Drew Patel, a sophomore computer science major from Springfield, Missouri, won first place with his startup business Pollinate in the University of Missouri System’s Entrepreneur Quest (EQ) finale April 16, 2020.
At the event, Mizzou’s top three teams Norah Health, Pollinate and Printerior competed against each other and teams from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri University of Science and Technology and the University of Missouri-St. Louis to win $15,000 in funding for first place, $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place.
“We are wrapping up our second year of EQ with an expanding pipeline of scalable student businesses,” said Bill Turpin, MU interim associate vice chancellor for economic development. “This program gives students a safe environment to try their hand at starting a real company.”
Patel was inspired to create a better package delivery service for emerging economies after experiencing delays and other issues in India. Further research led him to focus his efforts on improving e-commerce delivery systems in East Africa.
“Shipping in East Africa is very difficult and expensive,” Patel said. “Packages are often late, lost or stolen. Customers won’t order online because last-mile delivery costs are three times more expensive in emerging economies than in U.S. markets.”
E-commerce companies like Amazon are forced to use many different subcontractors in East Africa, making it virtually impossible for customers to track their packages, Patel said. The last mile of the delivery is the most expensive part because landmarks are often used instead of addresses. Pollinate’s solution is an on-demand delivery platform that would allow customers to pick up their packages at their neighborhood market stall instead of paying exorbitant fees for door-to-door delivery.
The UM System’s EQ program helps students translate their ideas into viable companies by immersing them in the business world through networking opportunities, mentoring from successful entrepreneurs and real-world experiences with the commercialization process. The four UM System universities organize these campus-level EQ activities, which culminate in the spring with the selection of each school’s three most promising ventures. For more information, see news release and story.
Mizzou’s top teams