March 3, 2025

This paid piece is sponsored by South Dakota Biotech.

An anti-aging product developed in South Dakota has been named the winner of the 2025 Governor’s Giant Vision competition.

The 21st annual competition was hosted by the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry and recognized winners of business and student competitions.

The winners in the open business competition are:

First place: InovaSkin, $20,000 prize. Founded by Tugba Ozdemir and based in Rapid City, the company’s anti-aging product was developed with a proprietary peptide that attracts and binds the body’s natural hyaluronic acid within the skin, based on research into new peptides with the potential to impact the skin care market.

Second place: Airborne Dynamic Systems, $10,000 prize. Founded by Zackery Holloway and Carson Daly of Rapid City, the company specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles tailored for infrastructure inspections and defense. The UAVs are fully American made to support industries that require the highest data sensitivity.

Third place: String Tree, $5,000 prize. Founded by Peter Burghardt of Sioux Falls, the company is a curated auction platform selling musical instruments that blends storytelling, live auctions and community-driven engagement through carefully selected inventory, fair transaction fees and secure processes. It’s targeted for music collectors, enthusiasts and dealers.

Fourth place: Minds Matter, $3,000 prize. Founded by Tiffany Hoeft of Aberdeen, the company offers preventative and restorative neurocognitive therapy. Using QEEG brain mapping along with lifestyle and cognitive assessments, Minds Matter develops a plan for improved brain health and educates clients on how to prevent dementia before symptoms emerge.

Fifth place: Catalystium, $2,000 prize. Founded by Mina Raver of Custer, the company’s software application is designed to improve workplace productivity by addressing the challenges of executive dysfunction — often associated with ADHD and fatigue — through adaptive, AI-driven productivity tools.

Sixth place: Dakota Motion Labs, $1,000 prize. Founded by Ryan Rykhus and Lisa McFadden of Sioux Falls, the company offers clinical movement assessments with a markerless motion capture system that integrates wide-angle cameras and a human pose estimation algorithm that enables broader clinical adoption and improves rehabilitation outcomes.

“This year, the Giant Vision entrepreneur competition was held during the legislative session,” South Dakota Chamber president David Owen said. “We had an excellent group of competitors and believe this event has once again helped potential business leaders and job creators take a step toward having their projects become a reality. We want to thank the Governor’s Office of Economic Development for supporting this competition.”

In the student competition, five finalists were named winners:

Taking first place in the student competition, winning $5,000, was EarthMaze, a platform to access farm data, reports, models on agricultural practices’ carbon sequestration potential and high-resolution satellite imagery analysis of land transformations that will enhance monitoring and management of carbon sequestration in agriculture and agroforestry. Founded by Khushboo Jain and Abhinav Chandel, University of South Dakota.

In second place, winning $4,000, was DPUF. The product uses a unique, digital fingerprint pattern that helps prevent intellectual property violations by securing against counterfeit or tampered products. Founded by Gopala Krishna Murthy Kalapala, Zishen Yang and Chaoyang Jiang, USD.

In third place, winning $3,000, was Yuth, AI-driven mental health support in schools via personalized interventions based on individual needs, early detection through AI insights and educator empowerment with data-driven dashboards. Founded by Diana Haile, Northern State University.

In fourth place, winning $2,000, was OptiSig, an optical filter for cameras and mobile devices that authenticates images through light-matter interactions, creating a hidden signature to prove authenticity and deter tampering through cryptographic verification for biometric photo logins via an app. Founded by Arik Ahmed, South Dakota Mines.

In fifth place, winning $1,000, was AC Financials, a financial literacy program that promotes independence for young adults through sustainable financial practices taught via personalized coaching and an advisory graduation program. Founded by Abram Collaguazo, South Dakota State University.

Connect and learn

Has your curiosity been sparked about the state’s promising biotech industry? South Dakota Biotech will hold its first mixer of 2025 at the new USD Discovery District.

The first building in the USD Discovery District has opened in northwestern Sioux Falls, marking a major step toward transforming the area into a hub for innovation in life sciences and biotechnology.

See it for yourself while connecting with South Dakota Biotech members and industry professionals from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at 4600 W. Nobel St. Drinks and appetizers will be served.

“This is an excellent opportunity to network with industry professionals, exchange valuable ideas and foster meaningful relationships within the biotech community,” executive director Joni Ekstrum said. “Whether you’re looking to collaborate, learn from others or expand your professional circle, this event offers the perfect setting to build lasting connections and grow your network.”

Growing biotech company among first to commit to new USD Discovery District building