The Cooper Union’s Multi-Use Data Acquisition Bio Unit Group, better known as MUDBUG, was awarded a $5,000 Stage 1 grant as part of VentureWell’s Summer 2023 E-Team Program, which recognizes the potential of student inventions to create positive social, health, or environmental impacts. The Cooper team is developing low-cost precision agriculture technology aimed at promoting soil health and sustainable farming practices. Using wireless sensor units to monitor soil quality, MUGBUD enables smallholder farmers to make data-informed decisions about their irrigation and nutrient management strategies.

Led by Brandon Bunt BSE’22, a mechanical engineering master’s student, MUDBUG launched last year and is offered as a VIP course in the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. Undergraduate members of the team include electrical engineering students Arav Sharma, Manhim Liu, Ani Vardanyan, and Isaac Amar, and chemical engineering students Julius Yoh and Hye Jun Kwon.

MUDBUG is one of 22 student innovator teams from across the US accepted to this year's E-Team Program. Members will take part in the Pioneer workshop, part of VentureWell’s nationally-recognized Early-Stage Innovator Training Program, which provides student teams with the training, coaching, and peer networking opportunities that will help them launch their innovation. During Pioneer, the team will discover the best market for their invention, as well as outline possible pathways for the future.

The VentureWell E-Team Program offers up to $25,000 in grant funding and entrepreneurship training to student teams across the US that are developing science and technology innovations focused on solving the world's biggest challenges. Through E-Teams, VentureWell has trained 500+ student teams and more than 1,500 student innovators. These teams have raised more than $600 million in follow-on funding and have launched 300+ ventures since taking part in the program.