Most of us know someone who had big ideas in college, and then set off to be an entrepreneur. They did this with varying levels of success, of course. Now, more than ever before, it seems, college students are hoping to strike it big with their startup.
High levels of education, low numbers of available jobs, and a healthy distrust of the status quo have been driving millions of recent grads—or drop-outs with visions of Steve Jobs dancing in their heads—are setting out to start their own businesses.
Now, to be fair, a good number of these businesses fail. Bad planning, bad execution, and often, just bad luck have been responsible for the demise of countless startups. Even the brightest minds have experienced their fair share of failure.
However, if you’re one of these students or recent grads with aspirations of a brilliantly successful startup. Most million-dollar ideas never make it past the idea stage, in fact. However, if you’re in need of some inspiration, take a look at these 6 student-run startups that actually took off.
1) Green Mobile
Green Mobile was founded by University of Missouri student, Brian Laoruangroch. He had been refurbishing old phones as a hobby on eBay, and found that he was making enough money to make it a business.
Now, with a storefront and over $500,000 in annual revenue, this college student, who supported himself with side gigs as a model and actor, has put together a legitimate career. And, as a side benefit, his acting experience lets him make his own commercials.
2) Specdrums
Think of Specdrums as a modern-day harmonica. The winner of this year’s Red Bull Launchpad, which earned them a spot at TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Alley in San Francisco, Specdrums was co-founded by University of Colorado Boulder students, Steven Dourmashkin and Jack FitzGerrell. Turning color into sound, the wearable has revolutionized on-the-go music production.
Users buy rings, which connect to a mobile app, that—when tapped—play a sound. You’ll set different sounds to different colors, so that when the ring taps each color, it makes music. With Specdrums, literally everything around you can be an instrument.
3) BrewBike
Founded by a group of Northwestern students, BrewBike is taking a college staple, iced coffee, and bringing it to the people in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way possible—on a bike.
After raising over $10,000 on Indiegogo, BrewBike became a reality. It is what it sounds like; a specially manufactured bike fit with a suitcase-sized “coffee shop” attached to it. In a short time, BrewBike has become a hit on college campuses and at music festivals.
4) Amber Agriculture
UIUC grad student, Lucas Frye, is bringing high tech to America’s farms. By placing wireless sensors in grain bins, Amber Agriculture helps farmers measure moisture and CO2 levels to minimize storage.
This, obviously, is saving farmers quite a bit of money, and is making Frye quite a bit of money in the process. Amber Agriculture has been at the forefront of student startup competitions, and has gained a large backing.
5) Embodied Labs
University of Illinois at Chicago biomedical visualization student Carrie Shaw founded Embodied Labs, a virtual reality system designed to improve medical care. Using VR tech, Embodied Labs teaches courses and shares narrative videos aimed at fostering greater empathy, and skill, in the medical process.
6) Recyclops
Founded by BYU student, Ryan Smith, Recyclops is looking to revolutionize the way companies recycle. Recyclops worked with a local tech company to develop specialized recycling dumpsters, equipped with a SONAR device that will send out a notification when the bin has been filled up.
This eliminates the need for scheduled pickups, which, in turn, eliminates the need for high costs, or any costs, to businesses. Recyclops sells the recycled materials to make a profit, and the business they work with don’t have to worry about taking care of their recycling—a win-win.
The businesses listed above represent just some of the best of our nation’s college startups. There are more out there, and there are more to come. It’s hard to say which startups will hit the big time, but you can be sure that, if you’re a college student looking to start your own business, you’ll be in good company.