Apr. 18—HIGH POINT — Five High Point University students earned thousands of dollars for their startup businesses during HPU's 2023 Business Plan Competition.

During the competition, five finalists competed for a total of $30,000 by presenting to a panel of business leaders serving as judges.

Quentin Barrial, a junior business administration major and entrepreneurship minor from Atlanta, won first place and $12,000 for his product, QuickTag. QuickTag is a lost-and-found label featuring a customized QR code that can be placed on any item. If an item is misplaced, the person who finds it can scan the code with their cellphone to get in touch with the owner through an anonymous messaging platform, place a pin on a map or notify the owner of the item's location through a photo. Because no personal contact information is shared, privacy is protected for both the owner and finder.

Second place and $8,000 was awarded to Erin Morrow, a junior education major from Windham, New Hampshire, for Rossom Robots, a gesture-controlled robot arm kit she designed for educators seeking to introduce advanced technologies to their classrooms.

Third place and $5,000 went to Reeve Fatuova, a Class of 2026 entrepreneurship major from Ramsey, New Jersey, for BUSTZ, a sports bra she developed.

Savannah Smith, a senior entrepreneurship major from Chesterfield, Virginia, and Jake Lagana, a junior computer science from Upper Nyack, New York, were runners-up and each earned $2,500. Smith's product, HatEase, is an insert designed to keep a hat secure during sports or activity. Lagana's Picnic Club is a luxury loungewear and clothing brand.