Utilizing the same technology he competed with in the VentureWelll NOAA Ocean Tech Accelerator program, Ben Gettier recruited an team of Longwood University students from computer science, business, and engineering to put together Longwood University’s first ever entry in to the Naval Promoting Electric Propulsion Challenge. VentureWell awarded Gettier and his team $7,000 to develop an autonomous boat drone that would run a 2-mile course in the Chesapeake Bay. In April of 2026 they competed against top teams in the nation, taking 6th place nationally in the autonomous category.
