed working on the concept. He says they pivoted to using microscopic Velcro to keep laces tied, which Aggarwal says can helps prevent sports injuries.
Their startup received support from the Lansing Economic Area Partnership and the Lansing Regional SmartZone. And this week Aggarwal and Gadamsetti pitched BRCĒ at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, one of the largest innovation festivals in the world.
Aggarwal and Gadamsetti ended up winning $10,000 as alternates during a student pitch competition.
“South by Southwest has been very significant. We're also the first ever startup out of Michigan State University to be selected for the main South by Southwest Pitch,” Aggarwal said. “This is a global stage, so it makes us extremely proud, but we back ourselves on the support we've received from the Lansing community,”
Harrison Leffel-Jones is LEAP’s Vice President of Small Business & Innovation. He says while Lansing is a thriving region, it’s critical for local startups to get the chance to meet with investors from around the world.
“Most people think about the Midwest as flyover country, and our point in going down there is to say we have all the assets that it takes to make the next big and great tech ecosystem,” Leffel-Jones said.
He says sending local companies to South by Southwest also helps put Lansing on the map in terms of tech and innovation.
Other Lansing-area startups with a presence at this year’s South by Southwest included VERN AI, TrailEagle Packs, Mowr, and TrueForever.
LEAP is a financial supporter of WKAR.