University of Alabama Announces Winners of 2025 Crimson Catalyst Pitch Competition
Tuscaloosa, Ala. The University of Alabama has announced the winners of its 2025 Crimson Catalyst Seed Competition, a milestone-based funding program designed to accelerate Seed Translational Research Projects, or STRPs.
The two innovative teams, Plascrete and LIME Semiconductor, were chosen following a competitive spring proposal call and high-energy pitch event in August, with each receiving $25,000 in seed funding to advance their breakthrough technologies toward real-world impact. The program is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Accelerating Research Translation Program (#2331381).
The Crimson Catalyst program was created to provide early-stage, milestone-driven support for transformative research ideas that address pressing global challenges while driving innovation from the lab to the marketplace. This year, four finalist teams presented at the annual pitch competition, with two projects emerging as winners.
Plascrete – Led by Assistant Professor Dr. Rachel E. Cook
Concrete is the world’s most utilized man-made material, prized for its strength, durability, fire resistance, and versatility. However, the cement used to bind concrete is costly, and in the U.S. construction sector, cheaper fillers are often used as partial substitutes. At the same time, plastic pollution has reached alarming levels: only 9% of plastic is recycled in the U.S., nearly half ends up in landfills, and more than one-fifth is mismanaged or discarded in nature. By 2050, experts project that plastic in the oceans will outweigh fish by weight.
Plascrete seeks to tackle both challenges by upcycling waste plastic into cement mixtures, transforming an abundant pollutant into a valuable material. The team is developing milling procedures to grind various plastic types into micrometer-scale particulates, integrate them into concrete mixtures, and study their properties. This innovation could reduce plastic waste, cut construction costs, and pave the way for more sustainable building practices.
LIME Semiconductor – Led by Assistant Professor Dr. Nicholas Baker
Modern power semiconductors are typically manufactured using solid metals that require high temperatures and pressures during manufacturing. These devices often fail due to thermo-mechanical stress, limiting their efficiency, durability, and cost-effectiveness.
LIME Semiconductor is pioneering a new approach by using room-temperature liquid metal pastes with enhanced viscosity, which virtually eliminates failure from thermo-mechanical stress. This breakthrough not only improves performance and reliability but also reduces the size, weight, and cost of semiconductor systems. LIME’s technology has the potential to reshape the future of electronics, from consumer devices to large-scale energy systems.
“The Crimson Catalyst Program reflects The University of Alabama’s commitment to accelerating innovation that makes a positive societal and economic impact,” said Dr. Bryan Boudouris, vice president for research and economic development and ART principal investigator. “We are very thankful to the National Science Foundation for empowering UA-affiliated researchers to make positive technological and economic change.”
By providing milestone-based funding and entrepreneurial guidance, Crimson Catalyst helps promising technologies to move closer to commercialization, positioning Alabama as a leader in research-driven innovation and economic development.
About The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama, the state’s flagship institution, is dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, and service. UA’s Office for Research and Economic Development (ORED) fosters innovation, supports faculty-led entrepreneurship, and drives partnerships that enhance the university’s impact at the state, national, and global levels.
Media Contact:
Jessica Porter
(205) 348-2212
jessica.porter@ua.edu
The University of Alabama