Sync Labs, a University of Pennsylvania I-Corps startup founded by undergraduate students Melanie Herbert, Nami Lindquist, and Alexandra Popescu, have received a 2025 President’s Engagement, Innovation, and Sustainability Prize.

Announced by University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson, the annual award supports Penn undergraduates in launching impactful post-graduation projects, providing $100,000 per project, $50,000 stipends per team member, and mentorship from Penn faculty or staff.

Sync Labs graduated from the spring 2024 Penn I-Corps cohort, during which customer discovery led the team to pivot from developing an intelligent refrigerator to addressing critical challenges in eldercare. Sync Labs’ current project focuses on a privacy-focused AI system designed to reduce staff exhaustion and close caregiving gaps, improving the quality and efficiency of senior care.

Herbert is an electrical engineering major in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Lindquist is a dual-degree major in computer science and economics in the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology. Popescu is a systems engineering major.

Sync Labs is mentored by Jeffrey Babin, professor and associate director of engineering entrepreneurship in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the engineering faculty director for Venture Lab.