Deadline: January 31, 2024
Applications are open for the Rice Business Plan Competition 2024. The competition, entering its 24th year, gives collegiate entrepreneurs real-world experience to pitch their startups, enhance their business strategy and learn what it takes to launch a successful company.
Hosted and organized by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship—which is Rice University’s internationally-recognized initiative devoted to the support of entrepreneurship—and Rice Business. Over 23 years 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 $1 million in cash and prizes. It is the largest and richest student startup competition in the world.
Competition Sectors
- Energy, Cleantech and Sustainability (including but not limited to): Agriculture/Agtech, Batteries & Storage, Decarbonization/Climate Tech, Energy Infrastructure, Oil & Gas Technologies, Renewable/Alternative Energy, Recycling, New and Non-Carbon Fuels, Transportation/Electric Vehicles, Water
- Hard Tech (including but not limited to): Advanced Manufacturing, Advanced Materials, Aerospace/Spacetech, AR & VR (augmented & virtual reality), Autonomous Vehicles, Drones, Machine Learning and AI (Artificial Intelligence), Quantum Computing, Robotics, Smart Sensors
- Life Sciences and Healthcare Solutions (including but not limited to): Aging/Gerontology, Biotech, Diagnostics, Digital Health, Disease Management, Public Health, Medical Devices, Personalized Medicine, Pharma & Therapeutics, Prevention
- Digital Enterprise (including but not limited to): Big Data, Blockchain, Cyber/IoT Security, Cloud & Edge Computing, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Media & Advertising, SportsTech, Supply Chain/Logistics, Workforce
- Consumer Products and Services (including but not limited to): Analytics, Consumer Web, Education/EdTech, Food & Drink, Gaming, Mobile, Personal Devices, Social Impact, Subscription Services, Wearables & Clothing
Prizes
- In total, more than $1 million in investment and cash prizes are expected to be awarded at the 2024 Rice Business Plan Competition. While prizes are still being confirmed, they anticipate many of the same 2023 prizes, plus a few new opportunities.
Eligibility
You are eligible if your startup:
- is student-driven, student-created and/or student-managed;
- has at least two current student founders or management team members, and at least one of those students is a current graduate degree-seeking student;
- are from a college or university anywhere in the world;
- has not raised more than $250,000 in equity capital prior to July 1, 2023;
- has not generated revenue of more than $100,000 in any 12-month period prior to July 1, 2023;
- is seeking funding or capital (or will be in the next 12 months);
- is a potentially viable investment opportunity.
Application
Save the date for the next competition taking place April 4-6, 2024 at Rice University.
For more information, visit RBPC.
