Last year’s Startup World Cup Virginia Regional Finals brought together some of the region’s boldest founders and sharpest minds under one roof at Zeiders American Dream Theater on August 28. The night was filled with energy, creativity, and a mix of raw talent and seasoned entrepreneurs ready to pitch their innovations on a world-class stage. From immersive virtual reality to agricultural breakthroughs and next-gen customer experiences, the event highlighted the depth and diversity of Virginia’s startup ecosystem.

Now, nearly a year later, several of those standout companies have gone on to raise capital, expand their reach, and bring new products to life. Here’s a look at where three of them are today—and why you’ll want to be in the room on August 21 at the Sandler Center for this year’s Startup World Cup Virginia Regional Finals.

Agricision

Pioneering the next generation in agriculture drones
Co-founders: Ken & Diana Warren

Agricision, led by Ken and Diana Warren, has evolved significantly since last year’s Startup World Cup. While maintaining its focus on pest detection for row crops, the team recently pivoted to better meet customer needs and will debut the BUBBA-70L—a 70-liter agricultural spray drone—at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days this August. This next-generation drone is purpose-built for modern farming, offering real-time, targeted solutions to support a more sustainable agricultural future.

Agricision’s scout and sprayer drones will be manufactured in Virginia, fully NDAA-compliant, and engineered with secure data handling as a core feature. The company recently won the BullPen Challenge at the Virginia Farm Bureau and is now raising $500,000 to scale manufacturing and meet increasing demand.

As farmers themselves, the Warrens as well as the entire Agricision team understand that timing is everything in agriculture, and they’ve built a tool designed to deliver with that urgency in mind.

CXperks

Elevating the customer experience through digital engagement
Founder: Scott Janney

CXperks, led by founder Scott Janney, has seen rapid growth since pitching at the Startup World Cup. Their platform transforms waiting rooms into engaging, digital-first experiences by giving patients and visitors instant access to games, trivia, and magazines—all through a simple QR code with no app required.

Since the event, CXperks has earned full buy-in from five major hospital systems and is now active in 13 Sentara hospitals across the region. The company has raised 1.3 million dollars since the pitch, bringing its total funding to 3.1 million.

By turning idle wait time into personalized engagement time, CXperks is improving the customer experience in healthcare environments—and hospitals are taking notice.

Catch episode of 1 of Disrupting the Tide featuring the Evolution of CXperks.

Gabb VR

Neuroscience-backed language learning in virtual reality
Founder: Malcom Lee

Gabb VR, founded by Malcom Lee, is transforming how students learn new languages by placing them inside realistic, immersive virtual environments. Backed by neuroscience, the platform helps students retain vocabulary, build conversational confidence, and engage with the language in context—far beyond what traditional textbooks can offer.

Aimed primarily at middle and high schoolers, Gabb VR is proving most effective for students in grades 8–11. When used just 15 minutes a day, 3–5 times per week, students can expect to learn 2,000 words in six months. The experience mimics real-life immersion by allowing learners to interact with virtual people, objects, and places in the target language.

Currently active in 73 schools, the platform has driven a 25% increase in student engagement. Since last year’s Startup World Cup, Gabb VR has won the Don Draper UCLA Google Audience Award and is in the process of raising 1.1 million dollars, with 75 percent of the round already committed.

Malcom says Startup World Cup played a key role in refining the business. “It helped me find holes I couldn’t see on my own,” he noted—feedback that’s already shaping the next stage of growth.

Want to see who’s next? Join us at the 2025 Startup World Cup Virginia Regional Finals on August 21 at the Sandler Center. Whether you’re an investor, founder, or just someone who loves big ideas, you’ll be surrounded by innovation, energy, and the future of Virginia’s startup ecosystem—all in one room.