University of California, Berkeley Mechanical Engineering

Heidari - Shark TankHossein Heidari, a PhD candidate in ME Professor Hayden Taylor’s lab, has won the $100,000 Shark Tank prize for “Best Innovative Technology” at BASF Innovent 2018. Heidari received the award for the Design for Nanomanufacturing lab’s work on “Computed Axial Lithography,” a volumetric 3D printing solution invented in the lab as a new paradigm in additive manufacturing. BASF is a leading chemical company, and Innovent is an internal innovation event designed to evolve novel ideas that strengthen BASF’s innovation power, and to co-create solutions with external partners. Ten start-ups were invited from five categories – Bioscience, Catalysis, Material Science, Digitalization and Supply Chain – to pitch their technology and to explore how creativity, speed, and innovation can be a connector to large corporations, such as BASF. The start-ups competed in BASF’s version of “Shark Tank” for an opportunity to collaborate with the company. After the initial rounds of pitches, five of the ten start-ups advanced to the final “Shark Tank” round to vie for the $100,000 collaboration opportunity. A panel of judges from BASF’s leaders and decision-makers reviewed each pitch and chose the winner based on four main criteria: Impact, Readiness, Motivation and Culture.