"Our mission is to offer healthy alternatives to traditional American desserts in a more convenient manner than ever before,"said Marek Davis, a Purdue School of Industrial Engineering senior. "To do so, we are providing 100 percent all-natural and dairy-free frozen yogurt products and giving consumers frozen yogurt in locations with high-foot traffic."

The startup's founders, seniors Aarti Panda in the Department of Computer Science, Henry Berkemeier in the School of Industrial Engineering and Davis, met during their first semester in Purdue's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Learning Community and found their campus lacking access to healthy dessert options.  

To solve this problem, the team devised an automated, self-serve dispenser business plan, later choosing frozen yogurt as their product. FroYo XPress has already received $33,500 from the Burton D. Morgan Business Model Competition, the Elevate Purdue Foundry Fund's Black Award investment and the Baylor New Venture Competition.

"Our team is currently manufacturing and preparing for a big launch on campus in late September," Berkemeier said. "Our customers will be able to fill their cup — either a small $4 cup or a large $6 cup — as much as they like with chocolate or vanilla frozen yogurt and any variety of our three toppings. Additionally, our flavors and toppings are able to change seasonally per consumer demand."

FroYo XPress partners directly with retailers, who maintain day-to-day operations, while the startup provides the kiosks, supplies and regional support. This first kiosk in Third Street Market will deliver important feedback to the startup about customer and retailer satisfaction.

FroYo XPress receives entrepreneurial mentorship and support from the Purdue Foundry, a commercialization accelerator at the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Purdue's Discovery Park.

"Ultimately what is going to make us succeed is a better customer experience," Davis said. "Other kiosks do not provide the interactive, self-serve experience that our kiosks can. Choosing 100 percent all-natural, dairy-free frozen yogurt allows us to ensure that all consumers may enjoy alternatives healthier than traditional desserts in the current marketplace."

About Purdue Foundry

The Purdue Foundry is an entrepreneurship and commercialization accelerator in Discovery Park's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship whose professionals help Purdue innovators create startups. Managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, the Purdue Foundry was co-named a top recipient at the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Designation and Awards Program by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

About the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship

The Burton D. Morgan Center is the gateway for innovation and entrepreneurship on campus. It houses a number of programs and competitions for student and faculty entrepreneurs. The Purdue Foundry, launched in 2013 by the Purdue Research Foundation to enhance the university's robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, is housed here, along with Purdue Ventures, which provides and fosters meaningful access to capital and talent for Purdue entrepreneurs, and the Certificate for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program.

Writer: Kelsey Henry, 765-588-3342, kehenry@prf.org

Purdue Research Foundation: Tom Coyne, 765-558-1044, tjcoyne@prf.org

Sources: Marek Davis, contactfroyoxpress@gmail.com, Henry Berkemeier, contactfroyoxpress@gmail.com