Deadline: February 10, 2019.

The Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) is the world’s richest and largest graduate-level student startup competition. It is hosted and organized by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. The Rice Alliance is Rice University’s internationally-recognized initiative devoted to the support of entrepreneurship. This will be the 19th year for the competition. In that time, it has grown from nine teams competing for $10,000 in prize money in 2001, to 42 teams from around the world competing for more than $1.5 million in cash and prizes.

The competition is designed to give collegiate entrepreneurs a real-world experience to pitch their startups to investors, receive mentoring, network with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, enhance their startup strategy, and learn what it takes to launch a successful startup.
Judges will evaluate the teams as real-world entrepreneurs soliciting start-up funds from early-stage investors and venture capital firms. The judges are asked to rank the presentations based on which company they would most likely invest. In fact, 87% of the 275 judges at the 2018 RBPC said they were considering investing in a team they saw pitch or met, or said they referred a team to an investor in their network.

 

CATEGORIES

Startups should fall into one of four categories or sectors:

1. Energy/Clean Technology (including but not limited to): Sustainability, Water, Battery
Technologies, Control Systems, Smart Metering,PV Technology, Natural Gas,
Transportation/Mobility, Oil & Gas Technologies,Algae, Fuel Cells, Hybrid Vehicles.

2. Tech (including but not limited to): Mobile Apps/Software, Digital Media, Consumer Web, B2B Applications, Enterprise Software, SAAS, Web, Virtual Reality, Big Data, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Drones, Hardware, Robotics, Unmanned Vehicles, Internet, IoT.

3. Life Sciences (including but not limited to): Medical Devices, Diagnostics, Digital Health, Health IT, Biotech, Therapeutics.

4. Other Innovations (including but not limited to): Advanced Materials, Composites,
Nanotechnology, Consumer, Other Technology.

 

ELIGIBILITY

The startups competing at Rice must include at least two degree-seeking students:
1.  One of these students must be a current or recently-graduated graduate-level student. This includes MBA, PhD, MD, JD, and Master’s candidates.
2. The other student may be a current or recently –graduated graduate-level student, or current or recently-graduated undergraduate-level student.
3.  “Current” means currently seeking a degree, enrolled on a full- or part-time basis (i.e., in the academic year from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019).
4.  “Recently graduated” means students who will graduate any time after July 1, 2018. (For example, December 2018 graduates are eligible to compete).
5.  Adjustments may possibly be made for teams from non-U.S. universities that have a different academic calendar; please contact the RBPC Director if you are from a non-U.S. school and feel this applies to you.
6. Teams may be comprised of students from different schools
7. Up to 5 team members will be allowed to compete and present at the RBPC. All of those 5 team members must be current or recently-graduated students.
8. At least 2 team members must present in every round on Friday and Saturday, with at least 2 of those members meeting the student requirements above. The exception is the Elevator Pitch Competition on Thursday night; only one student in the startup will present then.
9. Not eligible: Students who graduated before July 1, 2018
10. Not eligible: Startups that have competed in prior Rice Business Plan Competitions
11. Not eligible: teams or technologies that previously presented or competed in the RBPC

 

PRIZES

In total, more than $1 Million in investment and cash prizes will be awarded to the teams at the 2018 Rice Business Plan Competition. The prizes are structured so that all 42 teams are guaranteed to win cash and/or investment prize money.

 

APPLICATION

 

1. One member of your startup, the designated leader, should complete the simple online application. The application consists of a answering a short survey, attaching an Executive Summary (maximum 5 pages), and including an optional Video Elevator Pitch (maximum 2 minutes).

2. Multiple student startup teams from the same school, institution or university center may apply to compete.

3. There is no limit on the number of applications per school.

4. There no fees to apply or to compete.

5. Once an application is submitted, no changes can be made.

6. Submit your application online from the competition website: www.rbpc.rice.edu

7. The application must be completed by Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 5:00 pm CST.

8. Teams invited to compete in the Rice Business Plan Competition will be notified via our Facebook Live video event and by email on Wednesday, February 27, 2019.

 

OFFICIAL LINK

 

Rice University Business Plan Competition