From College Apartment to 'Shark Tank': MSU Seniors Pitch Groundbreaking Material Science

EAST LANSING, Mich. – February 27, 2026 – For most college seniors, the final semester is a whirlwind of final exams, capstone projects, and job applications. For Michigan State University students Madhav Aggarwal and Tanvi Gadamsetti, it involves a primetime television debut. On March 4, the co-founders of BRCĒ (pronounced “brace”) will walk into the national spotlight on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank” to pitch a technology they believe will revolutionize everything from athletic performance to industrial safety, starting with a surprisingly simple, yet critical, piece of equipment: the shoelace.

Aggarwal and Gadamsetti, the company's CEO and COO respectively, will present their flagship product, the “Shoelaces That Never Quit™.” These are not ordinary laces; they are the first commercial application of BRCĒ's patented, high-performance polymer-composite material. The duo will be seeking an investment from the show’s notoriously tough panel of billionaire investors, hoping to secure a partner to help scale their ambitious vision.

A Mission Forged by Injury

The story of BRCĒ is deeply personal, rooted in the shared experience of athletic careers cut short. Both Aggarwal and Gadamsetti were competitive athletes who suffered preventable, career-ending injuries, a reality that became the driving force behind their entrepreneurial venture.

“Both of our athletic careers ended because of preventable injury,” said Madhav Aggarwal, CEO of BRCĒ. “We have made it our life's mission to apply innovative material science to dramatically reduce the risk of injury stemming from equipment failure.”

Their mission targets a pervasive issue in sports. According to data from the National Library of Medicine, ankle sprains are staggeringly common, accounting for up to 45% of all sports-related injuries. The National Athletic Trainers' Association further notes that over 70% of those who suffer an ankle sprain will experience a repeat injury, often linked to inadequate foot stabilization or footwear that loosens during activity. BRCĒ's innovation aims to tackle this problem at its source. While traditional braces can immobilize the ankle and taping can restrict mobility, BRCĒ laces are designed to provide consistent, secure tension, preserving an athlete's range of motion while drastically improving in-shoe stability.

The Science of Stability

At the heart of BRCĒ is a material science breakthrough. The company's patented polymer-composite is described as stronger than steel, yet remains lightweight, fire-resistant, and weather-resistant. This combination of properties allows their shoelaces to maintain tension and resist untying under the most demanding conditions, preventing the subtle but dangerous foot-slippage inside a shoe that can lead to injury.

“People take shoelaces for granted, but the world's greatest footwear brands and $100 million athletes are counting on laces that are scientifically proven to loosen during competition,” explained Tanvi Gadamsetti, the company's COO. “So while shoelace technology might seem trivial, watching your favorite team compete and lose because your star player is sidelined with a giant bag of ice on their ankle is no trivial matter.”

The technology provides a better grip inside the shoe, enabling smoother force transfer and giving athletes more control and confidence in their movements. The company already offers a lineup of performance-based laces tailored for specific sports, including running, tennis, basketball, and hockey.

From Classroom Concept to National Stage

The journey from a college apartment to a nationally televised pitch has been remarkably swift. Founded in 2024, BRCĒ achieved a milestone that few, if any, student-led startups can claim. The company was granted a U.S. utility patent for its high-performance material while its founders were still full-time undergraduates. Even more impressively, the patent was approved in just 62 days—a turnaround the company claims is the fastest in the history of material science, a field where patent pendency often stretches for years.

This rapid validation was a powerful signal that the young founders were onto something significant. Their work quickly gained external recognition. In September 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Inventors Hall of Fame named BRCĒ a Top 5 innovation of the year, placing the student-run company alongside seasoned research institutions and corporations.

This momentum and recognition ultimately caught the attention of producers at “Shark Tank,” leading to their upcoming appearance. The opportunity places Aggarwal and Gadamsetti on one of business's biggest stages, ready to prove the value of their innovation.

Swimming with Sharks and Beyond

While the outcome of their “Shark Tank” pitch remains under wraps until the episode airs, the appearance itself marks a major milestone. For BRCĒ, however, the shoelaces are just the beginning. The founders have always viewed their “Shoelaces That Never Quit™” as a proof-of-concept for a material with far-reaching potential.

“Our BRCĒ materials are patent-proven to 'Never Quit,' and shoelaces are just the start as we continue on our mission to improve performance, safety, and recovery across industries,” Aggarwal stated. The company's vision extends to integrating their durable, lightweight material into performance apparel, protective gear for athletes and first responders, and a range of industrial products where equipment failure is not an option.

As they prepare for their national debut, Aggarwal and Gadamsetti represent a new wave of innovators who are leveraging personal experience and cutting-edge science to solve real-world problems. Whether or not they land a deal with a Shark, their journey has already demonstrated that a powerful idea, backed by relentless determination, can tie a small startup from East Lansing to a future of limitless possibilities.