UAB students featured in ‘Shark Tank’ style competition for grilling invention

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (WBRC) - Summer is right around the corner and if you’re a master on the grill, this could be a future purchase for you.

Two UAB students, Jaival Vikal and William Rainer, are participating in a ‘Shark Tank’ style competition in Minneapolis for their patented design for a safer way to grill.

Vikal handles more of the business side of things while William, a Fairhope native, is more of the hands-on and grilling extraordinaire.

There were 150 submissions for this competition known as the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, but only 24 were accepted. The winners receive a total prize of $215,000 to help get their product into the marketplace.

The way a normal barbeque grill works is lifting the lid up. This new grill, known as ‘Fire Shield Grill’, offers a chance to slide in and out as a drawer, keeping heat safely inside. This design is deemed more versatile and a safer option than a standard grill.

The duo’s aim is to use the prize money to design further prototypes and start local while working their way up. Phase one includes more of operating just around Birmingham than around the country, and then as the duo gains traction and further developments on the invention, then the goal is to expand.

“Every time that we’ve used it at a couple family functions and maybe a lowkey event for the university, and everyone is like, ‘How has no one thought about this before?’” Vikal said. “‘And if you get it to market, we’ll buy it from you.’”

Vikal says to be patient in terms of purchasing this design for your own usage, but the UAB students are working to have this invention available in stores later down the road.

You can listen to more of the duo’s story and pitch here.

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