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BYU Engineering | Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering
Student Innovator of the Year
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2026-2027 SIOY Application is now open!

Apply Now
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Calling all BYU students! The Student Innovator of the Year competition gives you the opportunity to assemble your own team and create an innovative product to solve a pain point. $500 in prototyping funds is available to kickstart the idea and you can win part of $50,000 in total prize money! 

Why start now? The final deadline to apply to the competition and for funding is November 1, but teams who begin early usually perform better. So, dive in!

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SIOY Logo Wordmark

The BYU Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering hosts this student competition each year in partnership with the BYU Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology. The annual Student Innovator of the Year (SIOY) competition has kickstarted now-successful companies Owlet, Khione, Myostorm and more across its 16-year history. Competitors are in the running for part of the total $50K in prize money.

Student teams sharpen their innovations throughout the year through activities like the IP Info Session and Speed Mentoring, making their presentations to the public and judges at a showcase on February 9. Finalists are selected to present their ideas on stage in a final event on February 25. Winners and audience favorites receive thousands of dollars of prize money to help make their ideas a reality.

Kickstart Your Idea
SIOY Overview

Previous Showcase Results
2025-26 Finalists
2024-25 Finalists
2023-24 Finalists
2022-23 Finalists

2025-2026 Winners

🏆 First place: FidgiTech

- A customizable fidget device

🎉 Second Place: Safesparrow

- A Personal security escort drone

🏅 Third Place: Rotala

- An automated aquarium water tester

🌟 Crowd Favorite: Automatic Repositioning Sheet System

- A smart hospital sheet that helps turn patients automatically

Additional Finalists

Handhold

 - A surgical hand positioning device

Graid

 - a 24/7 AI tutor for college students

Sori Technologies

 - A smart stuffed animal that helps children with autism transiton between tasks

SIOY Finalists
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FidgiTech
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SafeSparrow
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Rotala
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Automatic Repositioning Sheet System
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Handhold
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Graid
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Sori Technologies
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SIOY Finals Competition February 26, 2026
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SIOY Finals Competition February 26, 2026
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SIOY Finals Competition February 26, 2026
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SIOY Finals Competition February 26, 2026
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SIOY Finals Competition February 26, 2026
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SIOY Finals Competition February 26, 2026
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Perry announces the audience-voted Crowd Favorite, Automatic Repositioning Sheet System.
Photo by Ellie Alder/BYU Photo
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James Perry, a Studio C original cast member and BYU mechanical engineering alum, plays rock-paper-scissors with an audience member.
Photo by Ellie Alder/BYU Photo
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SIOY Finals 2025-26
The 2026 Student of the Year final competition began with a full house.
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SIOY Finals Competition February 26, 2026
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2024-2025 Winners

🏆 First place: Varroa Tech

- A biotechnical solution to remotely detect and monitor parasite levels within beehives

🎉 Second Place: Dry Rise

- A device that tracks how full a bladder is and wakes the user before they have a bedwetting incident

🏅 Third Place: LUNIR Watchbands

- An innovative buckle and watchband that fits every wrist size, adjusts easily, adaptable to all watch pieces

🌟 Crowd Favorite: Varroa Tech

Additional Finalists

Brizi

 - Ventilated car seat inserts to keep infants cool

Indel Industries

 - Using novel technologies to engineer a treatment for a mutation linked to over 50% of human cancers

R3ALITY

 - A compact 3D printer designed to print in any orientation, anywhere (yes, even in space)

SudStream

 - An integrated shower and soap delivery system to streamline the showering experience

SIOY Finalists
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Varroa Tech
Varroa Tech
2 of 7
Dry Rise
Dry Rise
3 of 7
LUNIR Watchbands
LUNIR Watchbands
4 of 7
BRIZI
BRIZI
5 of 7
Indel Industries
Indel Industries
6 of 7
R3ALITY
R3ALITY
7 of 7
SudStream
SudStream
1 of 7

2023-2024 Winners

🏆 First place: Spot Parking

-Revolutionizing the parking enforcement industry using machine learning and security cameras

🎉 Second Place: Salt Block Inoculum

-A solution to help farmers who struggle with salinity

🏅 Third Place: Stratus

-Automated front desk tasks for healthcare using AI

🌟 Crowd Favorite: MelBas Cancer Therapeutics

-A biotechnical solution that can successfully target and kill lung cancer cells

Additional Finalists

LesionInsight

- A software tool to aid in diagnosis and treatment of patients with brain lesions

BIOME

- A novel approach to quantify human gut microbial imbalances

Quick Stick

- Rapid asphalt repair

2022-2023 Winners

🏆 First place: Bro-less

-Righting agriculture's biggest wrong

🎉 Second Place: Mindsmith

-Democratizing learning through generative AI

🏅 Third Place: Aerofold Spacer

-Pocket-sized Collapsible Asthma Spacer

🌟 Crowd Favorite: Aerofold Spacer

Additional Finalists

Cinnamon

-Cleaning Elevated

Plant Au Pair

-Give Your Plant a Voice

Pronto Work

-Gig marketplace for flexible restaurant staffing

TradeView by Bespoke

-See Your Trade Differently

Have questions?

Don't hesitate to contact us! We genuinely want to help students get involved with this unique and valuable opportunity to be fostered into the next innovator.
Email Us

Ready to become the next Student Innovator of the Year?

Showcase your ideas and take the next step in your innovation journey.

Apply Now