Just two years ago, Madhav Aggarwal, an Honors Applied Engineering Sciences junior at Michigan State University (MSU) and international student from India, worked as a food server at the 2023 MSU Innovation Celebration. There, he dreamed of one day sharing the stage with the inventors and entrepreneurs who were being honored. This year, along with fellow collaborator Applied Engineering junior Tanvi Gadamsetti, he gets that chance, as their company BRCĒ is awarded Student Startup of the Year, a remarkable achievement for a company that started with little more than ambition and a shoestring budget.
BRCĒ (pronounced “brace”—a nod to their tagline “EMBRACE THE LACE”) is a material-tech startup that has revolutionized something as simple as shoelaces. Their product line includes laces that never come untied, solving one of the most common frustrations for athletes. But they haven’t stopped there. The company has expanded to include other athletic gear like braces and supports, with a special focus on products designed for children.
Student Entrepreneurship Starts at Burgess
Aggarwal’s journey started at the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where he pitched an initial idea for customizable shoelaces in various colors during the spring 2023 2DAY VENTURE, a 36-hour pitch competition for MSU students to explore turning a project or idea into reality. His pitch didn’t land, but that setback only fueled his determination. “It was almost like a train wreck pitch,” he remembers, chuckling. “It was not good at all.”
Undeterred, he joined forces with Gadamsetti, realizing he couldn’t succeed completely on his own. The two had become friends and lived in the same residence hall as first-year students. Both have athletic backgrounds—Aggarwal played cricket in India, and Gadamsetti ran track in San Antonio, Texas. They quickly realized that shoelaces, though small, were a significant pain point for athletes.
Drawing inspiration from the entrepreneurial support at MSU, the duo set out to create a solution to the problem that had plagued Aggarwal since childhood: shoelaces that wouldn’t stay tied. They turned to their experiences as athletes and their access to resources at MSU to bring their idea to life.
Creating a Solution to a Problem You Know
Aggarwal credits MSU Advertising and Public Relations Professor of Practice Ross Chowles for inspiration, remembering a time when he advised students: “Don’t just create a startup because you want to create a startup; create a startup around a global problem, a problem that you face every day—a problem that you know is not going to go away for the next five to 10 years,” Aggarwal says.
“Everything that we do is based on data, and it’s based on the material itself,” says Gadamsetti, who is also pursuing minors in business and supply chain management. “We collaborate with the MSU Department of Kinesiology and other third-party labs to test and validate our products with real athletes.”
More Than Just a Shoelace Company
Each product line addresses the unique needs of different sports. For tennis, that meant strong laces that don’t snap in half during lateral movement. Athletes require sectional elasticity for basketball, so the laces are flexible where they need to be and inelastic around the ankles to help prevent injury. For soccer—a game without breaks—they created laces that wouldn’t fray under any weather conditions. And for hockey, their wide laces stay securely tied throughout intense play.
“When you first look at it, you think, ‘Oh, they’re a shoelace company,’ but it’s more than that. It’s a material company,” says Paul Jaques, Managing Director for Venture Creation for the Burgess Institute. “They’re evolving into developing ankle and knee braces—basically anything related to athletic performance.”
Jaques predicts that one of their most significant market breakthroughs will be with Knotties, a line of shoelaces for children. These laces feature untie-resistant features, a snug fit, and a patented composite material eight times stronger than steel, making them durable enough for children to wear during active play in any weather.
A Humble Start Nurtured by Burgess
Though the duo never ended up nabbing one of the coveted prizes from one of the MSU pitch competitions, Aggarwal and Gadamsetti didn’t give up on their dream. Working with the Burgess team to refine their pitch and hone their entrepreneurial skills, the team began to see a string of success. In early 2024, they secured funding through the Burgess Institute’s Launch Program. Starting with just $200 in seed money, they quickly scaled up, partnering with an overseas manufacturer. By April 2024, they had turned that small investment into $6,000 in sales when they debuted at Sneaker Con in Detroit, a global event for sneaker enthusiasts. That moment marked a turning point for the company, and they have continued to thrive since.
Jaques credits Aggarwal’s and Gadamsetti’s success to their determination and relentless drive. “Burgess supports startups by helping with funding, legal fees, patents, and travel expenses,” he explains. “I’ve been in this role for over 13 years, and I love seeing the bright new ideas. It’s rewarding to see these teams evolve and grow. Whether they go on to secure millions in funding or land great jobs, the success of our students is what matters most.” says Jaques.
A Rising Star of MSU Entrepreneurship
Since their debut, BRCĒ has racked up impressive victories, including first-place wins at the University Pitch Madness at DePaul University, the Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge at Northern Michigan University, and the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards for the Detroit Chapter. They’ve completed interviews for Shark Tank and were selected as one of only eight student startups to present at SXSW in Austin this year.
Jaques sees a bright future ahead of the duo. “They’ve won so many competitions,” says Jaques. “It’s neat to see a team like this push forward. And I know they won’t take no for an answer. They’re going to be so successful. I know a lot of investors have been knocking at their door. The sky’s the limit.”
For Aggarwal and Gadamsetti, each new recognition brings renewed motivation to keep pushing forward.
“I’m so proud of everything we have accomplished. All the time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into this,” says Gadamsetti, who credits her experience as a first-generation college student and first-generation American for motivating her to persevere. “I think of something my mom told me: ‘If something’s easy to do, it’s not worth doing.’ If you are failing, you are doing something right.”
Aggarwal says he feels awestruck by the idea that he’s up on stage being honored this year after reflecting on the humbling experience of working so hard to arrive at this moment. “Our goal since the beginning was to be a part of that room full of MSU’s top entrepreneurs,” he says. “We are now invited up on stage to receive this award for all of our hard work. It feels amazing.”
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About the MSU Innovation Center:
The MSU Innovation Center combines research partnerships, technology transfer, and startup support for MSU faculty who aim to see their research applied to make the world a better place.
Composed of Business Connect, MSU Technologies, and Spartan Innovations, the MSU Innovation Center aims to amplify the impact of faculty research and drive economic growth while positively impacting society to solve real-world challenges with cutting-edge ideas.
Through mutually beneficial, long-term partnerships with the private sector, we connect MSU faculty with companies for corporate-sponsored research collaborations. We also play a key role in facilitating the commercialization and public use of technologies and copyrightable materials, moving MSU’s innovations from the lab to the marketplace. Importantly, we provide significant support for faculty entrepreneurs in establishing startup companies based on technologies developed at MSU.