The Largest and Richest Intercollegiate Startup Competition | May 11-13, 2023 | Rice University, Houston, Texas
The competition, now in its 23rd 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 2 million in cash and prizes.
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 23rd year of 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. Alumni from the RBPC have raised more than $4.6 billion in funding and have generated more than 50 successful exits, valued at nearly a billion dollars.
Benefits
- An intense, immersive experience over the course three days for student startup founders to
pitch to investors, receive multiple rounds of feedback and advance their startup. - There will be over $1 million in prizes, and all 42 teams who compete at Rice University in Houston are
guaranteed to win cash prizes. - Currently, the minimum cash prize is $800 and the grand prize winner
receives a $350,000 investment (typically in the form of a convertible debt note.)
Eligibilities
- 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
• is student-driven, student-created and/or student-managed
• falls into one of five sectors (see below)
• has not raised more than $250,000 in equity capital prior to July 1, 2022
• has not generated revenue of more than $100,000 in any 12-month period prior to July 1, 2022
• is seeking funding or capital (or will be in the next 12 months) and is a is a potentially viable investment
opportunity
• is incorporated in the US, or has started the process to do so by January 1, 2023
Eligible Regions: United States
Application Process
- One member of your startup, the designated leader and main contact going forward, should complete the
simple online application by:
• Answering the survey questions
• Attaching an Executive Summary in PDF format (maximum 5 pages)
• Providing a link to a Video Elevator Pitch (maximum 2 minutes) – optional - Multiple student startup teams from the same school, institution or university center may apply to compete. There is no limit on the number of applications per school.
- Startup teams comprised of students from more than one school may apply. Student startup teams from universities across the US and across the world can apply. There no fees to apply or to compete.
- Once an application is submitted, no changes can be made.
- Submit your application online from the competition website: www.rbpc.rice.edu
- The application must be completed by Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 11:59 PM CST. Teams invited to compete in the Rice Business Plan Competition will be notified via a live video event, email and phone on March 22, 2023.
Application Deadline: February 28, 2023
Application ClosedOfficial link
