Shurugwi Prime Breeders Wins $20,000 Grand Prize at 2026 Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge

March 28, 2026

Shurugwi Prime Breeders, a student startup from Ensign College focused on poultry production and job creation in Zimbabwe, took home the $20,000 Tim Draper Grand Prize at the 2026 Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge. The final awards and showcase event was held at the University of Utah.

The statewide competition is managed by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, part of the David Eccles School of Business, and sponsored by venture capitalist Tim Draper. This year’s event brought together Utah’s top collegiate founders to compete for more than $75,000 in cash and prizes.

An overjoyed Liya Ngabola, Founder, Shurugwi Prime Breeders, receiving the top award at the 2026 Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, Salt Lake City, Utah

Founder Liya Ngabola outlined how the prize will accelerate the company’s growth:

“Twenty thousand dollars will help me invest in 6,000 birds, generating $77,000 by the end of the year. That will allow me to build a hatchery and create opportunities for small-scale farmers to start their own businesses.”

Shurugwi Prime Breeders operates in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe, producing poultry for meat and protein consumption while creating local employment through its supply chain.

Ngabola also shared a message for fellow founders:

Liya Ngabola, Founder, Shurugwi Prime Breeders, and a student at Ensign College, was awarded the $20,000 Tim Draper Grand Prize at the 2026 Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, Salt Lake City, Utah

“Don’t let anyone pull you away from your idea. People laughed at me for competing with chickens—but I’ve now won three competitions. Keep going. Do what you love.”

BYU students Cameron Woolstenhulme and Paige Knudsen, Co-Founders of RevRoom, receiving the $10K Second Place award

Other Top Winners

Second Place ($10,000): RevRoom (Brigham Young University)
Third Place ($7,500): Minor Inconveniences (Salt Lake Community College)

Patrick, Founder of Minor Inconveniences receiving the $7.5K Third place award

Judges from across industries evaluated teams through multiple rounds. Finalists pitched live at the University of Utah, showcasing a wide range of high-impact and commercially viable ideas.

Logan Bogesvang, Competitions Chair, Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, University of Utah

“The competition continues to highlight the best student entrepreneurs in the state,” said Logan Bogesvang, student director of the program. “We encourage more students, mentors and community members to get involved next year.”

Learn more about the Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge at https://lassonde.utah.edu/uec.

Learn about the high school division of this competition at lassonde.utah.edu/hsuec

Scott Holley, Executive Director, Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute

2026 Competition Results

Grand Prize ($20,000): Shurugwi Prime Breeders
Second Place ($10,000): RevRoom
Third Place ($7,500): Minor Inconveniences
Josh Hadley E-commerce Award ($5,000): Stormin
Actium Bootstrap Award ($2,000): S.C.O.R.E.
Judge Awards ($16,000 total): Multiple teams recognized
People’s Choice (Speed Pitch, $1,000): Stormin
People’s Choice (Online Vote, $1,000): S.C.O.R.E.
Top 20 Teams: $500 each + $1,000 scholarships

Top 20 Startups (2025–26)

Below is a clean, Ghost-compatible table summarizing the finalists:

Startup	University	What They Do
Airavata Bioengineering	University of Utah	Crisis-zone surgical sterilization tech using UV-C systems
Alpha-RAG	Southern Utah University	AI platform turning financial documents into verified insights
Altruvia	Brigham Young University	AI SaaS helping nonprofits measure and communicate impact
Apex Monitoring Systems	University of Utah	Wearable cardiac monitoring for neonatal and pediatric care
Clear Paycheck	Westminster University	Platform translating paychecks into financial insights
Controlled-Health	Weber State University	Infrastructure for independent, subscription-based medical practices
Forge Metrics	University of Utah	Predictive maintenance sensors for small machine shops
KEVA	Utah State University	Wi-Fi-free smart locks with AI-powered property management
Minor Inconveniences	Salt Lake Community College	Social card game centered on humorous “bad luck” scenarios
Parlay	University of Utah	AI-driven real-time sales coaching platform
Redwaste Solutions	Utah Valley University	Sustainable medical waste management solutions
RevRoom	Brigham Young University	Marketplace for buying and selling rebuilt cars
S.C.O.R.E.	Snow College	Inventory automation platform for rural small businesses
Scry Technologies	University of Utah	Insider-threat and data leak prevention platform
Shurugwi Prime Breeders	Ensign College	Poultry business creating jobs in Zimbabwe
Signal Smith	Utah State University	Contactless vital-sign monitoring using radar and AI
Stormin	University of Utah	Sports card marketplace and social platform
Thesis	Utah Tech University	AI platform for managing university research grants
Uinta Life	Ensign College	Guided fly-fishing experiences with education platform
XtractSol	University of Utah	Chemical waste purification for semiconductor manufacturing

About the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute

The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a nationally ranked hub for student entrepreneurship at the University of Utah. Founded in 2001 with support from mining entrepreneur Pierre Lassonde, the institute now serves thousands of students annually through competitions, workshops, startup support and academic programs.

Its flagship facility, Lassonde Studios, combines student housing with innovation space, creating a live-work environment for founders across disciplines.