Winners announced in the 20th Annual John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition
The 20th annual John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition wrapped up on Friday, August 22. Out of more than 35 submissions, 12 teams advanced to the final presentation round, with winners announced during a luncheon at Iowa State University in Ames.
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The event opened with a tribute to the late John and Mary Pappajohn, honoring their extraordinary contributions to entrepreneurship in Iowa. Their legacy was celebrated through reflections on the impact of the five Pappajohn Centers and the lasting role of this competition in strengthening the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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Following the presentations, a panel of judges selected the top three winners:
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Immuno Nano Med received first place and was awarded $40,000. Immuno Nano Med is revolutionizing respiratory vaccines with PowderVax, a patented dry powder delivery platform using safe, biodegradable polyanhydride particles. PowderVax enables self-administration, reduced dosing, protection against multiple diseases, and room temperature storage—eliminating major barriers in global vaccine distribution. The company’s first product, an inhalable influenza vaccine that can be delivered to your home, induces lung-targeted immunity for superior and long-lasting protection against flu variants. By cutting healthcare costs, streamlining manufacturing, and expanding global access, Immuno Nano Med is positioned to capture significant market share in the multi-billion-dollar respiratory vaccine market while delivering life-saving impact worldwide.
Balaji Narasimhan – President & Co-Founder
Hermes Biomaterials, Inc. came in second place and was awarded $25,000. Hermes Biomaterials is redefining plant transformation and genome editing. The company’s signature platform offers the first major innovation in gene gun technology in over four decades, delivering dramatically improved efficiency and precision for both DNA and DNA-free plant transformation and genome editing. From the proprietary Flow Guiding Barrel to ultra-uniform gold particles and next-generation CRISPR-RNP delivery agents, Hermes Biomaterials equips AgTech companies and research teams with the tools to accelerate crop innovation, reduce regulatory barriers, and unlock the future of sustainable agriculture to help feed the world.
Connor Thorpe – Co-Founder
Shan Jiang – Co-Founder
Hanna Golf received third place and was awarded $15,000. Hanna Golf isn't just an Iowa company. Hanna Golf designs and manufactures its own golf putters in Iowa. Hanna Golf CNC mills premium golf putters out of high quality 303 Stainless Steel while providing an old school customer experience. Relationships matter, quality matters, manufacturing in Iowa matters. Hanna Golf has shipped golf putters to 47 states and eight countries, all from a small shop in North Iowa. Hanna Golf aspires to be Iowa's Golf Company.
Jared Doerfler – Founder
First-place winner Balaji Narasimhan shared, “Immuno Nano Med is actively raising grant and seed capital to accomplish our technological and business milestones. Hitting these milestones will help us scale the business and advance our first product towards clinical testing. We are onboarding end-to-end CRO consultants and CDMO partners to refine our technical roadmap and defining our MVP. The generous support from the Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition will enable us to accomplish these important steps.” He praised the competition saying, “I highly recommend this competition to new startups as a way to experience the process and think deeply about their business.”
An additional $20,000 was awarded to three companies that received honorable mentions. The award recipients include S5G Therapeutics (Jessica Skeie, Aliasger Salem - $10,000), Tumbleweed Vida (Paul Richardson - $5,000), and SABER Chemical (Baker Kuehl, Michael Forrester - $5,000).
Since 2006, the John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, supported by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, has invested $1.4 million into participating businesses, celebrating entrepreneurship across Iowa. The event is a collaborative effort led by the Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers at Iowa State University, Drake University, North Iowa Area Community College, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa.
For more information about the competition, visit www.pappajohncompetition.com.