Travel Buddy, a travel app that makes it easier for groups to travel together, won first place and $1,000 at Startup Games final pitches March 2 inside the Pappajohn Business Building in Iowa City, Iowa.

The Springedition of Startup Games kicked off March 1 with 20 participants. Five teams delivered five-minute pitches in the finals March 2 in front of three judges. The students started planning for their business Friday evening, then spent all day Saturday assigning roles, doing research, customer discovery, and meeting with business coaches.

Health harmony took second place and $750. The product is a wearable medical device that alerts caregivers to potential aggressive behavior in Alzheimer's patients

Placing third and winning $500 was Walkette, a company selling shoes tailored to female professionals, maximizing both style and comfort.

Pet Time, a company that connects stressed and lonely college students with domestic animal companionship, received a $500 Judges' Choice award. The Pet Time team also earned a Customer Discovery acknowledgement for conducting 30 customer discovery interviews.  

Startup Games is sponsored by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, the hub for entrepreneurial education and outreach at the University of Iowa.

About Iowa JPEC: Iowa JPEC fosters entrepreneurship and innovation across the state of Iowa by providing a range of educational and training programs and support services for entrepreneurial ventures and existing small-to-medium size businesses. Iowa JPEC is dedicated to nurturing the growth of new ventures and assisting them in reaching their full potential.