Rice Business Plan Competition

Rice Business Plan Competition: 2026 Results

The 2026 competition took place April 9-11 in Houston, Texas at Rice University. In total, $1,476,600 of investment, non-dilutive cash and in-kind prizes were announced—with investment and cash making up $1.35+ million of the total awarded.


Congratulations to this year's grand prize winner:

BRCĒ, Michigan State University


BRCĒ is a material-tech startup replacing failure-prone textiles with utility-based polymer composites engineered for strength, fire resistance, and intrinsic stability. Its patented Lattice-Grip® technology enables directional grip and controlled tension at the yarn level, eliminating slippage and performance loss under extreme conditions.

 

2026 Rice Business Plan Competition Finalists

BRCĒ

BRCĒ, Michigan State University

Goose Capital Grand Prize — $200,000 Investment

Legion Platforms

Legion Platforms, Arizona State University

David Anderson, Anderson Family Fund, and Jon Finger, Finger Interests and Nancy Chang Second Place Prize — $100,000 Investment

Imagine Devices

Imagine Devices, University of Texas at Austin

David Anderson, Anderson Family Fund, and Jon Finger, Finger Interests and Nancy Chang Third Place Prize — $50,000 Investment

Altaris MedTech

Altaris MedTech, University of Arkansas

Norton Rose Fulbright Fourth Place Prize — $5,000

Routora

Routora, University of Notre Dame & University of Texas at Austin

Chevron Fifth Place Prize — $5,000

DialySafe

DialySafe, Rice University

ExxonMobil Sixth Place Prize — $5,000

Arrow Analytics

Arrow Analytics, Texas A&M University

Shell Ventures Seventh Place Prize — $5,000

 

2026 Rice Business Plan Competition Prize Winners

  • $200,000 Goose Capital Investment Prize — Legion Platforms, Arizona State University
  • $100,000 The OWL Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
  • $100,000 The OWL Investment Prize — Legion Platforms, Arizona State University
  • $100,000 Houston Angel Network Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
  • $100,000 The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Prize — Legion Platforms, Arizona State University
  • $75,000 The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
  • $50,000 nCourage Investment Network’s Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
  • $25,000 New Climate Ventures Sustainable Investment Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
  • $25,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize — Imagine Devices, University of Texas at Austin
  • $25,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize — Legion Platforms, Arizona State University
  • $25,000 Southwest National Pediatric Device Consortium Pediatric Device Cash Prize — BiliRoo, University of Michigan
  • $25,000 Amentum and WRX Companies Rising Stars Space Technology and Commercial Aerospace Cash Prize — BeamFeed, City University of New York
  • $25,000 The Eagle Investors Investment Prize — Imagine Devices, University of Texas at Austin
  • $25,000 non sibi ventures RAVA Accelerator Investment Prize — Salem Robotics, University of Texas at Austin
  • $20,000 Aramco Innovator Cash Prize — BRCĒ, Michigan State University
  • $20,000 Aramco Innovator Cash Prize — Grapheon, University of Pittsburgh  
  • Mercury Fund Elevator Pitch Competition Prizes  — Overall Winner $1,000: Altaris MedTech, University of Arkansas; Consumer $500: Legion Platforms, Arizona State University; Digital $500: Routora, University of Notre Dame & University of Texas at Austin; Life Science $500: DialySafe, Rice University; Hard Tech $500: BRCĒ, Michigan State University; Energy/Cleantech $500: Innowind Energy Solutions, University of Waterloo
  • $1,000 (each) Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prizes —Solid Air Dynamics, RWTH Aachen University; Imagine Devices, University of Texas at Austin; BRCĒ, Michigan State University; Arrow Analytics, Texas A&M University; BiliRoo, University of Michigan
  • Edward H. Molter Memorial Prizes for Wildcard Round — 3rd Place $1,100: VivoFlux, University of Rochester; 2nd Place $1,200: Lucy, University of Pennsylvania

Additional in-kind prizes include: 

  • TMC Innovation Healthcare Accelerator Bootcamp Invitation Prize — NerView Surgical, McMaster University
  • $75,000 Total Baker Botts In-kind Legal Services Prize — Awarded across 7 finalists
  • $25,000 In-kind Value of CFO consulting from NYTCP  — Awarded to Grand Prize Winner

  • Mentoring from EFN - Offered to all startups 

     

     

    All startups received at least $950 in prizes for placement in the competition. 
     

 

RBPC Leaderboard

 

Re-watch the live Final Round Livestream Below:

(Saturday, April 11 at 12 PM CT) 

Rewatch the Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition Livestream  

(Thursday, April 9 at 6 PM CT)