A team of Kettering University students trying to help people get a better night’s sleep is one step closer to making it happen.

Cory Mazure (‘22, ME), Trevor Arcieri (‘24, CE) and alumnus Mason Campbell (‘21, IE) are among the top 50 teams in the 12th annual New 

Venture Competition, a business plan and elevator pitch competition showcasing student-created, -managed and -led ventures. 

Their venture is called Refreshed, a software that collects brainwave data to determine an optimal range for sleep and helps maintain it. Refreshed collects brainwave data from existing hardware and feeds it into models that output specific frequencies as binaural beats into users’ earbuds. This puts users’ brains in the most optimal range for the correct state in their sleep cycles, helping those who struggle to calm their minds before bed fall asleep faster. 

Once asleep, the software works with users’ natural rhythms to help them achieve the deepest, most-effective sleep possible.

“We’re very excited we made it to the top 50 and feel very good about our product, Refreshed,” Mazure said. “It is an honor to have made it this far, and we are confident in our abilities to impress the judges in the next stage of the competition.”

More than 600 students submitted two-page executive summaries of their ventures as part of their applications to be part of the competition. 

Next, the top 50 teams will submit a 10-page business plan. The top 10 teams go on to participate in a feedback session March 24-23 at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, for the $50,000 grand prize.

Mazure said the team members already have a plan for the prize money. They will use some of it to fund a research study, hire a developer to support product launch and continue to work with a lawyer to prepare to apply for a patent to protect their intellectual property.

“With Refreshed, we will help young professionals just like ourselves overcome fatigue to perform at their best,” Mazure said.